Maintenance is key to longevity

One of the things my dad instilled in me at a young age was the importance of maintaining and taking care of an automobile. For many, an automobile is just a means of getting from point A to point B, just a mode of transportation. Then you have us. People who enjoy the whole aspect of automobile ownership.

Being a young kid there were times when I would get in trouble and have get put on truck washing duty. Being a small kid, that 83 Chev 3/4 ton with a 4" lift seem like a monster truck and it took better part of a weekend for me to wash, dry and vacuum that beast. But those lessons taught me a lot and still live with me today.

Unrenowned to me, as I cleaned that truck it wasn't clear to me the learning lesson at hand. By cleaning and detailing dad's truck I was actually building good habits of my own.

Cleaning an automobile does much more than make it pretty (which is always a bonus); it makes a person pay close attention to the details and in turn you can spot minor problems before they escalate into larger problems. As an example: let's say that you are detailing the engine bay and shining up that chrome oil filler cover when you notice that the serpentine belt is starting to crack.

The inspection process happens while are faces are close and hands are on the auto and discovering and replacing a worn belt before it leaves you stranded on the freeway is good thing. During every cleaning session on the truck I make sure to keep my eyes peeled for possible defects, wear and tear so problems like that don't arise.

Most of the time people are left stranded on the side of the road for minor issues that if caught in time would never have been an issue.

Other problems are harder to spot doing routine cleanings but the concept is the same. If you take of your equipment your equipment will take care of you.