Buying a vehicle is an expensive investment in today’s standards. The average cost of cars has reached $47,000, and in case you didn’t know, that’s nearly the average downpayment for buying a house! The worst part is that buying a home can be a better investment than a vehicle because vehicles only depreciate over time. But don’t let that discourage you from purchasing your first car because you should get the most out of your investment with the proper vehicle care to ensure your money doesn’t go to waste.

The Essential Vehicle Care Guide

You need to look at your car and think of it as a living, breathing human being. Like a human being, your vehicle needs different organs to function. For example, your car’s engine is considered its heart, and its dashboard is its brain. All of these parts need to function properly if you want your vehicle to have a long and healthy life. It’s also vital if you ever want to sell your car. So, without further ado, here’s the essential vehicle care guide for a healthy and happy car!

Engine Care

As stated earlier, the engine of your car is its heart. It’s responsible for why your vehicle is running, and once it starts failing, your car’s lifespan is on borrowed time. Replacing a dead engine is far more expensive and troublesome than buying a new car, so most mechanics suggest that once your car’s engine refuses to start, it’s better to buy a new one.

If you want your engine to be tip-top changed, then you need to do frequent oil changes. Every car is unique, and it’s good to follow your vehicle’s maintenance schedule when you buy it. But if you can’t, it’s good to have an oil change every 5,000 to 7,000 miles as a rule of thumb. But what happens if you don’t do an oil change?

The effects of old oil aren’t seen immediately. The first sign is poor car performance. That means that you might notice your vehicle unable to go faster or struggle to do so. You might also have to floor the pedal more for your car to exert more effort on the road. Eventually, old oil becomes sludge, and that’s when you notice the drastic effects of not changing your oil regularly. Sludge will start jamming engine parts, eventually leading to your car stalling. If you choose not to get an oil change, your car’s engine will die out faster than you could count from one to three.

Engine care is an essential part of vehicle care because it is the heart of every vehicle. An unmaintained investment can only be troublesome for your investment because it can lead to poor performance and stalling. Once oil turns into sludge, you should say goodbye to your car because the damage has been done by then. So do oil changes every 5,000 to 7,000 miles or annually to ensure your engine is healthy for years.

Check Your Brakes

Your car’s brakes don’t have a direct counterpart in humans, but they can be considered muscle parts of the legs. The brakes ensure your car can decrease speed or stop outright while on the road. They’re also responsible for keeping you safe on the road. In a country like the United Kingdom, defective brakes are the leading reason people get into accidents.

The most common sign that your brake needs maintenance is when you need to exert more effort to decrease the speed of your car. That means you need to press the brake harder before noticing a difference in speed. Sometimes, you might even hear the sound of metal to metal on your wheels when you brake. Such a sound usually means that your brake pads are run down and need replacement. The worst thing that can happen on the road is when your brake won’t work. The main reason is that your brake lines are cut or entirely run down due to minor maintenance. This can lead to accidents if you’re unaware; that’s why brake repairs are one of the most important parts of vehicle care.

Brake repairs are essential when you spot the first signs of brake failure. A brake repair company can check your car’s brakes and ensure you’re safe while on the road. They can also maintain your brakes annually to ensure you will never experience faulty ones again. They can help you avoid accidents to have peace of mind whenever you drive.

If you’re a car owner and you’ve noticed that your brakes are faulty, then it’s important to get them checked immediately. The first few signs of faulty brakes are that it requires more effort to decrease the speed of your car and that you can hear a loud metal sound whenever you hit the brakes. Once you’ve noticed these signs, then you should get your brakes maintained immediately; it might just save your life.

Use The Right Parts

Part replacement is similar to organ transplants among human beings. When an organ is replaced, it’s essential that the recipient has the right blood type and has been appropriately screened. Improper screening can lead to organ rejection and can be fatal for some humans. Although replacing parts in vehicles tends to be less complicated (and less fatal) than organ transplants, it’s still important that you use the right parts for your vehicle.

When choosing the right part for replacement, you must refer to your user manual. Different parts of your vehicle that need replacement are often listed there. If not, you must refer to your local auto parts store. They usually have the expertise and knowledge for the part you need. It’s also important to check if the part you’re buying is authentic. Fake auto parts are in circulation in the industry, and if you accidentally purchase one and replace your authentic car part with it, you’re in trouble. Usually, you won’t notice it until the fake part has been run down due to use, and more often than not, fake parts don’t last as long as authentic auto parts. So, you’re more likely to spend more money on replacing fake parts despite being cheaper than authentic ones. Lastly, your car might outright reject the fake part you’ve purchased. This incident is common for electronic parts in vehicles, such as sensors. When this happens, your car might not start. The worst-case scenario is that the part malfunctions while on the road, and you get into an accident. This is why you shouldn’t purchase fake car parts as replacements; always stick with authentic ones.

