People who service their own cars between MOTs may think that they are saving money but it is often more of a false economy to act in this way. With a professional mechanic who is able to enter all of the servicing actions in your logbook, you will be much better placed when it comes to selling the car. Even cars that are quite old will be worth more if they have a full service history. On top of this, servicing your own car will often mean that your vehicle dips in performance, meaning you may well spend more on fuel.
In case you are planning a trip during the holiday season to places like Brighton, London or even to Buckinghamshire, you need to consider professional help when it comes to servicing your car.
Moreover, in case you are in Buckinghamshire, you can also book your car servicing in Beaconsfield at Broadway Autocentres – pay at the branch, no online payment. This way, you will be able to drive away in the confidence of a truly professional job that offers value for money. If not, you could be making one of the common mistakes that many drivers commit…
1. Driving With Old Oil
To begin with, many motorists don’t realise just how important it is to change their oil from time to time. In the past, this was such a regular feature of car servicing that nearly everyone did it. However, modern cars tend to use much less oil than they did a couple of decades ago. Therefore, you can be fooled into thinking that your oil will go on forever. You might only need to do it once every few years, but avoiding changing your engine oil will result in mechanical problems and uneconomical driving.
2. Not Changing Wiper Blades
Without proper wiper blades functioning properly, you won’t be able to see out of your windscreen or rearview mirror properly in the case of hatchbacks. Although you might think your wipers are fine because they can shift light rain, the blades may be unable to cope with tree resin, bird muck and other residues. Unfortunately, you will only find out unless you check them regularly when they are found wanting – something that could place you in a dangerous situation on the road.
3. Failing to Keep Tyres Inflated
Tyres are all too often overlooked by car owners. Without pumping them up to the recommended inflation level, they will not offer you the grip on the road you need when braking or swerving. This simple servicing measure takes only a few minutes when you refuel. And yet, it can save you plenty of money by improving the efficiency with which your car uses fuel since properly inflated tyres rotate with less friction.
4. Driving on Old Brake Pads
When your brake pads start to wear down they will typically squeak a little. However, your brakes will still work and you might think that they are fine to continue driving on. This is a mistake because sooner or later they will not work as you would like them to, leading to an accident. Brake pads wear down progressively so you never go from being safe to unsafe overnight. Failing to change them before they have deteriorated is not worth it from a financial or safety point of view.
5. Overlooking Dashboard Warnings
So, your dashboard says there is a problem but your car feels fine to drive? Why would you do anything about it? The reason is that warning lights only come on when there really is an issue that ought to be looked at. Leave it and you are storing up trouble for yourself because the problem is only going to get worse and more costly to put right.
