Money saving car tricks

These easy to apply, use and follow tips for saving money on your car will keep money in your wallet.

The necessity of transportation for everyday errands, work and vacations, makes the cost and expense in the upkeep of your vehicle very important. Average cost of maintenance and repairs, not including gasoline, per vehicle per year is over $600. Many of these repairs could have been prevented or avoided. If someone said they could save you $200 dollars for very little effort, chances are you’d take the offer. So, these simple, little effort tricks and tips to keep your vehicle running its best should help you maintain the paper in wallet.

Register your vehicle with the manufacture, whether new or used, and become familiar with the warranty policies. Keep your address and phone numbers current with the dealership or manufacturer. Sometimes, defects, recalls or other problems are repaired for free by the manufacturer – as long as they can find you and have proof of purchase.

Make friends with your local dealership’s service department. When Technical Service Bulletins arrive and/or updates that pertain to your vehicle, ask if they’ll give you a heads up. Knowing what might be a problem and that a repair is available can make life much easier. Frequently, dealerships will have shuttle services for service customers so you’ll never be without transportation. Take advantage of this offer.

Take a look at the owner’s manual of your vehicle. If you purchased used and don’t have a manual, contact the manufacturer and they will be happy to send you one either free of charge or for a nominal fee. Though the manual may be thick and a little overwhelming, look for the manufacturer’s oil change schedule or maintenance matrix. Many of the newer models recommend oil changes every 5, 000 miles or longer; the common myth was to change the oil every 3, 000 miles. Odds are, you’re changing your oil more than necessary. If the manufacturer doesn’t recommend it, don’t do it – save your money.

Air filters create a clean environment for your engine to run. The harder an engine has to work the more wear and tear on your car, increasing maintenance and gasoline costs. Changing the air filter, usually costing $15 or less, twice a year, can save you a great deal. It’s a relatively easy skill that can be accomplished on your own or paid for through a service department.
Check your tire pressure once a month. Temperature differences, normal wear and tear or little bumps in the road can lead to under-inflated tires. This wears the tire out faster, which means you could end up purchasing new tires twice as frequently as you should. Many full-service stations can assist with the task or offer free “air” testing stations. A quick, one or two minute stop could make a great difference.

Stretch your gasoline dollars by slowing down. This is a difficult tip to keep under control but with the price of gasoline rapidly increasing, think of saving yourself an addition 12 cents per gallon by driving 60 mph. For every five miles per hour over 60 that your drive (65 is the typical highway speed), you are wasting enough fuel that its adding an extra twelve cents to the cost of each gallon of gas. Twelve cents may not sound like a great deal but calculate it out. Ten gallons of gas in your vehicle each week of the year equals 520 galloons. If you pay $2.00 for each gallon of gas, that’s $1040.00 per year. Drive 65 mph all the time and you’ve add 12 cents to those 520 gallons for a cost of $1102.40 per year. That’s a savings you’ll appreciate.

So don’t forget the little things that can keep your vehicle running in top condition. It will only pay you in the long run.