A Beginner’s Guide to Car Ownership

If you have just passed your driving test with flying colours, your thoughts will naturally be turning to buying your first car. This is a milestone in anyone’s life and a celebration is in order! Once you have done that, you should know that car ownership comes with a price; you are responsible for the vehicle and also any damage that might be caused. As you would expect, every car should be roadworthy, which is why every vehicle should be inspected every year, starting from 3 years old.

Vehicle maintenance

In a perfect world, your car would run forever, never needing a service; in the real world, however, your car should be serviced every 5,000 miles. Find a local garage that is approved to work on your make of car and follow the service schedule (see rear of owner’s manual).

Typical service

A typical vehicle service would include:

• Engine oil & filter replacement – See owner’s manual for correct grade of oil.
• Check for belt tension – All drive belts should be inspected for wear and tear.
• Check engine coolant level & top up when necessary.
• Check brake/clutch/power steering fluid levels & top up when necessary.
• Ait filter clean/replaced.
• Steering inspection.
• Exhaust inspection.
• Tyre and brake pad checks.

The mechanic would take the car for a short test drive, which tells the technician a lot about the vehicle. Once the service is complete, details are entered into the owner’s manual (this might be digitalised) and should be kept for future reference. Some garages provide a free loan car while your vehicle is being serviced, which enables you to carry on with your life.

Owner’s manual

The owner’s manual should remain with the car throughout its life; when you buy a new or used car, it should come with an owner’s manual that contains all the information you could ever need. Start reading it from the first page and that will familiarise you with the many features and controls. After every service, the garage should stamp a page in the rear section of the manual, along with recording details of work carried out.

General care

Book your car in with a local car interior cleaning company that sends a mobile unit to your home; in a short time, they will detail the interior and wax and wash the exterior. Some motorists wash the car on Sundays and might only have the car detailed once a month. It makes total sense to do a quick walk-around before each journey, checking all tyres and looking for anything out of the ordinary.

Car theft

If you’re driving a 20-year-old car, you won’t have to worry about theft; a prestige car, on the other hand, needs a cutting-edge security system with multiple layers of security. Search online for the best deals on car alarms and don’t think it could never happen to you; many thousands of vehicles are stolen annually.

Add-ons and accessories

Most car owners are seriously into add-ons and buy gadgets at every opportunity, and why not? The online auto accessory supplier offers the best deals on all top brands; if you have disposable income, why not spend it on your ride? Some owners reach a point when enough is enough, yet others are always looking for gadgets with the focus on high tech stuff.

Drive carefully

As soon as you start the engine, you should adopt best driving practices; never exceed the speed limit, always indicate before changing lanes and drive with due care and attention. Always keep your licence and insurance details in the vehicle and produce them when requested by the police.

Vehicle insurance

According to Australian law, you must have at least 3^rd party insurance, which covers damage to other vehicles (fire and theft), most drivers prefer fully comprehensive insurance that covers everything. In the event the car is written off due to accident damage, you would receive the market value as assessed by the insurer.

Prompt repairs

If you notice a minor scratch or ding on the bodywork, do not put off the repairs, as rust can penetrate if bare metal is exposed. If you notice strange noises, take the car to a local garage and have a mechanic investigate. This could be caused by many different things; some are not important but some can be a warning and prompt investigation is in order.

To summarise, car ownership comes with a lot of responsibility and by forging an alliance with a mobile car detailer and a local garage to service the car, you set of wheels will always be ready for action, anytime anywhere!