10 Car Maintenance Hacks That Will Save Time and Money

written by SearchforParts.com – Updated June 5th, 2020

intro to top 10 hacks for saving money car maintenance

Transportation is the third necessity for survival, with water being the first and food being the second. We as humans need a way to move quickly from point A to point B, tend to responsibilities swiftly, and run important errands rapidly when the time calls. Moreover, performing maintenance and repair services and getting your vehicle cleaned properly on a regular basis will pile up those bills higher than the Eiffel Tower.

It’s time to descend to the ground floor and become the best minimalist you can be by keeping the cost of maintaining your vehicle monetarily low.

Saving is not a choice. It is a lifestyle!

10. Cover the windshield

cover the winshield

Imagine killing two birds with one stone, not literally but figuratively. We all appreciate the benefit of getting double benefits and maximizing results. Covering your windshield is a huge benefit during all seasons.

If you were to use a sunshade in the summertime, the interior will not heat up like a gas oven and cooking you like a honey-glazed rotisserie chicken. Mmm…delicious. Understand that penetrating UV rays can damage the dashboard and the seat upholstery, which cost a substantial amount of money to repair. After prolonged abuse you would need to eventually get a new car. However, the car shade will decrease the interior temperature by at least 40°F, that way you can enjoy yourself comfortably while cruising on the road.

Using a windshield cover, tarp, blanket, or even rubber mats on the windshield in the winter will prevent snow and ice build-up. Your vehicle will not feel like an igloo anymore when you step inside. Another trick is rubbing an onion on the windshield the night before a big snowstorm to prevent the frost buildup. If you leave the windshield wipers up and use a razor blade to clean off the remaining ice, your car will be in good shape to hit the road without much effort.

Image source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-windshield-during-rainy-weather-1600909/

Save time and money by protecting your engine with the best synthetic oil on the market. Click/Press here for a one year oil change!

9. Curb your Need For Speed and let up off the gas

number 9

Have you ever played the popular video game Need for Speed? Whether you have or have not, one of the reasons why car racing videos games and high-octane movies like The Fast and The Furious are so popular is because the themes tap into an internal desire we all have of putting the pedal to the metal. However, doing this could put extra and unecessary stress on the engine.

It is best to travel at a steady speed of about 50 MPH and avoid heavy acceleration. Also, be extra careful when driving in adverse or severe weather conditions because speeding on wet roads will make the car lose traction and decrease the amount of gas mileage.

Every bit matters. One great piece of advice is to use cruise control for better efficiency, since the vehicle moves at a steady pace with the traffic. Additionally, check your car manual to see if there is an economy saver feature installed in the vehicle.

Image source: https://pixabay.com/en/seat-leon-ecomotive-2017-2634168/

8. Use liquids for maintenance and repairs

number 8

Do you love coca cola? Well, I do. How about some apple cider vinegar or lemon juice for weight loss? Absolutely, perfect! When it comes to cleaning your vehicle, you can use apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to get rid of the dust in those hard to reach places.

Have you ever spilled some coca cola on a surface and it became sticky like chewing gum? No problem. You can use club soda to get rid of it. Also, use washing soda or dishwashing liquid to clean the stains and crumbs from the seats. Pour Coca-Cola on rusted parts to clean them.

It works! You can also clean yellow-stained fogged headlights with toothpaste and rinse it off with water after a couple of minutes. Also, oven cleaner works well for fogged headlights.

Do you have a cracked glass? No problem. Use nail polish for a temporary fix and a tool to remove the hardened liquid.

Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/coca-cola-cold-drink-soft-drink-462776/

7. “Break-in” the car for the best performance

Number 7

My grandmother will often take her new vehicle on a thousand-mile road trip to break it out. When I asked her why people “break-out” their vehicles, she replied, “I don’t know. I guess they like the idea of flying down the road in a new car!” I guess some of us love that exhilarating experience, right?

However, there is a concept called “break-in” your car. Not like a cat burglar, but as a way to keep the car in tip-top condition. You can perform this “break-in” by driving under 55 miles per hour within the first thousand miles.

