Understanding Your Mechanic Bill – The 5 Most Common Vehicle Issues and How to Prevent Them

Car troubles are just part of vehicle ownership, but there is plenty you can do to reduce the frequency and severity of these problems. Keeping up with your servicing schedule is the least you can do and even though it will extend the life of your vehicle we’ll be focusing more on the kinds of maintenance you can do at home. These five easy solutions to common car troubles will mean that you won’t have to call your mobile mechanic on the Gold Coast quite as often!

1. Fuels, Coolants, Oils and Water

Besides petrol, there are several other fluids that are essential to keeping your car healthy and running. Most of us forget about them, because there isn’t a gauge in our faces everyday reminding us to maintain them. If you want to avoid higher servicing fees and keep the parts in your car as new as possible, you should keep an eye on these as well:

Windscreen Washer Fluid – Visibility is essential for safety. Whilst this may not seem important at first, you don’t really want to get stuck with something obscuring your view. For this one just some fresh clean water and a small amount of windscreen detergent will keep you free and clear of debris and window fogginess.

Engine Oil – Oil keeps your engines lubricated and clean by reducing the friction of moving parts and flushing away debris and rust. You need to ensure that your oil levels are correct and do a complete oil refresh every once in awhile (your owners manual will tell you how often this should be performed). You can check your levels with the oil dipstick. If you never change your oil, it will become thick and grimey and can stick inside your engine.
Radiator Coolant – This fluid prevents your car from overheating.
Brake Fluid – If you are topping up this one, always ensure you are using the correct grade of fluid (again your owner’s manual is your friend). If you find yourself constantly topping up your brake fluid you probably have a leak and should see a mechanic.

2. Battery Care

Replacing a fully depleted battery is expensive but there are a few things you can do to extend it’s life as long as possible. For example, you should try not to run your radio or have things plugged in and charging while the engine is off, this is the fastest way to run your battery down. Long drives are great for giving the battery a good charge, this is also a great excuse for a weekend getaway!

3. Watch Your Tires

Your tires are an obvious and important part of your car, it is easy to take them for granted. Keeping your tires in good condition is essential for your safety and keeping them aligned and at the correct air pressure will mean that your car doesn’t need to work as hard. This will make running your vehicle cheaper and make your fuel and parts last longer.

4. Drive Safely

Apart from the fact that crashing is terrible for your car, driving in a safe and legal manner is great for every part of the car we have already talked about! Your levels of oil and fuel will be more stable, the car is less likely to overheat, plus your battery and tires will last longer. Other little things you can do is to not turn the steering wheel unless the car is in motion and cut any time you are idling down a much as possible.

5. Carry the Right Equipment

Here is a list of things you should keep in your car so you never need to call a roadside mechanic: