Five Tips for Driving Your Car Past 200,000 Miles

It’s true that getting a new car is exciting, but don’t discount the benefits of driving a car for 200,000 miles or more. Take care of your car and you can enjoy things like:

• No monthly car payment

• Lower annual registration fees

• Being more environmentally-friendly by not replacing your car often

You know taking care of your car involves staying on top of oil changes and checking the air in your tires, but there are other things you can do to make sure you are able to drive your car for as long as possible.

Know the Rules of the Road

It has probably been a long time since you took the driver’s test. It’s true that nothing compares to actually driving when it comes to learning how to operate a vehicle, but that doesn’t mean you’re confident with the rules of the road.

It’s not a bad idea to brush up your knowledge of the rules of the road every once in a while. It’s a great way to relearn what certain signs mean, and it can be a good way to learn about new laws that have gone into effect since you started driving. By taking the time to relearn what it means to be a safer, more informed driver, you can avoid an accident and keep your car in great condition for longer.

Keep It Clean

Washing your car regularly ensures it looks great, and you look great driving it, but cleaning your car comes with more than just superficial benefits—it can actually prolong the life of your vehicle.

Washing your car regularly enables you to rinse off contaminants that can cause corrosion, which means you won’t have to deal with rusted out parts that need to be replaced.

You don’t need a fancy carwash either! It’s true that wax and tire cleaners will make your vehicle look like a million bucks, but you can save on these by sticking with the basic wash and still enjoy the benefits of keeping your car clean and prolonging its life.

Lighten Your Load

Vehicle manufacturers are always looking for ways to make vehicles lighter. Reducing a vehicle’s weight by just ten percent can improve fuel economy by up to eight percent. That’s good for your pocketbook, but it’s also more environmentally friendly.

You can’t lighten the weight of your vehicle’s build, but you can do something about the items in your car. If you’re driving around town with a bunch of stuff in the backseat or in the trunk, you are making your vehicle heavier, which in turn puts more pressure on your engine and increases gas usage.

Prolong the life of your engine and enjoy better gas mileage by getting rid of all that extra stuff in your car.

Let Your Car Warm Up

You have probably heard that you should warm your car up in the winter. Did you know that isn’t the case? It’s actually better to get on the road, as your car will warm up faster when you drive it.

However, that doesn’t mean you should rev your engine and floor it down the street. Just like it takes you a few minutes to get up and going in the morning, so too should you give your car a chance to warm up, no matter what the weather is like outside. Let your car idle for about 30 seconds, then take it easy on the gas pedal to give your car a chance to warm up. It will reduce the friction between engine components, encouraging them to last longer before wearing out.

Put the Pedal to the Metal

You shouldn’t put the pedal to the metal as soon as you get behind the wheel, and it’s definitely something you shouldn’t do regularly. It can be very hard on the engine, but letting your engine redline every once in a while can actually help prolong its life.

Engine revolutions are relatively low in the name of keeping your vehicle energy efficient, but that also encourages carbon deposits to form. By revving your engine and taking it up to the red line, you can clean the carbon deposits from the foul valves, throttle body, intake manifold, and the combustion chamber.

Get the oil changed in your car and make repairs when they are necessary, but keeping your car for as long as possible also includes the things on this list that you can do every day.