Car maintenance that will keep your auto insurance premiums low
When it comes to taking care of your car there are plenty of reasons to do it. Keeping your car maintained means fewer headaches for you – and it can save you money, too.
One of the best ways to save on your insurance is to drive safely. Avoid making claims and keep your record clear, and you can see savings on your auto premiums. Good maintenance can help you drive safely, and is another powerful way to reduce the cost of car ownership and keep you on the road for a longer time.
Here are six ways car maintenance can save you money on auto insurance premiums.
1. Take care of your tires
Tires make the biggest difference between being able to control your car and sliding into all sorts of trouble. Make sure you check the treads often and make sure they aren’t worn down. To keep them from wearing unevenly, have them rotated regularly.
It’s also important to make sure you use the right tires for the conditions you face. That means winter tires when temperatures fall below 7C. Figure out what tire is best for you and make sure your tires are properly installed and inflated.
2. Check your brakes
Tires and brakes work hand in hand when it comes to giving you control over your vehicle. If you follow the maintenance schedule in your owner’s manual, you should be pretty safe. Keep an eye on things yourself, and you’ll be even safer. Because everyone drives differently, your brakes might be wearing out faster than expected. The last thing you want is to slam on the brakes and still slam into another car or person. Not only will you find yourself with increased insurance costs, but you also endanger yourself and those around you.
3. Check for worn down hoses and belts
Pop open the hood of your car and take a look. All that stuff in there isn’t magic. It gets worn down over time and it’s important that every mechanical part is working properly or else the whole engine could break.
Maybe you don’t know what’s what in an engine, and truthfully you don’t really need to. Simply check the engine and look for signs of wear and tear. If things look rough, you can take it to a shop or try replacing the part yourself.
4. Check the battery and electrical systems
A bad battery can prevent you from making it out of the driveway. Faulty electrical systems can be even worse when you’re driving. Your car may stall or operate incorrectly. If you’re trying to move down the highway with a car that won’t respond the way you want it to, you’re in for an accident.
Check your battery connections for corrosion and cracks in the wiring.
5. Keep your fluids fresh
Just as you need blood, your car needs all sorts of liquid to keep it alive: oil, transmission, steering, and brake fluids all need to be kept at certain levels or else you’ll lose critical functionality in your vehicle’s systems.
Low or dirty oil and low transmission fluid levels in particular will cause problems for your engine’s operation, making it wear itself out early. This can lead to accidents and higher auto insurance premiums.
6. Keep your wipers and lights up to spec
Visibility is a major key to safe driving. There are three components you need to take care of to make sure you can see while you’re behind the wheel.
- Check your lights to make sure they haven’t blown out. Consider upgrading them to improve the range of visibility.
- Windshield wipers are important to car maintenance in Canada. Keep them functioning properly by replacing them when you see them getting worn out. Check wipers regularly and remember to keep the wiper fluid topped off.
- Don’t let your cracked windshield hinder your sight. Replace your windshield if cracks cover your field of vision. It doesn't matter if you think you can see fine.
You don’t have to know a lot about cars to check these items for trouble. If you aren’t comfortable performing any of the fixes, have a trusted mechanic look over your systems regularly and take care of problems.