With all of the hype about gas prices of late, most other vehicle expenses haven't gotten the press they deserve amongst all of the talk about mileage, carpooling, hybrids, and oil-related politics. This article on MSN.com gives 20 ways you waste money on your car. I'll comment on these wasteful ways and throw in a few others.
This installment deals with maintenance issues — either overdoing the maintenance, or skimping on it.
Sometimes there is such a thing as taking too much care of your vehicle:
- 3,000-mile oil changes. Twice a year is all right at a minimum, more often if you live where it's cold, take a lot of short trips, or have a high-revving engine. (I usually change the oil about every three to four thousand, but mine's 9 years old with 155k miles.)
- Using the dealer’s maintenance schedule instead of the factory’s. Like asking a barber if you need a haircut every two weeks, the dealer will say your car needs a tune-up every 30k. If you do take it in, you can probably opt out of some of the easier services and do them yourself.
- Changing your antifreeze every winter. It's not necessary unless it won't stand up to your winter temperatures. It probably needs to be changed only every other year.
There's also such a thing as too little maintenance:
- Taking false economies. “Better to replace a timing belt on the manufacturer’s schedule than to have it break somewhere in western Nebraska. Better to pop for snow tires than to ride that low-profile rubber right into a tree.”
- Not changing the fuel filter. Have it replaced every two years or according to the vehicle manufacturer’s schedule.
- Not keeping your tires properly inflated. The tires will wear unevenly (more at the center if they're overinflated and more at the sides if they're underinflated) and they'll reduce your gas mileage.
- Failing to check oil levels, tire tread, and other fluid levels. The oil light is an obvious giveaway if it's working; checking the dipstick works regardless. Wait a while after you stop the car before checking so that the level settles. Coolant levels are another good one to check. With tire tread, if you put a penny in the tread with the top edge in the tread, and can see above Lincoln's head (1/16″), replace the tires.
The next set of car money-wasters will focus on mistakes when paying for having work done on your vehicle.
