How To Maintain Your Vehicle While Avoiding Hefty Car Service Bills
Many car owners are often frustrated by having to pay hefty bills whenever they visit their car service centres. It is, therefore, not unusual to find your monthly budget getting hindered by your car’s maintenance cost. Maintaining your old or new car can be a daunting task, yet it is necessary. Below are some vital tricks that could help you save some money the next time you go for car service in Sunshine Coast.
Keep Check on the Service Manual
Your car service manual is arguably the most important guide. It is designed by professionals involved in building your vehicle to help keep it in good condition as time goes by. This manual clearly indicates the appropriate time for getting your car serviced and how often. For instance, it will tell you when your car requires an oil change, which includes brake oil and filter change. Most importantly, this manual contains vital information about the age of the assembled parts in your car, as well as the appropriate time for their replacement. Referring to your car’s service manual ahead of your Audi service could prevent you from getting trapped in the alluring offers given by some private servicing stations and dealerships, which could cost you a lot of money.
Timing Belt Replacement
A timing belt (or timing chain in some vehicles) is among the most vital components of your car’s engine. It’s responsible for moving the shafts located in the internal combustion engine. The appropriate time for its replacement will vary from car to car, so it is important to check with the service manual or with your local service agent, but it is generally needed after around 100,000 to 150,000 kilometres.
In the case of many Volkswagen Sedan’s, for example, the duty cycle (life expectancy) on a Timing Belt is a little lower (105,000kms), while the timing belt or timing chain duty cycle in other makes and models could be significantly longer.
Always remember that referring to your Audi’s manual is essential in determining the correct duration after which you should replace the timing belt, lest you will end up severely damaging the engine.
Avoid Washing Your Car in the Heat
Washing your car under direct sunlight or during extremely sunny days will leave soapy residue and spots on the vehicle, which will ultimately ruin its finish. This is especially true for new cars with clear coats of paints; these are especially vulnerable to sun damage, thus requiring expensive repainting to fix such problems. You should, therefore, wash your automobile during partly cloudy days or under a shade or shelter.
Take Care of the Tyres
Keeping tabs on your car’s tyre pressure while pumping them on a regular basis will help them last longer. This will also assist with yielding enhanced fuel efficiency, in addition to affording you a safer driving experience on long routes. Also, ensure to have regular wheel alignment as unaligned tires wear out faster, thus requiring constant replacement.
Source:
Cars and Maintenance- Regular Care for Optimal Vehicle Performance, abcnews.com.co
How Auto Mechanics Can Rip You Off, and How to Avoid Being Taken for a Ride, abcnews.go.com
