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As women who are subjected to the life of jam packed schedules and never ending tasks, it is quite disheartening when something stands in the way of our plans. As much as we like to think of ourselves as independent women, our independence is inevitably diluted by our dependence on the mode of transport which takes us from A to B. We’ve all been there – waiting on the platforms in the bitter cold, gritting our teeth as an announcement is made over the loudspeaker, stating that this train is not taking any passengers. The joys of public transport! While a car can serve as shelter from the pouring rain and freezing temperatures, it can prove rather useless when it fails to fulfill its basic function as a motor vehicle. The power that these modes of transport hold over our schedules, not to mention our punctuality is quite baffling.
There are a number of steps we can take as responsible car owners, to keep our vehicles healthy. We will explore four of them. Not to worry, our car maintenance efforts will be rewarded in the future when years from now, our car is running as smoothly as it was when we first picked it up from the showroom!
Regular servicing
Servicing your car, according to your log book and the number of kilometres you’ve accumulated, is integral in ensuring a long life for your car. A car service is essentially a health check. We cross our fingers that there are no major health issues, but take comfort in knowing that early detection translates to a positive prognosis.
Keep it clean
We often give priority to cleaning the inside of our cars. After all, it is where we spend a lot of our time. However, washing the outside of your car should take equal priority, if not more. Washing the visible surface of your car is not enough. It is important that you regularly hose down the undercarriage of your car with a powerful hose as this is where the road grime lies. Be aware that mud and dirty water can collect in corners and crevices underneath your car and is a common cause of rust.
Checking the oil level
Checking your oil level on a monthly basis is another health check that should be conducted to ensure that the oil has not been contaminated. Only do this once your engine is turned off and completely cool. In order to obtain an accurate reading, park on level ground. Again, consult your owner’s manual to locate the correct dipstick. Remove the dipstick and wipe it clean with a lint-free cloth. Once clean, put the dipstick back into the oil and remove it, taking note of the end of the stick and how high the oil level is. If you need to top up your oil, look for a screw-off cap situated on top of the largest part of the engine and add oil as needed.
Checking the tyre pressure
Prior to checking the tyre pressure, refer to the owner’s manual to determine the ideal tyre pressure for your vehicle. Only check the tyre pressure when the tyre is cold. Remove the cap from the tyre’s pressure valve and secure the pressure gauge onto the valve to take a reading. Adjust the angle of the gauge until there is no hissing sound. Plug the compressor into your car’s 12V socket and inflate the tyre to the specified pressure. This check should be completed on a monthly basis.
Sometimes, the universe will refuse to work in our favour and we are confronted with a mechanical nightmare, despite our best efforts to regularly service and maintain our vehicles. Lucky for us, there are mobile mechanics on the gold coast that will happily rescue a damsel in distress. They understand that describing our lives as busy is an understatement and with schedules like ours, we don’t have time to take our precious cars to a mechanic. That is why they bring the workshop to us.