As the odometer ticks and the miles wrack up, our cars can sometimes take a beating. Potholes, snowstorms, stop-and-go traffic, and the blistering sun all take their toll. Folks driving newer vehicles have time on their side, but those who are driving older cars don’t have that luxury. All cars should be properly maintained, but this is especially true for older ones.
If you’re still driving a car that has a decade of use under its belt, it’s more important than ever to do everything you can to ensure that it retains as much of its value as possible and continues to get you from point A to point B in a safe way.
Car owners in Silicon Valley whose vehicles have an obscene amount of miles and fear they’ve reached the end of their lifespan can contact a car buyer who purchases junk car for cash in San Jose.
Reasons To Maintain Your Older Car
No matter their age, all vehicles should be maintained. Without the proper care, mechanical issues will ensue. For owners of older vehicles, this is exponentially more important. Maintaining older cars will benefit in two different ways. The first one is to keep it as trouble-free as possible and the second is to keep its resale value as high as possible. The common denominator is money.
Older Cars Need More Care: More Miles, More Issues
As you put more miles on your car and the years go by, they need more TLC. Many of a car’s components do have a lifespan and eventually will need to be replaced or repaired. Some of these repairs can become quite costly and could easily outweigh the car’s resale value. The more miles yours has, the more issues you’ll eventually encounter.
By maintaining your older vehicle with proper routine maintenance, there’s a higher likelihood that you or your mechanic will discover fixable problems way before they start to affect and damage other components. Some of the best things you can do for your older car include the following preventative maintenance:
- Oil changes – To maintain the health of your car’s engine, regular oil changes are crucial. To limit an engine’s wear and tear, changing its oil every 3,000 to 5,000 miles is necessary.
- Regular brake inspections – Safety should be a priority for all car owners, especially for older vehicles. A car with faulty brakes is an accident waiting to happen. A vehicle’s brake pads and rotors should be periodically checked.
- Maintain tire pressure and alignment – Improper tire pressure can not only decrease gas mileage but can also speed up tire wear and cause blowouts. Something as simple as periodically rotating your car’s tires can help to extend their life.
- Cleaning – Keeping its interior and exterior can help to extend a vehicle’s life. This is especially true with its exterior. Taking your car to your local car wash periodically can help to inhibit its undercarriage from developing rust.
Routine preventative maintenance will not only keep your vehicle safe but it’ll also increase its lifespan. Spending a little money now on maintenance could perhaps save you a bundle later by avoiding more costly repairs due to ignoring the little things.
Maintaining Its Resale Value
Taking care of your old vehicle can help it to retain a bigger piece of its value. When it comes time to sell or trade it in, a well-running and good-looking car will sell for more money than one that’s been ridden hard with little care. Keep all documentation of oil changes, preventative maintenance, and receipts for new parts like tires and brake pads. Having a well-organized folder that contains proof of how well you took care of your car will help boost its resale value.
Another tip for keeping your older car’s resale value high is to consider how and when you drive it. If you regularly use it for short trips to your local market only a half mile away, consider leaving it in your driveway and walking there and back. You’ll get some exercise and keep those unnecessary miles off of the odometer. Mileage plays a big part in a car’s resale value. Avoiding using it for those short trips will help you get more for it once it’s time to sell.
Maintaining Your Older Car Explained
All cars depreciate in value and older cars can lose value even quicker. Taking care of your older vehicle with regular preventative maintenance can help to expand its lifetime and save you money in the long run.
If you’ve done everything possible to keep your older car running but it’s reached the end of its usefulness, you can still get some cash for it. Sell it to a specialized dealer that purchases junk cars regardless of age, mileage, or running condition.
