Guildford Airport Taxi – surreycarguildford

A few simple maintenance checks could save you great trouble and money

Thoroughly checking your car every few weeks for any possible malfunctions may save you the trouble of sudden breakdowns. There are 6 key areas to check when you are looking for problems; Fuel, Lights, oil, water, electricity and rubber.

Fuel

Veteran drivers have this highly efficient habit of fueling up every now and then. They keep their fuel tanks at least halfway full or even all the way if there are other family members using the car/rental car or if they are driving to an unfamiliar area. They do not wait for the fuel light to come on rather, they top up the tank as soon as they come across a fuel station, regardless of immediate need.

Lights

Cleaning all your exterior lights every once in a while would get you to ensure whether or not they are working okay or if there are any cracks in the outer shields or any breakages on the inside. It’s also imperative that you check its operational capabilities as well while you are at it, for example, check if all the indicators are working well, ensure if the back lights and headlights are working and there are no blown out bulbs or dimmed intensity of light.

Oil

Car/Rental car dealers and car manufacturers perpetually stress over checking your engine oils every so often and changing if need be. If you are not sure how to do it, refer to the car handbook. Simply put, don’t wait for the red oil indicator to come on- your engine might already be under-performing/or damaged by then.

Water

Thousands of cars in the UK are reported annually to have broken down unexpectedly due overheating, even more so in the summer. It is important that you keep a keen eye on the coolant levels every few weeks and ensure the water levels aren’t low to an alarming level.

Moreover, it’s also advised to check for any leaks if the water levels become too low too often. And let’s not forget to fill up the windshield washer fluid with water and soap!

Check your handbook if you don’t know how to go about such tasks.

Electrics

Battery breakdown is an even a bigger issue than overheating when it comes to unexpected car breakdowns. Keep a battery life calendar that helps you track the lifespan of the battery installed in your car so you know when it’s time to replace it.

As mentioned above, checking the coolant in the electrics should not be compromised. The radiator’s electric cooling fan should be working without any malfunctions in an ideal car maintenance situation. If you have enough knowledge about car mechanism, then get your tools out and check if all is running well, or take your car up to the garage to get it checked.

Rubber

Damaged or overused tyres are one of the most important, if not the prime cause of car breakdowns (even more so when you have rented a car). Whether the car is being excessively used every day, or just standing in the spot for weekly grocery runs, it’s essential that the tyre pressure is checked every few weeks and topped up/ adjusted accordingly. Every time you plan a long drive, get your tyres filled up before your car hits the big road.

Your handbook should be able to tell you the right pressure levels for your car tyres in case you don’t know or your dealer forgot to mention.

Renting a car is one of our best bets when you think about the hassle-free travel experience. In the interest of the company- client transparency and customer satisfaction, renting a car have been made easy overtime, or so you think.

With car rental companies’ presence on digital media and app stores, tactics like “Call now for instant booking” or “Simple one-click reservation” or “book now, pay later” have got us to believe the process would be transparent and straightforward- but somehow it’s anything but so.

Questions like Do I need to buy the car rental company’s insurance package? Who’s paying the refuel charges? What if I am accused of damaging the car? How to go about car inspection? I need to drive across borders, can I do it? Do I need to buy all the extra services/gadgets they offer at the rental counter? Pop up in our heads every time you think about renting a car. The process is quite nerve-wracking.

There are certain do’s and don’ts when renting a car. We have listed down 9 of them for you.

1. Prepaying for gas

By prepaying for gas beforehand, we think we are saving ourselves some valuable time. The idea is enticing because you may be renting out a car for a fun, stop-free road-trip or a wedding. Unless you are absolutely sure the tank would be empty upon returning, don’t prepay for gas. Instead, suggest to keep count of mileage and pay at the end, or deduct the gas charges so you could fuel up on your own.

2. Failing to check for places to refuel

in continuation of #1, if you have decided to pay for gas yourself, the chances are the tank may be close to empty. So you might need to fill up as soon as possible. The best time to find a place to refuel your ride is immediately after pick-up. If you are somewhere new, familiarize yourself with the local, or the most easily accessible or cheapest gas stations as you go. Figure this when you are not pressed for time. You could avoid major delays if you have a flight to catch or a wedding to go to.

3. Purchasing insurance, #1:

Your own auto insurance covers you.

In case you are offered car insurance at the time of booking, it’s recommended that you check with your insurer whether or not your rental car would be covered before turning it down. Because auto insurance policies vary greatly. If you have purchased a basic car insurance plan, chances are, it may not include coverage for rentals, whereas if you have subscribed for “full coverage”, it most certainly would.

The basic insurance policy implies that the coverage you get for your main vehicle extends to the rental car because the rental is considered a substitute. So if you have an all-inclusive coverage on your own car, it would be applicable on your rental vehicle just as well.

Most plans would cover you even if the rented car is valued more than that of your own, so there isn’t a worrying moment about wanting to rent a better car or get an upgrade.

Note that a car accident in a rental vehicle would likely raise your rates if you have to make a claim on your own insurance policy.

4. Purchasing insurance, reason #2: Your credit card covers everything else

Anything your insurance company does not cover would most likely be covered by your credit card. In some cases, the credit card covers just as much or more than your own auto insurance; in others, it is intended to be secondary/ back up plan to help cover should anything go wrong.

Of course, making your car rental payment through a qualifying credit card does not give you any protection.

5. Ignoring one possible red flag: “loss of use” insurance.

When a rental car is in an accident or faces some other damage, “loss of use” charges apply to cover the likely revenue lost when the vehicle is off the road for repairs. This is typically charged in terms of a day’s rental for that unit, and most insurance companies do not cover these charges.

7. Failing to check for a reward program or other discounts.

Many membership programs establish alliances with car rental companies and other such businesses as a member incentive. These include travel companies, frequent flier programs, sports programs, hobby-focused groups or even restaurants. Such discount is typically announced on websites and apps and you would be notified through notifications, pop-ups or emails. If you are a long time member of a car rental company, take a look before pinning down a rental car and you could find a great deal.

8. Inspecting hastily upon pickup

Upon picking up your rental car, make sure to check it inside and out. This inspection is necessary so you could find anything that could be deemed as damage when you drive away with it. Scratches, loose parts, torn seat covers, working windows, windshields, indicator handles, mirrors and anything else that you could think of.

Keep a sharp eye for details big and small. The wise thing to do is to take a walk around the car and take as many photos as possible, or shooting a video where you can voluntarily shake the bumper and kick the tire to see if anything is wrong. It’s possible that you might find something that the company has not previously noticed so you couldn’t be held responsible later on.

9. Leaving final inspection to chance.

Returning rental cars is a lot different than checking out of a hotel. You can’t just drop your keys, thank the receptionist and leave. Dropping off the car unattended by any agent is just unsettling. You should be content about handing over the car to someone from the company so that they can check it and confirm nothing is off. Customer-Company disputes over damage claims are the most recent epidemic. If no agent is present at drop off, the dispute later becomes your word against theirs.

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Basic Car Checks You Need To Perform When Buying/Renting A Car