04/06/2023
5ways to make your car last longer
1 #. Stick to the service schedule
Regular servicing is vital to keep your car in tip-top condition and prolong its life.
Service intervals are based on time or miles driven – once a year or every 10,000 miles, for example.
Check the handbook to find out when your car is due a service and what work is required.
Many modern cars have warning lights on the dashboard to alert you when maintenance is needed, too.
Broadly speaking, you should budget for a ‘minor’ service once a year and a ‘major’ service every two or three years.
A minor service includes changing the oil and oil filter, and replacing other fluids if necessary.
Depending on the car and mileage, a major service may also cover replacement of the air filter, spark plugs and cambelt.
The number of tasks included in even a minor service is numerous, but all should include checks for oil and fluid leaks, tyre pressures and condition, excessive exhaust emissions, brake wear, and the correct operation of the steering, gearbox, clutch, suspension, lights, wipers and horn.
2 #. Avoid resting your foot on the clutch and your hand on the gearstick
Some drivers are inclined to drive with their foot resting on the clutch pedal. This pushes the clutch release bearing in contact with the clutch cover, leading to unnecessary friction. Over time, the clutch can wear out prematurely.
Similarly, it’s tempting to rest your hand on your gearstick between gear changes, but this applies pressure to the selector fork and other internal parts. The added friction speeds up wear and tear on the gear box.
Try to get into the habit of moving your hand onto the steering wheel and resting your left foot elsewhere in the footwell instead.
3 #. Use your air conditioning
‘Use it or lose it’ is a phrase that could be applied to air conditioning.
Air-con systems inevitably leak refrigerant gas over time, particularly if they aren’t used regularly.
Leaving your air-con off may save fuel, but you could end up with a bill for air conditioning re-gassing instead (often around N12,000 available at most garages and fast-fit centres).
And yes, that means occasionally letting your vents blow cold in winter, too.
4 #. Replace spark plugs and leads
As cars become ever more complicated, drivers are understandably less inclined to do their own servicing.
However, replacing spark plugs and high-tension leads is another straightforward job you can do yourself to optimise your engine's performance.
Bear in mind that you should always consult your vehicle handbook beforehand and stick to the service schedule though.
When inspecting a spark plug, check that it has:
a light brown electrode and insulator
no signs of melting
no signs of wear or deposits.
A spark plug in a poor condition either indicates wear over time and needs replacing, or can hint at the condition of your engine.
If the plug is relatively new and has developed a significant gap between the electrode and the insulator, then it could be an indication that the engine is under-performing. If that's the case, you should consult your local garage.
If the leads have cracks or show signs of heavy wear, they should be replaced. We recommend using a reputable garage to carry this out, however, if you have the experience and feel confident, you could do it yourself as long as you follow your vehicle handbook's guidelines.
This point doesn’t apply to diesel cars as they don’t use spark plugs.
4 #. Top up fluids regularly
Fluids are your car’s lifeblood and failing to replenish them may have dire consequences.
Check your engine oil once a fortnight by opening the bonnet (with your car on level ground) and removing the dipstick. Give it a wipe with a rag then give it a dip.
When it comes back out, the oil level should be between the minimum and maximum markers – and a light yellowy-brown colour if your car has a petrol engine.
Dark, dirty oil should be replaced. However, diesel engine oil accumulates soot as part of the normal combustion process, so dark-coloured oil isn’t a cause for alarm with a diesel car.
Other areas to check fortnightly include the coolant reservoir, which you should top up with 50% distilled water and 50% antifreeze, and the windscreen washer bottle.
We recommend a shop-bought screenwash for the latter.
Don’t be tempted to use washing-up liquid as it contains salt and other additives that will damage paintwork.
You would be surprised how many cars are running desperately low on oil. I routinely check the coolant and oil level when I attend a breakdown and I often discover that the oil is at the bottom of the dipstick and the coolant is worryingly low. Either can have a catastrophic impact on the engine and yet it’s easy for the driver to keep an eye on these and get into the habit of a fortnightly check.
5 #.Have your car rust-proofed
Modern cars are very rust-resistant, but metal corrosion is the number-one killer of vehicles built in the 1990s or before.
Once it sets in, many simply won’t be economical to repair.
If you see rust spots on your car, don’t wait for them to develop – at the very least, cover the exposed bodywork with touch-up paint before getting it professionally resprayed.
Applying a stone-deflecting film to the front of your car could prevent paintwork damage in the first place.
You could also have the chassis properly rust-proofed, which includes filling the cavities with a waxy substance designed to prevent water ingress.
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