How To Keep Your Family Car in Great Condition

Everyone wants to look after the things they own, but sometimes it feels as though taking care of some of those things is harder than others. Take your family car, for example. When there are young children (maybe even babies), teenagers, and various other family members – including pets – all using the car and making mess in it, it can feel like an uphill battle to keep it clean and well maintained. 

However, it’s crucial that you try. The better looked after your car is, the better it will run. Even when it comes to the cleanliness, this will certainly have some advantages, not least related to your mental health. So with that in mind, here are some of the best ways to keep your family car in great condition. 

Keep Up with Scheduled Maintenance 

Car maintenance can be expensive, and as well as that, it’s an inconvenience. When the car has to go to the shop for a regular checkup and service, it means you’ll be without it for anything from a few hours to a few days or more. When you rely on that car for everyday travel, that’s a hard thing to organize. 

Yet you should organize it. Just as with your own health, getting a regular checkup for your car means that potentially big problems can be caught early, before they do too much damage. In this way, it’s likely your car repairs will not only cost less, but take less time too. 

Keep Your Keys Somewhere Safe 

Keeping your car in good condition takes a lot of planning, and as well as the servicing mentioned above, you’ll also want to have a trash bag in the car to contain mess, you’ll want to clean it regularly, and you’ll need to check the oil and water before long journeys. 

Another thing you must do, but that many people forget about, is to keep your car keys somewhere safe. If they are lost, you’ll have no access to your car, and a thief might be able to take it. Your car keys are actually very precious. Luckily, you can get help here; click the link if you have lost yours, or they no longer work as they should. 

Fill Up with Gas

The idea that you wouldn’t fill your car with gas when you need to might sound silly – surely everyone knows to top up when they are reaching the empty mark on their gas gauge – but the fact is that there are some times to fill up that are better than others. The best time is when your gas tank is half full, or a quarter full at the very least. This might not seem particularly cost effective, but it’s a great way to keep your car in great condition. 

The reason is simple; if you wait until your car is running on empty before you fill up, you’ll find that your engine is more exposed to air (there is more air in the tank), and this can lead to the engine getting too hot. On top of this, a lot of ‘gunk’ and debris forms at the bottom of a gas tank, and if you let the car run too low, this debris could get caught up in the engine.