An ounce of prevention...

How often your car should be fully serviced depends on mileage. Experts recommend that this should take place every 16,000 to 20,000 kilometres which, for the average car user, is around once a year

Do you know your oil dipstick from your transmission fluid dipstick? If the answer is no, you could be at risk of expensive servicing bills due to neglect.

According to the experts, not knowing the components of your car or how to perform basic maintenance tasks can lead to more serious problems.

"Many people bring their cars in way beyond the recommended time limit for servicing," explains Shahid Mahmood auto mechanic and owner of Mahmood Auto Repairs and Motors.

"By this point basic problems have become bigger jobs, which lead to very expensive repairs.

Cars need continuous maintenance and to be serviced on time," he explains. How often your car should be fully serviced depends on mileage.

Experts recommend that this should take place every 16,000 to 20,000 kilometres which, for the average car user, is around once a year.

Additionally, an interim service or an oil and filter change should be done every six months.

"In between full services it is vital that regular car maintenance takes place to ensure things like oil are always topped up and that tyres have the right amount of pressure.

Negligence of these simple tasks can lead to much bigger problems," explains auto mechanic Notis Panayiou.
The following is a guide to what maintenance tasks need to be completed and how often.

• Weekly or every two weeks

Tyre pressure — The life of your tyres can be greatly improved if you make sure they are properly filled at all times.
"An under-inflated tyre can cause problems like reduced fuel economy and can even make driving dangerous," explains Panayiou.

To prevent tyre-related problems, the experts suggest checking pressure with a good-quality gauge once every two weeks and before long journeys. It is imperative you check your car's manual for the recommended inflation pressure, and to check the pressure when the tyres are cool.

• Monthly regime

Engine oil — To prevent engine deterioration it is imperative that the engine maintains the amount of oil it's programmed to receive.
"It is surprising how many people don't know how to properly check their engine oil level," explains Panayiou.
Panayiou recommends that whilst checking the oil level, the car should be on a level plane and be relatively cold.

Checkout the colour boxes here where Panayiou suggests some cool tips. "Checking as soon as the engine has been shut off following a journey leads to an erroneous reading, because a quantity of the oil remains in the oil ways and crank ways of the engine".

The best way to check the oil level of your engine is to pull the dipstick out, clean with a rag, then put it all the way back in. Then check the level.

The oil on the stick should be between the full and add marks. If the level is at or below the add mark, then the engine is a quart or more low.

Add one quart, wait a minute or two, then check the dipstick again using the same procedure. "It is important not to overfill your engine," Panayiou explains.

• Every six months

Cars also have dipsticks for transmission and power engine fluid. These need to be checked every six months.
For power steering fluid, check right after the engine has been turned off.

The proper method for checking the level of automatic transmission fluid varies with the car's make and year, so check the owner's manual.

• Every 24,000 kilometres

Shock absorber test — When shock absorbers are older than 24,000 kilometres, a simple check should be performed to see if they need replacing.

With the engine off, bounce the car up and down hard at each wheel. Once it is bouncing, let go and see how many more times the car bounces.

"If the car bounces more than twice, it means the shocks are weak," explains Mahmood. "Weak shock absorbers can affect the overall handling of the vehicle and lead to uneven tyre wear".

What's that smell?

An odour can indicate a problem. If the smells can be identified, it will be easier to explain to your mechanic what may be wrong with the vehicle. Mahmood says to look out for the following:

• Exhaust odour inside car – indicates a puncture in the exhaust under the passenger compartment.

• Gasoline odour outside the car – defective evaporation control canister, leaking or disconnected fuel line.

• Burning rubber – hot tyre because of a locked brake shoe.

• Burning plastic – short circuit in the electrical system.

DIy maintenance

Things you can do yourself

Certain car maintenance tasks can be easily undertaken with minimal personal risk, while others are best left to the professionals.

Mahmood recommends the following:
• Tasks that are non-complex, safe to undertake, with limited risk of car damage.

• Replacing windscreen wipers, brake fluid and the ignition module.

• Spark plug, oil, air filter and headlight changes.

•Tasks that pose limited safety risks or risk of damage to the car but require significant car knowledge to be undertaken.

• Replacing the head gasket, steering rack, water pump, radiator, fuel filter, fuel hoses and wheel bearings.
Tasks to be left to the professionals include replacing the brake line, brake rotors, CV boot, CV joint, exhaust pipe, struts, shock absorbers, fuel pump, front end components and the timing belt.

Checklist

Equipment every driver should have

• You car's manual.

• A basic first aid kit.

• Tyre gauge to measure the pressure and the usable tread left on your tyres.

• A can of lubricant to deal with noisy door hinges.

• Oil, brake fluid, automatic transmission fluid and windshield wiper fluid.

• A battery charger or booster cables.