Know your car
01
Regular Servicing
The 3 ‘Rs’ of servicing: Reliability | Resale Value | Safety
Yes the third is an ‘S’ but it’s REALLY important.
99% of problems start from the lack of servicing.
Solution:
Keep your vehicle serviced by the best people to explain to you ‘How often’ is best. That is us of course!
Benefits:
• Your vehicle will be safer.
• Your vehicle will be more reliable.
• You will get a better price for your vehicle when you sell it.
• You will save money on fuel.
• Your vehicle will last longer before you need to replace it.
• You will be less likely to face large repair bills.
04
CV Boots and Joints
The CV Joint allows the wheels on your vehicle to move up, down, left and right while moving. The CV Boot protects the joint from dirt & water that gets sprayed up from your tyres. It also keeps the grease where it should. Escaping grease can be flicked onto brake components causing problems and additional costs.
Problems show up as:
Usually you will hear a ‘clacking’ sound as you turn your vehicle but by this stage the CV Joint is already worn and needs replacing.
Solution:
Best Case: Your Technician has found that the CV Boot is cracked or torn. Hopefully no damage has been done to the joint. The CV Boot is easily replaced.
Worse Case: The CV Joint has started clacking which means it will have to be replaced. It is best to replace the CV Boot at the same time.
Hint:
Make sure your technician checks the CV Boots at each service [the good ones already do this]. Problems caught early keep repair costs down. Ask if they have greased the joint as this will help maintain the joint. CV Joints will wear even if the boots are kept in good condition. Once your Technician has detected wear in the joint they will advise you on how long before a replacement will be needed.
02
Braking
Braking systems create a lot of HEAT when in use. This heat can cause warping, bending, glazing and wear on the brake components.
Problems show up as:
— Shuddering
— Pedal Pulsing
— Squeak or Squeal
— Poor or Slow Response
— Brake Fade
Solution:
Replacing the brake pads, in most cases, is the answer but on occasion the Disc Rotor surface will need machining.
The worst case:
The Disc Rotors are too thin to be machined and will need to be replaced along with the pads.
Hint:
Get your Technician to check your brakes at each service [the good ones already do this].
Refrain from getting cold water (such as when you wash the vehicle) on HOT brake parts especially after heavy braking periods.
05
Warning Indicators
These take the form of lights in your dashboard. When you start a vehicle its computer checks out the operating systems e.g. Air Bag, Engine management & ABS Brakes to mention a few.
Problems show up as:
The warning indicator lights light up when you start the vehicle and then go out as the vehicles computer checks each system. If they don’t go out you have a problem. If they come on while you are driving you should stop and contact us to book a service right away, our team can tell you if it is something that should be actioner immediately and inform you if it is safe to drive on.
Solution:
The only solution is to have pop into the workshop and plug in a scan tool so they can ‘talk’ to the vehicles computer to find out what the fault is indicating.
Hint:
Did you know that when the Air Bag warning light is on your air bags WON’T work?
Do not ignore the warning indicator lights.
03
Cambelts
A Cambelt (or timing belt) is just that, a belt. This belt keeps many major moving parts of the engine working in unison. Without it the engine would not run.
Problems show up as:
What happens is that the belt can fail and this is called an ‘instantaneous unforeseen failure’. Your engine will stop immediately, which is highly dangerous if travelling at higher speeds. Most failures result in significant damage and costs.
Solution:
Manufacturers will recommend replacement intervals based on age and/or kilometers travelled. The timing belt should be replaced as indicated by them. Other components that are run with the timing belt (water pump, idle pulleys etc.) may need to be replaced at the same time.
Hint:
Talk to us if you do not know when your timing belt should be replaced. Prices vary on different makes and models due to engine design and complexity. We are here to help keep you on the road!
06
Batteries
Automotive batteries are usually classified as lead-acid type.
In simple terms lead plates react with the liquid acid to produce an electrical current. This reaction would stop very quickly if the process was not reversed. The reversal process takes place as the battery is re-charged. The engine of your vehicle turns an alternator, which recharges the battery. The battery powers the starter motor, the ignition system and the lights.
Problems show up as:
The engine is slow to turn-over or won’t turn-over.
Lights won’t turn on
The radio won’t retain the pre-set stations
Headlights slowly loose brightness then go out.
White powder forms on the terminals. [The white powder is toxic and should not be touched] .
Solution:
Have the battery tested. We can do this very quickly and produce a report on the state of your battery.
Best case; the terminals need cleaning or the battery needs charging. Medium case; the battery needs replacing
Worse case; It’s not the battery but another part of the electrical system.