Car
maintenance is an expensive affair, especially in the UK. Car repair
is even more costly. You may have to spend anything between £50 and
£1500 depending on which part you need to repair and replace.
However,
there is a way in which you could bring down the probability of
expensive repairs by a substantial margin. Say hi to preventive
maintenance. The best part about it is that you don’t need to spend
any significant amount of time or money on it.
Preventive
Car Maintenance Hacks
Here
are a few tips that you can practice on your car to make sure that it
doesn’t break down frequently. Save yourself a lot of money in the
long run.
-
Tyres
Approximate Cost Of
Replacement: £100-150
How
many times have you had to visit a garage because for your car’s
tyres? The answer is probably far too many to keep count. The maximum
impact of the road is absorbed by tyres, which puts immense pressure
on them leading to a glut of teething troubles.
There
are a few things that you can do so that your tyres remain in a
functional condition for a long time.
-
Rotate them every 6 months. All 5 tyres of your car (applicable for vehicles with a spare tyre) should be rotated twice a year to even out the wear pattern on them.
-
Ask your auto technician to check the wheel alignment and tyre balance when you go for the tyre rotation.
-
Install season-specific tyres.
-
Buy tyres from reputed brands. Continental, Bridgestone, Pirelli, Michelin and Nexen tyres last longer than cheaper, local brands and also deliver better performance.
-
Batteries
Approximate Cost Of
Replacement: £150-200
Batteries
are meant to last around 5 years on a standard vehicle. However, if
you live in areas with extreme temperature fluctuations, it takes a
toll on the battery life and performance. Make sure you do the
following things to maintain your car Batteries Bicester.
-
Clean the terminals of rust and corrosion once every month.
-
Check the electrolyte level while you are at it. If it’s lower than the recommended mark, refill it with distilled water.
-
Avoid stop-gap drives. Consolidate your smaller trips.
-
Always park your car in the shade in summers and inside a closed garage in winters.
-
Brakes
Approximate Cost Of
Replacement: £150-200
Brake
maintenance is dependent mainly on your driving practices. Safe
driving habits for the longevity of brakes include:
-
Avoid applying sudden brakes at high speeds. Downshift gradually, slow down and then apply brakes.
-
Avoid tailgating. Maintain a safe distance with the car ahead of you so that if they brake suddenly, you don’t have to do that too.
-
Check the condition of brake fluids once a month. If you’re unsure if you can do it at home, take it to a professional garage like Phillips Tyres. They service and repair every significant part of a car including brakes and batteries.
Taking
a few preventive measures will ensure that you don’t have to spend
those amounts of money on their repair or replacement. After all, a
penny saved is a penny earned!
