Car Care – The Basics You Need to Know

Posted by Lee Brown on June 1, 2015 in News

Regular maintenance on a car is absolutely vital, if you do not maintain your vehicle then suddenly it can stop working, which is very dangerous and costly. A badly maintained car can be unsafe and unreliable, and listed below are a few main parts of a car can be easily checked every week to ensure you and your passengers are safe. Cambridge Car Solutions offer car recovery and we also buy scrap cars, and many of the broken ones could have stayed running longer if the following precautions were taken.

Below is a list of the most important basic things you should check on your car to keep it in good serviceable condition:

Your tyres are the only part of your car or vehicle that (should) come in contact with the road, that’s why it’s the most important that they are kept in good condition and have enough tread on the wheels.

If you have accidentally hit something with your tyres/wheels or you feel any juddering when driving then it’s best you take your vehicle to a garage and have it checked, it’s very true that it is better to be safe than sorry. If you knock your tracking or wheel alignment off the correct setup you may cause damage to your car, as well as making fuel economy worse.

A fast and easy way to test your tyres have enough tread on them is to take the 20p test, you can do this by putting a 20 pence coin into the channels of your tyre and if the outside band of the coin is sticking out, then your tread is above the legal limit. If you can see the outside band then you probably need new tyres.

Oil

Having the right amount of good condition oil in your car is imperative to keeping it running smoothly and to help you prolong the engine’s lifetime. A car or anything with a normal combustion engine cannot run without oil and if you do not have to correct oil levels or its bad quality you can seriously ruin your engine.

You should check your cars oil levels on a regular basis by opening the bonnet and pulling out the dipstick. The dipstick will show you the level of the oil and the colour will indicate the healthiness, the level of the oil should be between the minimum and maximum levels and should not be under or over-filled.

Watch out for any sudden increases in oil consumption or leaks, and if you do notice any of these then you should take your car to the garage as soon as possible to avoid damage to your engine.

Warning Lights

Careful attention should be taken to any warning lights that come on when your car is in operation, even if they go off after a while. It may only be a sensor that is a problem, although it can also be a genuine fault that could cause you to have an accident or put other road users and passengers in danger. If you do not check a fault, they can lead to others that can be more costly or take longer to repair so it’s best to go straight to a garage or call us on 07913204238 if you spot a problem.

Other Bits to Check

Below is a list of a few other bits you should check on a vehicle to ensure it stays healthy:

Radiator coolant levels should be checked to make sure your car runs at the correct temperature – but never remove the radiator cap if your engine has been running recently
Power steering, brake transmission fluid levels should be checked to ensure they are at suitable correct levels
Engine belts – make sure the belts that are visible when looking under the bonnet look in good condition and have no scuffs or signs of wear. If you do notice any signs of wear, reduce the usage of the vehicle and take it to the garage as if a belt snaps it can be very costly.

Not keeping care of your car can cause a car to malfunction and breakdown, this can be very dangerous and lead to an expensive repairs bill. If you do breakdown, remember we offer a professional and swift vehicle recovery service at costs that are affordable. A great idea would be to save our emergency recovery number in your mobile’s phonebook (07913204238), so in the event of anything happening you know you will be in good hands.