Taking care to reduce the general wear and tear on your car can be difficult if you are on a motoring budget, but this doesn't need to be the case.
Taking care of your car to avoid wear and tear can make your car last longer than would normally be the case, which is particularly beneficial given the current cost of a new car - we really are keeping our cars for longer - so it pays to look after it from the outset to keep it in tip top condition for longer. There are several things that you can do to reduce wear and tear on your car even on a motoring budget, including making a few subtle alterations to your driving style.
Saving your Tyres
Keeping the correct tyre pressure is essential for safe braking and handling. The recommended tyre pressure for your particular car can usually be found in your owner's manual. Driving on tyres that are not correctly inflated can be dangerous - especially due to the ever increasing potholes on our roads and if there is flood water present, under inflated tyres will wear down quickly and puncture more easily - costing you money you need not spend if you had spent a few minutes every month checking your tyre pressures. Keeping a check on tyre pressure once a month can prevent this. On the flip side, driving with tyres that are inflated too much can also cause braking and handling problems. In both cases, the car will not be using the full width of the tyre tread. If you are in any doubt as to the correct tyre pressure feel free to pop in to see us - we are happy to offer free tyre and battery checks here at ACC UK Ltd - your Independent Volvo & Toyota Garage based in Farnborough, Hampshire. Driving safely and carefully within the speed limit will reduce general wear and tear on your tyres.
You may also want to try rotating your tyres every six months to make sure that the tread wears evenly. The usual method of doing this is to swap the tyres diagonally, so that the right front tyre moves to the left back tyre, and the left front tyre moves to the right back tyre. It may be the case though that tyres can only be used on either the right or left side of the car, so it is best to check your owner's manual before doing this or check with your independent local garage. Having the tracking checked too will help you ensure even wear across your tyres - again an important item to keep an eye on with the number of potholes we experience on a day to day basis!
Oil Changes
Changing your engine oil and oil filter regularly is another key element of reducing wear and tear. As a general rule of thumb, changing your engine oil every 3000-6000 miles is recommended. Your owner's manual will clarify this though.This is an item that is covered in your annual servicing schedule - here at ACC UK Ltd we sell a wide range of engine oils that will help the performance of your vehicle - why not pop in to see us to discuss your requirements.
As well as checking the oil levels, make sure that you also keep an eye on the coolant fluid levels and the windscreen wiper fluid levels - an absolute must to keep topped up as we all begin to embark on our summer holiday journeys and trips to the beach at the weekends. Overheating will happen and be very costly if you do not maintain all the fluid levels in your car!
Air Filters
The air filter in your car needs to be changed around once a year to maintain its efficiency - this is because it has come to the end of its shelf life and will no longer be able to operate in the manner it has been designed to. You may need to look at your owner's manual to pinpoint exactly where it is located in your car if you wish to change it yourself. Do not attempt to do this unless you have some knowledge and the correct tools - DIY car servicing and repairs can often become costly if you are not sure of what you are doing and then need to pay a professional to put the disaster right!
Saving your Suspension
Sudden acceleration and braking during driving can have a detrimental effect on your car's suspension. Driving aggressively on a regular basis will cause your car's suspension to wear down - smooth driving is always best.
Saving your Engine
Instead of starting your engine and waiting until it has fully warmed up in the winter, it can be better to start it and drive off slowly (without putting too much pressure on the clutch or brake pedals) to warm the engine up. This is kinder to your engine and allows all the relevant fluids to move around.
Being restricted to a motoring budget does not mean that you cannot reduce plenty of wear and tear on your car. Taking the time to properly maintain your car can go a long way towards saving costs on repairs in the future. Long-term wear and tear can eventually cause your car's engine to fail.It is important to adhere to the owners manual and recommended servicing schedule - not only will it keep you car in good condition it will also help to reduce breakdowns. When it comes to selling on your car a fully serviced vehicle that has been well maintained will always attract a better resale value than one of the same make/model/year that has not had its service schedule maintained.
