Spring clean your ride ahead of the holidays
As 2025 draws to a close, many people are counting down to their end of year holiday. But before you close your bags and pack the family into the car, there’s one essential task still to do: give your car’s engine a thorough spring clean.
Thabiso Mkhize, owner of Castrol Auto Services trading as Mumbo Repairs in Kya Sands and Castrol brand ambassador, says giving your car a fresh start ahead of the holiday season is just as important as cleaning your home in spring. Auto repair businesses can get busy in December, so beat the rush and do those checks now.
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There are some steps you can do yourself:
- Check your oil and top it up, if necessary. Oil is the “lifeblood” of your engine, Thabiso says, and it makes sense to use a good brand, like Castrol, rather than the cheapest product. To find out which Castrol product is best for you, use the Castrol oil finder at Product finder
- Inspect your tyres. Make sure they are at the correct pressure, and there is sufficient depth in the tread. Tyres in poor condition increase the stress on your engine. You should have your tyre alignment checked at least once a year because it will ensure your tyres wear evenly. Tyre alignment is affected by bad road conditions, like potholes.
- Test your brakes and your battery – they take additional strain in heavy traffic and on cold winter mornings.
- Don’t forget to check your windscreen wipers and radiator coolant. Both of those will make sure that you get to your destination safely, no matter the weather.
- For some issues, it is essential to take your car to a professional auto repair business:
- When you hear unusual noises from the body or engine.
For a complete annual service. Whether you build up a lot of mileage in a year or only use the car for trips about town, the car needs a service every 12 months. - Your auto technician will change filters, inspect seals, and also look at items like timing belts to ensure they have not become brittle. If the timing belt snaps, it will cause damage to the engine and result in a hefty repair bill.
- Visit your local independent workshop for professional maintenance.
“Some of the most common problems I see are neglected oil changes, worn tyres and dirty air filters,” says Thabiso. “These are small things, but they are important. If you run out of oil, the engine will seize up. If you don’t replace worn tyres, your fuel efficiency will be lower, and your vehicle will be less stable on the road, which is dangerous.
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“A lot of people don’t know that if their vehicle’s air filter is dirty, it reduces the amount of clean air coming into your engine, which has other effects, like higher fuel consumption, occasional smoking, and a bad hot start on the vehicle.
“Regular servicing, especially at a trusted workshop, will help your vehicle to go further.”
Mkhize knows what he’s talking about. He started his career as an auto technician at Hyundai, then opened Mumbo Repairs in Durban and subsequently moved to an 800m² premises in Kya Sands, Randburg. Those premises have become too small for his growing business, and he has subsequently added another 600m² workshop. Altogether, he employs about 25 people.
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