As well as having your car regularly serviced and MOT’d there are also a few things which you may need to get checked on a regular basis to ensure your car is in full working order.
If you would like any of these items looked at on your vehicle, you can:
Book with Busseys.
Brakes
It is the brakes that ensure your vehicle stops safely and quickly in all conditions. Front brakes alone provide up to 70% of the stopping power for most vehicles.
- Worn brakes increase the stopping distance of the vehicle, making braking uneven and sometimes uncontrollable.
Brake pads work by applying pressure to the brake discs on the wheels, so worn pads not only make stopping harder, they can damage the discs and make repairs more expensive.
Common signs which indicate problems with brakes:
- Wheels lock faster than usual
- Vehicle will not stop in a straight line
- Need to press the pedal further down than usual before the brakes start to bite
- You hear noises when you apply the brakes
- The brake fluid level in the reservoir has dropped
Brake Fluid
To help obtain the best performance from the braking system, the brake fluid should be changed every 2 years.
- Due to the harsh environment in which brake fluid is used, it can easily become contaminated.
- Brake fluid naturally absorbs water, which lowers the boiling point of the fluid, thus reducing its efficiency.
Benefits of Fluid Change:
- Improved ‘feel’ firmer pedal and optimum brake response
- Preventative maintenance – prolongs the life of brake hydraulic components
Engine Oil
Engine oil keeps the moving parts of the engine correctly lubricated and cooled. Oil should be changed at the scheduled service interval to ensure optimum performance.
Benefits of Oil Changes:
- Keeps oil topped up. Without sufficient oil, or with dirty oil, the vehicle could quite literally grind to a halt, resulting in expensive repairs.
- Helps provide excellent cold starting performance and reduces emissions.
- Ensures optimum power output and fuel economy.
Coolant (Anti-freeze)
Anti-freeze provides effective heat management fulfilling two tasks simultaneously – keeping the engine from boiling when driven hard and protecting it from freezing in winter for temperatures up to -37 degrees.
Benefits of Coolant Changes:
- High quality coolant protects your engine from corrosion and is vital to prevent both freezing and overheating.
- As coolant loses efficiency over time, it is very important that it is renewed at the recommended intervals. This is to ensure that your vehicle’s cooling system and engine remains reliable.
Batteries
The battery not only ensures a safe engine start under all environmental conditions but also supports an optimum power supply to key safety components such as airbags, ABS, exterior lights and windscreen wipers.
Air-conditioning – Recharge Service
Many drivers experience the benefits of air con in their car or van on a hot day but just like other parts of your car, the air-conditioning system also needs regular attention to ensure it continues to work efficiently and effectively.
Air-conditioning doesn’t just provide in-car comfort during the summer; it can also be used in winter to demist your windscreen. Air-con systems create dry warm air rather than the normal humid air from the outside which can clear your windscreen much more quickly than your regular blowers.
Over 10% of air-con gas permeates from the air-con system every year, which means that it may not work as well as it should. Air-con systems that are not recharged regularly will be less effective and have to work harder to produce cool air. This puts more strain on the engine and uses more fuel. If your air-con system has not been recharged in the past two years it will dramatically reduce efficiency.
Busseys offers a complete air-conditioning recharge service available at dealerships across Norfolk.
The recharge process involves removing the old refrigerant gas and oil from your air-con system before replacing with the correct amount of new refrigerant and lubricant as per your vehicle manufacturer’s recommendation. A vacuum test is also performed to ensure there are no cracks or damage in your air-conditioning system that could cause the gas to leak out.
We recommend that air conditioning systems be recharged every 3 years.
Air-conditioning – Refresh
Air-conditioning systems are a breeding ground for bacteria, fungi and other micro organisms that are projected into vehicle interior by the evaporator fan.
Apart from the unpleasant musty odour, they can cause allergic reactions particularly with children such as sneezing, coughing or runny eyes.
An air-con refresh cleans and disinfects the interiors and vents ridding them of unpleasant odours caused by bacteria and fungi without having to dismantle the units.
The solution applied kills 99.99% of bacteria within 20 minutes guarding against allergic reactions, all with a pleasant scent!
Benefits:
- Long-term elimination of bacteria, fungi and mould
- Removal of unpleasant odour, leaving a pleasurable indoor climate
- Healthy and clean air inside the vehicle, not only for people with allergies
Cambelt
The cambelt, also known as the timing belt, is one of the most crucial parts of the engine. It’s a rubber belt with teeth on it which synchronises the rotation of the crankshaft and the camshaft.
Its primary role is to control the timing and sequence of the opening and closing of the valves to the cylinders to ensure correct combustion in the engine. Like most parts, it will eventually wear out. If it cracks, tears or snaps, it can cause expensive engine damage.
There’s no ‘one size fits all’ rule when it comes to how frequently a cambelt should be changed. Most manufacturers suggest either a time- or mileage-based change, whichever comes first, and this varies between manufacturers and engines. The vehicle handbook will specify the change frequency
Manufacturer’s intervals should be treated as the absolute maximum, as failure of the cambelt can cause serious mechanical damage.
