If your first ride turns out to be your dad’s classic car, then you might understand the value of keeping the family’s legacy and pride. A classic car can be prestigious but only if well maintained and serviced. I can compare this to those grandpas or grandmas who seem to never get any old, they always look cool and fancy isn’t it?
Apart from giving it a good paint and buying a custom fit cover, there are other system maintenance you can do to make a vintage car run as new car again. It’s just as simple and friendly to the pockets. Let us have a look at some of the ways in which you can take care of your old car.
Change spark plugs
When you have old spark plugs, they get worn out and rusty. This means that it won’t fire correctly so you will have to spend extra on gas. If the engine and your cylinders won’t fire properly, this can lead to loss of power which is something we all never want as we need to ensure we maximize engine power in the car.
Replacing the plugs will give great power potential and increase fuel efficiency thus good to the pockets.
Change air filter
The air filter simply filters the air the engine draws to itself by preventing external particles and debris getting into the engine thus allowing clean air intake. The air inhaled to the engine is the key ingredient in creating a mixture of spark gasoline and air. If the air filter is clogged and covered with dirt then it will not be able to draw much air through the air intake and so the engine will overwork as it will try fixing lack of air by pumping more gasoline to the mixture.
To solve such all you have to do is make an order of the air filter or just drive by the store get a new air filter and replace with the old one. This procedure doesn’t really require an expert or mechanic one can do it alone in the shortest time.
Get fuel Injectors cleaned
As the car ages, fuel injectors inside the engine get clogged with residues dumped up in them thus making the fuel injectors not to inject fuel properly. The fuel injectors get clogged up and they end up not injecting the right amount of fuel necessary for the engine greatly affecting the performance of the engine.
To solve this, you can either take the car to a mechanic or authorized dealer to have the fuel injectors professionally cleaned. Alternatively, you can purchase a fuel injector cleaner which is engine friendly and can help to get the residues out of the engine.
Change power steering fluid
This might be one issue that most people might overlook as mostly we somehow have the assumption that performance of a car depends on the condition of the engine. Well, there are also other factors that add up to the lifeline of a car such include power steering fluid.
For great maneuverability, the power steering fluid comes in hand. The fluid can be done by just flushing the system and replacing with new fluid. Drive the car for a while and you will definitely feel the difference more so if the car hadn’t had fluid change for a while,
Rotate the tires occasionally
If you get your tires checked more often and keep rotating them after a certain mileage it will greatly help in giving the tires more lifespan. Tires tend to wear out differently because the front mostly does the breaking and turning thus rotating them might somehow help in making them wear out evenly without overstressing one over the others.
Keeping the tires pressure consistent as prescribed will also make your tires more durable and easy on your savings. The above tips are also good for safety precautions because well maintained and balanced tires give you a smooth drive.
Change the oil
For every car, there is always a specified mileage for changing the oil as indicated in the car user manual, but there is no offense changing oil prior to the set mileage. Changing oil has a really great effect on the engine performance as it keeps the engine well lubricated.
With the complex engine system, it is greatly advisable to keep the engine oiled to keep it healthy at all times. Check the state of the oil regularly and If the oil tends to turn dark or black in color have it changed.
Change radiator fluid
At some point when it’s really hot during the day or after doing a heavy task we always need something to cool us down. This applies to the car’s engine at its hardworking moments also needs something to cool it down and that’s the radiator system.
If you take good care of the radiator system, you are taking good care of the engine. Clean the horses and change the radiator fluids for better engine cooling, this will make the engine burn less oil.
Service Brakes and transmission
The transmission and the braking system are one of the most crucial parts of the car. More often, check the brake pads if they are in good condition because if they are not they may drive you straight to the hospital.
Have the brakes and transmissions system serviced occasionally by a certified mechanic or dealer? Check the brake fluids and transmission fluids regularly, in case of contamination have them changed.
Final Words
As they say, a car is like a woman. If you maintain her well and she will serve you better. That’s why it’s important to have the right maintenance on your car. This will not only help it to hold its value and last longer. It will also help to keep it safe and reliable and may end up being useful to the later family generation too.
Any negligence to any repairs may, later on, be costly. So if you come across anything that needs repair or maintenance early enough, have it get sorted in the quickest time possible. It doesn’t matter how big or small and this will help to maintain that good classic, vintage car as good as new.
