Art of car maintenance: Jargon you must know

By Sheena Amos

DUBAI 15 April 2018: Do you lose track when you hear phrases like the axle needs repair, the crankshaft is making noise, disc brakes need lubrication?

Well you can’t hide from these words especially when you are deciding on buying a used car in Dubai. These terms may sound more difficult than they actually are. The experts at CarSwitch.com have put together a list of jargon you ought to know about buying or maintaining your car.

Oil change and filter: If you want to prolong the lifespan of your engine make sure to regularly change your car’s oil. It is a rather straightforward task that can be done at any garage or even your local gas station. The rule of thumb is remember to change oil filter every other time you have your oil changed which could occur every 5,000 kilometers or three months.

Spark plug replacement: Your vehicle is powered by gasoline which is ignited by a tiny device inside the cylinder that creates a spark. These wear out about every 15,000 kilometers and can be affordably replaced in your local garage.

Fuel injector cleaner: A sudden increase in fuel consumption or failure to clear an emission test could mean poorly performing fuel injectors. This is why attendants at gas stations push you to use fuel injector cleaner as it will prevent the clogging of the injector thereby increasing its lifespan. A total fuel system cleaner can be used once every 5,000 kilometers.

Oil leak: A likely cost that can occur anytime is that of engine oil leak. Sometimes even new cars due to material or manufacturing defects can have this problem. However, the severity of this leak might not be the same for all. For example, replacing a valve cover gasket to the seal leak can be relatively cheaper as very few components need to be removed. But, say replacing a camshaft seal can be rather expensive as it requires the removal of your car’s timing belt and other engine accessories.

Shock absorbers: Forming a necessary part of your car’s suspension, shock absorbers controls the overall body movement of your vehicle. If the bushes are cracking then its replacement wouldn’t cost you too much neither would you need to waste Dh300-400 on its alignment as that isn’t required.

Brake discs: To fix brake squeaks and squeals or pedal pulsation, brake disc skimming can be used as a lower cost alternative to getting the brake disc replaced. The only time your brake disc needs replacement is when it reaches minimum thickness. Skimming of your brakes can be done at least once. Skimming is a process in which the lathe directly attaches itself to the hub and an electronically-controlled gyroscope measures the run-out in the hub correcting it to an accuracy of 0.025mm. This process can take less than 10 minutes per disc.

Knowing car maintenance jargon will make you a more confident buyer while searching through used cars for sale in Dubai.