You’ve heard it all before: Change your car’s engine oil on schedule. Keep the air pressure at the proper level in the tires on your pickup truck. Make sure your shocks, struts and springs are in good order and your car is properly aligned.

You hear it, but there’s no sense of urgency. And so, a couple extra-thousand miles slip by before you bring the car in for its next oil change. You tell yourself, ‘I’ll check the air pressure the next time I fill the gas tank,’ just as you told yourself the other dozen times you stopped. Months pass before you remember to have the steering and suspension checked.

Don’t feel bad; you’re not alone. Many people neglect to stay on top of maintaining their car, pickup truck or SUV. Life is busy and there is so much to remember. However, if someone told you that keeping up on your vehicle’s maintenance could save you a bundle of cash, you might be more inclined to stay after it.

Well, guess what? You can save a bundle of cash if you properly maintain your vehicle. A car, pickup truck or SUV is, generally, your second largest investment, behind your home. And the cost of proper maintenance is minimal compared to what you will likely spend without maintaining your vehicle.

Breaking this down to the general areas of auto maintenance is one way to look at the cost comparison – proper automotive maintenance vs. lack of proper automotive maintenance:

Keep your tires properly filled

One of the most popularly sold cars in America is the Toyota Camry. Many of these cars have a 205/65R16 94S tire size. Tires for this car could run from $250 for a set of four to $500 and more, depending on the quality of tires you choose.

Every mile you drive wears off some of the tread from your tires. With improper air pressure, your tires won’t wear properly and you may find yourself needing new tires considerably sooner than you would have with proper maintenance. You’ll also want to ensure that your tires are properly balanced.

Keep after your steering and suspension

If your steering and/or suspension are out of whack or worn, this will also cause additional wear to your tires. But, a worn part in your steering or suspension is worse than a weak link in a chain; it’s more like an infected part with a virus that will spread. If you don’t fix a worn steering or suspension part soon, you’ll probably have to replace other steering and suspension parts later, too.

You can easily spend $300 to $600 and more replacing steering and suspension parts. An alignment costs a fraction of that and a qualified auto repair technician will often check your steering and suspension parts when doing an oil change.

Keep your engine tight

The primary maintenance for an engine is changing the oil. A new engine for your car, pickup truck or SUV can cost several thousand dollars, not to mention the cost of installation. Most of us, however, don’t have to replace engines often. But, even if you don’t have to replace your engine, if you don’t maintain it properly, you could pay a significant price in real dollars.

Think about what you would do if you were looking at a used car thinking to buy. You’d want to look at how the engine runs. It’s not that difficult to tell the difference between an engine that is in good shape and an engine that is worn. The feel isn’t the same. The sounds aren’t the same.

Assuming that you’ll sell, or trade in your car, at some point, the condition of the engine is a significant factor in sale price, or trade in, you can expect to receive for the vehicle. Take good care of your engine and it will probably have significantly greater value when you go to sell or trade in the car.

Bring this philosophy to the entire car and you WILL save money each year that you drive it. You’ll also spare yourself the inconvenience and cost of tows and rental cars when your car breaks down because you didn’t properly maintain it.