Second, only to buy a home, the next biggest thing to be purchased is normally a car, so in order to cherish such a valuable asset in your possession, it pays to make sure you take care of it. Just by following some simple tips, you may be able to extend the life of your car and even give you a better chance of getting more money back if you happen to sell it when the time is right.
Best Price Car Sales has put together some simple tips to remind you what needs to be done in order to maintain your second most expensive expenditure.
Keep an eye on your tyre pressure
It’s advised to check your car’s tyres regularly for not only wear and tear but also the pressure. A good rule of thumb is to check tyre pressure at least once a month. Believe it or not, your tyres lose around one PSI every month every time they are inflated. Not only is this key to your safety but also benefits your fuel economy. It’s easy to check what the manufacturer requirements are, just by using a reputable tyre maintenance company like National. Not only is it advisable to check tyre pressure for day-to-day use, but it’s also important to adjust PSI levels for long journeys or heavier loads. Also check when your car’s being serviced that the wheel balancing on all tyres is correct, as this helps to combat steering and braking problems, as well as vibrations. Not doing so, can also be another cause for higher fuel consumption.
Check your oil levels
It’s not unusual to forget things like checking your car’s oil levels, and normally we become aware of problems when we see the oil warning light flash on our car’s dashboard. Along with checking your tyres each month, it’s worth opening the hood and checking your engine oil level. Another simple thing to do is just get a tissue/cloth, and look for the little pull ring on top of your engine, It normally has an oil can symbol or just reads ‘oil’. Pull the dipstick out, give it a quick wipe and stick it back inside the slot. On the dipstick itself, there’s an indicator that will tell you what your engine oil level is. If it’s low, it takes five minutes to pop down to your local car centre buy the recommended engine oil and top up.
Clean your car regularly
Many of us don’t realise that cleaning our cars on a regular basis helps maintain the longevity of the paintwork and the overall condition of the car. A buildup of dirt and other things like dead insects can seriously damage your car, through corrosion or embedded scratches. So make the most of your free time and either get a good hand wash every now and then or enjoy a few minutes at your nearest automatic car wash. (It’s always recommended by most car manufacturers to either hand wash or jet wash your car).
Take care of your car’s engine
Probably the most important part of your car, is the heart that drives everything, the engine. Not a bad idea to keep an eye on certain parts of your engine just to give you peace of mind that everything is topped up, such as coolant, screenwash, your battery’s secured properly and nothing looks out of sorts. Doesn’t take long to have a quick look in your car owners’ handbook and run through a couple of checks to give you peace of mind, in between services. This is another thing that should be done at least once a month and won’t normally take longer than 15 to 20 minutes to make sure everything is in order.
The common misconception is that you drive your car carefree until it’s due for its service but wouldn’t it be better if simple checks are made every so often? You will honestly feel a whole lot better than if you are not playing breakdown roulette every time you start your car up and head off into the unknown.
Peace of mind
At Southampton-based Best Price Car Sales, all of our used car stocks come fully checked and most have a full-service history too. We also provide all of our customers with a full warranty, along with an HPI check. With a choice of 1000s of quality used cars to choose from, we’re able to provide our customers with the exact used car they are looking for. If you need to sell your old car first, not a problem as we also accept your car as part-exchange and can offer you a fair price over the telephone and pick it up from your place of residence anywhere in the UK. Once you have chosen the used car that best fits your requirements, we provide free delivery to your door, regardless of where you live in England, Scotland, or Wales.
As a well-established family-run business, we are a registered credit broker, so we have access to the UK’s best car finance lenders and can in most cases find you finance approval within an hour of your application. Even if you can’t find the used car you are looking for on our website, we offer a sourcing service using our national partners to find the right car for you.
To find out more about our current deals and latest offers, give us a call at 02380 225 666 and speak to one of our friendly advisors, or click here to apply online for instant car finance today.