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How to Maintain Your Car ?

Do you know that your car comprises of nearly 14,000 parts? This means that even if your car is up to 99.9 percent of its ability, there's still a chance that 14 parts are not functioning properly.

Regular maintenance and attention backed by general knowledge about how a car works, coupled with common sense, will help ensure years and miles of pleasurable motoring. Most of us neglect minor rattles because they don't directly affect the running of the car. But, over a period of time, such problems can lead to a breakdown that can prove to be far more expensive to rectify than the root cause, had that been attended to at the right time. A well maintained car will probably never let you down and will always enhance your driving pleasure.

Remember, prevention is better than cure and this is the stepping stone to automotive maintenance. If you can prevent or rather slow down the wear and tear of the components in your car, the less time and money you'll have to spend replacing them.

When you acquire a car, read the owner's manual carefully as it will give you a fair idea about routine maintenance. Stick to the service schedule specified and keep a daily check on accessible components like the tyres, battery, and lights. A good idea is to maintain a log book that will give you accurate reports about the fuel consumed, parts replaced and upcoming service dates ready at hand when you need them.

The life and longevity of your car also depends on your driving habits - the gentler you are with a car, the longer it lasts. Hard, redline revving of a cold engine inflicts untold and unseen damage to the pistons and cylinder walls.

Most cars today regulate their temperature around the optimum level and the engine should be given time to reach this temperature. While jerky starts, with squealing rubber, wear out the tyres and the clutch, sudden and hard braking damages tyres and accelerate brake liner and disc brake pads wear. It's better to judge braking distances and use rolling resistance and the gears to help you slow down. This not only reduces wear but increases mileage too.

Driving with your foot resting on the clutch again spells doom for the clutch plates and hitting road irregularities like speedbreakers and potholes hard will put a strain on the suspension components. Always drive in the right gear - it reduces wear on the engine components and also provides improved fuel efficiency. Another bad habit is starting the engine with the lights or air-conditioner on. This imposes a high load on the battery and can reduce battery life, not to mention the load on the starter operating with lesser power from the battery.

If you give your car the loving treatment it deserves, you can look forward to years of trouble-free motoring.

LOOKING GOOD
A gleaming, clean and well-maintained car is as much of a head-turner as is Angelina Jolie. All it takes are a few look-good habits.

» A daily wash will not let layers of dust accumulate and dull the shine. Ensure the car cleaner uses fresh water to rinse the car before wiping it with a moist cloth. Wiping dust off with a dry cloth can scratch the paint.

» Get the car pressure-washed at a service station regularly. Focus on areas where dirt accumulates and is difficult to remove in a daily wash - under the wheel arches, nooks and crannies around the door hinges, under the bumpers and around the front grille, underbody and driveline components. Installing mud-flaps will help reduce dirt accumulation under the door sill.

» To polish your car, first give it a thorough wash using a special car shampoo. Polish immediately after it is dry - this avoids sealing in the dust. Polishing should ideally be restricted to once in three months under normal use.

» Avoid parking the car in bright sunlight for long as this causes the paint to blister and fade.

» Do not use plastic or vinyl covers in humid conditions as they trap moisture and can form fungus.

» Protect the interiors by using rubber floormats, especially during the monsoons. Soggy carpets will lead to floorboard corrosion and also a musty smell emanating from the carpets. Regular vacuu-ming of seats and dry cleaning of seat covers helps keep the interiors looking and smelling like new. Wipe interiors and the trim with special cleaning solution so they don't start looking faded. Also, a mild car air freshener will keep odours at bay.

» Little scratches and dents should not go unattended. Areas where the paint has been damaged and the metal exposed will attract corrosion, especially in the moisture-laden air of places close to the sea. Chasing away corrosion is an expensive affair and involves major tinwork.

» The bottom edges of doors have drain holes that let out water that gets into the door via the window beading. These drains tend to get blocked causing water to accumulate there and leading to corrosion.

» When you get the paint touched up or a part of the car repainted, remember that there are specified curing periods for the filler ('lambi') before painting. It's best to go by the book and not speed up the process, else you may not get the right shade or the paint might start peeling off after a while.

» Chrome parts need regular cleaning with a chrome polish to ensure a con-tinuing shine. If dirt, rust and oxidisation get a grip, then the gloss could be lost forever.

ENGINE
The engine is the heart of your car. Made up of many components all varying in size but more or less equal in importance, some of them have tolerances of only 0.001 inch and do not take kindly to unskilled adjustments. It is advisable to let trained mechanics attend to these intricate details. What you can do is regular maintenance and keep an attentive lookout for noises or sounds that warn you that something
is amiss.

OILS, FUEL AND KEEPING IT COOL
Oil is the lifeblood of the engine. Running out of fuel would simply stop the engine, but dirty or insufficient oil can inflict irreparable damage.
» Check the oil level with a dipstick regularly - as a rule of thumb, do this before you start the car for the day every week and each time you fill up fuel. The correct procedure for checking oil is to pull out the dipstick, wipe it dry and then insert it back in its place. Pull it out after five seconds to get an accurate reading on the level. The level should be in between the high and low-level indicators. If it is in between, there is no need to top up the level.

» Keep in mind that simply checking the level is not enough; note the colour and viscosity of the oil. If the oil is very dirty or too thin, get it changed immediately. Filling up excess oil leads to foaming and thick white smoke as the engine burns up the excess oil. Keep an eye on the oil pressure light on the dashboard when you start the car. The light should glow for a moment and then go off. If it doesn't, it indicates a problem with the lubrication system.

» If the oil pressure indicator light is faulty, get it rectified immediately.

» It is generally unhealthy to top up old oil with new. Completely drain out the old and dirty oil and replace it with fresh oil. If you're following service intervals as specified in the owner's manual, then oil changes would be regularly carried out. If the car seems to be burning up oil and you find the oil level progressively getting lower, then you should get it looked into by a qualified mechanic.

» Most manufacturers re-commend various brands but what's important is the grade (see box), which should be strictly adhered to.
» The purity of fuel affects your car's performance in a big way and if you find that a certain petrol pump is consistently dishing out bad fuel that causes pinking and knocking, then switch to another pump.

» Never let the needle on the fuel gauge go all the way down to 'empty' before refuelling, this can cause dirt from the bottom of
the fuel tank to get into the fuel line and cause blockage. Also, cleaning the fuel tank every three years is advisable.

» If you've let the fuel run down to rockbottom very often, you might find your car stalling and sputtering. The solution is to get the fuel line cleaned and ensure there is always sufficient fuel in the tank.

» The coolant is what helps your engine keep its cool. Most cars today have a sealed cooling system that doesn't need daily topping up. But yet again, it's advisable to check coolant level once a week when the engine is cold. The ratio of water and coolant should be equal. Most radiators have a rated pressure cap that allows the coolant to flow into the overflow bottle when it reaches operating temperature. When the coolant reaches ambient temperature, it is drawn back into the radiator.

» Never attempt opening the radiator cap when the engine is hot. This can lead to serious and sometimes fatal injuries. Also avoid adding chilled water to a hot radiator.

» The parking light indicator in most cars also serves as the brake oil level warning light. Spongy brakes are also an indicator of low brake oil. Check the brake fluid regularly and always fill the recommended grade as mentioned on the filler cap. If the level keeps going down, send in your car for a complete brake system check-up as there could be a leak in the master cylinder or one of the pipes.

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Related Articles:
Maintenance Tips
Preventive Maintenance Planner

Source

May 2002

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