Odds are, you don't know a lot about cars.  Welcome to the club.  Car repairs suck.  BIG time.  I've never had to get something fixed where I didn't leave the shop $300-500 poorer.  Every. Time.

Here are seven tips of things you can use to prolong the life of your car, and hopefully keep those pesty repairs to a minimum. 

In other words, they're all things you definitely SHOULDN'T do, because you'll end up damaging your car, and spending even MORE money.  Here are the top seven.

#1.)  Putting Off Recommended Maintenance.  Meaning things like your 30,000 and 60,000 mile check-ups.

#2.)  Ignoring the "Check Engine" Light.  If it comes on, it can mean a lot of different things . . . or nothing.  But if you don't get it checked out, most of those things will just get worse, and potentially end up costing you A LOT of money.

#3.)  Not Changing Your Oil.  Most people think you have to do it every three thousand miles.  But even Jiffy Lube has admittedthat's probably overkill.  Especially if it's a relatively NEW car.

--If that's the case, a lot of experts say once every five to TEN thousand miles is fine.

#4.)  Not Changing Your Air Filter.  It only costs about $20 to replace it.  But NOT replacing it can end up breaking your car's oxygen sensor, which can cost up to $250 to replace.

--Then if that breaks, you might end up having to replace your catalytic converter too, which can coast around $1,000.

#5.)  Not Checking Your Tire Pressure.  You've probably heard all the gas mileage stuff.  But not having enough air in your tires also causes them to get HOTTER while you're driving, which can wear them out faster.

--And it also increases your chances of getting a flat, which can potentially cause an accident.  Plus, low tire pressure makes a car harder to handle in general.

#6.)  Not Paying Attention to Fluid Levels.  Meaning things like coolant, brake fluid, transmission fluid, and power steering fluid.

#7.)  Continuing to Drive When the Engine Is Overheating.  A lot of things can cause it, including something that's relatively cheap to fix, like a leaky hose or a loose clamp.

--But if you ignore it, you'll eventually end up with a blown gasket or a cracked engine block, which are NOT AT ALL cheap to deal with.

(Yahoo)