What car modifications I can do to help with reliability

As many of you will probably know, mechanical parts will wear out over time and will eventually fail. While there isn’t much you can do to stop this process there are certain aftermarket modifications you can put into your vehicle to help slow this process down. These modifications can help you monitor certain parts of your car or important components that will eventually wear out. With that in mind, we have created a quick list of modifications you can apply to your vehicle that will help make it a little bit more reliable. It is important to note that some of these modifications are minor but can make a huge difference down the road especially in terms of maintenance. Some of these modifications can also void warranties so make sure that you consult first with your dealership if they are allowed, otherwise if your vehicle is out of warranty you can have these parts professionally installed instead. With that being said, on to the list.

While it is generally understood that most vehicles already come with a temperature gauge or light sometimes it’s better to see the actual numbers displayed. This way you can keep track of how your vehicle runs in varying conditions. If you notice any abnormalities it may be time to bring your car to the service center to see if anything is wrong with the cooling system. 

The same thing can also be said for a voltmeter. While not all vehicles have this feature as standard it’s still a great addition to your vehicle to check on your battery. In this manner, you won’t end up stranded if the battery decides to die as you can monitor the voltage of the battery from the comfort of the cabin. If you see the resting voltage drop below 12-volts it’s a sign that your battery will need to be replaced soon and that you should prepare to buy a new one. 

Another aftermarket modification you can invest in is braided brake lines. Most factory brakes are made of reinforced rubber components that are designed to do the job as cost-effectively as possible. This means that over time these components will wear our drastically changing the brake feel of your vehicle. When these wear out going for a set of steel braided lines is a good investment as they will last longer and are designed to withstand expansion under brake pressure. This means that more force gets to the brakes and it will give you a better brake feel for longer. 

For those who don’t know an oil catch can or tank is a device that is fitted to the cam or crankcase ventilation system of a vehicle. There it will reduce the number of oil vapors that get re-circulated into the intake of the engine. With this modification installed on your vehicle, it will allow your engine to do a cleaner burn and will also come with the benefit of reducing the need to clean your throttle body. While the oil that enters your intake is small in its amount it can build up over time in the intake and on the throttle body attracting dirt and dust. This decreases the efficiency of your engine leading to greater fuel consumption over time. 

While mudflaps seem like a weird modification to your vehicle to help with its reliability, but they can save you from unwanted scratches from road debris. Here us out, not all vehicles in the Philippine market today come with mudflaps as some manufacturers have chosen to remove them entirely from certain models. With that said, this simple modification can be discretely applied to almost any vehicle. Having mudflaps or mudguards installed on your vehicle will help protect its paint and panels from unwanted scratches especially from road debris. It’s an affordable way to prevent you from having to invest in touch-up paint for your vehicle especially if you have an SUV or pickup truck and take it off-road. 

You can also pair these mudflaps with a tire pressure monitoring system so you will always know what’s going on with your tires and if their pressures are low. It will also give you an indication as to when you will need to air up to maintain the correct tire pressures for better performance and fuel efficiency. 

Another great modification that will give you a little bit of a boost in performance and reliability is an aftermarket air filter. Picking the right kind of aftermarket air filter will help your car’s engine breathe better which in turn will let it run smoother and more efficiently. When an engine is running efficiently it will not have to work as hard to get your car going reducing its wear and tear. It is important to note that for the best results with an aftermarket air filter you should still keep the stock intake system of your vehicle intact. These intakes were designed to get cold clean air into your vehicle’s engine as efficiently as possible from the safest location. If you decide to modify your vehicle’s air intake it could lead to negative effects if you are not careful and especially if you don’t have a way to route cold air into your aftermarket intake.