Also, avoid towing heavy loads because it will put a lot of stress on the vehicle in the beginning stages. Moreover, never leave your car idle for too long and ease up off the accelerator. The car manufacturer can usually give detailed information about how to “break-in” your car successfully.

Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/motor-machine-mechanical-engine-768750/

6. Use duct tape for repairs

item 6

Using duct tape on broken car parts is your friend. The simple pressure-sensitive adhesive is strong enough to fix broken hoses or support a busted pipe temporarily. Duct tape can also serve as a seat belt during an emergency or tie down large items to the roof.

Moreover, the duct tape materials are protective enough to hold the car battery in place without any adverse effects. Duct tape is a great alternative to fix cracks in the exterior and stop a leak since the material is waterproof.

Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/tape-sticky-tape-sticky-office-589079/

5. Use hand sanitizer on a frozen door lock

number 5

Hand sanitizer will unfreeze a frozen door lock within seconds. It heats up the surface and melts the ice away quickly.

This is due to the ethanol and isopropyl alcohol, so always look for hand sanitizer with alcohol content. You should leave the hand sanitizer on the door lock for at least 30 seconds.

4. Avoid creating drag

number 4

One way to save on gas and maintain the health of your engine is by avoiding creating drag. One way to do this is to avoid driving in the rain. When you drive in the rain you have to drive slow, which equals to low gas mileage, and you cannot use cruise control, which saves in gas.

Another tactic to reducing drag is to avoid unwanted weight. Remove spare items in the rear. Get rid roof racks or any other accessory that you are not using.

Moreover, replace old and worn down tires because new ones will grip the road better and decrease drag.

Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/car-drag-power-speed-1772797/

3. Avoid turning on the air conditioner

number 3

Most of us love the comfort of sitting back and enjoying a cool car in the summertime. However, you can maintain the health of the air conditioner and save at least 15% on gas by simply turning it off.

One way to naturally cool your car is to park in areas with a lot of shade and let the windows down. Another trick is to let down the windows and open the passenger side door and close it a few times to release the warm air and bring in the cool air.

Also, make sure to turn the air conditioner on between 2 and 10 minutes once or twice a week to clean out the hoses and valves and keep them lubricated. Also, get a full-service air-conditioner checkup at least once a year and make an effort to clean the filters often.

It is also essential to run the defrost to get rid of any odors lingering in the cabin air.

Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/car-car-interior-air-conditioning-791346/

2. Learn how to DIY (Do-It-Yourself)

Taking the vehicle to the manufacturer or an auto shop every time something goes wrong could become costly. You can avoid this by taking a few minutes out of each day to read literature about basic car maintenance.

Some dealerships will charge a premium price for these services, sometimes offering a discount making you believe that you are getting a great price. However, they still make a profit.

Never take your vehicle to a street mechanic because the price could be marked up 3 times. Remember, you are paying for the labor and what seems like convenience.

If you were to do the labor yourself, you can avoid the scammers who will break a couple of parts in your vehicle of purpose just so you can bring it back to their shop for more money. However, you are the person who will provide the best care for your car if you have the expertise.

The information is out there on dealership websites, blogs, forums, books, articles, and DIY videos. You will be surprised at how easy it is to perform basic maintenance on your car! Youtube is an incredible resource for videos on fixing and maintaining you vehicle.

image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/tools-diy-do-it-yourself-hammer-498202/

1. Follow a specific route

number 1

This is probably the most important tip on this list. Avoid traveling on roads with potholes and large humps because they can damage your vehicle. Avoid heavy maneuvering in tight spaces and compact parking areas because of potential accidents.

You might also get more gas mileage driving on the highway than on regular roads, so take the chance to hop on a free-flowing expressway.

You can download apps that track how many miles you are traveling per day. The less miles, the better your engine will run.

Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/navigation-car-drive-road-gps-1048294/

There you have it! Also, save time and money by only worrying about changing your oil once per year! Click or press here to find out more!