These tried-and-true tips and tricks will help you maintain your car’s healthy look and appearance. Take a peek below to make sure you’re following these three simple best practices.

Keep It Clean
If you want to protect the exterior appearance of your vehicle and ensure that its future resale value stays high, make sure that you wash it regularly and use a wax protectant on a consistent basis. Stains on the exterior from elements like bird poop, dead bugs, tree sap and even sprinkler water can permanently damage a car’s paint, so regular car washes are very important.

Reduce AC Usage
Want to put less stress on your car engine? Then park in the shade or in covered areas to keep your car cool. While this is not as important at this time of year, a car sitting under the sun may still get pretty warm inside during fall and winter, causing you to use the AC more than necessary. The air conditioning unit uses power that’s produced by the engine, which means that turning the AC on less often puts less pressure on the engine.

OTHER WAYS TO PROTECT THE ENGINE:

• Fill up your tank before it gets really low
• Put your lead foot in check - take it easy when accelerating (and decelerating)
• Don’t ignore the check engine light
• Unload your junk - a heavy load means the engine has to work harder to move the car
• Properly inflate tires - under and overinflated tires also force the engine to work harder to move the car
• Additional regular maintenance: change fuel filter, spark plugs and wires; make sure there are no oil leaks; ensure that cooling system is properly functioning

Factory-Scheduled Service
In addition to the points we listed about the engine, you can protect other vital parts by getting factory-scheduled services like tune-ups, belt replacements and tire rotation/alignment. Changing fluids on time is also highly important.

For assistance with car repairs ranging from simple to complex, call on the help of Camelback Volkswagen’s certified technicians. Whether you need an air filter replacement or transmission flush, they’re at your disposal! If your car is in need of service, click here to schedule an appointment now.