Tips to maintain vehicles

Midas, the parts, accessories and lifestyle travel equipment store, has ten practical steps for vehicle owners to remember when applying efficient vehicle maintenance.

1. Drive responsibly, your vehicle will reward you

Accelerate slowly when you pull off, and brake slowly, too. The greatest wear and tear damage to a vehicle's engine occurs within the first ten to twenty minutes of a journey.

2. Regularly check tyre pressure

Under-inflated tyres impact on your vehicle's handling and road-holding. It requires more fuel to create greater force if your tyres are under-inflated. Correctly inflated tyres can prevent a blow-out and prevent damage when encountering potholes.

3. Check and replace your oil and air filter regularly

Often the case on remote South African roads, vehicles absorb dust and debris, as it enters the combustion chamber of your car's engine. These filters help the car breathe, which in turn prolongs the life of the engine. It also has an impact on the amount of fuel your car will be using.

4. Check the coolant level

A lack of coolant could allow your engine to overheat and cause untold damage. If a warning light comes on, take it seriously and have it checked out as soon as possible.

5. Check the basics

Items such as brake pads, hoses, timing belts, plugs and filters should be checked regularly, and a mechanic who has access to an appropriate toolkit, technology and thorough understanding of your vehicle can do this.

6. Undertake regular service check-ups with a mechanic

Prevent any breakdowns or awkward situations, like an unwelcome emergency repair bill, by having your car serviced regularly, preferably by the same mechanic, who knows and understands the specifications of your vehicle. New vehicles should be serviced after the first 1,000km, and from then, oil and filters should be changed on both new and used vehicles every 5,000km.

7. Keep to one service mechanic, if possible

Much like you have a regular GP, because he knows your medical history and understands your unique requirements, the same applies to the servicing of your vehicle. Credible workshops will keep a detailed service history of your vehicle and will be able to reference it if they are unsure about what has been replaced, may need replacing, or any custom specifications that need to be taken into account.

8. Don't speed if your vehicle is brand new

The most vulnerable period in a vehicle's history is in its first 1,000km. Bearings and cylinders should wear evenly as opposed to causing an unnecessary groove in a part.

9. Wash, polish and vacuum it regularly

To maintain your vehicle's paintwork and prevent damage from dirt, oil or debris, we recommend having your vehicle washed at least twice a month. Bird droppings are more harmful than you think, with acid eventually creeping into the paintwork and compromising its quality.

10. Damage-proof tips for long-term storage

If your vehicle is to be stored over an extended period, we recommend applying the following tips to your care in that period:

• Plug the exhaust pipe to prevent moisture from getting in to the combustion chamber;
  
• Remove the battery to prevent it from draining and place it on a charger;
  
• Fill the petrol tank to prevent condensation from occurring; and
  
• Wash, polish and cover the vehicle so that surface oils, dirt and bird-dropping acid do not compromise the paintwork.