Next to your home, or even the cost of rent, your automobile is probably your largest investment. You depend on your vehicle. You need it to get to and from work, or to and from the train station, if that’s how you get from McHenry to downtown.

You depend on your car to drop the kids off at school, for doctor’s appointments, to run to the store for groceries and more. Try to imagine your life without your car. Inconvenient? That only begins to describe your life without reliable transportation.

It’s not only how you count on your car; it’s also all the money you have tied up in your car.  According to the Website nerdwallet, “the average monthly payment on a new car was $523 in the first quarter of 2018.” Your car, however, may not be brand-new. The payments for your older car may be less, or you may even have paid off your car. In either case – with a newer car or an older car – maintenance will keep it running reliably but will also protect your investment.

If the engine is damaged or stops running, the value of the vehicle diminishes dramatically. The more work that is required to keep the vehicle reliably on the road, the lower the value of the vehicle. Additionally, if your car requires maintenance, it could cause other situations that would diminish the vehicle’s value.

For instance, if the brakes aren’t up to par, you could find you’re unable to stop in time to avoid a fender bender. If steering or suspension parts require replacement, the longer it takes to replace them, the more likely it is that the problem will travel to other parts of the steering and suspension. Even the tires are adversely affected by problems with the steering and suspension.

The solution is to stay on top of your vehicles condition. This starts, above all, with changing the oil in a timely fashion. Oil is the lifeblood of the engine. It will keep the engine young and healthy. But, if the oil is old, the engine will age faster, too.

It’s also important that the anti-freeze/coolant system is kept in good operating condition. This will also affect the durability of the engine. And, if there’s a problem with the cooling system, you’re liable to find yourself stuck on the side of the road somewhere (hopefully not too far from McHenry).

If a vehicle is not properly maintained, it’s amazing how quickly it can deteriorate. It’s reliability will suffer, as will its resale value.