Vehicle servicing can be expensive and is usually done at least once a year to keep your car in proper working condition. If you have to replace the tyres, you also have to get the wheel alignment checked, but there are other maintenance steps you can take that won’t require a professional mechanic to perform.
The lifespan of your car can be extended if you learn to take care of it often and by following some simple but very important maintenance checks that are critical to keeping your car running.
New Cars Need Careful Drivers
So, you have just bought yourself a new car and want to take it for a good long spin. Be careful not to add too much wear and tear too quickly, because all new cars have a certain “break-in” period. This is the period in which your new car will be breaking in the steering, tyres, and brake pads from the original manufacturer parts for at least the first 1,600km.
Essentially, you have to be careful with the first few drives not to load anything too heavy into the car and also to only drive with medium pressure on the acceleration pad. The suggested RPMs for new cars are below 3000. For older and less used cars, it can be good to take the car on a fast drive to clear the engine out, but the opposite is true for any brand-new car.
Passive Maintenance
This refers to the type of care you take without really putting much effort in. If you learn these simple habits, you will automatically be taking better care of your car without trying at all.
When the car is starting up, let it idle for a minute or two to allow the engine to heat up properly. This is especially important in colder climates and you may need to idle for a bit longer if it is snowing or particularly icy outside. It is believed that the most wear to your engine happens during the first 20 minutes of driving, so try to accelerate slowly for the first bit. This is also just a general safe driving practice for any weather condition to ensure your life is safe on the road.
The Right Insurance Can Make All the Difference
While car insurance is obviously mandatory, all policies aren’t created equal and some will offer you more protection than others. That’s why it pays to shop around and compare policies from a wide range of different providers side by side, which you can through a comparison site like this.
Mechanical Care
If you do a lot of town driving with stop-start traffic, consider putting your gear into neutral when you are waiting behind a red light or slow lorry to help prevent clutch failure. The engine continues to put pressure on the shifting mechanism when in gear, even if you are idling.
Your steering wheel can also be damaged if you tend to hold it too far to the left or right. Instead, try to gauge your turns accordingly so that you are not pulling the steering wheel to the extreme position either way.
Fill Up Carefully
Sometimes you may be in an unfamiliar area and have to stop at a petrol station that you don’t know or trust. The reason this is important is that not all petrol stations have quality fuel in the pumps. This will cause big problems for your engine and you could get dirt and dust trapped inside.
Another expert tip is that if you see the big tanker refilling the petrol station, go somewhere else. The theory is that when the petrol pumps are being filled, old sediment from the bottom can be stirred up, mixing into the new petrol and this clogs your fuel filters. This hasn’t been verified yet, but why take the chance?
When keeping your car in tip-top shape, you have to have a regular service performed by a professional mechanic that you can trust. This doesn’t mean that you have to spend thousands every year, and you can keep your service costs to a minimum if you learn to look after your vehicle with these simple tips.
