Keeping a car forever — or almost

When you bought your car or light truck, you probably had some naïve hope that it might last forever — or almost. Or you might have been thinking you could use it for a long time and then resell it at a reasonable price. Well, believe it or not, it is possible, but there is only one way to do it: with plenty of regular maintenance.

Though many people would like you to believe that today’s cars and trucks require less maintenance than older vehicles, this is not true. The maintenance might be lighter, yes, and the better part of it will be done by the dealership under the warranty. But you, as the owner, will also have to do your part to keep your car working well for a long time.

The old recipes for keeping a car running well still apply to newer products, and most of them are very simple to follow. Take, for instance, oil change intervals. They can be done as indicated in your owner’s manual, but if you use your vehicle mainly for short rides, those oil changes should be done sooner and very regularly. Of course, all other liquids have to be checked regularly. Your owner’s manual might say the spark plugs are good for 160,000 km, but it might be a good idea to have them removed at certain points to clean them up and replace them with some anti-seizing products.

Another regular maintenance involves washing the vehicle often, especially in winter, having it protected with rust-proofing, keeping the tires in good shape, aligning and balancing wheels, and keeping the interior as clean as possible. These might seem time-consuming and probably will involve some expenditures, but the bottom line is that the car or truck will last longer, and its resale value will be higher.

The only secret to the longevity of a vehicle is regular maintenance.