Can We Guess How Long Your Car Will Last Based on Your Maintenance Skills?

By: Ian Fortey
Estimated Completion Time
5 min
Can We Guess How Long Your Car Will Last Based on Your Maintenance Skills?
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. 

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.

Question 1
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How would you check to see if your tires are wearing a little thin?
Check the tread depth with a penny.
Tires wear thin?
Ask a mechanic what they think.
See if they look worn or not.

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Question 2
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When do you typically wash your car?
Every other week
I drive it in the rain sometimes.
Once a month
When it's dirty

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Question 3
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Have you ever had your car detailed?
Of course!
I don't even know what that is.
I try to get it done yearly.
Once!

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Question 4
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Do you own a car vacuum?
It's in the garage right now.
Nope
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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Question 5
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Do you know what kind of oil your car takes?
Yep, it's right in the manual.
The oily kind?
I'd have to look it up.
Not off the top of my head

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Question 6
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Let's say you got a flat. Before you bust out the jack and raise your car, what's a good thing to do?
Loosen the lug nuts
I am so not changing a tire.
Put the car in park
Call for a tow

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Question 7
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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.
I took a class!
No, but I think I could do it.

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Question 8
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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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Question 9
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How often do you replace your engine air filter?
Every 30,000 miles or so
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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Question 10
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Do you know when your oil filter was last replaced?
When the oil was last changed
Not a clue
A year or two ago
I'd have to ask someone about that.

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Question 11
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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?
Every couple of years
If I seem like I'm driving crooked

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Question 12
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What are you going to check when your electrical systems are working poorly and you smell burnt plastic?
The alternator
That's a good question.
The battery
Under the hood?

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Question 13
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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.
The battery is dead.

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Question 14
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How often do you clean the windows inside your car?
Every few weeks
Why would I clean them on the inside?
Maybe once a year?
If they look dirty

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Question 15
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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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Question 16
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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.
Use a tape measure?
There's a number on it somewhere.
I think my manual says the size.

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Question 17
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Have you ever washed your engine?
Yes
Can you even do that?
I wouldn't want to.
Nope

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Question 18
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Motor oil will be labeled something like 5W-30. Do you know what that W means?
Winter
Wha??
Weight
I'm not sure.

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Question 19
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How many miles are in a set of tires, give or take?
70,000
As many as you can get
100,000
A lot?

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Question 20
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What color should your brake fluid be?
Light gold
Yeah, I have no idea.
Brown
I'm not sure where I'd look to see my brake fluid.

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Question 21
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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?
That should be fine.
I dunno.

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Question 22
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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?
75/25
I'd have to Google it.

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Question 23
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Do you eat in your car?
Not ever
Heck yeah, I do!
I'll have a coffee, but not food.
Yeah, but I try not to eat anything too sloppy.

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Question 24
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If you had a flat and put a donut on, how far could you drive with it?
About 70 miles
Why am I driving with a donut?
About 100 miles
As far as I need to

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Question 25
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When do you rotate your tires?
Every 6,000 miles or so.
They rotate every time I drive.
Every 10,000 miles or so
Every few years, I guess

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Question 26
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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.
Nah
No, it should be changed by then.
If it ain't broke, why fix it?

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Question 27
Wiki Commons by Christopher Ziemnowicz
Do you ever buy fuel injector cleaner?
I have, yes.
What is that?
I'm not sure how to use it.
That stuff's a scam!

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Question 28
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Do you know how to check your own oil?
Of course!
I could figure it out, probably.
I have done it a couple of times.
I think so.

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Question 29
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Do you know what the proper air pressure is for your tires?
I sure do!
Not so much
It must be in my manual.
I'll get someone else to check them.

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Question 30
Wiki Commons by EvelynGiggles
When are you going to flush the coolant from your radiator?
Every 5 years
I didn't know that was a thing.
Depends on mileage, I think
I'll ask my mechanic.

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