Many people ride public transportation to the to work, and don’t want to spend money on an expensive car. If you have an old reliable like Tip Dude’s ‘88 Volvo, here are some ways to minimize your chances of getting stranded or getting stuck with an expensive repair bill:

• Check Fluids Often - Most cars need engine oil, coolant, transmission fluid, power steering fluid and brake fluid. You should know how to check these fluid levels and check them once a week - for example, every Saturday morning. Carry fluids in the trunk if you need frequent top-ups. Do change the oil at the manufacturer-specified intervals (usually 3,000-5,000 miles). If your brake fluid is leaking, have your brake system checked out by a mechanic.
• Buy A Roadside Assistance Package - Some organizations, such as the AAA, provide members with roadside assistance (i.e. tow) in the event of a failure. It’s much easier to call the same 800 number when you need a tow, than to rummage around in an unfamiliar neighborhood looking for a guy with a tow truck.
• Buy A Technical Manual - Haynes produces a manual for most model of cars. There are other manual vendors - look in your local auto supply store or Google “Volvo repair manual” (or whatever car you have) for an online vendor. The manual often gives you an idea as to what parts look like and how they should behave, so you will have a better understanding of what the mechanic worked on.
• Find A Good Inspection Station - Most states require that your car be inspected once a year. A good inspection station will tell you what needs fixed and fix it for a reasonable fee. Some will waive the inspection charge if you have the repair performed there. Cheaper inspection stations are often found in marginal industrial areas or in immigrant neighborhoods. Don’t pay for the repair until the car is verified to be in a safe and working condition. Try a website such as Car Talk to locate mechanics and inspection stations.
• Insist On Rebuilt Parts - Many mechanics, even reputable ones, will perform unnecessary repairs to get rid of a problem that may or may not need to be repaired, or could be repaired more cheaply.Generally, if your mechanic tells you a $200 part needs replaced, it could probably be rebuilt for $100. Typically, the mechanic will sell you the new part for $200 and charge you $50 labor to install it, but will keep your old part and turn it in for rebuild, netting them $100 “core” charge. To prevent this, either insist on rebuilt parts, get the parts yourself or find out how much the core charge is and ask for it back.
• Consider Deferring Maintenance - If a part is more than about $150, then it is usually cheaper to keep running until the part causes the car to stop running or fail inspection. But if you choose to keep running with a failing part, make sure you’re familiar with the consequences of part failure and know what to do in the event the part fails while you’re on the road. Check the technical manual. Don’t defer maintenance on brake parts and other safety-critical parts, like seat belts.
• Pay Attention To Strange Sounds - Strange sounds usually mean a problem in an old car. If you know what the sound is and choose to keep running, that is fine. But if a new noise develops, you should check it out as soon as possible. Some sounds are mostly harmless, while other sounds signal a major problem. It is generally very hard to tell between the problem sounds and non-problem sounds without actually physically looking at and testing the vehicle under running conditions. If you’re not confident about testing the vehicle yourself, take it to a mechanic and have them tell you what the sound is. Remember, you don’t necessarily have to make the repair - just knowing where the sound comes from will help you in making decisions about the vehicle. (If it’s a minor repair, mechanics will generally repair the problem while they’re testing your car.)
• Do Not Drive Like A Maniac - Be gentle with your 20-year-old car. Even if it was a sports car back in the day, people drove a lot gentler back then, and over the years it has probably lost much of its sportiness as components drift out of spec. If you drive like crazy with sharp acceleration, sharp braking and sharp cornering, the components on your car will wear out much faster and land you in an expensive repair bill. Particularly avoid driving onto curbs, over potholes or on rough gravel.
• Budget For Repair Bills - Imagine you have a car payment every month - say, $150. Set aside the same amount of money every month to pay for repairs on your old car. If your car happens not to need a repair for a few months, you can then use that money to pay for other things. The main advantage to the old car is that if you don’t drive it, you don’t have to repair it, so you can save money in a lean month by waiting a few months to have big repairs done.
• Understand Your Car’s Limits - Come on, it’s 20-years-old. Push it a little at a time. When you first buy it, use it only for short trips until you’re familiar with all of its problems. Then progressively push it to higher speeds and longer trips while you become more comfortable with it. Don’t assume an old car will behave like a new car - it won’t. If something is too stressful for the car (like passing that annoying trucker by driving at 85 m.p.h.), then don’t do it - unless you want repair bills or speeding tickets.

What are some of your best old car tips?

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