100,000 miles used to be the endurance goal for cars. Now it's at least double that. But squeezing maximum life out of your ride at minimum cost requires paying attention. Here are several tricks we've learned.
The first is obvious: Do your scheduled maintenance, just like it says in the owner's manual. But once you get past 100,000 miles, also consider replacing some things that might not be spelled out, like transmission fluid and filter, even if they’re considered “lifetime” products.
Next, use your senses, all of them. Listen for funny sounds and look under your car to see if anything's leaking. Even your nose can help -- sniff the dipstick. If you smell gasoline, that's a problem.
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Finally, avoid short trips. Starting up the car without letting it get hot -- like by pulling forward into the garage two hours after you parked in front of the door -- is a recipe for short engine life.
Take a look at more tips for making your car run forever.
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