On average, a car can stay on the road for up to eight years. But there are vehicle maintenance tips you can perform that can extend the life of your car engine. By following these tips, you and your vehicle can spend more time together.
Take Care of Your Battery
A part of a good vehicle maintenance routine is maintaining your battery. If you’re not going to use your car for a long time, your battery will degrade and go flat. If this happens, then you may need to jump-start your car. Doing so can put an additional strain on your battery and damage other vehicle parts.
To prevent your car battery from going flat, you can keep your battery topped up with a trickle charger if you leave your car in your garage for a long time. If your battery is holding less charge than usual, you can try using a battery conditioner. If you don’t want to use a trickle charger, you should drive your car at least once a week, especially during winter.
Replace Your Filters Regularly
An old, clogged, or worn-out air filter can affect the performance of a car engine. This is why it’s important to change your air filter regularly as part of your vehicle maintenance routine. You should follow the recommended schedule found on your car owner’s manual. You can replace the air filter yourself or let the technicians at Jiffy Lube do it for you.
Drive Smoothly
Driving smoothly can extend the car engine’s life and the car itself. You should practice mechanical sympathy, which involves knowing and understanding the different controls of your vehicle. This can reduce the wear on the car engine and the other components of your car.
Being gentle with the steering wheel, pedals, and gearbox and avoiding sudden braking can go a long way in prolonging your vehicle’s life.
But revving your car engine occasionally also has its benefits. It can help prevent carbon deposits from building up and fouling the intake manifold, valves, and other car components. You should rev your engine at least once every few hundred miles as vehicle maintenance. But you should do it on a quiet road and only when your oil is warm.
Use Your AC
If you don’t use your air conditioning regularly, then it may start to leak refrigerant. While you save money on fuel when you keep your AC off, you can get expensive repair bills. You should also let your vents blow out cold air during winter occasionally. You can take your vehicle to Jiffy Lube if you need to re-gas.
Jiffy Lube can help you with your vehicle maintenance needs and possibly extend the life of your car engine in the process. Take advantage of our service specials to help you save money. You can enjoy $15.00 off on our Jiffy Lube Signature Oil Change and 10% off an additional car care service.
