Most of the time, your used car is already used for years by the previous owner. It means that the car won’t operate like a new one and it’s remaining lifetime can be quite short, depending on the condition. However, it is possible for you to make used cars last longer by using a number of methods. You can do this easily and you should break up the maintenance task in manageable bits. There are priorities that you need to consider. Critical components of the car are engine, transmissions, fuel system, brake and steering. These components should be maintained properly or you will be stranded in the middle of nowhere. You should check whether the car needs major maintenance. So, before buying the car, you should make sure that it has-been maintained properly by previous owner.
You need to proactive, if you want to save money and extend the life of the car. It is always a good idea to change all lubrication fluids the moment you drive the car from the dealerships. This is a low cost investment that will ensure that your car’s components will be well lubricated. As an example, the car engine may already get fresh oil just a few weeks previously, but the transmission oil needs to be replaced soon and the car salesperson forgot to tell you about it. Maintenance tasks for both used and new cars are generally similar. Depending on the brand of your motor oil, you should change it every 5,000 or 7,000 miles. It is a good idea to replace the oil more often, if you drive often in cold weather or if your location is dusty.
In general, it doesn’t hurt to replace the engine oil 1,000 or 2,000 miles earlier, so you can make sure that all the contaminants can be removed from the engine. Brakes should also be examined closely. This is essential for your safety and we have heard reports about accidents due to malfunctioning brake. You should check brake shoes and pads, in case they already wear out. Poor driving habits could quickly degrade the braking system. If you drive fast and brake abruptly, you will put a lot of pressure on various components related to the braking system. Also, if you use the car inside the city, you will need to use the brake often, which will cause the brake pads to wear out sooner as well. In general, brake pads should last up to 40,000 miles.
A good sign that your braking system is failing is the there’s a squealing noise when you engage the brake. This is a sign that your pads are getting thinner. Unusual noises are always good indication that there’s something wrong with your system. If you ignore the squealing noise, you will start hear the grinding noise. This happens when the pad is completely eroded. This could cause damage to the rotor. When it happens, you will need to replace or re-surface the rotor. It means that you will need to spend a lot more money, both for a new set of pads and repairing the rotors.
