The tires ready to betray us, the battery that abandons us, the windshield wipers that stop doing their job. Not to mention the equally deadly if not more so, pitfalls that General Winter is ready to reserve for our car. How can we face them? How can we keep ourselves safe? The number one trap is called distraction. Or rather, improvidence. Or, if we want, neglect. Hardly justifiable. With modern cars it takes very little, much less than what happened only twenty years ago, to reduce to a minimum the possibility of a failure or an inconvenience.
Let's see then how to do our duty, not only in the dutiful respect of the criteria of prudence in driving (observe the code, do not drink alcohol before getting behind the wheel, do not use the cell phone without the hands-free) but also for the few but essential maintenance works, even do-it-yourself, which with a very limited effort can save us many problems.
Coupons: let's do them like this, not only with the "parent company"
First tip: meet deadlines and the methods provided for periodic check-ups and maintenance. Not only because failure to comply with them voids the contractual commitment to the two-year warranty for our car and all its components, but also because the coupon, in the latest generation cars, puts us "almost" safe. Almost, because we still have to do some extra periodic checks.
It is worth knowing that with the new regulations imposed by Europe we are no longer strictly bound to carry out the service in an official workshop of the parent company but we can also go to another workshop as long as it is authorised, having them issue us the formal documentation of what is carried out respecting the dictates of the manufacturer. Our advice is however to have the service carried out directly in the workshop of the parent company at least for the first two years, those of the legal guarantee, to protect us from any type of dispute or even discussion in the event of a fault covered by the guarantee.
Wheels and Tires: Distractions Can Be Costly
Let's get to the chapter of things we can do by ourselves. We started with the tires, very important and insidious. It is good to check the pressure every 15 days and while we are at it also the state of wear. For the pressure we must carefully observe the parameters that we find in the maintenance booklet, very often also printed in the part of the body hidden by the opening of the driver's door.
A incorrect pressure creates big problems anyway, starting from the incorrect synchrony with the function of the shock absorbers. If the pressure is too low the wheels will have more friction, we will consume more and will have a worse grip on the road. If too high we will consume the tread irregularly, the shock absorbers will be more stressed, comfort will suffer.
How to check the pressure correctly? The parameters indicated refer to a cold check, before moving the car. Difficult condition, unless you have the equipment and measure the pressure yourself. Otherwise we must go to the gas station or the mechanic. In any case, you must take into account the overpressure from heat generated by rolling: when the tyres are “hot” we set the pressure to one or two tenths of a bar more than indicated when cold (for example 2.6 instead of 2.4).
The check should also be done after taking the car to the tire dealer, for example to replace the summer tires (or, as recommended, the entire wheels) with winter ones or vice versa. Many tire dealers, even the good ones, tend to inflate our tires to a high and equal pressure for all cars and for both the front and rear wheels. Once you leave the tire dealer, remember in any case to recalibrate, consulting the instruction manual, any automatic sensor of pressure which in this case is indicated directly on the dashboard: at that point it will automatically take care of informing us if the pressure needs to be restored.
As for the state of wear and tear, let's remember that minimum thickness The tread depth required by law is 1,6 millimetres, but it is a good idea to change your tyre as soon as it drops below 2 millimetres.
Oil, a rare chore, but error lurks
A recent and healthy car does not consume oil, which should still be checked periodically just to test the condition of the engine (if it consumes more than a quarter of a liter every thousand kilometers something is wrong) and intervene in time. In case of topping up, the maximum quantity marked on the dipstick should never be exceeded and an oil should be used that does not necessarily have to be of the same brand or type as the original one but must still have the same identical specifications. Let's look at the label.
Engine oil can be semi-synthetic (more correctly called synthetic-based) or fully synthetic, with a grade shown by a code that indicates the degree and characteristics of viscosity: for example 10W40 indicates the viscosity of grade 10 (more fluid) in winter (winter) which thanks to the multi-grade technology of modern oils becomes 40 at higher external temperatures. More modern cars tend to have a viscosity that is generally lower than in the past to reduce friction and consumption, up to a grade of 0W15 in the latest hybrid engines that remain off for part of our journey and therefore work at slightly lower operating temperatures.
Radiator Fluid, The Blue and Orange Trap
Any checks and topping up of the radiator fluid must be done strictly when the engine is cold (except in emergencies such as the increasingly rare boiling with smoke from the engine, which forces us to call a tow truck) using the special expansion tank which shows the minimum and maximum marks.
All easy? Yes, but with two pitfalls. The first is well known: never use tap water. Only in emergencies can we use demineralized water for the iron. The second, less well known, pitfall concerns the type of liquid radiator, which can be green-blue or orange. We look at the color of the liquid contained in our expansion tank and use the specific liquid for radiators of the same color. Blue is the most used in older design engines, with a prevalence of cast iron parts, orange indicates an organic-based liquid more suitable for modern engines with a prevalence of alloy parts. Never mix the two liquids.
Other liquids to keep an eye on, even the half-hidden ones
Windshield washer fluid is essential, especially in winter, for the health of the windshield, its blades (which should be replaced at the first sign of deterioration) and for our safety. Here too, woe betide anyone who uses tap water. And demineralized water is no good, even in an emergency, as it tends to freeze in winter. A good windshield washer fluid is composed of a mixture of demineralized water, detergent and antifreeze. It doesn't cost very little and it runs out quickly, but saving is not worth it.
Let's not stop there, but let's also pay attention to two other liquids that rarely enjoy our attention: the hydraulic brake fluid and the gearbox oil. We can check the brake fluid with great ease by observing the small transparent tank in the engine compartment. If the level is between the minimum and maximum, everything is fine. If it is at the minimum or below the minimum, there could be some dangerous leak in the system: let's top it up with the specific hydraulic fluid (it has nothing to do with engine oil or radiator fluid) and run to the mechanic for a thorough check.
To check theoil del cambio we need an equipped workshop, unless we have specific skills and equipment. But even here we can get by with a fairly easy visual check: we observe the bottom of our car in correspondence with the engine and the transmission shaft (in the case of rear-wheel drive or 4 × 4). If no leaks appear and the garage floor has no oil stains, everything should be fine. The mechanic will also check and possibly replace the gearbox oil at the scheduled intervals during the service.
Emergency Starter, a super “powerbank” that saves us
The battery, as we know, can be a source of problems. Because it is old (it normally stays in good health for five years), because it runs out when we leave the car stationary for more than a month (especially if it is cold) or if we have a satellite anti-theft device or some other device that drains energy even when the car is stationary. Or more simply if we have forgotten to turn on the emergency or parking lights.
Call the auto electrician? Use another car with electrical cables that act as a bridge between the two batteries? The best solution is to equip yourself with a so-called "starter", an additional emergency battery similar to the so-called powerbank that we usually use for cell phones, but larger and more powerful. It costs less than 100 euros and weighs very little. We can easily keep it in the trunk. In almost all cases, unless the battery is really dead, it allows us to restart the engine and solve the problem. Or maybe solve it for someone else less farsighted than us.
