Bringing Down Your Car Maintenance Costs

Whether you believe it or not, the fact is that every car owner loses about 25% of the value of a new car within the first few years of its purchase. Besides, there would be growing fuel expenses and rising maintenance costs as your vehicle is subjected to wear and tear. While there is little you can do to manage depreciation and fuel rates, keeping a check on maintenance costs is possible. All you need is a vigilant approach and the approach to “do it yourself”. We look at some potent measures to undertake to bring down the cost of maintenance without compromising on the performance of your vehicle.

Cutting Down Maintenance Costs the Smart Way

Protecting the Engine: Engine repairs cost the most. Therefore, protecting the engine from damage proactively is one of the easiest ways to reduce costs. It is always a good idea to consider oil replacement after travelling every 3,000 miles, so that the engine can do away with buildup. Changing the oil at regular intervals will also help your engine last longer without requiring any additional upkeep.

• Consider Preventive Maintenance: A stitch in time could indeed save nine here. Routine jobs that require a regimented schedule include replacing transmission fluids, changing oil filters and tyre inspection. It could be wise to invest in intelligent and utilitarian car accessories like air compressing tyre pumps. You can have one stacked in your boot and keep tyres suitably inflated at all times. This would reduce chances of accidental punctures. What’s more, the market for car accessories in India has evolved significantly and you can also invest in a repair kit for puncture plugs. Learn to do it yourself and save on exorbitant service charges.
• Give Cleaning Services a Miss: Keeping your vehicle spick and span is a must. However, opting for outsourced cleaning services on a regular basis would mean significant spending. With a host of innovative car accessories available in the market for this purpose, you can easily do it yourself, on your own. Invest in a portable wet and dry vacuum cleaner for keeping your car interiors spotless. Get a suitable pipe hose for spray cleaning the exterior of your car. Invest in a set of scratch concealing pens for dealing with ugly scratches that may require immediate painting.
• Consider Performing Routine Maintenance on your Own: There are other routine maintenance jobs that you can actually perform on your own. You would simply need some basic training and suitable tools for carrying out the tasks. Look for equipment on at a reliable ecommerce site selling car accessories online in India and attempt a basic training.
• Replace Timing Belts: Timing chains and belts help in keeping the different components of the vehicle engine in sync with each other. Although this is often a replacement that is overlooked, a single replacement, including labor, could cost a fortune. However, waiting till the belt requires immediate replacement is not advisable because waiting for too long could mean an almost catastrophic engine head failure that could require a replacement that can cost almost double the amount required for replacing a timing belt.

Apart from being proactive and judicious about timely replacements, saving on repair costs would also involve looking for the right service centre that offers suitable rates. Some service centres could fleece customers over repairs that they might require on an urgent basis. This is why it is always advisable to plan a maintenance job ahead and perform a basic research in order to look for the most cost effective solution provider.