Jessica Shawcroft
The Paw Print
At this age, most of us are just scraping by or taking out loan after loan. One thing some of us have is a car. Cars are pretty much necessary for where we live and at this age. But they can be hard to come by.
If you own a car and you want to keep it looking good, or trade it in for something better, here’s a few tips to keep in mind. When we want to maintain our car’s value then we need to pay attention to how we treat it. Here in Colorado, we have a lot of dirt roads and snow that makes the roads dirty. One thing that depreciates your car’s value is riding dirty. Skipping car washes can wear away a cars finish and detract from the overall resale value.
Of course you wouldn’t take your car to a dealership dirty, but if you skip washing it for a few months, or years like me, then your car will show it! Dirt and grime build up and the recommended washing for your car is every week or two and a full detail, inside and out, four times a year. I don’t know about you, but I can be an aggressive driver. If I’m in a hurry, I get mad at the people going 50 in a 65mph zone and speed around them. Well, this is another way to depreciate the value of your car: aggressive drivers or people who have a lead foot tend to wear at their car faster than those who don’t. In the first few new miles on a car we need to be gentle as to break the car in; we should avoid having a lead foot and breaking hard.
A no brainer is to change the oil in your car but what type of oil should you use? You want a kind that looks like metal-flake paint, iridescent with tiny particles of metal worn off rubbing the surfaces inside new engines, not pretty, fresh and right out of the bottle oil.
Now this one, I was a bit surprised at. The Car Connection recommends holding onto all of your service records, especially the valuable ones. By showing the paperwork when you trade the vehicle in, you can prove the service and condition of your tires, oil and batter; to name a few.
If you can prove your car’s in good condition then you have a better chance of selling your car, and at a good price!I don’t know about you, but I take my truck to people I know do a good job and mechanics I trust. One way to depreciate your car’s value is to take the car to a stranger.
Untrained professionals can make your vehicle issues a matter of trial and error, they may not know the parts to get or what needs to be replaced, so they guess.
Take your car to someone certified and someone you trust every time!I hope you learned about how to care for your car and making your value and money last!
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