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Car breakdowns can occur at any time and without any notice. You may find yourself on a lone road and then out of nowhere, your car comes to a stop or just refuses to start. In such a scenario, there’s nothing you can do to revert the incident other than waiting for AA or taking on the repairs yourself. Even though you may get out of the car and evaluate the damage, chances are that you’ll not be able to diagnose the problem quickly or correctly.
At times, a breakdown is simply unavoidable but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the likelihood of a breakdown occurring cannot be mitigated. As frustrating as a car breakdown could be, you can avoid getting yourself in this awkward situation by undertaking easy car care tasks that will assist avoid inconvenient and pricey car issues, as well as ensure you have a smooth and uninterrupted ride on the road.
Here are some car care tips you can use to help avoid breakdowns when driving a car:
1. Keep the engine oil topped up
Your car won’t be able to work properly without engine oil. Engine oil is crucial because it will prevent friction and heat from accruing in your engine and enable all the moving components of the vehicle to function appropriately.
If your car, van or other vehicle runs out of oil, the build-up of friction and heat will impact the moving components of the car and stop it working. Naturally, your car will slowly run out of engine oil as time passes. Definitely, if the light indicating your engine oil is low turns on, then pull over and have a look at your oil level.
Cracks or holes can make an opening in the engine and spill oil, so if the oil is dripping, don’t continue driving as your vehicle will likely suffer further damage and eventually break down. If you don’t notice any leakage, get to the nearest garage right away, purchase some engine oil and fill it up because not doing so will result in a car breakdown.
2. Never miss a service
Every good driver knows the importance of servicing their cars. So by missing a service or MOT, you’ll only be placing your vehicle and yourself in peril.
You may see it as an expense when a mechanic tells you that you have to buy new brake pads. At the end of the day, they are the specialists and listening to their advice can go a long way to preventing a possible breakdown. Going for comprehensive servicing will enable a mechanic to diagnose a potential problem and rectify it before the issue escalates.
If you want a fair quotation for servicing your car, you can explore the price range of different garages near you. Annual MOTs and frequent services will assist you to prevent breakdowns and keep your vehicle in top condition.
3. Drive properly and responsibly
How you drive will directly affect the essential components that make the car move.
For instance, don’t go revving your vehicle engine when the weather is cold as this will cause temperature variations inside the engine and ultimately damage essential parts.
Avoid hard starts and taking hard stops since your rotors and brake pads will wear. Alternatively, press the brakes gently when you stop the car.
Don’t ride your clutch because this will cause the bearings to wear down, which are integral in keeping the clutch functioning properly.
Lastly, don’t press your brakes while driving downhill. This is referred to as ‘dragging’ and it results in heat build-up and exerts significant strain on the braking system.
4. Remove unnecessary weight from your car
If you’ve packed your car with spare parts, books, your wardrobe, random passengers, foodstuffs, or any significant added weight, it will definitely take a negative toll on your vehicle.
Each time you take a corner, accelerate and brake, your vehicle will need to work extra hard to move the way you want.
Your brakes and suspension will take a hit as they will be under tremendous pressure, while fuel consumption will also increase.
Therefore, declutter your vehicle and take out anything that may be increasing undue weight since not doing so will result in abrupt issues while on the road, such as broken power steering or snapped brake lines.
5. Don’t ignore strange noises, warning lights or how the car feels while driving
Ignoring an issue won’t automatically make it vanish.
A car is made up of multiple complex pieces of machinery and several components need to be working in sync for the car to operate properly. For this reason, if you have a trivial issue, it’s best to stop the car and address it. Ignoring the issue won’t help the situation and will only make it worse. Any strange noise or change in the way it drives warrants a visit to the garage. Doing so will assist you to prevent incurring repair costs and irritating breakdowns.
Final Thoughts
however good a driver you feel you are, we all ease off on our driving over time. Hopefully, the 5 tips above will jog memories, help you stay safe on the roads and get you re-focused on important driving factors to improve your motoring and lessen the chance of you needing Duggan Recovery.