How to make your car last longer through simple tricks and tools

Car maintenance might seem like a chore every now and then, but the end result leads to a more efficient, safe and comfortable drive – and that should be the goal of every car owner. Here are a few simple tips that can ensure that you and your family get the best out of your automobile.

Battery and tyre maintenance

This one is pretty standard. Maintain decent tread on your tires to ensure that you have adequate grip when you need it. Ensure that the climate rating of the tyre is appropriate for your environment, go for a reliable brand (MRF, Bridgetstone, etc are known brands). On an average tyres last between 40,000 to 80,000 km depending on the driving conditions, the heat, road surface and weight of the car. With EVs, tyre lifespan tends to be relatively shorter as EVs generate more torque and tend to weigh more than their ICE counterparts. Additionally, always carry a basic tyre pressure and puncture kit in your car. With front-or-rear-wheel driven vehicles, you can always rotate the tires mid-life-cycle, however this isn’t advisable for performance cars which have different sized tires for the front and rear.

As for the battery, ensure that the terminals are cleaned, ensure that the car is parked in a cool, dry location. And in case you don’t use it frequently, ensure that you fire-up the engine every week, to ensure that the battery doesn’t go flat.

Engine oil and other fluid replacement

Ensure that you read the owner’s manual thoroughly and replace the engine oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, and coolant as specified. On an average, engine oil, be it mineral or synthetic, needs to be replaced every 15,000 km or so. For traditional green coolant, you need to replace it every 50,000 km or two years. Furthermore, ensure that you replace the air filter every 15,000 km. If you live in a dustier environment, consider changing the air filter every 10,000km. Lastly, always stick to the service schedule as specified in your owner’s manual.

Add a Teflon/Ceramic or PPF coating

While PPF treatment is largely reserved for high-end luxury cars with a very expensive paint job, there are other ways of ensuring that small stones, pebbles and other projectiles don’t cause scratches while the car is being driven. PPF stands for Paint Protection Film – A clear thermoplastic polyurethane film applied to a vehicle's painted surfaces, serving as a protective layer that absorbs scratches, rock chips, and other damage.

The most affordable form of coating is teflon coating, which only lasts for roughly 4-6 months. In that duration, it does offer protection from small pebbles, from UV rays. However, it does require frequent reapplication with the cost ranging between ₹5000- ₹9000.

Ceramic coating, which can range between ₹15,000 to ₹50,000, strikes the right middle-ground. While it is more expensive than teflon coating, it lasts a lot longer than teflon coating, and unlike PPF coating, does not require professional installation.

Mechanical sympathy

This may not seem like a technical aspect, but rest assured, how you drive your vehicle on a daily basis makes a huge difference to the longevity of the engine, transmission and suspension. While it is common practice to go over speed bumps with care, and often crabwalk (going over a speedbump in a zig-zag manner to prevent contact with the underbody) it’s also essential that you don’t rush through gears to reach a high RPM at the very outset. Build speed gradually, shift-up relatively early. Also, ensure that you do not use engine braking very often, that is, shift down in order to slow your car down, instead of braking to achieve the same results. This includes not redlining your engine in neutral, just to bask in its seemingly glorious exhaust note.

When dealing with EVs it’s imperative that you don’t discharge the battery with aggressive throttle inputs at the very beginning. That is because, both in the case of an ICE or an EV, the overall temperature of the battery and the engine is low when starting, and a sudden inflow of heat can cause wear and tear, and affect the integrity of critical minerals your battery is made of.

Use your air conditioner

You read that right. Air conditioner systems are designed for frequent usage and not doing so can lead to refrigerant gas to leak over time. Leaving it off and opening the windows for a cooling effect might seem like a cost-saving measure, except the increase in drag caused by the window opening lowers the car’s fuel efficiency, causing you to pay more for fuel. In any case, using the car’s AC is cheaper than having to re-gas the AC.

Replace the spark plugs

Unless they’re platinum or iridium spark plugs, which can last up to 100,000 km, spark plugs need to be replaced every 20,000 km.

Brake pad, disc and wiper replacement

It’s important to know which component needs to be replaced at what point. While it’s easy to ascertain the level of degradation on your windshield wiper based on its ability to wipe effectively or based on the noise being made by the wipers (hotter and drier climates lead to rapid blade degradation) – brake disc and pad set-up needs careful assessment. Brake pads can last up to 40,000km, even more under particularly gentle driving conditions. However, always assess the efficacy of the brake pads based on the brake pedal's travel and the braking's effectiveness.

Brake discs cost considerably more, but thankfully also last a lot longer, roughly up to 70,000-75,000 km. Unless the disc has a visible crack or other sign of extreme wear and tear, you are good to go.

(Parth Charan is an independent automotive journalist and writer who has written on cars, motorcycles and the automotive industry for the past 12 years. He lives in Mumbai.)