Thursday, May 17, 2007

Vehicle Maintenance Guide

If you find our first article on car buying guide to be useful, we hope that this new highlight on vehicle maintenance would be helpful in ensuring that your car is in tip top condition.

Taking care of your car is as important as taking care of your own health. You should conduct regular check-ups on these parts in order to avoid your car failing on you whilst driving.

Tyre Pressure


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Tyres play a crucial part in determining the handling of a car as well as adding to its physical appeal. The tyre pressure of your car can vastly affect the performance of your car if the tyre loses its optimum inflationary pressure. An inexpensive tire pressure gauge is enough to check pressure once a week.


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Whilst maintaining tyre pressure, be wary of under or over-inflation as they can upset the handling of your car. The slightest under-inflation can lead to excessive tread wear on the shoulders. Over-inflation wears out the tyres quickly, deforms the tyre tread with lumps and these can eventually cause a tyre blow out. Over-inflation is, however, recommended for long distance driving and/or when the car is heavily laden.


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When inflation pressure is decreased by 100kPa (1.0kgf/cm2), tyre wear is faster by 5 - 10% and fuel economy is decreased by 1.4%.


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Improper inflated tyre generates heat which causes separation of the threads, resulting in less traction thus wearing out the tyres.


pic_dot Properly maintained tires have longer life span, and it helps improve your petrol mileage.

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The correct tire pressure is printed on the sidewalls of your tires. It can also be found in your car manual. Also don't forget to check the pressure of the spare tire regularly.



Brakes


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Worn brake pads should be replaced as soon as possible to prevent unnecessary danger. Have the brake fluids and break pads or shoes checked during every engine oil change.


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Inspect hydraulic brake hoses for surface cracking or tattering. Any evidence of these signs should have the hose be replaced immediately.


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Clean, check and adjust the brake pads / shoes every 10,000 kilometers or 6 months. Change the brake fluid every 20,000 kilometers or 1 year.



Windshield Wipers


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Wiper blades should be replaced at least once a year, and more often if smearing or chattering occurs. Do not wait until the rubber is worn or brittle to replace them. The rubber edges of the wiper should be cleaned periodically with a sponge and a mild non-abrasive cleaner, in order to remove accumulations of dust and dirt.


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Worn wiper blades can be replaced in two ways. You can buy a new wiper blade assembly or just the rubber insert. The insert is cheaper and a good choice for a newer car. The wiper assembly is suitable for on an older car in which the metal wiper parts might have been damaged or corroded.


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Clean, check and adjust the brake pads / shoes every 10,000 kilometers or 6 months. Change the brake fluid every 20,000 kilometers or 1 year.



Engine Oil


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Check your engine oil at regular intervals, such as every fuel stop, and ensure that it is maintained at the correct level. You should try to conduct oil check before starting your vehicle after it has sat idle overnight.


pic_dot Add oil only when the level on the dipstick is at or below the MIN mark. If your usual driving involves stop and go traffic (slow moving traffic), change your engine oil every 3 months.


Cooling System

Indication of a leaking, clogged or corroded radiator or over-heated hoses can be identified by the warning signs below.


pic_dot Poor air conditioner or heater performance.

pic_dot Engine overheating.

pic_dot Temperature warning light goes on or temperature gauge reads higher than usual.

pic_dot Antifreeze/coolant found on the pavement where your vehicle was parked.

pic_dot Antifreeze/coolant found on the floor of the passenger compartment.


Damaged hoses can restrict coolant flow, causing poor air conditioning performance, poor heater performance and engine overheating. It is important that the cooling system be repaired or replaced.



Coolant Level


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When the engine is idling and warned to normal operating temperature, the level of the coolant should be between Max and Min marks. The overflow bottle needs to be check only once a month if the engine operating temperature is satisfactory. Flush and add new coolant into the radiator every 20,000 km or 1 year.



Headlights


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Checking your headlights regularly during petrol station stops is an effective method for inspecting headlights. After a period of time the filament may burn through or the lens may be broken.


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Before the headlight is replaced, however, check the condition of the fuse. You may also test the circuit using a voltmeter. If it is necessary to replace the headlight lamp often, check the charging system. A high voltage output will cause the filament to burn hotter than it is designed to burn and will shorten the life of the lamp.


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It is advisable to replace in pairs. Whether its both low beam or high beam headlamps or the dual beam lights, replace each like system in pairs. Like many other parts on your car where there are more than one (tires, brakes, etc.), changing all like parts at the same time is critical to managing maintenance schedules.

1 comment:

chelle said...

absolutely broader info's... my brake booster had just worn out a year ago, as it is advisable to replaced it with a new one..my urgent needs to replaced it with mercedes brake booster had done upon saving from my excess expenses.. i won't risk my driving safety anymore..its really an important task to maintain vehicles... thanks for this great info's...i had lot of ideas now..