drain your savings by avoiding regular car maintenance

Regular preventative maintenance on your car can save you hundreds if not thousands down the track on repairs and other costs when car parts breakdown or prematurely wear out. If it feels like there is just not enough money in the budget to repair that minor problem, think again. We thought that too…

In February we had our regular service on the car. So far so good. However, there were several small maintenance tasks that Mr Mechanic recommended above and beyond the regular service, like replacing the worn radiator hoses and cleaning the cooling system.

Well, it wasn’t urgent, said Mr Mechanic, and we were only planning on driving the car around town, so we decided to put off these maintenance tasks until April when we knew we would have a little extra cash in the budget.

Then, unexpectedly, we had to make a 2,400km round trip to NSW for dad’s funeral.

And of course, the car broke down. In fact, it kept overheating.

So by deferring the maintenance cost of around $150 we ended up paying:

• $588 to tow the car back home
• $95 for an extra night’s accommodation
• $80 for petrol for the extra two days on the road
• $100 approx. for food for the extra two days on the road

In other words if we had spent $150 in February replacing the radiator hoses it would have saved us around $860 in March and our emergency fund would still be intact.

To avoid the mistake that we made and to keep your car in tip top condition:

• Check tire pressure regularly (monthly or at every fuel fill up)
• Check oil regularly (monthly or more frequently for older cars)
• Check water or coolant levels in the radiator regularly
• Check windscreen wipers (to make sure they’re not cracked and hardened) and wiper fluid
• Check automatic transmission and power steering fluid
• Check battery fluid
• Give it a regular wash (particularly if you live on the coast as salt build up will cause rust)
• Check that lights and indicators are working properly
• Check tires for baldness and replace when necessary. Consider wheel alignments if necessary.
• Get your car serviced regularly as recommended by your mechanic or warranty
• Ensure that the oil and oil filter is changed, that the brakes are checked and that hoses and wiring are checked (and replace the hoses if the mechanic recommends it! )
• When driving keep an eye on the indicator lights, watch the gauges for overheating, oil pressure etc, listen for unusual noises, feel for unusual vibrations or the tendency for the car to wander or steer to one side or abnormal when braking. If you notice any of these things get a service, don’t leave it until something breaks down.
• Apart from regular servicing, take your car to be serviced if it uses more fuel than usual, is difficult to start, runs rough, leaves oil or coolant on the driveway or blows smoke.

It is well worth the money and effort to keep your car well maintained. Regular preventative maintenance prolongs the life of mechanical components, decreasing the risk of breakdowns and expensive repairs. Regular maintenance will also help maintain economical running and fuel efficiency. But most importantly, a well maintained car will keep you and your family safer on the road.

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Have you read these posts?

1. tip tuesday–organising your tools for regular maintenance
2. boost your savings with a regular no spend day
3. how to save money for a new car
4. repair v replace: is it time to say goodbye to the old car?
5. annual gutter maintenance