PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE

I hear it all the time. “I really like my car but it is getting close to 100,000 miles so I have to start looking for another one.” NOT TRUE!! With proper care and preventive maintenance, some cars have gone way past 400,000 miles. Many of the 1966 Ford Mustangs that collectors cherish so much are still going strong and there are many other models out there doing the same. All it takes is some TLC.

A car is highly complex with many moving components and each of these components has a lifespan. If taken care of, the lifespan can be extended. Many cars have exceeded 400,000 miles and according to Wikipedia.org, some have even reached 1,000,000 miles. For many of these, the efforts at maintenance have not been excessively costly. Here is a list by Joseph Yonger, author of “How to keep your car going…..and going” from AAA’s Car & Travel Magazine:

“10 Secrets” for Long Car Life

Do regular oil changes
Monitor key fluids
Maintain the transmission
Change spark plugs as recommended
Watch and care for the timing belt
Don’t forget the radiator
Remember the filters
Fight rust
Know and use your maintenance manual
Drive with habits that don’t take years off the car

The author of “Drive it Forever,” Bob Sikorsky, sponsors a “High Mileage” club (www.theautochannel.com) with over 4000 members. He says the “family car can last 1,500,000 miles.

That’s all for now. Check back next week for more tips from Autotrend Diagnostics, or visit www.AutotrendDiagnostics.com and click the Monday Moring Mechanic link for other automotive service tips.