Squeeze Everything Out of Your Auto Investment.

I think I speak for all of us that we want to keep our cars in mint condition. It’s an investment and it could mean big trouble if not maintained correctly, so here are some quick tips to make sure you squeeze every dollar worth out of your car. 

1.  Don’t warm up your car in the morning for too long.

On mildly cold days just turn on your car and let it sit for 60 seconds to let the fluids start moving and then you can take off. Although when the weather is below zero you can let your car sit for about 5 minutes and then you can take off.

With either method just make sure you stay under 3 RPMs until your engine warms up before dropping the lead foot to save some gas and save your engine.

2.  Keep track of an auto log.

Keep a notepad and pen in your glove box. Write down everything that you do to your car such as:

• Fueling up your car
• The date
• How much your putting in
• How many miles you drove since last re-fuel
• Oil changes
• Last time you filled your tires with air.

As soon as you see an irregularity in your log, report it to your mechanic as you may be able to solve the problem early meaning more savings in your pocket.

3.  Be smart at the gas pump

If you see the tanker, leave the gas station and find another one. When the tanker is filling the underground reservoir of gas it stirs up the sediments in the gas which can have adverse effects to your car, so be wary!.

One last thing is to only go to trusted gas stations. Some gas stations dilute the gas or they won’t keep their filters clean so it can do a lot of harm to your machine.

Reader's Digest             MSN Autos