Mar 15, 2024 MiWay Blink, Keletso Mpisane
Smart tips on how to better look after your car
A car doesn’t have to be fancy to be clean, good and healthy. A properly kept and healthy running car says a lot about the owner. Even though the exterior normally gets the attention - in reality, the upkeep of the whole car should be the focus.
Just like a stethoscope to the chest can spot problems in a heartbeat - so can a comprehensive 62-point check diagnosis, also known as Multi Point Inspections, to the engine. But one can only know about the condition of either of the two if they visit a trained specialist. Taking good care of your car not only saves you money, but it also reduces the risk of serious accidents. Being that your car’s upkeep can be a life and death situation, it would make perfect sense to ensure that the car is kept as ‘healthy’ as possible at all times.
Here are some tips on how to better take care of your car:
- Make sure you service your car regularly
- Your car also needs to see a specialist regularly in order for it to perform at its optimum.
Head of digitally based motor insurer MiWay Blink, Keletso Mpisane says, “Car services can be lifesavers in a sense that properly kept cars are more efficient and safer. A regularly serviced and well-maintained car will perform at its optimum and it’ll also consume less fuel, saving you money. Fuel efficiency is one of the benefits of a well-maintained car, so you will pay for either the maintenance or the extra fuel at the end of the day. A car that is serviced according to schedule is also more reliable because of regular checks on components that lead to break downs being regularly monitored.”
Servicing your car according to schedule also maintains the value of your vehicle, she adds.
- Wax your car protect the paint work. Think of this as sunscreen when you go out for some fun in the sun. Frequent exposure to the sun can damage the paint work of your car.
Mpisane explains, “Car insurance premiums are calculated based on a number of underlying factors, one of which is the expected cost of repairing a particular vehicle. The repair cost is typically split into three components – parts, paint and labour. In the current environment the increase in the cost of parts and paint is exceeding normal inflation.”
Make sure you park your car under shade - The windscreen and dashboard of your car will thank you over time, if you park your car under a shade more often than not. The plastic component in the dashboard disintegrates due to heat over time and this is why many dashboards crack when the cars get older. Regularly polishing the dashboard helps protect it from damage caused by the sun, while also giving a pleasant smell in most instances.
Check your wheels regularly - Checking your rims, tyres and wheels regularly helps you to better control your car on the road. The wheel system, including the brakes, has a huge impact on the safety and control of your car in traffic and it is a consideration that should not be left to chance.
Potholes in South Africa are so much of a problem that the government officially launched an app called Vala Zonke,which translates to ‘plug them all’, for the public to help in identifying potholes so that they can be plugged across the country. Taking good care of your wheels will better your prospects of safer travels.
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