There are still a few weeks of summer vacation left, but all the students know that the start of school is creeping up on us and there's nothing we can do about it. Most colleges and universities start school in mid to late August, which means all the college students will be driving off to their institutes of higher education. College students have a lot on their minds, and so often that means "car care" gets shuffled down lower in the order of priority somewhere between "balance checkbook" and "delete old Instagram photos".
Taking care of their cars is not a high priority for more of the college students we've known in our lifetimes. And that's unfortunate because taking good care of their ride will pay dividends later on by making it last longer and preserving the resale value of the vehicle.
Our friends at christiancollege.com recommend oil changes every 3,000 miles. We don't think it needs to be that often, though it does depend on how much driving you do and under what conditions. Every 5,000 - 7,000 miles is the norm, but the norm is also every 3-4 months. And it's more important to do it regularly than worry about whether it's 3k or 5k or 7k. Regular oil changes are the single most important thing anyone can do for the life of their engine.
Contrary to some previous advice, having a clean air filter doesn't really save gas. But it can make a big difference in the performance of the car. And every engine needs a good supply of clean air for it to function properly. Once a year is a good benchmark, but if the college student drives home a lot, say, on the weekends, then think every 15,000 miles.
For the same reasons that keeping tires properly inflated is important. Tires are expensive, and not rotating them at the proper intervals makes them wear out faster. It may cost $30.00 to have them rotated, but it will cost $500 watching them wear out faster than they need to. Plus, driving on unevenly worn tires isn't the safest thing in the world.
A clean car looks nicer and holds resale value better. Not that that ever stopped a college student from using their car as a trash dumpster or letting the crud and bird poop accumulate on their paint for months at a time.
When you have to get out of the car to pump the gas, take the time to inspect the car while you're out. Clean the windshield. Check out if it's time for a wash. Check your tire pressure now, as well. Use your time wisely; you're more likely to think about these kinds of things when you're out pumping gas and actually looking at your car.