Caring For Your Car

Here are some tips on how to keep your car in good working order, prolong the life of your car and cut down on costly repair bills.

Tyre Pressure

Under or over inflated tyres increase tyre wear and shorten the life of your tyres. A regular check of tyre pressures can prevent tyre wear and reduce the risk of an accident. The recommended tyre pressures can be found in your vehicles handbook. This check is carried out when new tyres are purchased from Suttonz.

Fluid Levels

Oil, screen wash, coolant and brake fluid levels should all be checked regularly. Normal brake fluid has a boiling point of over 400 degrees Celsius when new but as with coolant, it is hygroscopic which means it absorbs water, lowering its boiling point which reduces its efficiency. For this reason, it is recommended that coolant and brake fluid is changed every 2 years. This check is performed as standard with all Suttonz service packages.

Servicing

A car should be serviced at least once per year. The main reason for this is that the engine oil collects dirt as it passes through the engine and deposits it in the oil filter. If the filter gets too dirty, the dirty oil can't get cleaned and gets carried round the engine. Over time, this can block oil ways and damage bearings which can cause serious engine damage. Suttonz offers both full and short services for your car.

Wheel Alignment

Wheel alignment should be checked at least once a year. Knocking the kerb, driving over speed humps to fast and driving over potholes can all affect wheel alignment. If the wheels are mis-aligned this can affect tyre wear. Suttonz offers a wheel alignment check service.

Cleaning

A build up of dirt and grease will encourage the formation of rust which will eventually lead to MOT failure. This is of especial importance in the winter when roads are covered with salt and grit.