You like your new or older car and you want it to last longer ? You Love your car and you want to learn the most complete use and mentality , in order your car last longer ?

You don’t have the financial ability , to change cars every couple of years and you want to know , what you can do , so your precious car last longer ?

You have a very personal “bond” to your car and you want to do your best , to sustain it as better as it can be for many , many years ? I’ll try to give you timeless and complete tips and correct mindset , to accomplish your “car goals …”

Before all , if we want to be 100% serious and honest , nothing on this earth can last forever , no matterwhat we do and no matter how much technology we have nowdays .

Everything and everybody , gets older and it is the course of life , some day to completely gone
from this astonishing planet ,our earth , so the new ones can come and continue the life’s evolution .

This is a basic “law” of life , we like it or not . So when i say i’ll do my best , so your car can last longer i mean , to last for many many years , many many decades , in the best possible condition , suffering from the less possible problems .

Is this possible ? Of course it is .

Countless examples exist , of antique cars with more than half a century or a complete century( or even more ) in their “shoulders” , and look like brand new . So let’s start our advices for you and your loving car . Before all we must make a very significant separation , concerning 2 areas :

A) The actions we must do to keep our car’s materials , in the best “shape” .

B) The actions we must do as drivers , users and keepers of our car .

So let’s start to see the correct maintenance mentality for the car’s materials – parts .

A) The actions we must do to keep our car’s materials , in the best “shape” .

All the cars consisting of many different and connected parts and their maintenance isn’t the same and in the same time periods . This is very important , because the time parameter is very importand in order to be 100% accurate for our care .

The cars consist of :

1) The car chassis and metalic body .
2) The mechanical part of the engine .
3) The electrical parts .
4) The mechanical parts of suspension , differentials and steering wheel system
5) The mechanical parts of the brakes .
6) The interior of the car .

Each part of the car needs its own care and attention , with different approach . If you want to enjoy the “company” and services of your car , without any problems caused by your incomplete maintenance , you , you need to follow some “laws” .

Because , nobody can do anything for a factory’s issue .

1 ) Car chassis & metalic body

If you want to have your car’s metalic part in the best shape and last for many decades , regardless how many miles you’ll put in its “shoulders’ , you must alwaysbe carefull not to have serious accidents , which can damage its chassis deeply .

Of course you cannot control millions of factors to avoid an accident , but driving very carefully , following all the road signs and written and “unwritten” rules of traffic , will help the best .

These tips match more in the second part of our guide , in the actions we should do , but i suppose it’s ok .

Anyway driving wisely , and avoiding accidents is very crucial , but if you’ll have an accident which won’t affect the main chassis of the car and the damage is minor , must always use official metalic parts , to replace the “wounded” ones .

Official parts are the ones which match perfectly to your car and the most importand , they can hold the power of a new ( i don’t wish you that ) , accident in the future !!!!!

The official parts , are the only ones which passes the standards of your car’s manufacturer , fit perfectly in your car and keep the pathetic safety of the car unharmed !!!!!!!

The pathetic safety of cars , is the ability the chassis and the metalic body have to protect your life , during an accident . It is how strong and efficient to save your life , it is .

So if you put a metalic part in your car which isn’t official and not tested by the factory , you reduce your car’s safety for future accidents .

I understand that the official parts are more expensive from the non – official , but , HOW MUCH YOU LIFE COST …?

In the other case in which the accident , is “heavier” and the chassis of your car is affected , it’s highly recommended to replace your car !!!!!!

I know this sounds too much , and for sure you’ll find technicians who will tell you that they can fix it , and “NO WORRIES” , but the fundamentals , the “core” of your car , and its safety ability cannot be fixed , with 100% warranty by noone , except its manufacturer .

Noone , outside the official factory , has the ways , machines and technology to bring it to its primary state . Yes maybe a good technician can do many , but like the manufacturer’s work , not in a million .

Summary :

a) If the damage is small , use official parts .

b) If the chassis is in bad condition , replace the car whenever you can is the only 100% safe solution for you .

The external metalic surface of your car , needs care and protection maybe more than the interior .

The weather conditions , rain ( in some places acid ) , snow , hot sun , moisture , atmosphere polution ,birds waste ( are very acid ) , natural wear from time , scratches from countless causes ,cold – hot temperatures and all these mixed , make the “life” of your metalic body and color of your car , very hard .

