5 Tips to Keep Your Car Alive and Kickin'

To most people, general car maintenance seems like a no brainier, but even the hardcore auto buff can forget or overlook general vehicle maintenance practices. Here are some basic yet important things to remember when keeping your ride in smooth shape.

1) Keep your tires at the recommended PSI (Pounds per Square Inch.) You hear about it all the time, but proper tire pressure can add valuable miles to your gas tank and the life of your tires. Not only that, but low tires can lead to safety concerns as far as control, cornering, and vehicle ride stability. So keep those babies pumped!

2) Wash your car regularly. Make it your Sunday morning routine. Washing (and waxing) preserves the paint and finish on your car from frame to roof, bumpers to louvers. It gets rid of corrosive materials such as ice melt and salt in the winter, and protects the car from sun damage as well. Whats' worse than a rust hole on your ride, right?

3) Fluid Levels. Oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, and yes, gas. Change your oil every 3000 miles OR every 3 months. Build up of gunk and particulates can lead to everything from piston issues to bad spark plugs. Check it every time you fuel up. Watch your transmission and brake fluids periodically as over time, the fluid breaks down or is forced out. And finally, gas. Know what kind of gas your brand name wants you to use. A few cents difference at the pump can actually cost you precious gas mileage as well as fuel system related problems. As your car starts to age, you might want to consider treatments for your oil and gas to keep your vehicle in tip top shape. STP and SeaFoam make some great additives that are very cost effective. Just as you get older and you take medicine for your joints, your car needs that stuff for its old bones too.

4)Wax that dash! No, seriously. Interior maintenance is as important as your exterior. You always see the commercials on TV about those people babying their classic cars, but what they are doing is preserving its interior finish (on top of the obsessive compulsive love over it's nostalgic value, hehe.) Alot goes into a trade in assessment, and you want to get the most out of it. Resale goes beyond the motor or the exterior finish, but how gently was it used. The cleaner the ride, the easier to sell, the more you enjoy it, and the better the trade in value. So rev up that vacuum and get out that spray bottle.(And don't forget the fresh pine smell while your at it either!)

5) Keep your vehicle straight. Alignment is key to tire wear and fuel economy. And, overall it's pretty cheap to, at a national average of about 60 George Washington's. This also decreases driving fatigue as you don't work so hard to keep your vehicle driving straight on the road. Now you just need to teach your teenager to keep it on the road and your set.

Again, your ride is just that, your ride. It's what you make of it. If you value it's economy, comfort, driveablity and style, don't scrimp on the minor maintence. Enjoy it while you have it, and when your ready for that next ride, know that you are preserving every penny of it that you can. Enjoy!