20 ways to waste money on your car

MSN posted an article called “20 ways you waste money on your car.” The article points out the most common ways that people lose money when maintaining the upkeep of their cars. The following are my favorite two tips:

Premium gas instead of regular. Buy the cheapest gasoline that doesn’t make your car engine knock. All octane does is prevent knock; a grade higher than the maker of your car recommends is not a “treat.”

3,000-mile oil changes.Manufacturers typically suggest 5,000 miles, 7,500 miles or even longer intervals between oil changes (many car markers now include oil-life monitors that tell you when the oil is dirty — sometimes as long as 15,000 miles.) There may be two recommendations for oil-change intervals: one for normal driving and one for hard use. If you live in a cold climate, take mostly very short trips, tow a trailer or have a high-revving, high-performance engine, use the more aggressive schedule. If you seldom drive your car, go by the calendar rather than your odometer. Twice a year changes are the minimum.

Have any of you successfully implemented any of the tips suggested by MSN? Let us know what works and what doesn’t.

20 ways to waste money on your car – [moneycentral.msn.com]