There are three easy things to do to extend the life of your car by at least 30%. Nothing magical here, folks. You probably already do these things. But I can say one thing...I would guess you don't do them often enough.

1. The Engine Oil and Filter Change.

This one is obvious. Do this every 3000 to 5000 miles and your engine will thank you for it. Use synthetic oil and you can bump up it up to 7500 miles. 2. Keep your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Not only will your tires last longer, you will be rewarded with better gas mileage, safer handling and less wear on suspension components. Get yourself a cheap tire pressure gauge and check your tires every time you fill up. I recommend setting them a few pounds over what the car manufacturer says. This usually ends up a few pounds under the maximum pressure printed on the tire's sidewall. 3. Have an inspection done on the car at every oil change. This will pick up anything that might be developing. It's always better to find a small problem early than to let it turn into a big problem later on. Not only could it save you money, but it could save you a major inconvenience. If you know about something, you get a chance to plan around it, right? At Tri-Valley Automotive, when we do an oil change, we will also rotate your tires, set the pressure and perform a 30 point courtesy inspection. If we find something out of whack, we will tell you when it should be done. If you don't need to fix it now, that's what we'll tell you. We won't try to sell you everything under the sun, but give you a good picture of what's happening on your car. A better informed customer is a happier customer.