Keeping your car in a garage helps very much from the weather , and at least 2 times a year an inspection from an expert will have always informed for its condition .

Two times per year , one before the extreme temperatures of the summer months and one before the winter and snow , is necessary .

If you live near the sea , the care you should have , should be more .The same if you live in a country with many months snow and salt in the streets .

At the end of the winter a careful inspection , under the car and a good washing will keep the rust from salt away .

If you are a adventurous person and mountains , hard roads , lakes , sea , rivers , are your weekend’s “home” , your protection to your vehicle , should be “surgical” and absolute . The surcharge for it , is geometrically bigger .

Using a very good wax for your metalic part of your car , as many times as you can per year ( 2 at least : before summer / winter ) and a very good product to take care the exterior plastic and rubber part( tyres , door rubbers …. ) , is a necessity .

At last but not least , a pair of good quality windshiled wipers , will make your life easier and your front-back glass wihtout scratches .You’ll appreciate the good visibility , at nights( and not only) .

2) Mechanical Parts of your engine

The “heart” of your car , the “heart” of any car is the engine of the car . Till a couple of years ago the only engine units we all used and have , was petroleum(diesel) or gasoline ones .

Yes Toyota and Honda began the “journey” to the other engine forms , almost 2 decades ago ,but the majority of the engines we used were those 2 ones .

Nowdays the engines of the cars ( and the bikes slowly – slowly ) , aren’t only , petroleum and gasoline ones .

We have Hybrid , electric , petroleum and half Hybrid ones , half gasoline and half hybrid ones , diesel or gasoline with the assist of batteries , engine with gas , LPG ( liquid gas ) .

If you want to keep your precious engine ,with minimum possible damages through the years and many thousand miles , the Basic Rule you must “obey” with your “eyes closed” , is to follow the official instructions of your car manufacturer .

You must do the servises in the exact miles you should . You should use the official and appropriate engine consumables : oils , valvolines for your transmission and differencial , coolant liquids in order not to harm your aluminum radiator .

Never use just water from your home – the salts will harm your radiator . Official and appropriatte spark plugs , correct brake disc and pads , official clutch consumables , steering wheel oils , air filters , any other filter the engine has , correct battery ( the start and stop “eats” energy very much ) , water with cleaner inside for your windscreen wipers container , to avoid clogged water tubes duting time .

We must very cautious and strict , no matter the “voices” we hear around us from a variety of “specialists” , who wants to sell us products , which aren’t official , or doesn’t have the approval of our factory .

Of course elite companies which makes top products ,for our car ( Brembo , Bilstein , Sachs , Ohlins … ) , exist .

These companies provides material to the best Motorsport Championships as Formula 1 , Motogp , but we must ask our manufacturer if he approves , any buy from them and WHAT product , he suggest to us . Most of the times , if our manufacturer suggest to us something , the official factory warranty remains active without any theme , proof that the factory , trusts this supplier .

You know the antique cars which have the highest prices , are the ones who are in the closest possible condition as the car first walked out the factory .

So if we follow the instructions of our factory and be as much typical as we can , our car will be under a timeless “shield” .

3) The electrical part of our car.

I know one thing about the best maintenance we must follow for our electrical car parts .

DON’T MESS WITH ELECTRICITY !!!!!

Don’t change , to improve anything concerning you electric status of your car . TRUST COMPLETELY your manufacturer .

Why ?

Because if you do something and tease your electrical car “world” , outside the factory instructions and something go wrong ,the “pandoras box“ , will open and you’ll in the middle of the “storm” .

The electricals are so sensitive and if you do something harming their continuity ,you’ll cause serious problems and chain reaction , without knowing where to go and what to do . So leave the electricity as it is and if a problem unveils , “run” for the official “cure” .

4) Mechanical parts of suspension - differential - steering wheel systems .

In this area there aren’t much you can do except the official inspections ( every 6 months from the official agency ) , repair and change immediatelly of any issue they’ll found , with official parts again ( don’t you forget any damage can jeopardize your life ) and always have your ears , open for any suspicious noises from these areas and your body’s feeling , of any “strange” car “behavior” on the road .

Try to avoid to go up the sidewalks in order to park ( the sterring wheel system syffers ) , avoid the big and deep road holes as much as you can , avoid the worthless wheel spin .

