Tools

All changes can be done at home, but would require some experience with auto mechanics and few specialized tools to ensure this is done without compromising your personal safety and safety of the environment.

Tools required to perform oil change

P.P.E or Personnel Protective Equipment protects your body from coming into contact with chemicals, oils or sharp edges. P.P.E. should be a standard part of your kit for home mechanics.

Hand PPE with tools

Use of mechanical aids such as jacks and jack stands should be part of your kit, when choosing these items, consideration must be given for the application and weight limitations of the device ( 2.5 - 3 ) Ton jacks should be used

3 Ton Hydraulic Jack and Jack-stand

Tyre replacements tools are usually found in the trunk of the car (rear) most cars come with the basic tools required to perform a tire change - Spare tire, jack and wheel spanner. It is important to perform regular checks on your tools and spare tire- especially before going on a long trip or after an extended period of time when your car is down.

Tyre replacement tools

Tune up tools consists of spanners, sockets, screw drivers, spark plugs, and feeler gauges. These tools are all used to gain access for the replacement and checking of spark plugs.

 

Tune-up tools

Cooling System

The cooling system is essential to prevent issues with overheating of your engine. The cooling system is a closed loop where cool water is circulated through your engine, this cool water dissipates the heat from your engine which is a by product of combustion.

Adding coolant to the cooling system

The Hot water is then cycled through the radiator of the car where a cooling fan induces a draft that causes the exchange of heat and allows the hot water to be cooled  via the cool air. The cool water returns to the engine to perform the cycle all over again.

Cooling System components

In tropical climates as ours, it is important to use an additive in our cooling system, normally know as "coolant". Coolant comes either in a concentrated form where the customer needs to mix with water, or it comes premixed, where you can just add to your cooling system.

Premix Coolant

It is important to regularly check your coolant level in your vehicle. This visual check can be done when the vehicle is cool or hot. If the level is low, the vehicle needs to be cool before any attempt is made to top up the levels

In checking the level the car must be:

1. On a flat even surface
2. The car must be cool, best time to check will be first thing in the morning
3. If you need to add coolant it should be already premixed and is compatible with the brand of coolant that is already within the vehicle

NOTE - DO NOT ATTEMPT TO OPEN ANY COMPONENT OF THE COOLING SYSTEM WHEN THE VEHICLE IS HOT.

There are markings on the side of the coolant reservoir bottle located under the bonnet. If the level is on F = FULL, then there is no need to add any coolant. If the level is on L=Low then you are required to top up the level. It is important not to over fill the coolant reservoir level, the vapor space above the liquid level allow for expansion and maintaining the boiling point of coolant.

Coolant Reservoir bottle showing level indicators

Tyre Maintenance

Paying attention to your tyre, it should be a key component of your vehicle maintenance. Your tyres need to checked on a regular basis to ensure the safety of both yourself and  loved ones. The dry season could be very rough on car tyres, since too much heat could affect the fuel economy, strength and longevity of the vehicle.
Thus, during the dry season, tyres require extra care. Tyres not only hold the car's weight, but also connect the vehicle to the roads and handle road hurdles. Nevertheless tyres are often ignored and overlooked especially when entering the rainy season.

When maintaining your tyres it is important to observe the condition of your tyres, a picture says a thousand words.

The effects of either over pressure or under pressure in tires.

One of the things we sometimes overlook when we perform our checks is - The spare tyre, having a soft or deflated spare tyre, does not serve any purpose when there is demand for a tyre change. Please remember to check and ensure your spare tyre is fully inflated at all times.

Battery Maintenance

These battery maintenance tips will help ensure that every time you are ready to start your vehicle, the vehicle is able to crank. Below 10 tips that you can apply as part of your routine preventative maintenance for your vehicle which will help prolong the life of your battery.

It is important to note that the battery is used for starting the vehicle, during normal driving and once the vehicle has started, the vehicle charging system then regulates the supply charge to keep the battery in the charged state. If your battery is running down prematurely it could be one one of the following things:

• Faulty Charging System
• Faulty Battery
• There is a source of supply that is being left on when the car is switched off that may be draining the power on the battery.

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Tune Ups

Car Tune-Up is really important in ensuring the longevity of you cars engine, all vehicles have a regular tune up schedule according to the O.E.M.( Original Equipment Manufacturer ) manual. The general rule of thumb is every 5000 km when using fully synthetic oil.

 

Tune-ups are to be considered as the preventative maintenance of your vehicle, which once done within the requirement of the O.E.M. recommendations, will save you  money and inconvenience of your car being down for extended periods of time. Based on the mileage of your vehicle, certain tune up services are required, these services range from just a oil and filter change to a change out of all fluids and belts for the engine and transmission

When your car is tuned up, the fuel consumption is reduced. A properly tuned vehicle will ensure complete combustion takes place during the power phase of the combustion process for the engine. Have the right amount of fuel and a strong source of ignition helps ensure the engine is being operated at its full capacity. Loss of power and increased gas consumption are both indicators that your car may require a tune-up.

Oil Change

The Oil in a car can be related to our blood as humans, it is the most essential component in ensuring a healthy engine.

In today's world where technology is evolving, so too is the type of oils used in vehicles. The use of synthetic oil vs mineral oil is debatable depending on cost and application of engine. Oil forms a thermodynamic wedge between the moving parts of an engine. This wedge prevents metal to metal contact between high rotating or moving components. If we eliminate this wedge then there is metal to metal contact which lead to excessive wear and eventual failure of engine components. 

Due to the stresses being placed on the oil, over a period of time this leads to eventual breakdown and the oil then needs to be replaced since its effectiveness to protect engine components would have been significantly reduced.

Synthetic Engine Oil

When replacing oil please refer to the O.E.M. ( Original Equipment Manufacturer ) Manual for referral on the amount of oil your car requires ( normally between 4-5 litres )

Replaceable filter element


Replaceable Oil Filter

When replacing filters it is advisable to check the O.E.M. Manual for reference of part ID. Used Oil and Oil filters are to be disposed of using the proper waste disposal resource for used oil and contaminated products. Used oil is considered as hazardous waste and therefore extra care to prevent spillage to soil, water streams or self-contamination should be avoided at all times.