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Ask the Mechanic

How often should I check my tyre pressures?

We recommend you check your tyre pressures once a month. Simply pop into your local service station and:

  1. Unscrew the cap on the air valve of your tyre.
  2. Push your tyre pressure gauge firmly onto the tyre valve.
  3. Look at the pressure reading on the gauge.
  4. If the reading is low, attach the air hose to the tyre valve and increase the pressure to the correct level, rechecking with your own gauge if necessary.
  5. Screw the cap back onto the tyre air valve.
What should my tyre pressures be kept at?

The tyre pressure that your vehicle should be maintaining is usually located on the tyre placard that is located on the inside one of the front door openings of your vehicle. The owner's manual should also have the correct tyre pressures for your car. The tyre pressure for the front and the rear tyres can differ. 

How often should I have a wheel alignment?

The overall aim of a wheel alignment is to set your vehicles steering and suspension geometry to ensure maximum tyre contact with the road under actual driving conditions.  We highly recommend a wheel alignment be carried out if:

  • You've had new tyres fitted to your vehicle
  • You've had any suspension work carried out to your vehicle
  • If your steering is pulling to one side on a straight road
  • If you've noticed your tyres are wearing out faster than normal
  • If you've hit a pot hole, gutter or any obstruction on the road

Did you know you can maximise your fuel consumption by minimising tyre drag? Included in every service we carry out, your vehicle tyre drag is tested via our SafeTstop. Therefore your wheel alignment is checked on a regular basis, so if you haven't had any unexpected mishaps you should not need a wheel alignment in between services.

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How often should I service my car?

So, what’s the magic number? Well, most car manufacturers suggest every six months to a year or every 10,000kms, whichever comes first. But keep in mind, this is just for an average vehicle. Cars that perform more heavy duty tasks are advised to have more frequent services. Plus, if you drive an older car, it might be worth booking in a little earlier and keeping a close eye on your odometer. Good mechanical repairers should look at your car and individually diagnose it (just like if it were a person going to the doctor - everyone’s different!).