Avoid Expensive Repairs With Simple Habits

6 tips

• Follow the maintenance schedule in your owner's manual. Skipping oil changes is the fastest way to kill an engine, and an engine costs far more than oil.
• Fix small leaks right away. A 20 dollar hose or a 15 dollar gasket today can save a 2,000 dollar engine or transmission tomorrow.
• Listen for new noises and feel for new vibrations. A squeal, a grind, or a shake that was not there last week is the car telling you something. Do not turn the radio up.
• Check the fluids once a month: oil, coolant, brake fluid, transmission fluid, and power steering fluid. Low fluid is a warning, not a thing to top off and forget.
• Do not skip the check-engine light. A 200 dollar oxygen sensor ignored for months can destroy a 1,000 dollar catalytic converter.
• Keep records of every service. A car with a full maintenance history is worth more when you sell it, and it helps a technician spot patterns.

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