Drive Responsibly

Besides looking at how clean your car is, resolve to drive responsibly and carefully. Slamming on the brakes or the gas pedal is really hard on the transmission and engine. Avoid doing this unless it’s necessary. By practicing the 3-second rule of staying 3-seconds behind the car in front of you, it is easy to avoid slamming on your brakes since there are more time and room to slow down.

Another way to improve the health of your car this year is to pay attention to any weird sounds and rattling. If it lasts more than a couple days, then bringing it into a car repair shop to help diagnose the problem will go a long way to saving you money in the long term. If you think you might need a transmission repair, take a look at these signs of transmission trouble.

In addition, don’t ignore your check engine light as it’s not as mysterious as you think it might be. Find out what the check engine light could mean and don’t be afraid to bring it into the shop anymore.

Keep Up with Factory Recommended Maintenance

If check engine lights are what your nightmares are made of, then prevent that light from coming on by resolving to follow your car’s Factory Recommended Maintenance. The most common maintenance from this list is getting your oil changed, tires rotated, and fluids checked. You can check your transmission fluid and others yourself to see if the levels are appropriate or the colors off too.

In between the regular maintenance, check your tire pressure and tread as this can affect your gas mileage or cause an accident and it’s very easy to do. Find out how to check your tire pressure. Getting a checkup at the beginning of each season is a great way to make sure your car is doing well after the snow, rain, heat, or change to cooler weather.