New Year resolutions to make for your car
What you need to know:
- Your car is your prized possession and companion on the road. As a car owner, it is your responsibility to care for it. Here are some New Year’s resolutions that every car owner should follow.
As we start the New Year, it is time for that annual exercise of making New Year’s resolutions. From losing weight and eating better to exercising more and quitting bad habits, New Year resolutions can be hard to keep. This year, take it easy on yourself and instead make some resolutions that will keep your car running at its best.
Servicing on time
Robert Kalungi, a motorist, warns that some mechanical problems are as a result of continuous negligence and not following the recommended time for servicing your car. When some cars develop a mechanical fault and it is not attended to, it may accelerate another.
“I used to carry out minor service and never paid much attention to engine oil because I was just carrying out top ups without extracting old oil for new oil. With time, I realised there was a change in engine performance. After a thorough diagnosis, it was discovered that the oil filter had accumulated dirt which had blocked oil from reaching the engine block,” Kalungi recalls.
“One day on the road, the engine abruptly stalled and it could not restart. The car could not move and when it was towed to the garage, the mechanical diagnosis showed an engine knock, requiring a complete overhaul. Luckily, I only replaced some parts that cost less compared to the cost and stress of looking for a new engine. The whole process of making sure the engine runs again cost approximately Shs2.5m yet an oil refill and buying an oil filter costs less than Shs200,000. I thought I was saving but ended up spending more. Let us just say, i learnt my lesson,” Kalungi shares.
New number plate does not mean new car
When buying a car, your decision is most times based on number plates. According to Raul Kanyike, a car broker and dealer, a new number plate does not necessarily mean the car is new.
When you aim for a car with the latest number plate, be ready to pay more money because it is currently one of the market dynamics dealers are taking advantage of to exploit prospective motorists.
“What is sometimes funny is that people want the same car as they have been driving but with a newer number plate. You will get it but it will cost more. Along the way, you may discover that the mechanical condition of your previous car could have been better than that of the car you presumed to be new. All you need is a car in a good mechanical condition to move from one point to another,” Kanyike explains.
Avoid the ‘I know my car’ phrase
Most motorists only refuel their car when the fuel gauge crosses to the E (empty) mark. You console yourself with the phrase, ‘I know my car’, until you run out of luck. The downside of driving on very little fuel is that it will cost you more to refuel some cars such as the Toyota Mark X that runs on a 2500cc engine or any other relatively big engine capacity car. In most cases, you will need not less than Shs100,000 for the fuel gauge to move from empty to at least a quarter or half tank to restart the engine yet you could have spent less if you refuelled on time.
“You will not only spend on fuel but you are also exposing key parts of the car fuel system such as the fuel filter and fuel pump to fast wear and tear. The dirt at the bottom of the fuel tank will find its way to the fuel filter and it will block it overtime. The fuel pump will also struggle to consistently supply fuel to the engine to allow for adequate combustion to take place, leading to faster wear and tear,” says Alex Kadoli, a mechanic. He adds that with time, the fuel tank base will also start to rust since it is used to inadequate amounts of fuel.
Buy what you can afford
Some motorists buy cars because of peer pressure. Some cars are expensive to buy and relatively cheap to maintain while others are relatively cheap to buy but expensive to maintain. There are also those that are expensive to buy and expensive to maintain at the same time.
At the end of the day, what you need is a car you can afford to buy without going for loans but also affordable to maintain. Do not buy a car because you want to be unique. You will be the only one driving it but it also comes with challenges such as spare parts and mechanics.
Driving safely
Driving safely is an important rule of driving that should always be followed, however improving this as best we can is a perfect new year’s revolution. Ensuring we drive safely on the roads will not just primarily keep ourselves and others at less risk of danger but will benefit your car extensively. Keeping revs low, obeying speed limits and avoiding aggressive braking will prevent your clutch from burning out as well as increasing the safety of others. With all this in consideration driving safely should be the key focus at all times of driving.
