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With new and used car prices still near record highs, keeping an older car running well is a good way to avoid overpaying for a newer vehicle. And since the futures of the auto industry and the auto loans industry are still in flux, you may want to keep that high-mileage vehicle running for longer than you initially thought.

For an expert opinion on all things old vehicles, Automoblog spoke to Allan Guilmart, a Durham, North Carolina, technician certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE®). He gave us advice about how to work with your mechanic to not just keep an old car running, but to keep it in tip-top shape and out of the repair shop.
Replace Components on Schedule

No matter how well you care for your older car, some components just wear out with extended use. And while that?s unavoidable, waiting too long to fix or replace aging or deteriorating components can put unnecessary stress on other parts of your vehicle.

Here?s what Guilmart has to say about which parts are likely to need replacing and when:
?If your engine is driven by a timing belt, replacing it ? and [the] water pump, if it’s driven by the timing belt ? is critical. This should be done by the manufacturer’s recommended interval. A broken timing belt will result in significant and costly damage to the engine. The cost to repair or replace the...