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Would you like to save $10,000 over the life of your car? It's as simple as changing your oil, rotating your tires and driving smart. Routine chores like this keep your car in tip-top shape. That can enable you to drive it for a few extra years — which, in turn, delivers far more in savings than you may realize. According to a study by the management consultants Runzheimer International, trading in your vehicle every eight years instead of every four saves you more than $3,277 in each of the last four years, even taking into account the cost of repairs.
The key to getting those extra years of automotive life is doing small things regularly. Kirk Robinson, owner-operator of Robinson Automotive in Mississauga, Ont., acknowledges that a few large repairs are an inevitable part of owning an aging car — for instance, you can expect to replace front pads and rotors on your brakes after 50,000 km or about three years, and your battery shortly after the fifth year. But a regular cycle of modest preventive maintenance costs only about $500 a year. Better yet, it doesn't have to take a lot of your time. Check out this affordable, hassle free maintenance program that should fit into anyone's schedule:
Change the oil and filter
At $40 a shot, an oil change is one of the cheapest and most profitable investments you can make. Regular oil changes improve your gas mileage and protect your engine. "If you drive 20,000 km — which most people do in a year — without an oil change, you're going to do some damage to your engine," says Robinson. Since the average cost for a new engine is $4,000, your payback on a lube job is obvious. If you need an added incentive, some of the express oil-change places even give you a newspaper and a cappuccino while you wait.
FREQUENCY: For most cars, count on an oil change every 5,000 km, or four times a year. Annual price tag: $160.
Wash your car
Road salt, sludge and pollution can eat deep into your gleaming new vehicle and lead to costly body work. Without regular cleaning, you're likely to notice rust blooming on the bottom of your doors within four years. Another three to four years and the corrosion will creep to underbody components like brake lines. If you neglect regular car washes, "you can end up spending thousands in rust-related repairs," says Robinson.
FREQUENCY: "At least once every two weeks," suggests Lisa Christensen, a licensed mechanic and author of Clueless About Cars (Key Porter, 2004). It's important to stay on top of salt and dirt in winter and spring, but don't slack off in the summer either. Annual price tag: do it yourself and it's free.
Rotate the tires
Regularly removing your tires and changing their position reduces uneven wear and extends tread life. That translates into major savings, since you can wear out a set of tires (average cost: $500) in only 20,000 km if you're careless.
FREQUENCY: Twice a year or every 10,000 km. Annual price tag: $40. (Some tire dealers will include free regular rotation when you buy a full set.)
Keep your tires inflated
"Four out of five cars are running with one or more underinflated tires," says George Iny, president of the Automobile Protection Association, a Montreal-based consumer watchdog. Underinflated tires will reduce your tire life by at least 15%, as well as slightly increase your fuel consumption.
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