If you have a motor service plan, you’re in good hands, provided you keep to it. While it’s all fine and good to leave the maintenance of your engine to the professionals, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be privy to what’s going on under the hood. To recognise whether you’re getting the best out of your motor service plan insurance, it’s always good to understand what car parts make your engine tick. Or roar. Or purr.
Here are 5 key pieces of your car’s engine that your mechanic wishes you knew more about (and just happen to be entirely covered by a car service plan insurance policy).
Sparkplug
As the name implies, these two little pieces create the spark that ignites the air/fuel mixture to kick off the signature combustion of the combustion engine. The spark must happen at just the right moment for the engine to start up and operate. These little plugs may not look like much, but they are the main event in your ignition system. And they are undoubtedly the one element that must be changed regularly as part of your car’s service plan. If they aren’t replaced on time, the corroded sparkplugs could misfire and do some serious damage to the inside of your engine cylinder, which is a considerably more expensive repair than the simple replacement of your sparkplugs.
Sump Plug Washer
Another small, but vital part of your engine, a sump plug washer ensures that not a drop of oil goes to waste. This part prevents oil from dripping or leaking out of the sump pan, which collects oil that has circulated through your engine. This part should only be removed when your mechanic conducts an oil change during your car service. While this isn’t a part that has to be changed at every motor service or oil change, most mechanics would advise that you replace them often.
Oil And Petrol Filters
An oil filter is meant to remove contaminants from engine oil, transmission oil, lubricating oil, or hydraulic oil. So, this is a part that works overtime, while you’re cruising through the city streets. Any car service plan should cover the cost of replacing your oil filter frequently. Unlike properly filtered oil, the tiny, hard particles in contaminated oil can caused large-scale wear in your engine over time.
Similarly, fuel or petrol filters remove impurities from your petrol tank, which would otherwise clog your fuel injectors. But why should your petrol need filtering? Isn’t that stuff already refined? Although fuel is cleaned in the refinery, it picks up a lot of impurities during storage and transportation to your neighbourhood garage. Plus your car’s fuel tank isn’t the cleanest part of the engine to begin with. With all of these contaminants clogging up your fuel filter, the fuel pump must work harder and less efficiently. By having your petrol replaced at your regular motor service, you can prevent those particles and impurities from reaching your fuel injectors and keep your engine running smoothly.
Air And Pollen Filters
Your car’s cabin air filters are specifically designed, not so much for the health of your vehicle, but for your own health. Air and pollen filters purify the air inside your car, removing dust, pollen and other harmful irritants that enter through the air conditioning vents. Given how prevalent these particles are especially in urban areas, a car service insurance policy is guaranteed to cover the cost of replacing these filters.
Braking Fluid
Brake fluid is a type of hydraulic fluid used to transfer the force under pressure from the brake pedal through hydraulic lines to brake components near the wheels. This specialised fluid must be able to withstand the extreme heat produced when braking, while also remaining effective in freezing temperatures. There are several things that compromise brake fluid’s effectiveness and require it to be changed at every routine car service: the level of corrosion inhibitors, environmental factors, and your own driving habits. Although brake pads are not always part of the typical motor service plan, you can count on any service plan worth its salt to come through for you on the braking fluid.
And there you have it! These are among the top 5 car parts your mechanic should pay close attention to during your routine car service. Car services can rack up a fairly long bill, however, and there’ no guarantee you’ll have the money on hand when the time comes. Rather pay a small monthly fee and rest in the knowledge that a comprehensive service plan has you covered for any labour or parts involved in your car’s regular services. Find the right service plan quote for your budget today!