Whether you’ve had your car for a few months or a few years, sooner or later, you’re going to have to service all its little moving parts. It can be expensive, time-consuming, and just generally unpleasant if you’re not an auto enthusiast. But there are tons of benefits to maintaining upkeep of your vehicle. These are some of the core reasons why maintaining your car is so important.
The importance of maintaining your car.
1. You’ll have a smoother drive
The funny thing about cars is that they give you warning signs of the slightest issues, and we’re not talking about just your “Check Engine” light. There are tons of sensitive parts working together to keep your car going. If even one of these parts isn’t performing at its best, you could hear grinding, squeaking, or simply the sounds of your car working harder than usual. You might also feel a shake in the steering wheel, excess heat from the hood, or a new, weird way that your engine turns over.
In any case, regular car maintenance can catch small problems like these quickly so that you have less of a rough ride on the road.
2. It saves you money in the long run
Maintaining your car can also save you from more expensive vehicle repairs later on. If something seems expensive to repair now, the replacement cost of the malfunctioning piece is usually a lot more. For example, not getting an oil change can cause parts of your engine to fail due to a lack of lubrication between parts or warping due to temperature control.
It’s important to note that your car insurance probably won’t cover damages due to neglecting vehicle maintenance. So, if something like that does happen, you’ll need to come up with the money yourself.
3. You’ll get better mileage
Think about it like this: you would run a marathon much more slowly and with greater strain if you weren’t at peak condition than if you were, right? That’s kind of how your car works. If something is wrong with it or its parts aren’t at their best, it takes a lot more effort to run like it normally should – which means it needs more fuel to run at the same pace as a “healthy” car. So, think of maintaining your car as being good for its health.
Regular vehicle maintenance can make sure that there are no loose or cracked hoses leaking vital fluid everywhere. It can also help keep your filters and tanks clean and using all the respective fluids possible in the best way. That way, you can get the most out of each gas fill-up (which, these days, are not cheap).
4. It helps you keep control of the car
Your ability to handle a car can depend on everything from power steering fluid to alignment to certain gears. If you take your car in for maintenance, even just an oil change and tire rotation, your mechanic should be able to tell you about these issues before start struggling with your steering wheel. Some auto shops will even offer you a free diagnostic check if you tell them about your car issues, so maintaining your car can be really helpful.
5. Your tires last longer
In a regular maintenance check, a mechanic can usually tell you if there’s any uneven wear on the inside or outside of your tires. They can tell you if your air pressure is low, if your alignment is off, and if it’s time to get new tires.
(You also need to keep an eye on your tire treads to make sure your tires aren’t too worn or going bald.)
The treads on your tires are especially important for maintaining a safe stopping distance as well as driving and braking safely in the rain. So, this is definitely not a type of vehicle maintenance you want to put off.
6. Your car will last longer
Let’s turn back to our body analogy. If you feed your body the right fuel and keep your parts working well, then you’ll generally live longer. If you give your car the right fuel and keep its moving parts working properly, you’ll have the car longer. A mechanic is like your vehicle’s doctor. They check what may be wrong with your car, what you need to keep an eye out for, and how to keep its “body” healthy for the future.
7. Your car is safer overall
Even minor car issues can negatively affect the way your car drives. However, it can also affect your ability to stay safe on the roads. Of course, you want to get regular oil changes to keep the moving parts of your engine from grinding against each other. Of course, you want to replace your brake pads before they stop working while you’re driving. Still, some people neglect another vital part of their car’s maintenance that can keep you safe – how clean the car is.
Keeping your car clean, dusted, and vacuumed can help keep your cabin filters clearer, your windshield and mirrors crisper, and generally make your driving experience more comfortable. In turn, this gives you a clearer view of your surroundings, a greater sense of alertness, more attentiveness, and greater reaction times while you drive.
8. It’s the law
In some states, certain types of vehicle maintenance are required. Emissions testing has been a huge example of this in the past few years, and for good reason. Besides preventing the pollution of the environment, your emissions system can keep vital parts under your car from getting dusty, dirty, and therefore potentially damaged or not running optimally. So, check your state and city laws regarding how frequently you need to test your emissions and other systems.
There are tons of other ways that maintaining your car can benefit you in the long run. But if you keep these major reasons in mind, your next trip to the mechanic might not seem so bad.
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