How to Extend the Life of Your Car

With rising fuel prices and costly car repairs, the last thing you want to worry about is having your car break down. Instead, protect your investment, and get from Point A to Point B as reliably as possible. Keeping your car running longer might be as easy as checking the fluid levels and making sure the tyres are well inflated.

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Keeping up with your car's recommended maintenance schedule can help avoid costly problems with your cooling system, drive train, suspension and other components; following the recommended schedule also helps ensure you the get the full benefit of the manufacturer's warranty.
Especially, avoid short journeys. Cold starts are hard on engines, your gas mileage, and the environment. Short journeys can also significantly shorten the life of your muffler. Basically, you get condensation in the exhaust when you start a cold engine, and if you don't run the car for long enough to evaporate all of the condensation out of the system, excessive amounts of water can accumulate in your muffler, and rust a hole through it. Avoid starting a cold car just to pull it into the garage, for instance. Consider walking to the nearest store for a change. Combine short errands, and, if you have multiple vehicles, drive the one more recently driven when you go out again.^{[1]XTrustworthy SourceUnited States Environmental Protection AgencyIndependent U.S. government agency responsible for promoting safe environmental practicesGo to source} Do drive a car at least every week or so, since cars that sit for longer than a week or two at a time have other problems, such as fluids gradually draining out of systems. Consult a mechanic if you will store a car for an extended period.
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^{[2]XResearch source} You should check the level of your anti-freeze, oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, and brake fluid regularly. A good time to do so is when you refuel. Even if your car doesn't leak fluids at the moment, one can occur at any time and you can identify it by checking the fluid levels often. You should also check the color of some of these fluids. Some of these have see-through plastic tanks that you can look through, and some have dipsticks. Anti-freeze should be either pink, green, or yellow (Pink for newer cars with "Dex-Cool", green for old cars with plain Ethyl-Glycol, and green or yellow for cars that have been flushed and filled with universal antifreeze...brown antifreeze should always be flushed, it either has rust or a lot of dirt in it, probably both.^{[3]XResearch source} Also, never mix different kinds of antifreeze; if you don't know what color antifreeze your car has, buy a universal brand. Oil will normally be slightly clear (when new) to brown. Oil that looks white and milkshake-like may be contaminated with antifreeze/coolant or very rarely, just a large amount of condensation. You should take your vehicle in for service soon if this is the case. Transmission fluid should be bright red, and should not smell burnt. If it looks or smells burnt, have your transmission fluid flushed. Letting it get too bad can damage your transmission. There's also a chance that you may have an internal transmission problem, especially if you are having problems with shifting or engaging in gears.
Change the oil regularly. This will improve your gas mileage and protect your engine. The recommended mileage between oil changes is 3,000 - 5,000 miles (or 5000 - 8000 kilometres) or every three to six months, depending on the type of oil you use and your driving conditions.^{[4]XTrustworthy SourceConsumer ReportsNonprofit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy and product testingGo to source} Doing this could make it possible for your vehicle to attain 200,000 miles (or about 320,000 kilometres). Change the oil filter at the same time; there is no sense in putting clean oil through a dirty filter, and filters are very cheap and available at any auto parts store. If you're unsure how often to change your oil, check your car's owner's manual or contact the dealer for your car's make. In general, conventional oil and harsh driving conditions (like short trips, taxi/police/delivery use, extreme weather, heavy loads) will require more frequent oil changes than fully synthetic oils and light driving conditions.^{[5]XResearch source}
Change the air filter. This is something you can do easily at home with few or no tools. A screwdriver may be required. You can buy a matching filter at nearly any auto parts store and your owner's manual will show you where your air filter is located. A dirty, dusty filter can slightly hamper gas mileage and make your car accelerate poorly.^{[6]XResearch source}
power steering fluid, brake fluid,^{[7]XResearch source} and cooling system anti-freeze. Check this timetable against your owner's manual. Newer cars generally allow longer intervals between changes. Change transmission fluid & filter at least every 50,000 miles (40k to 45k is even better).^{[8]XTrustworthy SourceConsumer ReportsNonprofit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy and product testingGo to source} Older fluids don't lubricate and cool parts as well as fresh fluid and may leave your car unprotected in severe conditions (for example, old anti-freeze may not perform well in a very cold winter).
This will cause damage to your brake rotors ("discs") at least and possibly your calipers as well. Rotors and calipers are much more expensive to replace than pads. There is no such thing as "cleaning" a brake pad while it is still on a car - the friction between the pad and rotor will eradicate any outside substance almost immediately.
Changing tyre position is very important and reduces uneven wear and tear on the tread, thus extending the life of the tires. The recommended rotation cycle is twice a year or every 6,000 - 7,500 miles. Rotate them diagonally - front right to rear left and front left to rear right. However, this pattern can change depending on the drivetrain of the vehicle, and the type of tyre. Your vehicle manual will contain detailed rotation information. Keep in mind some tyres (especially on sports cars) are directional and are meant to spin only one way. They will have a large arrow on the sidewall to indicate this.^{[9]XResearch source}
Keep the tyres inflated. Under-inflated tires can reduce the tire life by 15% and will slightly decrease your gas mileage, perhaps by 10%. Inflating tires is perhaps the easiest of all activities, and many stores sell tire gauges for a very small cost. Checking your tire pressure every other time you get gas will reduce tire wear and prevent these issues. Monitor your tyre tread with a penny. Insert the penny into the tread with Lincoln's head down. If the top of his head is not obscured by the tread, your tyres need to be replaced. Basically, if you can see all of Lincoln's head, you must replace your tires.
If you notice your car shaking while driving at high speeds (not while braking - shuddering while braking indicates warped rotors), or if your tread is wearing unevenly, then you may need an alignment. This is also key to extending the life of your tyres and will keep the tread even for increased safety.^{[10]XResearch source}
Start the car and drive off slowly and gently until the car reaches operating temperature (known as closed loop). This reduces the strain on the engine while the oil is still cold and thicker. Another option is to use electric engine space heaters, and start the drive with a warm engine. Accelerate promptly to the target speed. For most modern cars, idling a cold engine is both counterproductive and wasteful. Additionally, as you accelerate, release the accelerator a little to cause the automatic transmission to upshift while you are not pressing hard on the gas. This causes less wear on the internal clutches. It is easier on the clutches for the car to shift when you ease up on the gas.^{[11]XResearch source}
Even if you are driving a car with an automatic transmission, use your handbrake regularly, especially if you're parked on an incline. It helps keep the brakes adjusted in the rear of the car and makes them last longer. Do not use your handbrake in the wintertime because your brake will freeze and it will be stuck until it thaws out.
Wash your car: Road salt, sludge and pollution can lead to costly body work. Without regular cleaning, you can start to notice rust on the bottom of your doors within four years. Another three to four years and the corrosion will creep to underbody components, like brake lines. It can cost thousands in rust-related repairs if you neglect to wash your car, especially near ocean/gulf shorelines where the road sand or morning dew might be salty.^{[12]XTrustworthy SourceConsumer ReportsNonprofit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy and product testingGo to source}

