February 6th, 2009
12 Practical Steps for Making Your Car Last
On the heels of my last useless post about cars, I thought I’d be a bit more constructive and offer some thoughts on how to make a car last.
I have some experience in this department. My 1990 Volkswagen Golf Diesel lasted over 250,000 miles. My 1986 Scirocco gave 150,000 miles of faithful and reliable service, and the Mercedes I currently own has over 100,000 miles on the clock (and is still quiet, tight and wickedly reliable). Every car I’ve ever sold has been in excellent condition; with the possible exception of the Scirocco, they are all still providing good service.
Without further adieu: my top-12 list of things you can do to make your car last longer.
1. Read the Owners Manual. It’s baffling to many people that their car comes with a manual. And I’m willing to bet that in a group of 50 car owners, at least 40 have never cracked their manual open. If nothing else, you’ll learn about features you didn’t know your car had … for instance: if you own a 1981 Volkswagen Scirocco, did you know that the Oxygen Sensor Light (“OXS”) will come on every 30,000 miles, reminding you to to have your vehicle’s emission control system serviced? It’s not a cause for panic – just a reminder. And that brings me to my second point …
