Long overdue maintenance repairs can quickly become expensive, so below are a few quick, easy, and inexpensive preventative care tips.
Air Filter
Vehicles need air to operate. Air filters ensure that dust and dirt do not get into the engine causing significant damage. Changing an air filter is cheap. It’s also easy enough for most people to do themselves, but replacing the air filter will produce more problems than most drivers realize. The likelihood of dirt and debris entering the engine from a dirty air filter increase tremendously.
An old filter will also slowly begin to suffocate the engine, straining it to work harder than need be. According to the experts at AutoZone, a dirty air filter can significantly reduce fuel economy from a lack of air flow. A driver can expect to drive fewer miles per gallon of gas which can be quite costly with today’s fuel prices.
Tire Pressure
Discount Tire Company explains how maintaining adequate air pressure in the tires is a very inexpensive and sound practice. Low tire pressure increases the probability of a wreck, lowers fuel efficiency, and wears down the life of the tire much faster than properly inflated tires. Most gas stations offer free air so maintaining adequate air pressure should never be a problem.
The cost of new tires on a compact car can start around $250 and new tires for larger vehicles are a few hundred dollars more. Since inflating tires is practically free, replacing worn tires from insufficient air pressure seems like a waste of money.
Savings That No Driver Should Overlook
With a small amount of effort and the knowledge provided in this article, any driver can save tons of money on vehicle expenses in a short while. However insignificant these routine maintenance areas may seem, they are incredible money savers when compared to the high expense of overlooking them.