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Does driving on little gas matter?
Logic Johnson Lafontaine
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Aside from the obvious risk of running out, it's generally a good idea to keep your tank at least half full, because the fuel in the tank actually helps cool your fuel pump. If you're always running near empty, you could be in need of a new pump sooner than expected.
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Are short trips bad for the car?
Acyclist
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Yes, the trips are often not long enough to warm up the oil in the engine so the oil doesn't lubricate the engine as efficiently. If you have a modern diesel car, they come with a particulate filter which prevents soot (unburnt carbon) from escaping through the exhaust. These filters regenerate on long journeys because the exhaust is hot enough to burn off this carbon, but this process simply doesn't occur at lower temperatures (e.g. short driving).
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What does it mean if I have to add a lot of oil to my car between oil changes, but there are no leaks showing?
Community Answer
An internal oil leak is most likely. Often, this means oil is entering into your combustion chambers (often the result of failed valve seals or other valve components) and burning along with your gas. Have any oil leaks checked out by your authorized service provider.
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Tips

Check your local auto parts dealer for manuals specific to your car for complete instructions on how to perform basic maintenance on your vehicle. Often, you will save a bundle of cash doing simple tune-up work on your own. Schuck's and Autozone are great stores that have these manuals.
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If you do manage to get stuck in snow, do not try to get moving by pressing harder on the accelerator. Put the car into first gear if you're driving a manual or "Reverse" if driving an automatic, and give small pushes on the pedal so you get the car on a pendulum movement. When the car get's on the peak of the pendulum movement and seems it's going to come off, give it a little more gas and steadily drive off. Also, use winter tyres during winter climates. This way, your car won't need to be towed.
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Manual transmission cars or cars with turbo/superchargers will require different maintenance schedules, depending on the climate, road conditions. Always consult your owner's manual or ask a local dealership service department.
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Warnings

Avoid engine oil FLUSH if your motor is sludged up because of missed oil changes these flushes can make a large chunk of sludge come off and block an oil channel. Only use if your mechanic says you must.
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Avoid Fuel-additives: Only injector cleaner additives are of value, don't bother with octane boosters just buy premium fuel.
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Beware First-time Repairs: Do not attempt to complete repairs on your vehicle without supervision if you have never attempted a repair before. Today's cars are complex jigsaw-puzzles and might require removing several components to reach one particular screw. Get help at first.
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Check Warranty: Check the terms and conditions before repairing your vehicle on your own while if it is still under warranty. Unless you are a certified mechanic, this may invalidate your warranty.
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Avoid pot-holes: which can knock air out of tires or dislodge weights to throw tires out of balance. (If you do hit a pothole and it damages your car, contact your municipal government, they may reimburse you for the damages)
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Transmissions: Always come to a complete stop before going from reverse to 1st gear. Severe transmission damage may occur by failing to do so (applies to all transmissions).
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