April is National Car Care Month! Here at GasBuddy, we love our cars and rely on them daily. There is nothing worse than having it break down unexpectedly accompanied with a bill. Not so fun fact: the average auto repair bill is between $500 and $600. Ouch!
We have teamed up with Synchrony Car Care to share the secrets to help your car run smoother and last longer.
1. Follow Your Vehicle’s Service Schedule
Many manufacturers provide a suggested service schedule for each vehicle model. Simply open up that owner’s manual for a schedule of routine and recommended services. By following it and regularly maintaining your car, you are lessening the chance that your car will have an expensive and unplanned repair. If your car is recalled, the manufacturer pays for these repairs.
2. Check Fluids and Tire Pressure Regularly
You can wrap these tasks into your regularly scheduled service appointments (but it’s so important, it’s worth a special reminder). The important fluids — transmission, oil, brake, power steering, antifreeze — should be changed based on the recommendations of the manufacturer or the mechanic servicing your car. Topping them off doesn’t cut it. Also, regularly checking your tire pressure and rotating them can extend the life of your tires.
3. Take it Easy
Show your car some love by accelerating slowly and being easy on the brakes. Quick acceleration, hard braking, and speeding hurt your fuel efficiency and create unnecessary wear-and-tear on your car. Check out Trips in the GasBuddy app to get a summary of your driving habits. It could be an eye-opener and help pinpoint behaviors that are reducing the longevity of your car.
4. Wash Your Car Frequently
The exterior of the car goes through a lot of punishment! The freezing temperature, along with the salt and snow during the winter months, to the blazing sun and bird poop in the summer. By keeping your car cleaned and detailed it will save you from a huge paint job in the long run.
5. Find a Good Mechanic
A good mechanic is like having a good doctor. Finding a trustworthy professional who provides you with valuable advice and feedback can be the key to your car lasting longer. Ask friends and family for recommendations, and you can even check out GasBuddy’s rating and reviews of local service stations near you.
Even with all the love and care, there is still a chance the car might not cooperate and you get stuck with an unexpected bill. With the Synchrony Car Care credit card you can get promotional financing to help make those huge bills more affordable.* Click here to learn more.
*Subject to credit approval. Minimum monthly payments required. See merchant or www.mysynchrony.com/carcare for promotional financing details and car care locations.