There’s a fuel-saving tip that advises you to plan out your route so you only have to make right turns, allowing you to save gas by avoiding long stop lights. I know that car costs eat up a good chunk of our monthly expenses, and every little bit of savings helps, but who has time to do this? Seriously.
Maybe a more reasonable tip would be to plan your routes and errands so you spend as little time as possible idling. Doing this for more than 10 seconds burns more fuel than it takes to restart the engine, and at 10 minutes, you’re wasting a cup of fuel, according to Car Care Canada.
When I was car owner, I was spending close to $600 a month on car payments, gas, parking and insurance. One thing I didn’t spend much on, though, was maintenance for my car. My car seriously lacked the TLC it required, and apparently so do a lot of other cars on the road.
Auto experts say the key to keeping vehicles operating smoothly today and avoiding high costs in the future is routine maintenance. Yet every year more than $2-billion in necessary repair and maintenance is not performed, according to Car Care Canada. They have designated May as Car Care Month and results from last year’s inspection events found 85 per cent of cars needed some form of maintenance work. Some of the most common problems were low engine oil, dirty air filters and low tire pressure. Taking care of the simple things yourself can mean avoiding significant costs down the road.
Making the effort every month to check tire pressure is apparently one of the most important car check-ups to perform. You can improve gas mileage by maintaining proper pressure and prolong the life of your tires. If you’ve never checked the pressure yourself, there are a lot of online how-to videos to help you out.
Another common area of neglect is not replacing a clogged air filter or keeping your vehicle fluids topped up and clean. I have been guilty of pushing my luck a few times and driving well after the change-oil light came on. Repeatedly waiting for the light to come on could lead to major repairs, even an engine rebuild. An unnecessary expense like that could cost upward of a few thousand dollars if you don’t opt for a $50 oil change at the right time.
Taking action and following a service schedule can avoid some expensive headaches. Before you head out for your road trip this long weekend, it might be smart to take a peek to make sure you’re covered. The site will also explain what you can do yourself and when it’s smart to hire a professional.
For a lot of people, a good mechanic whom you trust is hard to find. Referrals are a great way to go. If you can’t find adequate referrals from friends or family, start your search here.
We throw a lot of money every month into vehicles and they are significant investments to maintain. If your car is in need of a little loving, then it’s best to give it today, to make sure you’re getting the most of what you put your money into tomorrow.
