Motoring tips

Accelerator Jam

A jammed accelerator pedal is rare, but it can happen. Here’s what to do: tap it lightly, then lift it up with your toe. If this doesn’t free it, shift to neutral, brake and switch off engine.

Alcohol dissipation rate

This process cannot be sped up. Contrary to popular belief, black coffee and cold showers will not hasten this process.

Arrive at your own pace

Never undertake to anyone that you’ll be at a certain destination at a specific time. Subconsciously, your brain will be telling you that if you don’t get a move on, you’ll be late. So you’ll increase your speed accordingly, thereby increasing your chances of not arriving at all.

Asking for help

If you’ve broken down and someone offers assistance, ask them to drive on and telephone on your behalf. If unsure of their intentions, lock the doors and communicate through a closed window.If you stop to render assistance to somebody else, obtain the information without leaving your vehicle if you can. Then drive to the nearest phone to call the police or emergency service.

Asleep at the wheel

Each year hundreds of people die in their sleep – not in their beds, but on the road. Around 30% of serious crashes resulting in hundreds of fatalities are the direct result of motorists who insist on, even when they know they’re too tired to continue.

Brakes

If the braking system on your car is not functioning correctly, you may not only be putting your life at risk, but the lives of others. Does your car shudder or squeel when you brake? If this is so, This could mean you could have a problem with the “rotor” or “pads”.
When braking do you notice the brake pedal of your car to be spongy or traveling further down than usual? This could indicate you may have a problem in the hydraulics of the braking system.
If you suspect anything to be wrong with car braking system or are not too sure, don’t take a chance, just book your car in to have our experts check it over.

Tyre and Alignments

If you notice your car veering off to one side of the road or a vibration through the steering wheel, chances are your car may require a “Front End Alignment” and a rotation of the tyres.

Most cars today are driven by the front wheels, this puts a lot of extra strain on your front tyres due to the fact that they are both steering and driving your vehicle. Therefore front wheel drive cars require the tyres to be rotated more regularly than rear wheel drive cars. Just ask us for advice.

Service Intervals

If you own a modern or prestige vehicle, great care must be taken to make sure you have your car service regularly.
We are seeing more and more cases of vehicles developing “Engine Sludge” which is usually caused by people not having their vehicle serviced at the due dates and kilometre reading and consequently can lead to very costly repairs.

Steering

Does your steering wheel seem to have excessive free play and not steer as sharply as it used to? This may mean you have a problem in your car’s steering component. Have your car checked over by one of our professionals to get your car’s steering back up to scratch.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Learn more about our services or contact us for more advice.