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0 Comments | Daily Mail (London, England), The, August 20, 2009
Byline: AARON RODGERS
You may have been thinking of buying a new car but found that the price is too high for you at this moment in time. Which? Car revealed last month that the cost of a Ford Fiesta had risen from [pounds sterling]11,570 to [pounds sterling]13,195, while a Vauxhall Insignia went from [pounds sterling]17.981 to [pounds sterling]20,430.
That’s not the case for all cars, of course, but there are good reasons to keep hold of your current car.
www.CarSite.co.uk released data showing a three-year old car, only depreciates [pounds sterling]6 per day. In addition, www.uswitch.com says it can cost 30% more to insure a new model, compared with a 10-year old car.
And let’s face it. Can you really bear to say goodbye to your trusty old motor? It’s easy to become emotionally attached to your car, it’s even been proven by university professors – blame the hormone oxytocin for what is a very real emotional bond between man and car.
So let’s assume the wrench of separation is too much, and you’ve decided to hold on to your car for longer. Here’s our top tips to making sure it keeps on running, and the decision doesn’t come back to bite you.
FOLLOW THE RULEBOOK Make sure you follow the maintenance schedule that will be detailed in your car’s owner’s manual.
However, don’t rely entirely on that for service intervals – some items need to be replaced based on time rather than mileage.
One thing to watch out for is the timing belt – most cars need this replacing every 60,000 to 90,000 miles. It’s not a cheap job, but it’s a lot cheaper than the damage that can be caused if it goes wrong.
Many cars have known problems that crop up under certain circumstances or when enough mileage or time has been racked up. You can be ahead of the game here – most makes and models have websites and forums dedicated to them, so do some homework there. Knowing about a problem might not get rid of it, but at least you’ll be prepared if it does go wrong.
PROTECT YOURSELF
Once your car exits the protective umbrella of its manufacturer warranty (typically three years, but some car makers like Hyundai and Kia offer five and seven years respectively), you are open to all sorts of mechanical gremlins, and the associated costs of getting them fixed, so protect yourself with a good warranty, such as one from Warranty Direct (www.warrantydirect.co.uk), which start from [pounds sterling]15 a month.
You can find out the reliability of your car, and even which parts are most likely to fail, by using Warranty Direct’s Reliability Index (www.reliabilityindex.co.uk) – axle and suspension systems are most likely to fail, at 25% on average, while electrical problems are almost as frequent, accounting for 24.8% of all car failures.
Many extended warranties will sound good, but for real protection, you want to look out for poli-cies that offer cover against failures caused by simple ‘wear and tear’, consequential loss and faults found during routine service and MOT procedures. Policies that cover these are few and far between – most exclude these as a matter-of-course ‘get-out’ clause.
Couple a warranty with breakdown cover in case the worst case scenario arises. With cover from [pounds sterling]28 per vehicle, it doesn’t have to be costly to buy this kind of cover, and the roadside assistance is extensive – the RAC alone has 1,650 patrols ready to help you out of any sticky situation (www.rac.breakdowncoveruk.co.uk).
LOOK AFTER YOUR CAR
Doing the basic car maintenance tasks like checking the oil level in your car, along with brake fluid, coolant, windscreen washer fluid and tyre tread depth, shouldn’t take more than five minutes, once a month.
Oil and car care company, Comma (www.commaoil.com), states more than 50% of motorists don’t check their oil levels often enough, and a staggering 17% never check it, despite the threat of an average [pounds sterling]1,413 repair bill if your car runs out of oil.
When topping up the oil, be aware that more than 60% of cars now require manufacturerspecific oil, according to Comma. Using the wrong oil could also do your car some physical damage, causing failures within the catalytic converter or diesel particulate filter.
The legal tyre tread depth is 1.6mm but most tyre manufacturers advise it doesn’t go below 3mm. Brands like Cooper Tire (www.coopertire.co.uk) and Avon Tyres (www.avon-tyres.co.uk) are cheaper than most, just as reliable and perform well in any weather or road conditions.
Check your owner’s manual to make sure you’re using the right type of coolant/antifreeze. In basic terms, there are two types of coolant – silica-based material, or organic acid technology coolant. Using the wrong type of coolant can wear away at your engine.
Whatever your car, never rely upon the colour of the coolant/ antifreeze in your car – there are some 18 different colours of coolant on the market, and all of them are simply dyes.
AT THE CAR WASH
IT MAY sound simple, but keeping your car clean is an easy way to extend the life span of your vehicle. The dirtier the car gets, the more the everyday grit from the day’s commute erodes away at your paintwork
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