We frequently hear of car owners with problems and sadly a vast majority problems could have been averted completely if proper servicings of the car had been maintained. In this recession driven world a lot of people are trying to save money by cutting corners. What they fail to see is that they are actually storing up a whole plethora of problemsand expense in the future on their automobile.
With turbo driven engines you should never turn them off straight after a spirited drive, instead allow about a minute of low RPM driving to allow the turbo to spin down.
It is best also to avoid short journeys if you can. If an engine that never really gets up to it's operating temperature it is never going to work efficiently and as a result it will wear extremely quickly. Some engines can require expensive repairs if they are only ever driven whilst cold. Usually this creates issues such as clogged particulate filters in diesels and excessive carbon build up in petrol engines (particularly on direct injection models.)
Weekly checks. (These are essential) Most car owners we hear from have much too little oil in them. Most drivers wait until the oil light comes on and this can prove fatal.
Check the oil levels regularly and top it up as soon as it needs it. On some cars this is a weekly task and on others you can get away with monthly checks. Oil consumption depends a lot on the engine as some consume a fair bit of oil.
when testing tyre pressures are also regularly much lower than the recommended figures. In my experience most cars (certainly over 60% of them) on the road are running around with dangerously low tyre pressures or other serious defects. Low pressures increase the flexing in the tyre, increasing heat, reducing grip and causing the outside edge of the tyres to wear prematurely. You will also lose upto 4 mpg of your fuel economy on soft tyres. Regular checks to the tyres are a very good idea and should be done weekly or at every refuel if you fill up often.
Car Maintenance Tips and Advice:
Change the engine oil and oil filter frequently. This is the biggest effect from any part of maintaining an automobile. Oil picks up tiny metal particles and collects the acids and other waste materials from the combustion process. Changing the oil frequently ensures that the engine wear is virtually eliminated. Manufacturers specify oil types and grades for a reason. Stick to these and you should be ok. Avoid cheap brands of oil, as with everything you get what you pay for and cheap oils will often degrade in a shorter time.
Brake fluid should be checked annually and renewed if it shows excessive deterioration. Whilst bad brake fluid may stop a car when cold, it causes fade as the brakes warm up and can be quite treacherous.
Spark plugs would also need to be changed annually or at least checked and cleaned regularly. Some types of electrode can last for upto four years so you should to refer to your cars documentation to verify the correct schedule.
Clean cars will generally fetch 10-20% more money than a dirty car and will certainly sell more quickly. The muck and grime gradually builds up and will if left eat into the paint so regular washing and cleaning is highly recommended.
Car w and sealents (sometimes called synthetic waxes) put a protective coating on the paint. Depending on the condition of the paint select an appropriate product. My personal preference on cars with great paint is a non carbonara wax as it is easy to apply, lasts a long time and does not require taking off each time it is applied. Wax does tend to outlast sealants but with modern manufacturing techniques and the huge array of products on offer it is impossible to generalise and we suggest you seek reviews first before choosing.
Don't overuse car polishes. Most car polishes contain particles that act as an abrasive. It is fantastic at removing swirls and minor scratches but each time it is used it removes a small layer of paint. Polishing should only be doneinfrequently when the paint has become damaged and never more regularly than every two years or so.
your vehicle should be washed weekly, particularly the wheels. Brake dust gets fixed in and gets very hard to remove if you fail to regularly clean them.
Clay bars are effective and get right into the grime in the paintwork, leaving perfectly glassy finish ready foran application of the wax or sealant.
The wax or sealant should protect the car from future deterioration. The biggest risk is from bird lime. This eat into the paint work as it is acidic. This should be removed and neutralised immediately.
During ICY weather many people use metal and plastic scrapers on the windshield and without realising it cause lots of scratches. Do not scrape the ice off the windows. Use spray on deicer or the more environmentally friendly method of tepid water (being careful not to crack the cold screen by only slightly increasing the temperature of the screen) to melt the ice.
Author Resource:-
Carlyh Tunerstones is a is a consultant for sites like TorqueCars Car maintenance and modified cars pro with extensive experience on the VW Golf. He has rebuilt a number of stock engines to to a competition standard and regularly goes racing.
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