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The reason I’m dwelling on the subject of vehicle maintenance is because it is the single most important aspect of owning these beautiful and useful machines – more important than affording it.
What makes car maintenance hard for most people is that it requires a LOT of simple care strategies, which are often neglected.
Tyre Pressure:
It is very important that every time a driver intends to drive off, they check tyre pressure. Checking your tyre pressure is important for your safety as well as overall maintenance. If your car does not have a tyre pressure sensor, invest a few bucks in a tyre gauge and check your tyre pressure regularly.
Having the right tyre pressure helps improve fuel efficiency and control regular tyre wear. Good tyre pressure will also help you know if your vehicle is correctly aligned. Also make sure you always check the spare wheel as well, you will need it.
Tyre pressure, is one variable that affects the wear and tear of a vehicle’s tyres, therefore, maintaining proper pressure may prevent undue damage.
Wheel Alignment
I always wondered why many car owners send their vehicle for wheel alignment. There are so many good reasons for this. Getting your tyres rotated can serve a very important purpose.
As much as we want them to, tyres don’t wear evenly on their own. The front tyres and the back tyres carry different loads on different vehicles. The best way to ensure more even wear and tear is to get your tyres rotated. It can also help the car drive better.
It is recommended to have your tires rotated every 8 000 to 11 000 kilometres. Depending on your vehicle, you will also want to check on the alignment of the wheels every few rotations. Keeping your car’s tyres and wheels properly balanced and aligned will help keep your car running in top shape.
Vehicle Inspection
Just looking at your car is also an important aspect.
Take a few moments to look at your car each day. There are a few reasons to do this, but the main reason has to do with vehicle health. Regularly reviewing your car clues you into things on the exterior that need tending to such as cracks in the windshield, and chipped paint.
When you are inspecting your car, be sure to check the lights (are they hazy? clean them!) and tyre tread. Many tyres have tread indicators, which may help to determine whether they are still in good condition.
Learn Your Vehicle’s Warning Lights
No one likes seeing a warning light turn on. It could turn a simple spin around town into a stressful drive home. That’s why you should learn what each warning light means and what to do when one is on.
Often, having a warning light on is not a serious thing. It could mean you are low on gas or that your car is due for a scheduled service. Other times it could mean you have low oil pressure or your coolant system is not keeping the engine cool enough to run. If one of these warnings come up, your car needs service as soon as possible.
Your owner’s manual should let you know what each light means and how to address them.
Get Your Car’s Fluids Checked
Like tyres and lights, it’s a good idea to check your vehicle’s fluid levels. Even if you leave changing them up to the pros, you should still know how to check them. A good way to learn about your vehicle’s fluids is to review your owner’s manual.
In general, you can keep your car in top shape by making sure these fluids are full and fresh:
Radiator Coolant/Anti-freeze Fluid;
Transmission Fluid;
Power Steering Fluid;
Air Conditioning Coolant;
Brake Fluid;
Washer Fluid;
Motor Oil;
Ask About Serpentine & Timing Belts
The serpentine belt is one of the most important parts of your car and one that flies under the radar. Usually made of rubber, these belts are used to drive and assist timing of many important car parts, like the AC condenser, water pump, power steering, and alternator. If damaged, your engine could overheat and stop. The serpentine belt is vital to your vehicle’s performance and needs care.
A timing belt or chain, on the other hand, can be found inside your engine. It drives the camshaft when there aren’t any gears driving it directly. Basically, the timing belt controls when the engine valves open and allows fuel and air into the cylinder. It can also drive the oil or water pump depending on engine type.
If the belt were to break while driving, catastrophic engine damage can occur.
Check Your Car Battery
Whenever you suspect your battery to be faulty take a look at it and ascertain a number of things. Just take a quick look at your car battery while the hood is popped. Make sure there isn’t any corrosion and/or build-up on the battery’s contacts. If there is, don’t worry. All you need to do is clean the contacts with a battery cleaning brush.
If you’re a do-it-yourself kind of person and have corroded car battery terminals, don’t worry, just follow these steps to get them looking new again:
– Make sure your car is turned off
– Loosen the nut of the negative clamp and unfasten the cable from the battery
– Do the same for the positive clamp
– Ensure both positive and negative clamps are fastened without touching each other or any connected conductive surfaces.
– Mix one tablespoon of baking soda with one cup of hot water
– Use a battery cleaning brush to mix the ingredients and scrub it on the top of the battery
– Clean the clamps and posts with the mixture and rinse with cool water
– Once it is dry, lubricate using petroleum jelly or dielectric grease on all exposed metal on the battery terminals and prepare to put it back together
– Reattach the positive cable to the positive terminal and then reattach the negative cable to the negative terminal.
– Make sure you wear gloves and try not to touch any part of the corrosion. If there are any cracks on the battery or it’s leaking fluid (acid), get it replaced
Let us continue from these notes next week making sure your car assures you of the value you intended it for. Nhau/Indaba
For more information regarding car maintenance and sales in and around Zimbabwe please feel free to contact me directly.
WhatsApp: 0775355031
Email: tmweshona@gmail.com
