Female Focus
Page 59
Tips for stress free motoring
I am not certain when summer officially starts, but it’s really starting to get hot. And for some of us, that means planning a trip back home to the UK to see friends and family. Many of us take our cars, venturing up through France and taking a ferry or the tunnel to get to the UK. However, for some, it turns out to be a costly nightmare with a breakdown at the wrong time in the wrong place, usually in the middle of nowhere in France at 10 o’clock at night!
A few items worth checking to keep your car in tip top condition and to prevent any future concerns would include some obvious checks like tyre pressures, lights, levels, condition of wiper blades and how well they clean the windscreen, plus some more in depth checks such as brakes, suspension, steering and so on.
Engine coolant is overlooked in this country, as most owners think it is not required here in Spain, but this is untrue. Engine coolant has several jobs to do when flowing around inside the engine :
1. As the name mentions, it cools the engine more efficiently than plain water due to its additives.
2. Further additives prevent internal engine corrosion and component damage.
3. It helps lubricate moving parts like the water pump assembly.
4. And of course not forgetting, when the weather gets cold (yes, even Spain is cold in winter!) it does not freeze when the temperatures are freezing. (dependant on the strength of the cooling mixture)
The same information applies to screen wash additives, so check it before it runs out!
One more important check is the camshaft timing belt. When was it last changed and when it is due for replacement. There will be a huge cost involved if this belt fails. The timing belt fitted to most cars has always been a weak link in the engine, particularly if the belt is not changed at the correct intervals. We have seen so many engine failures due to belt failure which would have been avoided had the belt been replaced. The average cost of replacing a timing belt is about 10% of repairing the damage it can cause when it does fail. Due to the climate here, rubber has a shorter life span than normal. Check your service history and if you have any doubts get your belt changed. We have the information of when your belt is required to be replaced, call us if you are not sure. Also fan belts, or poli-v belts are worth checking, as are rubber brake hoses and all other components, which include rubber.
If you are nervous of checking any of these items, then Total Car Care will of course be happy to give your car a once over for a small fee, we do not need to spend much of your money to completely check the car over and give you a written report for you to consider.
For further info, call us on 96 573 2711 or view advert below
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60