Some maintenance is impossible to ignore, a flat tyre makes itself known. The jobs that get neglected are the quiet ones, where nothing obvious happens until it suddenly does. These are the ones we see most often.
Brake fluid
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air over time, which lowers its boiling point and can make the pedal feel soft under hard use. It rarely gets changed on schedule because the car still stops, right up until it matters. Most manufacturers recommend replacing it every two years.
Air conditioning
Air con loses refrigerant slowly whether you use it or not, and the parts stay lubricated by running the system. Leaving it for years means weak cooling, a musty smell and, eventually, an expensive compressor. An occasional recharge is far cheaper.
Coolant and the cooling system
Coolant does more than stop the engine boiling, it also protects against corrosion and freezing, and it wears out. A small coolant leak left unchecked is one of the most common causes of a serious overheating failure.
The quiet list
- Cabin (pollen) filter, often never changed, leaving weak airflow and smells
- Spark plugs, left well past their interval on petrol cars
- Tyre pressures and the spare or repair kit
- Wiper blades, ignored until they smear in the rain
The theme
Almost everything on this list is cheap to maintain and expensive to fix once neglected. A regular service catches most of it, which is really the point of servicing in the first place. If any of this sounds overdue on your car, get in touch and we will take a look.