Avoid to pass through water holes with high speed ( steering wheel system axes suffers also in here ) ,
try to avoid the “one tyre park” on the sidewalks , always check your tyre’s air and if you drive off-road , these inspections must be more often .

5) Mechanical parts of the brakes .

If you won’t be here ABSOLUTE strict , where will you be ? Your Brake system , keeps you away from SERIOUS ISSUES , and i don’t want to be more dramatic .

The brake system( and not only ) of your car , keeps your “soul inside your body” no more talk needed . You MUST use only official brake discs – pads – fluids – tubes , et.c and you MUST double check , your technician if he did what he told he would do !!!!!!

Your life depends on it and not only . The life of your family , friends and the other drivers , depends on your COLD – BLOODED SERIOUSNESS .

The condition of your car brakes and tyres , MUST BE THE BEST OF THE BEST , OF THE BEST .
PERIOD . NO DISCOUNTS . NO : I’ll be more careful next time ” .

If you have a financial issue and you cannot affort the money for , top brakes and tyres ( and it is so human of course , we all have passed difficulties in life ) don’t use the car !!!!!

Your life and safety are above all and maybe if you get kind of a shame having money issues and you don’t want , your friends and social surroundings , know your money problems , take a brake and think of that :

No shame in this world is equal to your physical and mental health .

Imagine having a serious accident because of a brake failure and the thoughts of shame and stuff like that , will DISAPPEAR AT ONCE .

Official brake discs – Official brake pads – Official and appropriatte brake fluids & tubes – Regularly check of the entire brake system for any part’s failure by any reason , from the official car agency , is the only “road” you must choose , not only for your long lasting car’s life , but for your priceless life .

6) The interior of your car .

You car’s interior needs your attention too . The wear from the daily or very often use of your car and your general activities , give “hard” times to your car’s interior .

Weather conditions , daily use and parking in several unprotected places from the hot sun , rain , snow et.c , outdoor activities , sea hobbies , gardening hobbies and activities , children and family activities , eating food(!) inside activities , mud shoes , ice-creams , burning spots from cigarettes maybe , “salty” T – shirts and swimsuits , cuttings from sharp objects and tools of any kind , transporting several big or smaller objects , pets and countless more reasons , make your car’s interior to get older , losing its primary shine and “shape” .

What can you do , to maintain the “freshness” of your car as longer as you can ? You can do much and believe me , i’ve seen cars with decades in their “backs” ,having their interiors in a way more better shape ,than many of new cars .

1) Try to be as careful as you can while using your car and if you can correct immediately any minor damage/wear you can in the interior , do it .

2) Try to clean the interior of your , as often as you can . At least clean the very serious and “heavy” situations and don’t let them , accumulate and become “heavier” . You’ll put way more effort to clean it and maybe not as good as you could , if you cleaned the situation in its “lightest” version .

3) As often as you can , go your car’s interior for a “deep” washing ( this apply for your exterior also ) ,to a very goog washing and taking care shop .

In there make a good and intense biological cleaning , for your entire interior area : seats , wallpaper and wherever fabric exists . The good and professional bio cleaning , will give freshness to your interior’s fabric area , and it is very healthy concerning the bacteria and germs .

Another very significant thing is that , a clean fabric ( of the seats or wherever ) ,has more resistance to wear and cannot been cut very easily . Dirt , makes fabric more “sensitive“ to cuts .

4) After all this very “deep” washing and cleaning of your fabric territories in your interior , you should pick and use the best products you can buy , to protect the plastic , leather ,wood( some cars have wooden decoration inside their cabins ) , alcadara ,rubber parts of the interior .

The best you can find , from the best companies outhere , the better .

If you don’t let this to the washing shop employees , and you want to do it youself , read carefully the instructions in the back of the products and be “surgical” accurate , following them .

If not , you may cause “themes” and make serious damages ( plastic fading , crinkles , different color spots et.c ) to the parts of your cabin .

Be VERY CAREFUL , not to damage the material of your seatbelts usind any chemical you MUST NOT , and the area of the airbags . In the interior of the car , inside the seats , or the columns of the car , or wherever airbags exist , sensors exist !!!!!! .

So be aware how many and where you have airbags ( in front , sideways , in the top of the roof as curtins ) and be extreme careful , when you clean those areas and near those areas .

Asking your car’s agency , would be ideal , in order to be 100% certain and not damage the safety “shield” of your car .

