Having a car is a huge responsibility, but with every tool and machine we own, it must be well maintained in order for the machine or tool to last a long time. With little to no maintenance, vehicles can be ran into the ground quickly and will lead to more problems down the road, costing the owner thousands upon thousands of dollars down the drain.
If your vehicle does not obtain regular maintenance, here are some potential problems you might run into.
Major Problems That Happen Without Maintenance
The major problems that can happen to your vehicle when regular maintenance is not kept up can be split into two categories, the engine, and the rest of the car.
The Engine
The best thing you can do for your engine is to make sure you properly lubricate the engine and use the correct fuel. Not that it happens often, but for the few that confuse gas with diesel, make sure you know which goes into your car. It is also pertinent that fuel filters be changed, and oil changes occur between every 3,000-5,000 miles.
But what happens if you don’t keep up on this maintenance. Let’s say that you have not had an oil change in over 20,000 miles, and there is no coolant in the car. Oil and coolant both help cool down an engine, which can get up to 220 degrees Fahrenheit. This is not a good temperature to sustain, and too high of a temperature for too long a time can lead to overheating or seizing up of your engine. If your engine is completely busted, a new one can run between $4,000-$8,000 to replace.
The Rest of the Vehicle
Not keeping up on vehicle maintenance may also look like failing to replace brake pads, bald tires, and letting the outside of the vehicle rust and corrode. All of these incidents can lead to either brake failure, popping a tire, or getting into an accident, all of which can be avoided by proper maintenance.
The Cost of Not Maintaining Your Vehicle
We have already established that not maintaining your car can lead to engine failure and even the possibility of an accident, but there are more costs to not properly maintaining your vehicle. For instance, if you get into an accident because the vehicle had no brake pads left, the car could be totaled, costing tens of thousands of dollars, and you and others could be sent to the hospital, which can end up costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, and no one wants that.
What You Can do to Combat This
The obvious answer to not maintaining your car is maintaining your car. In order to prevent from auto repair, one must be proactive rather than reactive. Here are some tips to help maintain your car:
· Change your oil
· Inspect and maintain your tires
· Check the fluids under the hood
· Change the engine air filter
· Check your brakes
· Check belts and hoses
· Wash your car