Whether it's your daily driver, a weekend cruiser or a family vehicle used for road trips and holiday seasons, you need to be able to rely on your car to get you to where you need to be. Maintaining your car or a regular basis will help increase lifespan and improve reliability so you can keep motoring. We have put together some information to help you with this.
Regular Maintenance
Owning and maintaining a car can be a big responsibility however the process doesn't need to be daunting. The benefits of maintaining your car on a regular basis will not only help you get the most out of your vehicle but also:
- Increase the lifespan of the vehicle
- Improve vehicle reliability
- Help keep fuel costs down
- Reduce the likeness of major repair work
- Lower your repair bill
- Increase resale value with service & repair history for your vehicle
Not looking after your vehicle and keeping everything in check can increase the likelihood of component failure and could end up being an annoying and costly breakdown.
If you’re preparing for your road trip with your loved ones or your vehicle is getting a lot of use then you can use our self check maintenance checklist to ensure everything is in order.
Before Carrying out any checks on your vehicle you must ensure the vehicle is on a flat and level ground and if unsure of any items on the checklist we recommend seeking professional advice or head down to your local petrol station and ask for assistance.
Maintenance Checklist
- Check the operation of all your lights ( this can be done with assistance from a family member, have them go through and apply the indicators, brake, park, reverse, fog and registration lights one at a time so you can visual and confirm the operation).
- Visually inspect your tyres and check your tyre pressures, including your spare (look at the inner and outer edges of your tyres for signs of abnormal wear, if there is no tread or signs of canvas or cords coming through then we recommend you seek professional advice before your journeys). The tyre tread should have no less than 1.5MM of tread.
- Check your engine oil level and condition of oil (your engine oil level dipstick should generally be marked and should have a minimum and maximum indicator on it. The level should be near the maximum indicator for safe use if showing low or below the minimum indicator there may be a potential issue and we recommend seeking professional advice). The condition of your oil should also not appear dark, thick or sludgy.
- Check your washer fluid (this should be labeled washer fluid when looking under your bonnet, top up with water if necessary. Do not mistake it for coolant overflow). Operate your wiper and washer system and check that it is cleaning the windscreen efficiently before heading off.
Lastly make sure your WOF and service stickers stickers are both up to date. If your vehicle requires a service or any maintenance work done prior to your journeys, you can contact the team at Smpl Kiwi here https://www.smplkiwi.co.nz/pages/contact-us or you can alternatively book online for your vehicle servicing here https://www.smplkiwi.co.nz/collections/my-car.
Our team is 100% mobile and will come to your preferred location.
Happy Cruising