You have to personally ensure that it stays in proper shape

It may be a pleasure buying a new car but after sale, service and maintenance can be a bother. Many owners rely blindly on authorised dealer and do not know that they also have other options. Auto companies go to great cost and effort to set up good dealers who can offer proper service and repairs but the dealers usually have difficulty in recruiting good service staff with the result that though they may look smart and do a good job of washing and lubricating may not be very competent to handle a really tricky mechanical, electric or electronic problem. So here are some tips:

1

Most modern cars are so reliable that their engines and transmissions seldom need more than routine care. They are however so loaded with electronic chips that only an authorised dealer with his computerised gadgets can fix them if they break down so do not try to fix them yourself or with the help of a friendly local mechanic. Therefore you must trust your dealer to help you if the engine will not start, if consumes too much fuel or is noisy or unreliable.

2

You can do the routine servicing yourself or at a local garage near you. Your service manual will tell you the proper grade of lubricants that you can buy but you must ensure that you get genuine oil and filters. Oil change periods are very long in all modern cars so you should also get your car washed every two or three months including a power wash, if available, under the car.

3

After the wash the car needs a good waxing to make it shine and to protect the paint. This can be done along with a wash if you can find an automatic car wash service but it can also be done manually with a number of good brands available. A good waxing is especially important before periods of rain because splashed mud can damage the paint.

4

Care of your tyres mostly depends on you because your tyres can give you the most problems. Modern tyres are safe and reliable but you must ensure that the tyre pressure is regularly checked. Always fill air pressure as is prescribed and you should know that the tyres are supposed to look slightly flat when properly filled. They become perfect when the wheels are rolling. Ensure that the little plastic caps on the air nipples are there because dust can damage them. Over filling will make the ride hard and affect braking and road holding. Don’t always trust the local pump and visually look for the tyre that looks right and fill others to that pressure.

5

The front tyres of your car get the maximum acceleration and braking force and therefore wear out faster. Therefore ensure that the tyres (including the stepney) are rotated every six months. The front tyres also need a check on the alignment to ensure proper steering and road holding. Bad alignment also causes excessive tyre wear. Brakes can also be checked at this time but they seldom give trouble.

6

Modern cars have so many electrical gadgets that the batteries seldom last more than two years but it is important to get them checked at least every six months. Other electric systems are very reliable but incompetent local mechanics can mess them up. Be very careful when you add any new music or other electronic gadget.

7

Gone are the days when cars broke down every few months but you have to personally ensure that it stays in proper shape.

The author is the regions most celebrated automobile columnist