Used cars maintenance Discussions

Maintenance of the electric car versus gasoline car

2017-11-15T20:58:31.4570000

The maintenance that the car will have is always has to be taken into account before the purchase. Nissan Leaf, Tesla, BMW i3, KIA Soul EV, etc. continue to win steadily the hearts of motorists. The electric vehicle has many mechanical differences with respect to one of gasoline and therefore its maintenance will be completely different. Its system is much simpler and this theoretically tells us that its maintenance will be less. This fact would also entail a lower cost.

In the electric car there are many of components that directly disappear. Here we will not find some parts with a limited life as is the case of the timing belt or the clutch. In the electric car will continue changing the tires in the same way as in other vehicles. That moment will be when the tread is less than 1.6 millimeters it is advisable to review this aspect every month. The brake fluid will also be recommended to change every 50,000 kilometers. However, the pads and discs suffer less thanks to the absence of the engine brake. In its place is the regenerative brake that helps recharge the batteries thanks to the kinetic energy.

The air conditioning filter will also need to be changed every 12,000 kilometers. It will be the only filter that we find in the electric car, since it does not require oil, air or fuel filters. Therefore we have an exclusive element of this type of vehicle: the battery. The one in charge of storing the energy will need a maintenance that luckily will not be very intensive. The coolant of the batteries is convenient to change it for the first time to 170,000 kilometers and from there every 120,000 kilometers. At this point we can say that the maintenance of the electric car will be considerably cheaper than that of a gasoline or diesel vehicle. According to some studies it has been estimated that the maintenance of the electric is between 40 and 55% cheaper than in the rest of vehicles. It has also been shown that hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars are the worst off, having a more complex and expensive maintenance. The simplicity of the electric propulsion system will not only reduce maintenance costs, but also reduce possible breakdowns. It has no distribution belt therefore it can’t be broken. It does not have filters that can clog. It also does not have a clutch that can be damaged by wear.

Comparing with a gasoline car, an electric car has around 60% less parts. We will not have any exhaust pipe nor even transmission in most of them. Simplicity will be its main advantage, which allows the electric vehicle to be placed ahead of the rest in terms of maintenance.

Normally the price of electric cars will be quite above that of their gasoline namesakes. Currently users who decide to buy it may benefit from some state aid. It is also necessary to take into account the scarce amount of charging points in public places and the disbursement necessary to install one in the private home.

Can’t Start the Vehicle? What Should you Check First?

2015-11-11T17:40:48.0970000

Sometimes it happens with every driver. There are many reasons why your car won't start, but no need to worry, with my tips you may find the solution to this problem. Of course, you can call your local service station or a towing service, but if you check the following things, you may deal with this problem faster and cheaper.

If you turn the key in the ignition and the car is silent, ensure that the battery is charged. A dead or discharged battery may be one of the possible reasons for a car not to start. You can forget to turn off the music player completely or something else, or it could be some faulty component of the electrical system that drains the car battery down. Try always to check if the battery is low on charge, because in such a case it doesn't have enough power to turn over the engine.

If the key won't turn in the ignition, the steering may be locked by the ignition lock. It happens when the front wheels turned aside or when one of the front wheels is pushed against something. In this case, try to turn the steering wheel left and right and gently turn the ignition key simultaneously. This method might help to release the steering lock. It may also be faults with the key or ignition lock itself, because they tend to wear over time. Try to use a spare key or call your local service station.

When the car cranks over, but won't start, make sure that there is enough fuel in the vehicle tank. The other reason may be that the electrical spark is not getting to your spark plugs. Sometimes your car won't start on rainy days. In this case, examine the dampness in the distributor cap. If you find moisture there, use the special mechanic's solvent or aerosol to evaporate any dampness inside the distributor cap.

If the engine starts, but then stops in several minutes, check the car carburetor adjustment and choke to see whether the choke is closing and opening first. If your vehicle has a fuel injection, you'll need professional help.

Perhaps, the mentioned tips will help you to start your car and arrive to the destination point at the right time.

How often should you take care of your car

2015-11-04T16:25:15.6530000

If you take a proper care of your car, you will less likely face unpredictable breakdowns. It'll be better if you read the car manual thoroughly, find out the good service station nearby and be aware of a fair maintenance price.

You'll save your money if you get your vehicle serviced each year and make the interim check for each season. It's much more cheaper to fix some minor damages, it also allows to preserve the car value if you want to resale it lately. Besides, you can save your money on fuel consumption, as a well-maintained car works more efficient. Moreover, when there is a need to claim on warranty, you can provide the manufacturer with a complete service record to prove your care usage.

Your vehicle's service manual is really useful to keep your car in ф good condition. You can find there the manufacturer's adviceы on the following issues:

How often you should do regular maintenance tasks, such as: check tires pressure and fluid level, brakes inspection, oil changes.
When you need to change the vehicle replaceable parts.

