Getting To Grips With Essential Car Maintenance
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Getting To Grips With Essential Car Maintenance

When I got my first car twenty years ago, I was clueless when it came to maintaining it and keeping it in a roadworthy condition. As a result, I had to pay for costly repairs that could have been avoided if the car had been looked after better. I learned my lesson and started reading everything I could about basic car maintenance. I started this blog to share what I've learned in the hopes it will save other new drivers making costly mistakes. I blog about a variety of topics, such as troubleshooting uneven tyre wear, the benefits of regular servicing and maintaining your car during the winter months. I hope you find my blog useful.

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Getting To Grips With Essential Car Maintenance

Five Things You Need to Prolong the Lifespan of Your Tyres

Reginald Fox

Driving around with worn down treads on your tyres can be dangerous and illegal. Once your tyres have worn out, you cannot safely or legally get around replacing them, but there are ways to prolong your tyres' lifespan so you can stave off replacing them for as long as possible. Here are five things that can help:

Tyre Pressure Gauge

Even if your car has a digital gauge to let you know when your tyre pressure is off, you should still have a manual tyre pressure gauge. Keep an eye on your tyres and check them if you see the sidewalls bulging or feel the car settling to one side. If the pressure is too high or low, adjust it accordingly by adding or releasing air. Having the wrong tyre pressure puts unnecessary strain on your tyres, causing them to wear out prematurely.

Shade

Regardless of how much air your tyres have in them, the sun can degrade their rubber exteriors. To protect your tyres from the heat, park in a garage, or at least try to find a shady spot to park. If you have to park your car in the sun, especially for a long period of time, put canvas covers made of UV-resistant material over the wheels.

Tyre Cleaner and Towel

Oils and dirt from the road and from the exhaust of your car and other vehicles can build up on and degrade your tyres over time. To protect them, you just need a bottle of tyre cleaner, some water and an absorbent towel.

Apply the cleaning product to the tyres, let it penetrate the dirt and oil, and then rinse it off. When you are done, use a towel to dry your tyres so no residual cleaners build up on them. To get all surfaces of your tyre, drive forward just enough to rotate your tyres 180 degrees so that you can access the rest of them.

A Clean Windscreen

A clean windscreen may sound unrelated to tyre lifespan, but the better you can see through your windscreen, the easier it is to avoid potholes or other issues in the road. Unfortunately, bumping into potholes or having to stop quickly for an obstacle you didn't notice through a dirty windscreen, can wreck havoc on your tyres. The bumps and smashes can cause the treads to wear down quickly.

Service Appointments

Finally, remember to service your car regularly. Tyres that are in proper alignment and are rotated regularly last longer. 

 


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