Cars are a big-ticket item, so maintaining them well is essential. If you don’t, major and very costly repairs are likely to occur and the overall safety of the car could be comprised. To stay on top of this, here are three basic but fundamentally important maintenance tips that will help to keep your car in top shape.
1. Regular Servicing
Getting your car regularly serviced is important for the following reasons:
- Safety issues are identified and resolved
- Worn parts are identified and replaced
- The engine is tuned to keep it running well for longer and to give you maximum fuel efficiency.
The key to servicing and overall vehicle maintenance is doing it regularly. Car parts and performance aren’t always related to the amount of kilometres driven; items can simply tire over time. So even if you don’t drive very much, it’s still important you stick to a regular maintenance schedule.
By doing this, and ensuring services are recorded in your log book, you will also ensure that your car’s resale value is the highest it can be when you choose to sell it at a later date. To get an idea of what your car is worth and how it compares to others, take a look at some used car websites like Boost Cruising and check out the differences in asking prices, vehicle conditions and modifications, among other aspects.
2. Tyre Pressure and Wheel Alignment
Maintaining the correct tyre pressure for the make and model of your car is essential. If you don’t know what this is, ask your vehicle manufacturer or mechanic. Tyres often get overlooked, but did you know tyre pressure decreases gradually every day? In cooler weather, tyres can lose up to one or two kilopascals after one hour of driving and even more in the warmer months of the year. Tyre pressure is also reduced by general flexing and road impacts.
So why is tyre pressure important? Maintaining the correct air pressure in your tyres will:
- Help your tyres wear evenly and for longer, saving you on replacement costs
- Help your engine achieve maximum fuel efficiency, saving you on petrol costs
- Improve how your vehicle handles, making everyday driving more enjoyable and possibly preventing accidents through better vehicle control.
To maintain the correct pressure in your tyres, refill your tyres every other time you fill up at the petrol station and get your mechanic to check wheel alignment and rotate your tyres when necessary.
3. Detailing
While engine and tyre maintenance are imperative to how your car runs, you experience the inside of your car every time you drive too. This is also a major factor in the resale value of your car. To ensure your car’s interior looks its best for longer, get it regularly detailed or do this yourself at home. You can do this by vacuuming regularly and using special polishes made for car interiors. Remember to give the insides of your windscreen – front and rear – a good clean to ensure you have optimal visibility at all times.
We invest a lot of money to buy our cars, so maintaining them is essential. By doing so, you’ll ensure you get the most out of your vehicle, spend less on fuel, enhance your safety, and maintain a high resale value for when you eventually need to upgrade your car.
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