Cars are expensive, there’s no way around that. Sometimes you might find yourself singing up to thirty-thousand dollars into a car, if not more, and with that being the case you want to make sure that it is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also drivable. As the years go by you will find that your vehicle needs more and more maintenance, and the costs may begin to pile up. If you want to make sure that you don’t spend more money on vehicle maintenance than you did for the initial cost, you might want to try a few of these money saving tips.
Tip #1: Wax your Car
Okay this might sound a bit odd, considering we’re talking about functionality rather than aesthetics, but waxing your car routinely will help you out quite a bit for a few different reasons. First of all, yes, it will look prettier, but secondly, it will protect your paint job from the elements whether it be weather, debris on the road, or even the wind itself. Protecting your paint means protecting yourself from rust, and rust can have a negative effect on your vehicle in more ways than one.
Tip #2: Use Toothpaste on your Headlights
It may seem crazy, but instead of buying the expensive headlight cleaner, try cleaning your headlight with toothpaste. Not only does it smell nice, it is an abrasive, and it will actually make your headlights look perfectly clean.
Tip #3: Check your Air Filter Regularly
The air filter is located under the hood and is actually pretty easy to find. If you want to avoid replacing it, you can try cleaning it out from time to time. Doing this will help to ensure that your vehicle gets adequate gas mileage and most importantly that your engine stays clean.
Tip #4: Change your Spark Plugs
From time to time it will be necessary to change your spark plugs, and you can determine this by pulling them out and checking whether or not they are burned out. In some cases it will be more obvious, especially if the case of the spark plug is actually cracked.
Note: When you are changing spark plugs, try to pull them out one at a time so that you do not become confused as to the order they should be inserted – they need to fire in a specific order.
Tip #5: Change the Oil Yourself
Yes, it sounds intimidating the first time, but you can trust us when we say it’s not nearly that difficult. If you need a tutorial, speak with a mechanic, and learn some basic safety before you attempt to change your oil in your driveway. Don’t worry, once you’ve done it once, you can do it as many times as you want – just make sure you’re using the right oil, and the right viscoscity.
Saving money on car repair is easy, just follow the steps and before you know it, you’re probably going to learn a few of your own.