Using the service manual you can plan ahead for the car's maintenance costs and repair bills. If you car is equipped with dashboard devices, their warning messages will inform you about possible problems with braking system, oil and coolant levels, engine and tire pressure. In your car's manual you will find explanations about all these messages and what you need to do. Most of them are lit up in advance, so you need not to stop the car immediately. Nevertheless, pay attention to them as in-time repair may prevent a danger with other drivers and pedestrians.

In addition, ensure your safe driving by taking care of the vehicle's tires. Poor condition of your tires may lose traction during bad weather conditions and lead to a crash or blow out on a busy road. Let the car's manual inform you about the recommended tire pressure and check it from time to time. Following these simple recommendations you will always know the actual condition of your vehicle.

Clean your car interior better than professionals

2015-11-03T17:10:51.2030000

You may pay less attention to cleaning a cabin than to exterior washing. However, the same dirt and dust are carried inside the car with passengers' shoes and clothing. There are two ways how to keep your vehicle interior clean: to take the car to the service station or try to clean it by yourself. The last option may seem to be troublesome, but thanks to a wide selection of cleaning agents on the market you can clean your vehicle even better than professionals do.

To make your car interior clean you need not have some special equipment, as you can use a vacuum cleaner for dry cleaning. In addition, carpet shampoos, polishes and other cleaning agents will help you to make wet cleaning.

Start with interior vacuuming. Take out floor mats, and using the proper attachments vacuum areas underneath them, reach space under the seats and around the pedals. After that vacuum floor mats thoroughly.

If it's possible take out seats for easier cleaning. It's better if you will clean them section by section, applying the cleaning agent to small areas and wiping before going to the other part.

Leather seats are recommended to be covered with special leather conditioner to preserve the good external appearance. For fabric seat covering it's better to use a shampoo. If you have some spots on seats you can spray upholstery cleaning agents and then rub vigorously.

Clean the interior using brushes and the special detergents recommended for rubber or fabric. Use small brushes to reach the dust into crevices and around the edges. Don’t make the carpet too wet, as it may lead to mould smell and corrosion.

Use a wet microfiber cloth to clean the doors inside and interior parts without leaving stains. Some of the leather care agents tend to make this surface slippery or sticky, so it’s better to clean the leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter knob with clean and barely moist cotton towel. Let the interior dry.

Clean mirrors and windows. When cleaning car windows, saturate one side of the towel with water and clean the glass. When you have finished cleaning, gently remove any streaks with the dry towel side. Try to use high-quality microfiber materials to ensure the elimination of any streaking traces. This method is suitable for the outside of the glass. If your car has tinted film try to make more gentle movements when cleaning the glass inside.

You may whistle a happy tune as you clean your car to make the process more pleasant and interesting. Afterwards, when you sit in the clean sweet favored booth you will feel comfort and serenity. Spending a couple of hours to clean leather seats at least twice a year will enable to preserve a car's interior for many years at minimal cost.

Boost your confidence - change the engine oil by yourself

2015-10-30T20:31:23.0900000

Nowadays your car can be easily checked in the nearest maintenance station, but there is no need to spend money for some really simple work such as oil replacement. You can do it by yourself within several minutes. It does not require any special knowledge of automobile construction, you just need to follow the procedure. The engine oil is required to be replaced once a season or after each 10-15 thousand miles on average. In your vehicle manual you can find the exact period of time and mileage that suits your car requirements. Here you can also find the suggested oil type.

If you decide to change the oil by yourself you should previously examine the vehicle construction and find the access to the drain plug and special place for the oil filter.
Buy an oil and filter beforehand. Use only the recommended oil brand, as for the filter type you may get assistance in any automotive shop.
When everything is ready you can start by opening the drain plug under your vehicle. Use the container to catch the engine oil. Now find the drag plug and unscrew it to let the oil flow out of your engine into the container. Wait for several minutes and screw the drag plug.
Now you need to replace the oil filter. Remove the cap from the oil filler hole, then unscrew the oil filter and empty the oil from the filter into a drain pan. Then screw the new filter into the engine to that place where the old one was.
Use a funnel to pour the fresh oil into the oil filler hole up to the marked level. Replace the oil filler cap and run the engine for a minute. Be sure that there are no leaks appeared from the oil drain plug and around the filter.
Check the oil level again, it should be a little bit lower than the indicated maximum level.

What are the advantages of replacing the engine oil by yourself? You can save your money and be sure that no part of your car is stolen or replaced. Besides, after changing the oil you will feel much more a man. You hands will be dirty, but nothing boosts your manly confidence so much as doing a manual job with your own hands.