Cruising through your retirement years? Learn essential car care tips and how proper maintenance can save you money.

If you own a vehicle and are trying to save money during retirement, practicing proper car maintenance can help. Cars can be vital to spending your retirement how you please, but their long-term ownership costs can quickly pile up. Following best practices for maintaining your vehicle can help reduce these costs by minimizing future repairs, giving you more wiggle room in your budget.

Why Does Car Maintenance Matter?

Your car is a complex piece of machinery that needs routine care to maintain ideal operation. Key auto maintenance steps are designed to limit wear, identify budding problems, and preserve the operating conditions needed for safe, efficient travel. It keeps your engine performing at peak levels and reduces the risk of breakdowns and extensive car repairs. Plus, it gives you peace of mind, knowing you’re as safe as possible on the road.

Practicing proper car care and maintenance can minimize future repairs and save money.

So how does all of this save you money?

Proper auto maintenance costs only cents on the mile and helps prevent damage to internal components (like the transmission) that can cost thousands of dollars to repair. It also reduces the risk of accidents due to malfunctioning or worn components, which can lead to repairs, medical bills, and higher insurance rates. Maintenance can extend the lifespan of key parts like the tires, which can help you avoid costly replacements, and it preserves fuel efficiency, so you get as much mileage from each gallon as possible. It also helps prevent breakdowns and their associated costs, such as towing fees or cancellation fees for missed appointments.

So How Do I Care for My Car?

Maintenance needs vary by vehicle type, make, model, and age, so always check your owner’s manual for your specific car’s guidelines. The general tips below can help you understand the average car’s maintenance needs and how they minimize future costs.

1. Keep It Clean
   Cleaning the interior and exterior of your vehicle removes dirt and contaminants that cause staining, excessive wear, odor, paint damage, and rust. It helps preserve the car’s condition and avoids preventable drops in its value. Clean the car at least twice a month, spot-cleaning visible grime or stains as needed between cleanings.

2. Change the Wipers
   Your windshield wipers may last for a year or more, but hot conditions and excessive use will wear them down. They should be changed when they become worn and ineffective, such as when they squeak, leave streaks and wet spots, or jerk or skip when moving.

3. Maintain the Lights
   Headlights can become foggy and yellowed over time. Clean them with mild soap and water each time you clean your car to prevent this. If they do become foggy or dull, use of a headlight restoration kit or a mildly abrasive scrub (like baking soda and vinegar) can help. Head- and taillights will also burn out, like any other lightbulb. If one headlight or taillight goes out, it’s best to replace both, as the other likely isn’t far behind.

4. Change the Oil
   Oil lubricates moving parts and keeps them from grinding against each other, minimizing wear and heat buildup. Age and debris will thicken oil, resulting in poor lubrication that can damage and overheat your engine. Schedule an oil change every 5,000 miles or twice a year, whichever comes first.

5. Change the Coolant
   Coolant disperses heat from your engine, aiding in temperature regulation. It degrades over time, turning abrasive. It can lose efficacy and wear down parts in your cooling system, causing leaks and overheating. To avoid this, have the coolant changed after the first 60,000 miles for a new car, then every 30,000 miles.

6. Replace the Spark Plugs
   Spark plugs create the arc of electricity needed to ignite fuel and operate your vehicle. Most manufacturers recommend changing them a minimum of every 30,000 miles. Signs you should have your spark plugs changed to prevent engine damage include engine misfires, weak acceleration, loss of fuel efficiency, rough idling, and weak starts.

7. Check the Alignment
   The alignment optimizes your car’s steering and tire contact with the road. Driving with poor alignment will damage the steering and suspension systems, interfering with maneuverability and increasing the risk of accidents. It will also decrease fuel efficiency and shorten tire lifespan. Check your alignment every two to three years. Signs of a problem include the vehicle pulling to one side while driving, uneven tire wear, hard vibrating while driving, and lurching around inside your car when braking, accelerating, or turning.

8. Maintain Your Brakes
   Your brake system relies on parts called pads to press against the rotors, applying resistance that stops your car. How and where you drive are the greatest factors in how quickly pads wear down, with hard braking and the frequent stops of city driving putting more strain on them. With worn pads, it’ll take longer for your car to stop, which is dangerous in emergencies. Beyond that, driving with worn pads could damage the brake calipers or rotors. Long stops, unresponsiveness, and grinding or squealing noises when braking are indicators they need replacing.

9. Change the Air Filter
   Engines need fresh air to operate, and the air filter removes harmful contaminants before they reach the engine. Clogged filters allow debris to enter the engine, affecting performance, efficiency, and wear. Be sure to have the filter changed every 30,000 miles, or every 15,000 miles if you drive in harsh conditions, like hot weather or unpaved roads.

10. Check the Tires
    Check your tire pressure and tread at least once a month. Driving with the recommended PSI and tread depth reduces the risk of blowouts, poor fuel economy, and hazardous handling issues. Check your owner’s manual for the recommended tire pressure, and check the tread by placing a penny in the tread groove, Lincoln side out and upside-down. If you can see Lincoln’s hair, replace the tire.

11. Maintain the Car Battery
    You should test and inspect the battery at least twice a year. Some car repair and maintenance shops will test your battery for free, or you can use a voltmeter. Examine the terminals for corrosion (green or brown buildup) too, which will need to be removed. Look for the battery’s expiration date, and replace the battery if it’s expired. Battery lifespan depends on its quality, but the average is three to five years. A weak or dying battery may cause your car to stall or shut off while driving, creating hazardous situations.

12. Get Prompt Repairs
    Another key part of proper car care is arranging prompt repairs anytime something is amiss with your car, like odd smells or sounds, rough idling, overheating, problems steering, or weak starts. This will maintain safety and keep problems from snowballing into expensive repairs. If your check engine light comes on, take your car to a repair shop as soon as you can. It’s also a good idea to take advantage of any tune-up specials near you before summer, winter, and long trips, ensuring your car can handle the added strain of those conditions.

Financial Health, Retirement, and You

Practicing proper car maintenance is only one way to support your financial health during retirement. The right financial institution will understand the unique opportunities and challenges that retirement presents and offer comprehensive solutions, such as trust accounts, personal loans, and financial planning. With the right institution at your back, you can maintain a fulfilling lifestyle throughout your retirement.