The family car is the most useful and frequently-used machine in your possession. It serves the needs of the different members of the family who depend on its performance on a daily basis.
From bringing kids to and from school, to taking the family on road trips, the family car brings comfort and convenience to everyone. As such, keeping it in tip-top shape is a must to save money that you might spend on maintenance if you neglect your car’s care. And most importantly, this ensures your family’s safety while on the road.
A car’s general service/maintenance is something most of us dread and don’t really enjoy. So, sometimes we choose substandard engine oils, or skip or delay scheduled maintenance all together.
When this happens, more often than not you’ll find yourself on the side of the road with a broken down car, complete with crying kids and an angry spouse inside it. If you don’t regularly maintain your car’s care and use quality oil to ensure the engine’s top performance, you might end up spending more on repairs.
Here are five tried and tested ways to make sure your family car works smoothly and serves everyone’s needs for a very long time.
1. Avoid overloading your vehicle
It’s easy to get carried away and pack a ton of stuff for road trips, following which you pack your entire family clan into your car (cousins, titos, and titas included).
But what most people tend to forget is that every car has a recommended maximum combined weight of cargo and passengers. This is called its payload. Exceeding this capacity will add stress on your car’s shock absorbers and tires.
Plus, it is very dangerous to drive an overloaded car on the road. Safety mechanisms that keep a driver in control of the car on the highway might not work properly when the car’s overloaded. The heavy weight can also cause stress on the tires and lead to unexpected tire blowout.
2. Don’t skip periodic maintenance even when it seems nothing’s wrong with your car
Because of your busy schedule, you put off taking your vehicle to the service center for a general service check-up. Also, nothing seems to be wrong with the car, so what’s the urgency, right?
Yes there’s nothing wrong with it—yet! While taking it for a check-up when it seems to be working properly feels like a chore, this is one chore you don’t want to skip.
Maintenance checks are necessary so you can identify minor problems, or parts that need replacement and repair, before the problem snowballs into something bigger and much more expensive. The smallest issues when neglected can contribute to a car’s reduced performance and even compromise your family’s safety while traveling.
3. Replace Brakes, Battery, and Belts
These all need to be replaced regularly. Keeping them working is essential to your car’s performance and your family’s safety on the road.
Remember that these are regular vehicle maintenance items that you need to keep an eye on. Any loud (or not-so-loud) screeching, squeals, and other noises coming from your car could indicate issues. For example, a broken belt can eventually cause severe damage to the engine—damage that would cost you thousands of pesos.
The car’s brake system, on the other hand, is its most important safety item, therefore it needs regular maintenance. Making sure all components of the brakesystem are working properly and in good condition could save you and your family from deadly road accidents.
4. Check tire pressure every day and look for signs of wear and tear every week
Maintaining and protecting your car’s tires from unnecessary wear and tear will help you extend its life and allow you to save more since you won’t need to replace them as often.
Checking tire pressure regularly, and undergoing regular tire maintenance (which includes rotation and alignment) will ensure that your tires last longer and perform better on the road.
Maintaining correct air pressure in your car’s tires can save you lots of money on fuel since underinflated tires force the engine to work harder and in turn consume more fuel.
Over time, tires wear down, so it’s best to inspect your car tires at least every week for signs of tire tread wear which could lead to less grip and traction.
5. Use only quality oils to keep your car in tip-top shape
Fluids are your car’s life blood. And changing your car’s oil regularly is vital to make sure your engine runs properly. The engine oil keeps the engine lubricated and prevents various parts from grinding against each other and causing damage. Without frequent oil change, dirt and sludge can build up and cause serious damage to the engine.
But you can’t use just any oil for your car. Some substandard oils may come cheap, but they also come with a host of risks, including increased fuel consumption (which could cost you more in the long run) and even engine damage.
Using a quality oil like Shell Helix Ultra, that’s formulated to help keep your car’s engine clean, keeps your car running smoothly. That way, it helps the family car deliver quality performance and allows it to last for many years to come.
And because Shell is so confident about its products, they are offering Shell Helix Ultra customers a free engine warranty of up to 12 years/200,000 km. Signing up for Shell Advantage Rewards automatically gets one covered for S.H.E.W. (Shell Helix Engine Warranty). On top of that, to give Shell Helix Ultra users added peace of mind, Shell in partnership with AXA offers free roadside assistance for any unfortunate emergency incidence on the road that will need support like towing or minor repairs like accidents, breakdowns, flat tires, battery boosting, emergency fuel delivery (except fuel cost) and sending of locksmith.
To know more about Shell’s offer and where to get them, visit share.shell.com/consumer/ph
