The Importance of Regular Car Maintenance
When you buy a car, you’re making one of the most significant investments you’ll be faced with during your life. It makes sense, then, that you should do all you can to look after it properly and get the best possible value out of it.
In order to do that, it’s important to at the very least follow the manufacturer’s recommendations when it comes to a maintenance schedule. That can include things like booking an annual service or making regular checks on the condition of your tyres and the fluid levels (such as the oil, coolant and brake fluid) in your engine. You also need to replace some key components after a certain number of years or miles, such as the timing belt.
If you’re busy, it can be easy to put these important jobs off, but here are five good reasons to make sure you stay fully up to date with your essential car maintenance.
5 reasons for regular car maintenance
- It’s cheaper in the long run
As we all know, prevention is better than cure – and in the case of car maintenance, it’s a lot cheaper as well. Regular maintenance is all about keeping all the working parts in top condition and preventing minor issues from becoming major ones later on.
Most of the routine tasks involved are relatively quick and easy to carry out, but if you don’t do them, you’re likely to be faced with more extensive work later on, probably involving the replacement of expensive parts plus the labour to get the work done. One good example is changing your engine oil – if you don’t get it done regularly, you could be faced with a bill running into thousands of pounds to fix a seized engine.
- It’s safer
A poorly maintained car is a danger not just to you as the driver, but also to your passengers, other road users and any pedestrians you happen to pass. If your brakes and tyres, in particular, aren’t looked after, they could fail at any time with potentially catastrophic and even fatal consequences, especially if you are travelling at high speed at the time.
- It lowers your running costs
A well-maintained engine operates more efficiently – and that means that it will use less petrol than one that’s been neglected. Making sure your fluid levels are kept topped up, your air filter is clean and your spark plugs are working properly can all lower fuel usage. The same goes for keeping your tyres inflated at the correct pressure. What is less obvious is that keeping your air-conditioning fully charged can also reduce your fuel consumption.
- It prevents costly and inconvenient breakdowns
Breakdowns can of course happen at any time even with regular maintenance, but they are considerably more likely to happen without. If you break down halfway through an important journey, it’s going to be extremely inconvenient, plus there’ll be the trouble and cost of getting your car recovered (we’re assuming that if you haven’t bothered to maintain your car properly, then you might not have breakdown cover either!). Last but not least, you’ll also be without your car entirely until you can get it fixed.
- It boosts your car’s resale value
If you want to sell your car at some point in the future, you’ll be able to get a lot more for it if you can demonstrate that it has been well looked after while in your care. When you get your annual service, make sure your engineer stamps the manual to show that they have carried out all the maintenance tasks required based on the age and mileage of your vehicle.
Professional car maintenance services in North London
While you might be able to carry out some basic maintenance tasks yourself, you’re always far better off asking a professional to do the job for you. That’s because they will follow a detailed list of essential tasks, making sure that nothing is forgotten about or overlooked. As cars get ever more complicated, ensuring that everything is properly looked after increasingly requires the experience and expertise of someone who does the job day in, day out.
Here at UK Tyres, we offer some of the most comprehensive and effective car servicing available in and around North London. Whatever the make or model of your car, our fully trained and equipped team can ensure it’s in the best possible condition to keep you safe and confident out on the road at all times. Get in touch with us now to find out more about the range of services we offer to drivers in North and West London or book your next service online now.