If you plan on driving your car for an extended period of time, there are a few maintenance tips you can follow. These tips will help save you money on possible costly repairs in the long run if you continue to do them during the life of the car.

Oil Changes

This is one of the most important things you can do to protect the motor in your car. Regular oil changes should be done every 3,000 miles. Some newer vehicles only need an oil change every 5,000 miles. This is a process that takes very little time, and it is inexpensive compared to getting another motor put in your car.

Tire Rotation

Your mechanic should follow a sequence in rotating the tires on your car. This will decrease the wear and tear on each tire when they are changed to another location on the vehicle. When you see that the tread is decreasing on a tire, you should get a new one instead of rotating it with the others.

Brake Pads

This is another common thing that is easy to replace. You can monitor the amount of pad that is left on some cars by looking through the rim to the brake area. If you hear any kind of squealing when you depress the brake, change the pads. If you let the pads get too thin, your rotors could get damaged.

Transmission Fluid

In most cars, you won’t need to change the transmission fluid that often, however, you need to monitor the fluid level on a regular basis, especially if you see that the car is not shifting properly. If you notice that the fluid is low, this could end up being a costly repair because the gears need to remain lubricated. If the gears seize, then you could be looking at a new transmission. Always check the fluid with the car running and in park.