Otto Explains — Car Care
Which Everyday Habits Help Your Car Last Longer?
Short Answer
The habits that help most are simple ones, repeated regularly. Follow your manufacturer’s service schedule, including the severe-usage schedule if it applies, drive smoothly, check tyre pressures, look after the battery in the heat, keep the paint and interior clean and dry, and act on warning lights rather than waiting. None of them replaces servicing, but together they slow the wear that builds up between visits.
Why does the service schedule come first?
Your manufacturer’s schedule says which parts and fluids are due, and when, for your model, its mileage and its age. Many manufacturers also set a severe-usage schedule for conditions such as repeated short trips, long idling, dusty roads and heavy traffic; if they describe how you drive, the owner’s manual tells you to follow it. Keeping the service record up to date is the habit everything else builds on. Between services, a warning light deserves attention rather than waiting.
Does the way you drive make a difference?
It does. Aggressive driving, meaning speeding, rapid acceleration and hard braking, wastes fuel: by roughly 15% to 30% at highway speeds and 10% to 40% in stop-and-go traffic, according to fuel-economy guidance from the United States government. Smooth, sensible driving is also safer. Carrying unnecessary weight or a roof box lowers fuel economy too, and it pays to switch the engine off when you are parked rather than leave it idling. Whether to let the engine warm up before setting off is covered in warming up your car before driving.
Why are regular tyre checks worth the time?
Tyres lose air naturally, and high temperatures can increase the loss. Under-inflated tyres run hotter, wear faster and affect stopping, control and fuel economy. Michelin advises checking pressures at least once a month with the tyres cold, meaning the car has not been driven for at least 2 hours. The pressure to use is the one your vehicle manufacturer recommends, usually shown in the owner’s manual or on a sticker in the driver’s door or fuel filler flap, not the maximum printed on the tyre. A quick check before a long journey is part of the pre-trip checks Otto recommends.
How does heat affect your car battery?
Heat ages a battery faster. Its chemical reactions roughly double in speed for every 10 K rise in temperature, which accelerates corrosion inside the battery, and heat can also evaporate battery fluid and damage its internal structure. The damage often shows only later, when a weakened battery fails to start the car. That is why a battery maker recommends testing the battery at workshop visits, checking its charge after short trips and charging the battery of a car that is used only occasionally. A clean battery top and a correctly working charging system help too.
How should you look after the paint and interior?
Wash the car thoroughly and regularly; one manufacturer’s manual says at least once a month. Insects, tar, tree sap, bird droppings and industrial pollution can damage the finish if they are not removed promptly, so deal with them early rather than at the next wash. Avoid washing in direct sunlight or while the bodywork is hot, and wax the paint when water no longer beads on it. Inside, moisture trapped under floor mats can cause corrosion, so check now and then that the carpet underneath is dry.
Common Questions
- How often should I wash my car? One manufacturer’s guidance is at least once a month, and sooner when bird droppings, tree sap, insects or tar land on the paint, because they can damage the finish if left. Wash in the shade, not on hot bodywork.
- Why did my battery fail without warning? Heat damage often builds up unseen and shows only when a weakened battery can no longer start the car. Having the battery tested during routine workshop visits can catch it earlier.
- Should I check tyre pressure after a drive? It is better to check when the tyres are cold, after the car has been parked for at least 2 hours, as Michelin advises. Compare the reading with the pressure your vehicle manufacturer recommends.
- Does smooth driving really save anything? Yes. Aggressive driving can cut fuel economy by roughly 15% to 30% on the highway and 10% to 40% in stop-and-go traffic, and sensible driving is safer.