When It’s New
Buying a new car is exciting, and, if you maintain it well, your new car can serve you well for years to come. However, cars need maintenance, and owners need practice effective care care to ensure that their cars last. Here are a few tips for properly caring for your new car.
Schedule Basic Maintenance
All cars require periodic maintenance, so make sure you get in the habit of scheduling these activities from day one. Oil and filter changes, in particular, are especially important for ensuring your car’s reliability, and proper fuel changes are essential when you first start driving your car. Determine how frequently you’ll need to change your car’s fuel and make sure to set a schedule.
Read the Manual
You’ll get to know your car well simply by driving it, but owner’s manuals contain information about features of your car you might not notice. In addition, owner’s manuals often contain tips for ensuring your car’s performance, and they might offers tips for maximizing your fuel efficiency and getting other performance gains. You don’t need to memorize every fact in the owner’s manual, but knowing how to find important information when necessary can help.
Cleanliness Matters
While keeping your car clean will won’t impact its performance, it will affect its value over time. Dirt and grime can damage your car’s paint if left in place, and it’s easy to stain your car’s interior if you don’t clean it regularly. Schedule a day for cleaning your car, and make sure to stick to it. If you want to sell your car in the future, having it look like new will increase its value significantly.
Mileage Tracking
If your car tracks your mileage automatically, learn what mileage you typically get out of it. If not, start tracking your mileage when you fill up. A number of engine problems can cause your car to perform poorly, and noticing when your engine’s efficiency drops can help you catch problems early, when they’re easier to fix. You can also use this information learn how to drive more efficiently.
Schedule an Early Inspection
Mechachic checking on a car engine and taking notes
Car engines are built to tight specifications, but they still have to break in during the first thousand miles or so. While experts differ on how to best break in your engine, they agree that new engines are prone to a host of potential issues. To ensure that your engine is functioning correctly, schedule a visit to have an expert examine it after driving it for a thousand miles or so. Detecting problems early helps you prevent some types of damage.
Learn How Your Car Feels
Cars have certain feels to them, and you’ll likely notice subtle elements of your car’s performance when you begin driving it. Notice how your car feels while accelerating and braking, and pay attention to how the transmission shifts. By learning how your car feels when it’s driving correctly, you’ll notice problems if parts start breaking.
Interior Maintenance
Car interiors often begin breaking down before parts of the drivetrain, so you’ll want to take steps to keep your interior is great shape from day one. While you don’t want to use too many chemicals on plastic parts, a coating of protectant can keep your interior looking sharp. You might also want to consider using a fabric protector to prevent stains.
Modern cars are built to last, and many have the potential to last for hundreds of thousands of miles. However, properly caring for your new car is essential for maintaining its longevity, and getting in the habit of practicing good maintenance from the beginning can lead to a better experience.