17 Apr 5 Ways to Ensure Your Family Car Runs Longer
Want to know how to keep your family car running for longer? There are some simple steps you need to take to stay on top of your vehicle’s health. Understandably, you’ll want your family car to be durable and reliable. From checking your oil regularly to looking after your tyres properly, here’s what you need to know.
Following the recommended maintenance schedule
Guidelines for vehicle maintenance are in place for a reason. They exist to help drivers stay on top of potential faults or niggles that need to be addressed so that you can stay safe out on the road.
For example, you should book a basic service every 12,000 miles or once a year to give your vehicle a thorough check. You also need to ensure that your lights work at all times, as these are key to the safety of you and other drivers. They should also be adjusted appropriately so that they don’t dazzle other road users.
Your MOT needs to be carried out each year, as these appointments assess whether your car is suitable to be out on the road.
Regular oil changes and fluid top-up
It’s important to check your oil around once a week ideally. If you’re driving with the incorrect level, or with oil that is dirty, this could cause damage to your car and reduce fuel efficiency. For this reason, checking your oil is one of the most important maintenance checks you can do. Experts recommend that you change your oil every 5,000 to 7,000 miles covered, although this will vary depending on the model and make.
Tyre care
Other areas of vehicle maintenance involve your vehicle’s tyres. You need to routinely check their tread to ensure it sits within the correct range. You should also check the tyre pressure frequently and inflate where necessary. Both underinflated and overinflated can cause issues on the road.
You should also check tyre rotation, otherwise your tyres won’t wear evenly, causing them to become worn morequickly.
You may also want to swap your tyres once winter rolls around, as these are designed to be more durable and better at gripping in harsher conditions.
The power of prevention
The concept of ‘prevention is better than cure’ couldn’t be more applicable when looking after our vehicles. Doing the necessary checks will help you identify any issues that might need fixing sooner rather than later. They can help you to nip an issue in the bud before it gets any worse. Minor issues can become major issues surprisingly quickly if you leave them untouched – and this can make a big dent in your savings.
Driving habits
So-called ‘preventive driving’ is a technique encouraged to help prevent accidents from occurring on the road. It centres around timely and gentle breaking as opposed to aggressivebreaking and acceleration. You should leave enough space between you and the driver in front and you should be cautious when doing tricky manoeuvres. Be sure to adopt these driving habits to help prolong the life of your family car.
