Petrol and diesel cars could last 'up to 400,000 miles’ with five tips

Petrol and diesel vehicles could stay on the road for a whopping 400,000 miles if road users follow five rules, according to a top car mechanic. Leading expert Scotty Kilmer has stressed motorists could extend the life of their vehicles by making regular checks anyone can follow at home.

Making sure air filters are clean, spark plugs are working and sensors are in good shape may seem like pointless checks. However, Scotty suggested issues with these simple things may cause the car to run sluggish in a major blow to owners. Vehicles that are low on acceleration may scare road users, who are more likely to ditch their cars and buy a different one. Scotty showed off the simple checks as he looked over a second-hand car held in his possession.

However, Scotty suggested this may not be necessary with a vehicle likely to keep running as long as it is well maintained.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Scotty said: “You’re driving down a road and you step on the gas and your car doesn't accelerate right, what could be wrong?

“Well it could be a lot of things but check the simple things, make sure your air filter is clean. Make sure you’re spark plugs aren’t worn out, these are easy to check, they just pop off and you can get right to them.

“Make sure your mass air flow sensor is good, in this case it’s been replaced so it’s not that. You could also have a bad oxygen sensor but you can see this one’s new too, it’s all shiny.

“It could also be a catalytic converter that’s starting to clog up, if that’s the case your temperature gauge will run slightly high and you’ll lose acceleration.

“So if you’re lucky you just need an air filter or speaker plugs or have to clean the mass airflow sensor. Press one of those.”

In the video caption, Scotty stressed that drivers who “want your car to last for 400,000 miles” should follow the advice.

YouTube viewers praised Scotty for his advice with many hinting that motorists were the reason why cars break sooner than they should.

YouTube user @Smasher-Devourer said: “Some people don't even get oil changes and wonder why their car is a pile of heaping garbage.”

@geoben1810 added: “Yeah, and it usually is the simple stuff that falls under regular, routine maintenance. Just DO IT!”

@g5alive795 stressed: “I've always started w/ simple & worked up to the hard? and it's saved me a lot of money, since I started driving decades ago.”