The five extra minutes that could save your life

Buying tyres or component parts for your car is often a grudge purchase, and to be  honest,  for most people visiting a tyre fitment centre does not quite hold the same appeal as browsing through a hardware store for new gadgets.

“The reality,” says Les Richardson, Vice Chairman of the Tyre, Equipment, Parts Association (TEPA), “is that very few people visit a tyre shop for a general shopping experience. We visit because we have a problem – either a tyre failure, worn tyres or simply our car is behaving badly.”

This results in one simply wants to get what we need done and get out of there as fast as possible. “But,” says Richardson, “with more and more motorists keeping their cars for longer and having to navigate the many potholes and obstacles on our roads, it is worth asking the salesman to do a quick check of some of the other key component parts on your car.”

It’s five minutes that cost nothing but could potentially save your life. “Most tyre shops are staffed by professionals that are passionate about their job and really do want what is best for their customers. Often the sound you hear, like a slow slapping noise for example while driving, may be caused by a flat spot on the tread pattern of your tyre caused by harsh braking or similar, but worth noting, a worn shock absorber can also create flat spots. So rather take 5 minutes to explore all possible causal options.”

Worn shock absorbers are dangerous and affect the way the car handles when cornering or braking. “Often we don’t realise the slow decline and simply get used to the symptoms rather than taking action,” says Richardson.

If your front shocks are worn and you find yourself having to brake hard, not only will the front of the car dip forward, but the weight is then dispersed unevenly at the back which could easily result in skidding and other issues.

Richardson says if you pick up a slight brake shudder while braking lightly, this may have nothing to do with the brakes, but rather be related to your suspension components simply being worn. Fortunately, although a common problem, it is not an expensive fix.”

And it’s not just tyres and shock absorbers that can be checked. “Maybe you have not used your wipers for a while. Worn wipers cause impaired visibility when driving in the rain. So just think if only you had allowed the eager salesman to go through your car, maybe he would have picked up that issue and saved you some pain when the rains finally come.”

Richardson says these days fitment centres have changed and many have pleasant customer hospitality areas. “So why not when you pop in to rotate and balance your tyres every 8000 to 10000 kms, grab a cup of coffee and allow one of the fitment guys to check out the car. Maybe he could give you a heads up on a possible impending problem before it becomes an issue.”

We all know the adage that prevention is better than cure.  “In this case more cost effective too. A set of brake pad may cost a few hundred rand, but sorting this timeously is cheaper than replacing worn discs that may have been caused by allowing the pads to wear too far. Or worse still, cause an accident,” he says.

It is also not uncommon to see a car driving at an angle. “We call this “crabbing” in the trade. This may have been caused by a poor panel beating repair or similar,  but could also just as easily be simply a few bolts that have loosened over time or pothole damage that have caused parts of the suspension to shift. Your local TEPA accredited repair shop can fix this relatively inexpensively.”

Richardson says it is particularly important to do these quick overall checks ad hoc or especially before setting out on your holiday trip when your car may be more loaded and these small niggles that you have grown to live with over time now manifest into a bigger, more dangerous problem. “Remember many of us can’t afford to replace our vehicles as often as we did in the past, so take time to pop into your local TEPA accredited fitment centre and spare the time for those small health checks which will help ensure your investment lasts  longer over time and keeps you and your loved ones safer.”