Whether you are a new driver, a recent car owner having driven for some time, or an old hand on the road, you need to look after your car, especially with fuel and car parts prices being what they are at the moment. No one likes getting stranded in the middle of a busy city like London! Therefore looking after your car and tyres is becoming more important day by day.
Here are five helpful tyre and car maintenance tips that will keep your car in great condition for longer – and they may even save you some money in the long run!
Set Reminders
There are so many things to remember with your car: service dates, MOT anniversaries, the age of your tyres, the last time you topped up your radiator water, your tyre air, your windscreen washer reservoir… Make sure you stay on top of these by setting a reminder during the process for the next one. For example, as you wait for your service to be completed, set an alarm for eleven months’ time. This allows you the full renewal month to get your car in for its MOT without losing the anniversary date and with no risk of being late, and possibly getting a fine – remember there is no grace period to get your MOT! You can use your phone, a paper calendar or ask if your garage will send you reminders – it should be very easy for you to remind what needs to be done when.
Rolling Budget
As soon as you have saved enough to buy a car, keep on saving. As you now own the car, and have expenses associated with car ownership: fuel, tolls, parking fees and so on – you do not have to save as much as you did when you had a bigger lump sum target. But put away a decent sum each month – as much as you can reasonably afford – to have a repairs, service and replacement tyre fund on the go at all times. In this way, when your tyres need to be replaced, you will not have to scratch around or scrimp to afford your new tyres. You can also buy tyres from DAT Tyres where local tyre fitting is also available.
Declutter Often
Keep your car as light as possible. It is all too easy to leave things in the car: that bag of items for the charity shop; the old microwave that needs to go to the dump next time you’re passing that way; various books or odds and ends – and all of them add up into a considerable amount of extra weight pressing down on your tyres, adding to the wear and tear of the engine, and chewing through your fuel a bit faster than it would otherwise do.
Know Your Car
Get to know your car: what does it sound like at various speeds, how does it feel on braking, does the engine note remain level or does it fluctuate? Knowing the answers to all these questions can help you very quickly pick up when there is a problem, as you will easily spot the difference. Also get into the habit of walking around the car once a fortnight or so, looking for signs of recent damage, wear and tear having its way, and even just checking that your numberplate and bumpers are firmly fixed.
Drive Sensibly
This is perhaps the least important tip on this list, and simultaneously the most important! Driving at or below the speed limit, avoiding rough or unorthodox roads, and not driving up onto the curb can all help to keep your car in great condition. It also keeps you safer while on the roads, and is legally compliant, so there really is no need to ignore this tip: it is simply common sense, after all!
