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What Is the Essential Maintenance on High Mileage Cars

Many people today are driving older cars. A lot of this is due to problems with the economy and because many people are not making what they did prior to 2008. Keeping that car going as long as possible is important because you are less likely to be able to afford a new one. Good car maintenance is very important for high mileage cars because a lack of care will cause it to be turned into junk sooner than you want. Cars can last much longer today, too, especially if they are properly maintained.

Watch for Warning Signs of Problems

If you let a possible problem go without looking into it, it can turn into a bigger problem quickly. By catching potential problems early, you may be able to prevent it from becoming a real headache later on, advises Castrol.com. When you hear or see anything unusual, like leaks or unexpected noises, be sure to take it to a mechanic or see if you can solve the problem yourself – but don’t ignore it.

Give Your High Mileage Car a Regular Tuneup

Getting the most out of any vehicle means that you will need to take care of it. Regular tuneups will not only help you to get a longer life from your car, but it will also give you better gas mileage and performance. If you take it to a mechanic for your auto maintenance, their analysis machines can also detect possible problems that you would not otherwise know about, allowing you to remedy the problem early.

Oil changes will help protect the engine on high mileage vehicles and keep your parts well-lubricated, giving them longer life. A clean air filter and new spark plugs when needed will give you better gas mileage, and keeping good tires on your car that are properly inflated will help other parts last longer too, and help with gas mileage, says CarInsurance.com.

Fuel Economy.gov reveals that keeping a car in tune will give you better gas mileage by an average of four percent. This figure, however, does depend on the type of repair or car maintenance performed. If you have a faulty oxygen sensor, the difference in gas mileage could improve your mileage by as much as 40 percent.

Keep an Eye on the Fluids

A high mileage vehicle will often spring leaks on this component or that one. When the parts get older, they can also be damaged more easily than they could if they were still new. This means that you need to check your fluids frequently, and especially before driving any distance. Keep an eye on your oil level, your coolant levels, and your transmission fluids especially, but also make sure that you have sufficient power steering and brake fluid, too, says CarJunky.com.

One more tip can be seen at DriverSide.com. This one comes from Augie Barone, who manages Pat’s Garage in San Francisco. He reports that the high mileage cars with the most mileage on them are those who perform car maintenance on them regularly, and they take care of issues before they develop into major problems.

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