I’m an Auto Expert: 8 Car Modifications That Can Save You Money

While many people need to have a car to function in life, the costs to maintain them and fuel them can add up quickly and become a burden.

But what can the average person do aside from getting rid of a car or buying a more fuel-efficient one to save money ? There are some modifications that can help you save money by maintaining the value on your car, improving fuel efficiency and making your overall driving experience better.

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Rich McClellan — auto expert and owner of Elite Customs , a car customization shop in Franklin, Tennessee — explained some options on how to modify your car to save money .

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Window Tinting

Window tinting doesn’t just make your car look cool; it actually keeps it cool. McClellan explained that the most common type is ceramic film, which rejects 99% of the UV and infrared light that attempts to come through, and it can reduce heat that is generated through a window.

The way it works, he said, is as follows. “So if you want your windows tinted 20%, that means it allows 20% of the light to pass through. The lower the number, the darker the film,” he said. A windshield, for example, which needs high visibility, won’t be tinted as much as another window.

Tint is especially protective for cars that have leather interior, but it can help prevent sun damage (such as cracking and curling of materials) for any car interior.

While it’s not exactly cheap to install, starting at around $400 for side and back windows in a typical four-door sedan, it pays off over time when you don’t have to replace or cover your interior, and it can reduce how often you run your car’s air conditioning.

There’s an added benefit, as well. “It keeps your belongings a little safer,” McClellan said, as people can’t see as well into your car.

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A Higher Grade of Gas

It seems like a no-brainer when you’re standing at the gas pump and one grade of gas is more expensive than the other — who isn’t going to pick the cheaper gas?

McClellan said that a higher grade of gas actually makes a difference in your fuel economy. “You can do the test where if you can track your fuel economy, you can see it jump up two, three more miles a gallon depending on the higher grades,” he said.

Those few extra cents might actually translate to fewer dollars spent on gas overall.

Even if you don’t opt for the higher grade every time, try doing so about once a month, he recommended. It helps clean your intake and valves of carbon deposits since higher octane fuel burns hotter.

Synthetic Oil

Additionally, if you have to choose between real motor oil and synthetic, McCllelan suggested you always opt for the synthetic.

With regular oil, the recommendation is to get an oil change every 3,000 miles or three months, he explained. Yet with full synthetic, you can get your oil change at more like 5,000 to 7,000 miles.

“It makes your engine run more efficiently because it lubricates better and it makes things run smoother. So it actually gives you more horsepower,” he said.

Additionally, because it is thinner than regular oil, it warms up more easily after your car has sat in cold weather.

“So if you’re in a cold climate, it doesn’t get sluggish, the oil doesn’t get thick, it stays thin in the harsher weather and the oil doesn’t break down as fast because it’s designed that way,” he said.

Remote Starter

Many more modern cars come with remote starters, but McClellan said you can add one after market for relatively cheap, somewhere in the range of $300 to $400.

“It prolongs the life of your car, your engine, so you’re not just jumping in it, starting it and taking off right away. It gets the fluids moving. It’s kind of like you’re getting out of bed, right? You getting out of bed, you’re tense and you’ve got to kind of loosen up a little bit. Same principle,” he said.

Tire Upgrades

Another area to upgrade is tires, according to McClellan. “Tires are a big deal. People don’t realize that,” he said.

In fact, it’s worth spending the extra couple of hundred dollars to get the right type of tires for your car because not only will they last longer, saving you from having to spend more money on tires over time, but they can improve the performance of your car.

Clean Your Windshield Wipers

Additionally, there are some simple maintenance techniques that can extend the life of certain car parts. “You can clean your windshield wipers with rubbing alcohol, and that prolongs them for probably a year, especially if you live in cold weather,” McClellan said.

A bottle of rubbing alcohol isn’t going to set you back very much, and it’s probably cheaper than a new set of wipers.

Use Glycerin on Your Door Seals

Another little maintenance trick, he said, is to rub glycerin on your door seals. “That keeps them from freezing, keeps them from tearing and keeps them real moist and supple so they seal all the way,” he said.

This keeps your car in better shape over time and prevents wind noise and drag.

Ceramic Coating

According to McClellan, another easy trick is to apply ceramic coating to your car’s exterior, which not only helps your car’s paint job last longer but also improves fuel economy by keeping dirt, debris and bird droppings from sticking.

“Fuel economy is all about drag on the car, so if your car is filthy and dirty, then you create wind turbulence so your car doesn’t cut through the wind the same,” he said.

You can purchase a bottle of ceramic coating for cheap on Amazon, he said, which will probably last you 10 years because you don’t need much.

Overall, little fixes and additions can really add up when it comes to cutting down on long-term costs for your car.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com : I’m an Auto Expert: 8 Car Modifications That Can Save You Money