Purchasing the right car parts can affect how your car functions. Purchasing fake car parts can be a more expensive endeavor because they don’t last as long. Fake parts can also lead you to accidents. So make sure you buy authentic parts from your local auto parts store. This part of vehicle care can help you save money and even your car in the long run.

Invest in Accessories

Think of accessories as clothing and jewelry for your car, but they not only make your car look good but also have additional utility benefits. Think of buying an Apple Smart Watch; the smartwatch looks good but also gives you access to a variety of tools that can help you live a more convenient life. Accessories are essential for any vehicle, but they are even more important for vehicles like trucks. Truck accessories often add the benefit of protection for the vehicle. It also gives the truck better off-roading features than the base model. So, if you’re thinking of going off-roading with your truck, consider buying the right accessories.

Investing in accessories is an important part of vehicle care. Without accessories, your vehicle won’t perform as well on the road. So, if you have some extra cash or just want to make your ride look even better, consider buying some accessories for it. You won’t ever regret this decision.

Invest in Insurance

Insurance is vital for every car owner because it ensures you’re not spending too much on car maintenance and repair. It’s estimated that Americans spend around $300 to $500 annually on maintenance and repairs. That’s not including massive overhauls that older cars need, which can easily cost upwards of $1,000. Your auto insurance can drastically reduce the amount you need to repair or maintain your vehicle because it can cover such expenses depending on the type of insurance you’ve chosen.

Additionally, you can’t drive in certain states if you don’t have basic car insurance. So make sure you invest in one today. It will help you save even more money on your investment, making it a worthwhile investment over time.

Prepare For Accidents

Vehicle care sometimes prepares for the worst thing: a car accident. Car accidents can happen at any time, especially in a country like the U.S., where millions of cars are on the road at any given time. It’s estimated that about nine million vehicular accidents happen annually in the U.S., with some outliers, like in 2019, when there were about 12 million car accidents in the country.

Preparing for accidents means knowing what you should do when it happens. The first thing you need to consider is getting insurance. Plenty of car insurance companies cover the cost of car accidents. As long as you can prove it’s an accident, then you most likely don’t need to pay for any damages. The next thing you need to consider is towing. Sometimes, the accident might require you to retrieve your car from hard-to-retrieve areas. Sometimes, the accident might leave your car unable to start. Accident towing services can move your vehicle for you when that happens. They can tow your car to the local repair shop to ensure it gets the necessary care. Lastly, it’s essential to know a lawyer. An auto accident lawyer can ensure you get your claims when the accident happens. They can also help guide you throughout the entire process. They can be your guiding light during this dark time in your life.

Preparing for accidents is essential for vehicle care because sometimes you must prepare for the worst so that the best can happen. By preparing for accidents, you can ensure that you’re safe from the expenses it might have. It can also ensure that your investment is road-worthy when you need it.

Selling Your Investment

The most significant benefit of intensive vehicle care is that you can sell your investment without losing too much from depreciation. You can always get cash for cars you’ve purchased, but only if you care for them well. Certain classic cars will always be sold at a higher value, but generic cars can also retain their value if they are taken care of properly.

When selling your investment, getting the best deal possible is essential. Don’t settle for less, especially if you’ve spent much money maintaining your vehicle. As a rule of thumb, if your vehicle is in perfect shape the moment you sell it, you should only deduct 20% from the base price. This is why you should always prioritize caring for your vehicles because the moment you sell them, you can ensure you can get most of your money back. When selling your vehicle make sure you get the most out of it first. Being able to use it for at least ten years means that you got as much as you can when it comes to the mileage of your car’s engine. But if you want to get more cash out of it, sell it by the five-year mark. This way you can get enough money for the downpayment of a new car.

Vehicle care is an important aspect of car ownership and one you should definitely not sleep on. You have to think of your car as a living being so you can understand its value. Spending such a high amount on your purchase means that you want to get the most out of it. By doing so, you’re saving yourself a lot of money and also giving yourself a chance to sell your investment at a much higher value when you don’t need it anymore.