The most common automotive maintenance and repairs
As you rack up the miles, it’s only natural that things will sometimes go wrong with your beloved vehicle. In fact, Click Mechanic has estimated that Brits will spend on average £30,000 on the most common vehicle repairs during their lives.
Car dealership Lookers, which also provides drivers with full aftersales care which includes MOT testing and the sale of car servicing parts, is here to try and reduce that hefty sum. Join them as they guide you through the most common automotive maintenance procedures and repairs and tips on how you can make each part prone to faults last longer:
The flywheelIt has been estimated that drivers will spend around £7,740 on flywheel replacements over their lifetime, with signs that your car needs a new one including if you can no longer change gear or the clutch begins to slip while you’re driving. Also listen out for the transmission making a noise that isn’t normal when you’re using the clutch.
As your car’s flywheel is connected to the vehicle’s clutch, the key to making this item last longer is to improve how you use the clutch. Therefore, avoid putting excessive pressure on your clutch and only make use of it when it’s absolutely necessary on the road.
The clutchWhen it comes to the clutch itself, it is calculated that drivers will fork out approximately £5,670 over their lifetime to replace this crucial element on their vehicles.
Some cars appear to be more prone than others to need clutch replacements, if research by WhoCanFixMyCar.com is anything to go by. After analysing the repair jobs that were posted for the 100 most popular cars on its website, the online car service and repair hub found that 20.57 per cent of all jobs posted for the Peugeot 108 were for a clutch replacement. This is considerably higher than the average 8.39 per cent ratio for clutch replacements which was recorded across all 100 vehicles studied.
Your car may need a new clutch if the item starts to slip when you’re driving or you begin to find it difficult to change gear when making use of a gearbox. Just like when listening out for signs of a faulty flywheel, an unusual noise coming from the transmission when you’re using the clutch is another telltale sign your clutch may need replacing.
Try and get more out of your clutch by opting to apply the handbrake and sitting in neutral when stuck in traffic, rather than leaning on the clutch. You can also avoid placing unnecessary pressure on the item by making sure that all your gear changes are conducted in a smooth yet quick manner, as well as refraining from having your foot constantly on the clutch pedal as you drive.