How to Make Your Mazda Last to Stand the Test of Time

Owning a Mazda is a dream come true but the moment you drive it off the lot you may start to worry about the miles you’re putting on it. Keeping a car feeling shiny and new and also lasting for as long as possible is not only an understandable goal, but an admirable one. So what exactly can you do to make your Mazda last and keep it in optimal shape for 200,000 miles? Let’s dive in.

Let’s start with the good news. Your new Mazda has a great engine that is less susceptible to the heavy wear that engines from the past suffered, even just 15 years ago! Additionally, improvements made to cars in general mean that your car’s body is less prone to rust and decay and further advancements in products mean that your key automotive parts are well protected. In short, the chances of maintaining your Mazda long term are better than ever. Of course there are still some important things you should be doing.

Follow The Service Schedule for Your Mazda

Your car comes with a maintenance manual for a reason! Even though you may not feel like there is anything wrong with your vehicle at the given intervals, following the manual will help ensure that your car is in great shape for years to come. Any money spent on maintenance should be considered an investment in the future of your vehicle. Even consider bringing your vehicle to a mechanic when you need a service like an oil change so that you have another chance to have your vehicle looked over by a professional mechanic.

If you make a lot of short trips or live closer to the ocean you might also consider following the severe use schedule for maintenance on your car. The guidelines on this schedule may call for more frequent oil changes and other service interval changes.

Clean Your Car Often

It’s important to keep your car clean for even more reasons than having a beautiful looking vehicle. Washing your car regularly cleans away contaminants that cause corrosion. The underside of your vehicle is especially challenged due to continual exposure to water, dirt, and grime that form rust. Let’s face it, though, if you plan to keep your car around for a long time, you also want to keep it looking at its best.

Lighten Your Load

While it can be tempting to use your car as a storage unit on the road, it’s important to remember that the more you’re putting into your car, the harder it has to work. You don’t want to put any unnecessary pressure and strain on the various parts of your Mazda, so make sure to keep things light. Take stuff out of the car if you won’t be using it for awhile and drive with just what you need. Added bonus? You’ll improve your miles per gallon if you’re carrying around less stuff!

Minimize Short Trips

Shorter trips are harder on your car because the engine doesn’t reach the full operating temperature when you take your car out for only a short time. This means that the water that condenses in your engine overnight doesn’t have a chance to be properly expelled. These conditions can lead to rust and oil dilution neither of which are great for your car. When there is excess water in oil, it won’t properly lubricate the engine which means the overall engine’s life will be shortened.

Start Slow

While you don’t need to let your car warm up, you do want to give it a few seconds before you jet out. Even just letting your car idle for 30 to 60 seconds will allow the oil to get up to temperature and make its way through the engine. When you start driving immediately, the friction increases between all your engine parts. And naturally, that leads to faster wear. So it’s best to give your car just a little bit of time to get going in order to extend its lifespan. If you absolutely have to hit the road, just drive gently for the first mile if you can. If the car has been idle for over 24 hours, give it even a little more time.

Pay Attention to Your Car

Stay attuned with how your car normally feels, smells, and drives. When you start to hear any unusual noises or experience anything out of the ordinary while driving, recognize that you’re receiving a signal about the health of your car. This means that sometimes you’ll need to turn the volume down to pay attention. Items such as brakes and tires can make noises when something is wrong. Your car may also emit certain odors as different parts fail or run into problems so pay attention to that as well. And the faster you pay attention to that and do something about it, the better chance you have of minimizing additional damage and wear and tear on your car.

Be Gentle with Your Vehicle

While it can be a lot of fun to enjoy the power and speed of your car, you don’t want to go overboard when you slam on the brakes or accelerate. This kind of rough driving can shorten the time your car is on the road. Take it easy when you shift from reverse to drive as well. You don’t want to unnecessarily wear out your transmission components. Once more, driving calmly and taking it easy will also improve your fuel economy.

Pay for the Good Stuff

Synthetic motor oil costs more than the standard, but there’s a good reason for that. It works to extend the life of your engine. Synthetic oils are less likely to degrade in high engine temperatures and if you find yourself in a situation where it’s cold, they stay more fluid as well. Don’t be afraid of the extra price tag, it works and is a worthy investment in keeping your car running for as long as possible. Invest in a high quality oil filter when you get your oil changed as well. A good quality filter does a better job of removing contaminants in the oil.

The same holds true when it comes to parts. While a cheap part might help you get by for awhile in the short term, it could do long term damage to your vehicle or even void your warranty. You definitely don’t want that to happen so go ahead and invest the money upfront in quality parts.

Check Your Coolant Regularly

While it’s true that coolant may be designed to last a lifetime (or 100,000 miles at least!) that doesn’t mean that it should just be ignored. Check it out before then and make sure everything looks right. If it’s dark red, feels gritty, smells burnt or looks milky, these are all warning signs that you should pay attention to and take care of right away.

Inspect Essential Components Regularly

Your timing belt should be inspected regularly. When you bring your car in for maintenance, it is likely they will do this as a matter of course, but you want to be sure this vital part of your car’s engine is working well. You should also occasionally check your radiator hoses to make sure that everything is going well there. If they feel firm and resilient than you’re fine. But if they are soft or cracked, you should go ahead and replace them. This is an inexpensive part but maintaining them could save you a lot of money in the long run.

Obey Traffic Laws

Part of keeping your car in great shape for a long time includes avoiding accidents. So make sure when you’re on the road that you’re obeying all traffic laws. Go a step further and be considerate of others and alert to what is going on around you. This will keep you from landing in a situation where you’re in a minor fender bender or something worse that will do long term damage to your car.

Know What to Watch For Specifically

Learn what the specific issues are that your vehicle may have. Not all cars face the same problems and common problems will arise for each individual model. Learn what other owners with your car are dealing with and keep an eye out for those specific issues.

Don’t Stress Over Every Little Thing

While you do want to keep an eye out for issues happening in your Mazda, it’s important to keep in mind that normal wear and tear will happen. Do your best to keep the car in great shape and minimize the damage and let life happen. Remember that small events give your car character and become a part of your history with it. They will happen no matter how careful you are with the vehicle. Take a deep breath, and accept them as part of the normal wear and tear of your car.

If you follow all of these steps, your Mazda is sure to last you for a long time and be a great vehicle for all of your needs and adventures.