Tips on How to Take Care of Used Cars

Posted Wednesday, Dec 14, 2022

If you have recently bought a used car in the best condition, there's a leaf you can take out of the previous owner's book. The better you maintain your car, the more the chances of being able to sell it later for another one as your requirements change.

Moreover, taking care of your used car isn't just great for a resell. The better you maintain your car, the longer its life. If you own a used car, the need to take care of it is even greater. Everything has an expiry date, but most people expect their car to last forever.

The fact that you bought a used car says a lot about its condition. The car has probably been taken care of by its previous owner. The onus is on you to maintain that so that the car lasts you a couple of years.

The Foundation

The first step to taking care of your car is maintaining its tires. For that, you must check and maintain good tire pressure, which prevents them from wearing out early. The better the tires, the better the performance of your car. As a matter of fact, tires can contribute to better gas mileage.

Check tire pressure regularly and match it to the recommended pressure for your car. If your tires have too much or too little pressure, adjust them accordingly. In the worst case, a tire blowout can be potentially dangerous and require roadside assistance, damage repairs, or medical costs.

The Food

The oil acts as food for your car, and you must ensure it receives the proper "nutrition." An oil change is a major factor that helps used cars perform well over time. The more you check your car's oil and change it if required, the smoother it will run.

Oil changes also maintain the engine's condition, keeping it running at top performance and helping you avoid any unnecessary breakdowns. You can easily change the oil by studying the car's manual.

If you decide to change its oil, ensure you learn the proper procedures to maintain it. Take the required measures when disposing of oil and filling it with new one. The kind of oil you want to choose depends on you, but top-quality oil helps save your engine.

You can search online for the kinds of oils best suited to your vehicle.

The Fluids

Like humans need water to survive, cars need fluids to keep working at optimal performance. A leak or damage in these fluids would hurt the performance of your car over time. These fluids include the oil in the engine, transmission, brake, coolant, and steering fluid.

If you notice light brown or black fluid coming from your car, it might be leaking engine oil. On the other hand, a reddish-brown liquid is most likely a transmission fluid. Coolants, meanwhile, are funkier colors such as blue, green, orange, and others.

Identify these fluids in time and get them replaced, as delaying this can slow down your car. Leaving these fluid leaks unattended can turn into worse problems that are far more expensive, especially for used cars that have been driven for some time.

The Smaller Components

When analyzing your car's performance, don't forget its smaller vital components. This includes the windshield wipers, the lights, seats, speakers, and air conditioning vents.

Windshield wipers are an essential part that needs to be used during snowstorms or heavy rain. They can help you navigate the road in bad weather conditions. Damaged wipers can cause accidents that damage the car or cause personal loss.

Similarly, the car's lights are also crucial for navigation purposes. If you have a broken light, get it fixed as soon as possible, especially for used cars.

You also need to get the car checked if your check engine light comes on or if the tires on one side experience more wear and tear than others. The latter could point to an alignment issue that is best fixed sooner than later. These checks include the brakes, which should be attended to if any smaller indications are present.

The Much-Needed Car Wash

A car needs to be washed often, and if you can't bring it into a car wash every once in a while, we suggest you do it by hand. A good car wash doesn't just make your car look good; it can also prevent dirt and other things from clinging to it.

• Focus on the wheels and tires of the car first. This is because most of the dirt and mud accumulated here. You can use a hose with high pressure to spray the dirt off or utilize a clean cloth to wipe it off. Try to clean underneath the car too.
• To clean the rest of the car, use a bucket to splash it with water first.
• Use a car cleaning solution and add it to some water as instructed. Use a cloth or mitt to dip into the water and clean the car after you divide it into sections. Start at the top, so you don't dirty the bottom once you clean it later.
• Finish by cleaning the back of the car similarly.
• Get a bucket and fill it with some water. Splash onto the car to rinse off the lather.
• Use a dry cloth to go over the car.

Ensure that the cloth you use on the card doesn't contain dirt or tiny stones that can scratch the surface, leaving you disappointed.

Final Thoughts

Maintaining your car doesn't just involve making the necessary checks. You need to be up on your feet, hearing how the car sounds and understanding how it drives to see whether it needs any repairs.

If you don't know how to read your car, you must take it to an experienced mechanic who can advise you best on the repairs it requires.