How to care for an aging car

As the U.S. economy continues to battle tough headwinds, many drivers are keeping their cars longer. The average age of a passenger vehicle in the U.S. has increased to about 11 years, according to researchers R.L. Polk. (It was only nine years back in 2000.) 

Here are some of the things you can do to help keep these vehicles stay alive and well: 

Love Your Cooling System

Hoses that carry engine coolant live a hard life. They're forced to transport high-pressure fluids that can exceed a rubber-scorching 240 F. Meanwhile, the water pump gets no respect—no respect at all—even though the engine would die without it in minutes. In retaliation, these components conspire to fail on aging cars at the worst possible times and places—extremely hot or cold days in areas with poor cell coverage are among their favorites. 

If you don't know when your old vehicle's coolant hoses were last replaced, now would be a good time to do it. Don't forget heater hoses, which carry hot coolant into the passenger compartment. As for water pumps, they often warn of their impending death by emitting an odor reminiscent of pancake syrup or by piddling green fluid on the garage floor. If you're already undertaking significant work on the engine in an older car, go ahead and replace the water pump while things are disassembled. 

Brake Time

Keeping the braking system youthful will help your vehicle live long and prosper. If you inherited or purchased an older car, bleed the brakes. With a helpful friend, the right tools, and a repair manual, brake bleeding is no harder than an oil change. 

If the brake fluid flows a clear, amber color, the system likely has been recently rebuilt and well-maintained. If the fluid spurts out dark black and is filled with bits of rubber and rust, a complete brake overhaul is your first priority. 

Brake jobs are to DIY mechanics what blue-square runs are to a snow skier: Not too challenging for those with intermediate skills.

To keep your brake system young, flush (completely replace) the brake fluid every two years. And, like we said about the cooling system, if you're already dissembling the brakes for major repairs, check on the smaller pieces while you're in there. If your car is more than seven years old, replace the rubber brake lines when major brake work is required. If the rotors or brake drums must be removed, check the wheel bearings. 

Black Gold

When you remove the engine oil-drain plug of an old car, you hope to discover a not-too-dark amber fluid. If the fluid that flows from your crankcase is jet black and contains bits of silvery flakes, you've got problems. A worse sign is if the oil struggles out like curdled milk. 

When faced with such a situation, try this high-colonic procedure: Drain the oil, replace the oil filter, fill the crankcase with synthetic oil (which acts like a solvent for sludge), and drive the car 50 or 100 miles. Repeat until the oil runs almost as clear as new. If you find little progress after three changes or suspect the previous owner was negligent on oil changes, consider having a professional mechanic remove and clean the oil pan. 

Don't DIY Everything

Cars are just like people. As they age, they require more attention from specialists, especially in the regions most critical to their ongoing survival. 

So periodically have an independent repair shop check critical steering and suspension components. Very experienced DIYers can do this work themselves, but even experts might choose to farm it out to someone who does this work every day just for the added peace of mind. If you repack your front wheel bearings can you concentrate on keeping your right foot to the floor while wondering if you'd done the job correctly?