5) Have and use the protective curtins for the hot sun , when you are going to leave your car parked outside , under the hot sun for hours .

6) If you can afford it , put in all the windows (the law allows you – not in front and in the back window ) , the protective films/membranes to protect your interior from the hot sun and to lowering the temperature of the cabin on the hot months .

Not only you’ll have lower temperatures in the cabin , but the membranes are a discouraging fact for anyone who wants to smash your window , in order to steal something from inside of the car .

The windows sun films , makes the windows “bulletproof” . The window may broke , but it would be in its position and not terrying apart !!!!!

7) Avoid as much as you can to tranport “danger” materials ,which can damage the interior ,during the tranportation . If you cannot do otherwise , put the objects as lower you can inside the car and tied them as better as you can , so they cannot move during the tranportation and make “sneaky” damages .

B) The actions we must do as drivers , users and keepers of our car .

After all the care and protection of the mechanical parts of your car , in oder to last longer, our personal actions and driving behavior , affect our car equal or maybe more than its mechanical protection .

No matter if we use the best and Official mechanical parts and carrying products ,if we aren’t driving and using our “machines” , as we should our car won’t last as long as we wish .

1) Try to use and fill your car’s tank , with the finest quality fuel , petrol , gazoline , gas , LPG , hydrogen or whatever fuel you use . I know that this maybe isn’t possible , all the times ( if your pockets are like ours with holes!! ) , but try to use good fuel .

2) Warm up your car before you start your route , but NOT TOO MUCH !!!!As all things and materials on earth ,your car needs a little warming up before you start and go to your job , but not too much .
Why ?

Because if you stay still and warm you car’s engine , thinking you are doing the right thing , you are NOT .

Warming completely the engine before you go , you are not warming the ENTIRE engine , but mostly the area of the cylinders !!!!!!

The upper and the lower part , aren’t warming with homogeneity , following the other parts and there are cases ,in which , this difference of engine’s temperature parts , caused SERIOUS PROBLEMS in the metals of the engine , even CRACKING !!!!!

So start your engine , wait a couple of minutes ( accordingly your country and weather conditions ) so the engine fluids , flow a little and then go and start driving using low revs and driving smoothly .

In this way , you warm up the whole engine ,the transmission ,brakes , tyres , all and the most IMPORTANT : with homogeneity !!!!!!!

3) During your driving try to avoid the highest revs of the engine and you may do so for some time , avoid the red zone of the revs organ . The low revs and mid section are the best .

4) Don’t run your car in its top speed , for many many reason and the first is your safety and the safety of the others . Except that pushing your car in its limits , isn’t the best thing for his long-lasting life .

5) Try not to overload your car , and if you must do so , avoid the roads with extreme damaged surface and bid holes . You suspension and tyres will “love” you for this . Avoid the high uphills and the abrupt downhills . Your engine and brakes will also “love” you .

6) As much as you can , you should adapt your driving to be always smooth ,without big accelerations and brutal braking .

Try to , make a plan in your mind with the best route possible , avoiding the very damaged roads , and places you cannot find a “decent” parking place , having always in the “back of your mind” , parking places away from electricity wires in which birds are sitting above them .

Remember the birds waste , are extremely acid and if you let the spot without cleaning it , for a couple of hours , the damage in the color , will be PERMANENT . A bottle of water somewhere inside your car , to wash the birds dirt immediately , is a very wise tactic .

7) If you drive a car with turbo engine ,it’s very crucial ,to let it work a little more for itself before you shut it down , when you arrive in your home or whatever .

In this way the turbine has the time to cold a little , from the passing oil and not being in extreme heat ,
dry of oil , if you shut down the engine immediately .

In the market , turbo timers exist , which let the engine run a little more and then shut it down , when you aren’t inside the car and you’ve gone . But this is another theme .

For normal use cars without any modifications , to wait a little before you shut your turbo engine , is enough .

8) These days and time era , with the so many types of engines ,the correct driving techiques and maintenance of your car , has many changes from the old era kind of advices .

Your car’s manufacturer and agency , will tell you for any new methods so yo can follow the evolution and be always informed with the latest data .

The evolution in all areas , changes with the “speed of light” and having your “antenna’s” open and continuous asking questions , is necessary .

I hope your effords to keep your car as longer as you can be a 100% successful . Drive carefully .