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How to Prolong the Life of your Vehicle

Prolonging the life of your vehicle is essential as it's a big investment, you need to be able to keep the depreciation of it at a minimum and get as much use out of it as possible. Following a few simple tips will prolong your car's life and keep it in top condition.

1. You can prolong your vehicle's life during the 'break-in' period. The first 1000 miles in a brand new vehicle is usually referred to as the 'break-in' period of the vehicle and there are certain things you must not do during this part of the vehicles life to prolong it.
   • Some manufactures advise staying below certain speeds whilst others advise not to go over a certain RPM during the break-in period.
   • Not placing the full recommended weight in the car during this period also helps to prolong the life of the car by making sure the suspension has chance to adapt.
   • Don't leave the car idle for too long during the breaking-in period, although this is also a good bit of advice after the break-in period of the car is over, but even more important during this time.
2. Protect your car from harmful UV rays by parking in shaded spots. UV rays can damage the interior of your car as well as fading the paint on the exterior so parking in shaded spots can keep your car in top shape and prolong its life.
3. The fuel you use can help keep your car's engine running smoothly. Go to fuel stations that filter their fuel so that your engine is getting good clean fuel, which will help prolong it's life. Also if you see a fuel tanker topping up your local fuel station, come back another day or use a different fuel station. Underground in the stations tanker the turbulence that is caused when topping it up can cause sediments in your fuel which can clog up fuel filters and injection effecting the performance of your car and even lead to avoidable repairs.
4. Always check the tyre pressure of your vehicle to ensure they're inflated up to the recommended amount. Although new tyres can be changed and doesn't directly affect the life span of the car, fully inflated tyres means that your engine doesn't have to work any harder to roll them. The engine is the most expensive part of the car so prolonging the life of that prolongs the life of your vehicle.

These tips are very helpful for drivers trying to prolong the life of their vehicle and all this knowledge is something that isn't gained on your driving lessons Birmingham. The knowledge you gain on your lessons is purely based on road safety and passing your driving test so helpful tips like these above don't really come into your driving lessons, hence why we provide this information for you.

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