Buying your next car is always a pleasure, especially when it is one from the excellent eCars247 website. As with any new purchase we promise ourselves that it will be used with care and maintained according to the manufacturers specification: Ah, how quickly we forget.
Winter takes it toll on our motors so every car owner should know that the best way to look after the vehicle they have invested a large sum of money in is to follow the maintenance schedule and get the vehicle serviced at least annually; more if the mileage demands it. This is because cars, like life, can have a habit of pitching up nasty surprises when least expected and there are a couple of points of which many of us will be guilty as charged.
The Locking Wheel Nut Key
Come on, hand on heart; do you know where yours is now? Are you sure? If a car has locking wheel nuts to protect expensive to replace alloy wheel and tyres, it will have a special key to enable owners, mechanics or tyre fitters to quickly attend to the problem or replace the rubber.
These vital keys have a habit of disappearing. For example, with the best will in the world, tyre fitters have to work like mad to keep all the customers satisfied and that's after finding the wheel nut key because the customer has no idea where it is. Once found, these guys work like Trojans; anyone who has sat in a waiting room will have seen this. Sadly, in the rush, the wheel nut key goes astray and the customer drives away in blissful ignorance. It's guaranteed that the manager has a box of them somewhere.
Keys can be replaced via brand dealers but they are never cheap. Also some special fit wheels may not have been added on the production line but later by the importer or agent. Try replacing those keys! So look after your locking wheel nut key and it will look after you.
Wheel Alignment
Keeping a vehicle’s wheels aligned will make the car better to drive. In addition, proper alignment will prolong the life of tyres, sometimes considerably. Brakes will be more effective, and overall safety is improved.
Most of use are guilty of kerbing a wheel from time to time. Wheels are meant to go forwards and backwards, not sideways. Further, as all drivers know, Britain's roads have all the attributes of the surface of the moon, strewn as they are with potholes. In the winter especially, dropping a wheel into a severe pothole, perhaps hidden by a puddle, can result in damage. So with a severe knock of what ever description, it pays to cut along to the nearest tyre bay and have the wheel alignment checked. It's extra expense of course but it needs to be done.
Otherwise it is a good sensible idea to consult the schedule for wheel alignment recommended by the manufacturer of the vehicle; it will likely be in the handbook. If in doubt, most car makers suggest having wheel alignment checked every 20,000 to 30,000 miles. Costs vary based on the size of the vehicle and whether a two-wheel or four-wheel alignment is needed. The best thing about regular checks is that sometimes other issues will be revealed, like tyre damage or problems with the steering or braking systems, so don't neglect these forgotten facts.
Remember too that all our cars have been inspected by the AA prior to being offered for sale, so can be purchased with confidence. We can even deliver to your door but what happens after that is up to the individual. Take more care with car care and the car will take care of you.