With Gauteng vehicle owners now having to pay almost 60 cents more per litre for petrol, many are feeling the pressure of owning a vehicle, according to the Motor Industry Workshop Association (MIWA).
Pieter Niemand, Director of MIWA, said this month’s increase came as a big shock for many motorists, with some wondering how long they will be able to sustain the costs associated with their vehicles.
“Every petrol price increase means more is paid towards petrol costs and less is available for the maintenance of the vehicle,” he said.
While this could lead to more unroadworthy vehicles on the road, “this does not have to be the case,” said Pieter.
He believes now is an opportune time for vehicle owners to review their vehicle costs and look at cost-saving alternatives that won’t compromise their vehicles or safety.
“Regular maintenance of a vehicle is the only way to ensure it remains roadworthy. It’s also a money-saving exercise in the long run, because major breakages on a vehicle are very expensive. Regular servicing can prevent that. It’s also the best way to ensure you keep your vehicle longer. A car in good condition will run longer and possibly be more fuel efficient,” he said.
When it comes to saving money on maintenance, Pieter said there are excellent accredited workshops that realise the expenses customers are dealing with and will offer a top-class service at a reasonable price. “It’s important to speak to the mechanic and share your concerns about price. There may be a way to do staggered maintenance with staggered payments, or another solution. Just using an independent workshop already saves money, as services through dealers are more costly.
“The key is finding a workshop that is accredited and affiliated to an association such as MIWA. In this way, you can be assured that the workmanship has a stamp of approval and should you be dissatisfied with the service, you have a channel to go through to lodge a complaint.
“Independent workshops are small businesses wanting to stay afloat in a highly competitive market. Keeping customers satisfied is essential to their business, so more often than not they will go the extra mile to assist you,” added Pieter.
Pieter also said that most modern vehicles are equipped with engine management systems which operate at the most fuel-efficient settings under most conditions. “But what must be kept in mind is that no computer-based system can control the actions of the driver.”
He offered the following tips to drivers:
• Accelerate at an even pace in traffic. Short bursts of acceleration will increase fuel consumption.
• Drive in the lane which has the least traffic ahead to maintain a constant speed. The engine management system will adjust to the most economical settings for the best fuel consumption.
• The first startup after a lengthy stand is the one which has the richest fuel mixture. This means motorists should avoid harsh acceleration whilst the engine is still cold as this will cause the consumption figure to spike dramatically. Do not idle a cold engine to warm it up, as this will not improve the fuel consumption nor lengthen the life of the engine.
• If you are in a heavy traffic situation and the waiting times are lengthy, do not be afraid to turn off the engine and restart once the traffic starts moving again. Modern engines are now being equipped with this function to aid fuel-saving. However,don’t switch off and restart continually, as this will drain the battery.
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