6 tips to make your car last
A well-driven and well-maintained vehicle will last longer. And will cost the owner less.
1. Make revisions:
In twenty years, the average age of cars has dropped from 7 to 8.3 years or around 100,000 km on the clock. This mileage, formerly a harbinger of scrapping, corresponds to the end of the adolescence of a car. But if we take care of it, it can still cover double that. It is only after twenty to twenty-five years of service that it will be good for breakage, when seals and hoses, electrical connections, underbody and airbags will declare forfeit.
However, we see that the maintenance budget decreases with age as if the owners aligned it with the market value of aging vehicles. From a regular revision at the dealership during the warranty to periodic inspection at the auto center, we end up with a simple emptying from time to time.
Once the 100,000 km mark has been crossed, certain operations become essential:
- Replacement of the timing belt (every 100,000 to 200,000 km or every four to six years);
- Replacement of diesel glow plugs (every 100,000 km);
- gearbox emptying;
- bleeding brake and coolant fluids;
- air conditioning recharging (every two years);
- Replacement of petrol engine spark plugs (every 40,000 to 60,000 km);
- Replacement of filters (fuel, air, passenger compartment) according to the recommendations in the maintenance book.
2. Change the "neglected" parts:
Some interventions are neglected by dealers and auto centers because they are unprofitable or difficult to carry out.
In the long list of points to watch out for, you will have to pay particular attention to certain operations:
- gearbox emptying;
- Replacement of the air conditioning drier. The correct operation of this inexpensive part depends on the survival of the compressor.
- Replacement of engine Silentblocks. After ten to fifteen years, they tend to wear out, no longer absorbing vibrations, which accelerates the general aging of the car. Worse, the unbraked movements of the engine deteriorate the universal joints and the gearbox. Few mechanics suggest their replacement. The price of these elements is however low (from 25 to 60 € the complete kit) and their installation requires only one to two hours of labor;
- Replacement of the rear and front suspension arm silent blocks. They are generally replaced when the shock absorber is changed to restore the vehicle's silence, handling and original comfort.
3. Drive differently:
The main enemy of modern mechanics, especially diesels, is no longer wear, but fouling, now the main cause of breakdown. Once the engine is warm, you should not be afraid to accelerate, without stepping on the floor, but delaying shifting up a gear.
At steady speed, the speed should never be less than 1,500 rpm with diesel and 2,000 rpm with a petrol unit. With a diesel, the depollution system of which has to heat up for a long time to clean itself, if you make a lot of small repeated trips (less than 5 km) with a cold engine, you must regularly travel at least 15 kilometers in one go.
Finally, we will extend the life of its transmission (gearbox, universal joints) by avoiding passing too fast (no more than 20 km / h) on the big retarders.
4. Track down rust:
Rust hardly attacks bodywork, which is now well protected, but still affects the bases exposed to the projection of gravel and salt (arms, axles, triangles, shock absorber wells, etc.). Some companies offer anti-corrosion treatments for the chassis - more often tar. However, efficiency is not always there, unlike bad smells.
"The best is to pass a high pressure cleaner under the car after each winter, not too close to not damage anything," recommends Fernando Martins, workshop manager at Subaru in Pontoise. You can also choose the option of cleaning the chassis under pressure offered by certain roller washing stations.
5. Listening:
It is not only a matter of worrying about any suspicious noise and looking for its origin, but above all of finding out about the weak points of your vehicle, parts to monitor or replace preventively. Independent garages are often unbeatable for popular models because they are used to cars with high mileage.
But the most complete information is accessible on the internet forums devoted to the automobile, in two clicks, by typing "Opinion", "Model name", then "Forum auto" on its search engine.
6. Park your car under cover:
A vehicle parked outside ages faster. But more than the tarnishing of paint and interior plastics under the effect of the sun and the moon, more than the corrosion of the base, it is the mechanics that suffer.
Moisture penetrates into fuel and brake fluid, corrodes electrical and electronic connections and large temperature differences accelerate the wear of seals, belts and hoses. A simple shelter on dry ground is enough to preserve your car.
