Friday 29 March 2024
LIFESTYLE

Don’t lose a fortune to these maintenance mistakes!

As you probably know, your car needs to have regular preventative maintenance to keep it working at peak performance for as long as possible. Not all maintenance schedules are the same, but all cars need some work every now and then. Unless you’re an experienced mechanic, keeping in-tune with the state of your car can be easy to neglect. Here are some common maintenance mistakes you need to avoid.

Failing to check tyre pressure

This is one of the most common maintenance mistakes people tend to make. After all, your tyres look inflated most of the time, right? Well, looks can be deceiving. Even if your tyres look well-inflated, they could be low on air. This probably isn’t going to result in a blowout, so keeping your tyre pressure at a good level isn’t the most important example of preventative maintenance. However, driving around with low pressure can be very damaging to your fuel economy, and will make the cost of owning a car even more strenuous. One good way to make sure you’re staying on top of this is keeping a portable pressure gauge in your car. You can find a selection of these at choice.com.au.

Not checking the brakes

If your car isn’t brand-spanking new, then it’s going to make some funny noises occasionally. However, you should never let these things lull you into a sense of complacency, and take it as an excuse to put off cost-effective and potentially life-saving maintenance. If you’ve been noticing a sharp squealing noise coming from your wheels whenever you brake, it may be time to take your car to an auto repair shop like Bridgestonecanberra.com.au. In case you weren’t aware, being able to stop your car when you want is pretty essential to your safety! If you continue to drive around with brake pads that are worn out or dysfunctional, the vehicle could pose a threat to you, your passengers, and everyone else on the road. If there’s a squealing or grinding sound whenever you apply the brakes, you need to have your brake system checked out as soon as you possibly can.

Neglecting oil changes

Cars have advanced so much in recent years that, depending on the specific model you drive, you may not have to bother changing the oil once every 3,000 miles. For modern cars, you can clock almost 8,000 without having to change the oil. While this makes taking care of your car cheaper and more convenient, the longer intervals can cause a lot of drivers to put off changing their oil for far too long. Check your owner’s manual, and make sure you’re not leaving too much time between oil changes. If you drive for too long without enough engine oil, the whole system will seize up, and cause a lot of expensive damage. You should also make sure you’re not leaving oil in the tank for too long. Do this, and the oil breaks down into nasty sludge-like deposits, which will damage parts, rather than lubricating them.

** This is a collaborative post

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