Can We Guess How Long Your Car Will Last Based on Your Maintenance Skills?
By: Ian Fortey
Estimated Completion Time 5 min
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Image: Dave & Les Jacobs / DigitalVision / Getty Images
About This Quiz
You know that little sticker in the corner of your windshield? The one with the numbers written on it? If you don't know what that is, then that's a problem right there. There are lots of tips and reminders around your car that let you know when maintenance needs to be done. You've got the sticker from the last time you were at the garage, the warning lights that pop up on your dash and, of course, your owner's manual, which spells out pretty clearly exactly when and how you need to maintain your car.Â
In an ideal world, everyone would memorize that manual and keep their car in tip-top condition all the time. But that doesn't happen, does it? Sometimes we forget things. Sometimes we can't afford things. Sometimes we just don't care, because if everything seems to be going fine why bother taking it to a mechanic to tinker around with something that isn't broken? All of those approaches are going to affect the lifespan of your vehicle eventually. If you want to know how much time your car has left, tell us a bit about your maintenance habits and we'll let you know just when that car is going to drive its last mile.
START QUIZ
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Aja Koska / E+ / Getty Images
How would you check to see if your tires are wearing a little thin?
Check the tread depth with a penny.
Ask a mechanic what they think.
See if they look worn or not.
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CasarsaGuru / E+ / Getty Images
When do you typically wash your car?
I drive it in the rain sometimes.
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gilaxia / E+ / Getty Images
Have you ever had your car detailed?
I don't even know what that is.
I try to get it done yearly.
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Do you own a car vacuum?
It's in the garage right now.
I have a small one, sure.
I'll use the one at the gas station if I spill stuff in the car.
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Jose Luis Pelaez Inc / DigitalVision / Getty Images
Do you know what kind of oil your car takes?
Yep, it's right in the manual.
Not off the top of my head
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BassittART / E+ / Getty Images
Let's say you got a flat. Before you bust out the jack and raise your car, what's a good thing to do?
I am so not changing a tire.
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MichaelSvoboda / E+ / Getty Images
Have you ever actually changed a tire before?
Yes, I have done it a few times.
I don't even know if I own a jack.
No, but I think I could do it.
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jhorrocks / E+ / Getty Images
What kind of fuel do you put in your car?
The kind the owner's manual specifies
The cheapest stuff I can get
I shell out for some premium to keep it running clean every 6 months or so.
There's more than one kind?
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ollo / E+ / Getty Images
How often do you replace your engine air filter?
What the heck is an engine air filter?
Depends on where and how I'm driving
I guess I will when someone tells me to.
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Douglas Sacha / Moment / Getty Images
Do you know when your oil filter was last replaced?
When the oil was last changed
I'd have to ask someone about that.
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kali9 / E+ / Getty Images
You need to keep those tires properly aligned. When's a good time to do that?
Around every 7,000 miles or so
Aren't they already aligned?
If I seem like I'm driving crooked
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Colin Hawkins / Cultura / Getty Images
What are you going to check when your electrical systems are working poorly and you smell burnt plastic?
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Douglas Sacha / Moment / Getty Images
What's a good sign you might need your battery replaced?
The car is slow to start.
Is there like a battery warning sound or something?
The check engine light is on.
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Jecapix / E+ / Getty Images
How often do you clean the windows inside your car?
Why would I clean them on the inside?
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kali9 / E+ / Getty Images
What happens when your check engine light comes on?
I'll take the car to the shop right away!
I'll cover it with duct tape.
I'll get it to a mechanic on the weekend.
If it stays on for a while, I'll get someone to look at it.
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alle12 / E+ / Getty Images
Do you know where to look on a tire to determine its width?
It's the first number after the letter on the side of the tire.
There's a number on it somewhere.
I think my manual says the size.
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Madiha Ali / Moment / Getty Images
Have you ever washed your engine?
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choja / E+ / Getty Images
Motor oil will be labeled something like 5W-30. Do you know what that W means?
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shank_ali / E+ / Getty Images
How many miles are in a set of tires, give or take?
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princessdlaf / E+ / Getty Images
What color should your brake fluid be?
I'm not sure where I'd look to see my brake fluid.
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Douglas Sacha / Moment / Getty Images
You have purple washer fluid in your car but you need to top it up. Can you pour in some green stuff?
You should flush it first.
They make different colors?
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CHRISsadowski / E+ / Getty Images
What's a good mix for coolant and water in your radiator?
50/50, as long as you're not using prediluted coolant
Isn't water good on its own?
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Ryan McVay / Photodisc / Getty Images
Do you eat in your car?
I'll have a coffee, but not food.
Yeah, but I try not to eat anything too sloppy.
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hao chen / Moment / Getty Images
If you had a flat and put a donut on, how far could you drive with it?
Why am I driving with a donut?
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M_a_y_a / E+ / Getty Images
When do you rotate your tires?
They rotate every time I drive.
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BanksPhotos / E+ / Getty Images
You've gone 5,000 miles without an oil change but the color still looks good. Will you change it?
I'd probably change it before 5,000 miles, actually.
No, it should be changed by then.
If it ain't broke, why fix it?
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Do you ever buy fuel injector cleaner?
I'm not sure how to use it.
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milorad kravic / E+ / Getty Images
Do you know how to check your own oil?
I could figure it out, probably.
I have done it a couple of times.
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Mark Hunt / Getty Images
Do you know what the proper air pressure is for your tires?
I'll get someone else to check them.
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When are you going to flush the coolant from your radiator?
I didn't know that was a thing.
Depends on mileage, I think
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