With these 20 tips, you can keep your car in top condition for as long as possible

This may sound a little far-fetched, but it isn’t. If you use a very bad road every day, this can be disastrous for your undercarriage. The consequence? Worn shock absorbers, bent rims and damaged tires. Detouring on such an unobstructed road can extend the life of shock absorbers by thousands of miles.

It sounds logical, but many motorists have a manual brake in the gearbox “on the engine”. This puts extra stress on the bearings, and shortens the life of gearbox components. So if you need to slow down, don’t use the engine brake, use the foot brake to lose speed.

You probably know people who refuse to turn on their A/C because it “increases fuel consumption”. However, modern air conditioning systems are very efficient and by turning them off during the winter, for example, cause severe damage to seals and other components. So when you end up using it, chances are the system will leak or a major component will break and it will cost you more than you saved in fuel.

If you have a manual transmission and you put your foot on the clutch pedal, the clutch will be partially engaged, causing it to wear out faster. It may seem like an obvious point, but don’t drive your foot on the clutch. It’s amazing how many people do it anyway.

Many people have a garage, but don’t use it to store their cars. They put in a lawn mower and other things. Storing your car prevents the car from rusting, the sun from bleaching the interior and the interior from getting too hot on sunny days – which is not good for your dashboard and interior.

Today, all diesel engines must be equipped with a particulate filter. To prevent the filter from becoming clogged, you must lift it regularly to burn the filter clean. Gasoline engines also benefit from occasionally driving at higher engine speeds, as this prevents all kinds of residue from building up on parts of the engine.

The engine suffers most in the first five minutes after starting it. A cold engine has little lubrication, because it is located at the bottom of the block and is thick. Therefore, wear is heavier with a cold engine, and this applies not only to winter. Before the engine gets warm, it is recommended to change gears at 2,500 rpm for the petrol engine and 2,000 rpm for the diesel engine. Better yet: bike for short distances if possible.

If you are one of those people who regularly runs out of fuel, you risk damaging your fuel system. That’s because sediment tends to collect at the bottom of the tank, and if the engine is always running on fuel from the bottom of the tank, the pump, filter, and possibly even the injectors are likely to become clogged, resulting in high bills.

When starting the car, do not do it in gear with the clutch depressed. This places an additional load on the starting motor. It may sound trivial, but over the course of several years and thousands of startups, this can make more difference than you think.

Some cars have plastic or aluminum panels, but most still have steel bodies. Rust can affect dirty cars more than clean ones, so wash your car regularly and wax the paint once in a while. Also useful: select “hot wax‘-to treat. These things get to places you can’t reach manually.

A patch of paint that’s fallen off due to stone chips doesn’t look serious, but since rust can run its course here without hindrance, you’ll have a rotting hole in a few years. So be quick and touch up the damaged areas with a paint pen.

If you have your car’s underbody and cavities professionally treated for rust, it will last longer. Examples of effective rust prevention are brands like Dinitrol or other types of wax.

If there is one thing that will help extend the life of the gearbox, engine and differential, it is using clean oil. Mineral oils age much faster than synthetic alternatives. However, be careful if you have classics; Synthetic oils may be too thin for older components.

Plastics such as rubber bands, covers, and convertible surfaces should be protected from UV rays and dry out. There are special products for sale in the trade that act as both a lubricant and a protective agent. Applying a little bit every few months can go a long way in helping extend the life of your car’s seals.

Even if a small portion of your tires are worn, the entire tire will be rejected. So make sure your tires are aligned properly. Sometimes the cause is worn rubber or track bars. Replacement is often relatively cheap and prevents uneven tire wear.

Locks, hinges and joints dry out over time and then begin to wear out. Using a little three-in-one lubricant from time to time can make a huge difference in how long these parts last.

This seems obvious, but it is still a point that most people ignore. If your tires have only a few millibars of air in them than specified, they will wear faster and your engine will have to work harder. This also means that your fuel bills will be slightly higher. So check tire pressure every few weeks. Don’t pump it too much, as it will wear out faster in the middle.

Car manufacturers have to regularly recall their vehicles due to a design or production issue. You can check with the dealer to see if your car has been affected. If you don’t have the improvements made, a small mistake can lead to a big problem. Refunds are free, so not doing them isn’t smart.

Alloy wheel cleaners can be acidic, which means they destroy the paint on your wheels and then corrode the metal. If you are familiar with cheap car wash locations, be warned. Sprays can contain strong chemicals to speed up the cleaning process—with the potential side effect of making your new edges look tired and dull very quickly.

Then there are some obvious tips: Check the oil and coolant regularly, pay attention to the engine temperature and other lights on the dashboard and follow the specified service intervals. Also check the air filter, coolant hoses and fuel lines regularly. The water pump and any belts or chains around the engine also deserve attention.

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