1. Protect car from the sun. The UV rays of the sun can cause the materials of your car's interior to degrade, and can cause the pain on your car to fade. So, keep your car's paint job in tip-top condition by parking in the shade. While parking under a tree, or something may work, it can also lead to sap getting on your car, and damage from falling branches, leaves, etc. So, a better alternative is to park in a covered space, either a garage, or consider purchasing a car cover. This can really be beneficial.

2. If you get dings and nicks, repair right away. If you wait, the vehicle body under the chipped paint can rust. Touch up paint won't stick to rust very well, which will lead to your inability to fix the paint job without a major overhaul. So, don't wait for nicks and dings to rust over before you decide to repair them, get it in and get it fixed as soon as possible, it will keep your car in better condition for longer, prolonging the life of your car exterior.

3. Fix cracks on light covers, or tape them. Sometimes your tail light covers crack, maybe you ran into something, maybe they just got old, whatever the reason, you should get them fixed as soon as possible. A cracked taillight cover can be kind of pricey to fix, so a good alternative solution is to tape over the crack. While it may not look that nice, it will keep the taillight casing from filling up with water and causing some serious damage to your electrical system.

4. Fix windshield cracks and chips. If you get a chip in your windshield get it fixed as soon as possible. If you get your oil changed you can just ask the place changing it to fix the chips. It will cost a lot less to fix a chip or crack than to replace the whole windshield, and repairing those little rock chips will keep it from cracking further. So, most insurance companies cover the cost of windshield chip repairs, which means it is no cost to you, and save a lot of hassle.

5. Only use washer fluid in the washer fluid reservoir. While it is smart to mix water with your coolant, it is not smart to ad water to the windshield washer reservoir. In fact, it is a bad idea, and can damage your car. It will not clean your windows as well, and it can freeze, which means that your reservoir could crack from the expanded water, and you could damage the whole system.