Road conditions, long commute will wear your car down

OUR daily commute puts significant stress on our bodies and before we can adequately recover, well, it’s another day of the same stresses. There’s the rush hour traffic, bumpy roads, selfish motorists, you name it, and not only do these affect us, they affect our automobiles too. Unfortunately, auto mechanic and car enthusiast Roshane Holness said that since our cars can’t talk, we often underestimate the extent of the daily wear and tear caused by the long commute.

Below he shares just how some of the most common elements that our vehicles are exposed to everyday can damage them, and measures we can take to enhance the lives of our vehicles in light of this.

Traffic

Traffic can be a real car killer. The brakes on your vehicle will feel it most since there will be a lot of stop and go. There is also, of course, more pressure on your transmission and your engine.

“Some engine-related challenges may stem from the fact that while in traffic the engine will be left idling longer than usual, which means weak engine ventilation. When this happens continually and for extended periods, it may lead to carbon build-up in your engine which may cause engine damage. As for your transmission, it may overheat because the constant stop and go does not allow the transmission fluids to warm up, which is what it requires ideally,” Holness explained.

Potholes

One of the many annoyances that we have to deal with when driving is potholes. Sometimes there are plenty of them, even on roads that should be constantly maintained considering that these roads have high usage. When your car hits a lot of potholes you’ll find that it wears the suspension, shocks and struts on your vehicle much faster than if you were driving on a smoother road. Outside of the obvious dangers of hitting potholes, there is the possibility of damage to your tyres and rims and the steering systems could come misaligned. As such you may have to get the vehicle inspected since it may need to be aligned, and tyres repaired as well as rotated and balanced for your safety and that of passengers and other road users.

Dust, dirt and debris

The recent roadworks in the Corporate Area has resulted in a lot of dust, and for those of us who have to traverse these roads daily, it will become quite evident on the exterior of our vehicles. This, coupled with the rainy season, has also meant more contact dirt, mud and debris. And while the outside of the vehicle can be easily washed, when dust gets inside the engine it can significantly affect car performance. For example, with greater exposure to dust air filters will get clogged much faster, and as a result this will reduce airflow to the engine and lead to the car overheating. When the engine filters get clogged with dust, what will also happen is that engine oil quality will also diminish since its ability to trap contaminants from getting inside the engine would have also been affected.

To prevent expensive engine damage when you drive in these conditions, Holness said that you should have your oil and filters maintained regularly to ensure that they aren’t clogged and contaminants are absent.

“Very importantly, even though we said that the dust and dirt shouldn’t cause much damage to the exterior, it is important that you do it as soon as possible because chemicals in cement dust, for example, could dull or paint job and the debris and dust could also make it much easier for scrapes and scratches,” Holness advised.

To enhance the life of your car in light of the many elements it has to contend with, Holness said the most important thing is to not just watch your car, but listen to it as well.

“Since you really can do very little about preventing wear and tear, you have to ensure that you take proper care of the car and address concerns as soon as they arise. So pay close attention to warning lights when they come on, follow the recommendations of your vehicle owner’s manual, and then schedule maintenance time. Be sure to look at the recommendations for different parts of the vehicle under (less than normal) conditions, and use this as a guide,” Holness advised.

He said that another way to prevent major wear and tear on your vehicle is to use other routes for better roads even if they appear longer, as well as the toll roads even though this might come at an immediate extra cost. In fact, with all the fuel that you will burn when stuck in traffic, you might want to consider the alternatives once it is safe and the road is in good condition.