Acura RDX and MDX: 5 Tips to Keep Your Car Running for a Long Time
There are some things that if you continue to do to the Acura RDX or MDX, it will continue going for years and years. Read on for some tips to keep your car healthy.
This article applies to the Acura RDX and MDX.
There is always a popular debate about which cars can live longer, but the reality is, your car will live for a very long time if you treat it the way you're supposed to. The Acura RDX or MDX is no different; if you do a few things to it throughout your life, it may end up outliving you. This article will shine some light of five things you can do to ensure it stays healthy. With these simple tips, you will end up saving a lot of money on fixes and such, but the main thing is consistency. As long as you keep maintaining your car, it will continue to serve you well. Read on for five tips to keep your Acura running for as long as possible.
Maintenance Intervals
There is no better tip than following your recommended maintenance intervals. Replacing the engine oil, transmission fluid, differential fluid, brakes, spark plugs, radiator coolant, and brake fluid in the right time is the key to a long lasting vehicle. Check your owner's manual for the recommended intervals for each component, and make it a point to never go past it. For instance, the average engine oil interval is every 5,000 miles, waiting 6,000 miles to do it is not a wise decision. Instead, make it a habit to replace your fluids and parts a little before the recommended time. Note that depending on your driving style, your parts could wear out faster, and your engine oil could burn quicker. So make it a habit and stay religious with the maintenance intervals.
Self Check-Ups
Performing self check-ups can end up saving you some money. Make it a habit to check three things every and each month: the tire pressure, the engine oil, and the engine air filter. Like we've mentioned above, your driving style could lead to your engine oil burning quicker, so getting into the habit of checking your engine oil's dipstick can add a lot of years to your vehicle. Your air filter is the gate between the outside works and the inside of your engine. A clean air filter means smoother engine performance, and cleaner air going into it. The tire pressure can fluctuate up and down depending on the weather. When it's too hot out, your tires can inflate, and when it's too cold, they can deflate. Invest in a cheap tire gauge, and read your tire pressure monthly. Uneven tire pressure can lead to premature tire wear, along with wearing other suspension components.
Listen to Noises
If you hear any unfamiliar noise, it probably means something is wrong. Most of your Acura components rely on one another. And most of the time, when a part goes bad, it can start wearing another part. For instance, if your brake pads starts wearing and you don't replace them right away, they will start wearing out your brake rotors, which will end up costing you a lot of money. Whenever there is noise, grab a flashlight, follow it, and when you find it, replace it as soon as possible. The noises can come from the brake system, the engine, the suspension system, or even the tires. So keep an open mind and be patient; however, don't drive while there is an unfamiliar noise.
Keep it Clean
It may sound like a luxury, but it is not. The dirtier you keep your car's exterior, the worse it is on the paint. And the dirtier you keep your interior, the worse it is on the components inside. Finally, the dirtier you keep your engine, the more dirt and debris form on and around moving parts, which can cause many issues. The exterior should be a no-brainer, so make it a habit to clean it with soap and water once a month, and make sure to wax it two to three times a year. Waxing your painted body panels (bumpers, fenders, doors, roof, etc.) provides a thin layer of extra protection for your vehicle's paint and clear coat. Regular waxing can prevent clear coat failure and make keeping your car cleaned easier. Keep your interior clean, and make sure all the vents don't have dust on them. Finally, check your engine bay every two to three months, and make sure you give it a wipe down. By always having a clean engine compartment, you can always detect the beginning stages of a leak or similar issues, which can be critical to the health of your engine.
Drive Like You Care
We never want to tell you how to drive; however, if you drive like you hate your car, your car will return the favor and break down often. When you first start your car for the day, after having been shut off all night, your engine's oil and coolant is cold. Cold engine oil is incredibly viscous, and does not offer as much lubrication and protection as engine oil at the correct operating temperature of 180*F+. Your Acura's temperature gauge reflects the engine coolant temperature. Drive the car gently until the coolant temperature gauge reaches the sweet spot in just below center. Coolant comes up to temp much more quickly than viscous oil. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes of driving off a cold start to have your engine be up to operating temperature, so don't floor the throttle or rev the engine to high RPM until it has had a few minutes of easy driving to warm up.
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