Owning a car can be expensive so naturally, people are always looking to save money on their car. However, something that many people do is neglect to maintain their car in the name of savings. What this means is that there are often repairs that come up later as a result of this neglect so you end up paying far more for owning that car than you otherwise should.

Routine maintenance will save you quite a bit of money. Combined with a Dodge extended warranty to avoid major repair expenses down the line, you will be saving money over the long term. In this article, we will go over some of the essential things you need to be doing to maintain your car.

1 – Oil changes with filters

Having clean oil is essential to your car running effectively. When oil gets old it breaks down and doesn’t properly lubricate the parts of the engine. These parts then end up wearing out ahead of schedule. You should be doing regular oil changes to make sure the oil you are using is always at its peak and removed when it starts to degrade.

This also goes for the oil filters. Once they get clogged, your car is running inefficiently and will end up having problems as a result. Make sure to consult your owner’s manual to find out how often you should be changing the oil based on the mileage and time since the last time it was changed. But just to make sure you’re doing the right thing, you may also want to consult an automotive repair franchise to be guided in this matter.

2 – Get it tuned up on time

Your spark plugs and distributor is the key to your car performing as expected. It’s the spark from the plugs that cause the combustion that drives the pistons and thus the motor. The distributor cap and rotors make sure that the timing of the spark is accurate and that the energy gets sent where it news to go.

When your plugs and cap need to be changed, the timing is off with the engine and it will run poorly. If you notice the car stuttering a bit then it is a clear sign that your car needs a tune-up.

3 – Stay up on the brakes

Your brake pads and discs go through a lot of wear and tear as they are used so often. When you take the time to have them replaced on time, you will save a lot of money later. They are not meant to last forever so when the pads start to wear out, it is time to change them.

When the pads wear out, they will damage the discs and those cost much more money to replace than if you just need to change the pads. There is a pin that ends up protruding through the pad when it is worn and will ruin the more expensive disc. How often your brakes should be replaced depends on your car and how you drive it. Generally, you can expect a few years between changes.