Vehicle Maintenance

Taking good care of your vehicle not only helps it perform better, but it also means maintaining a higher resale value. As drivers, we know it’s important to maintain our vehicles to ensure and sustain its durability, reliability, performance, fuel efficiency as well as the overall value of our investment.

At Kersten Motors we ensure that your vehicles are serviced by trained & qualified Toyota technicians and only genuine Toyota spare parts including oils & filters are used during servicing.

However, every driver should keep these car maintenance tips in mind:

Kersten Motors recommends that you service your vehicle every 5,000km. General maintenance involves checking or replacing parts like oils, filters, brakes, belts & hoses. Over time, based on the vehicle mileage and usage other major parts may need replacing in order to keep your vehicle running efficiently and safely.

Make all efforts to know what your oil and coolant levels should be at normally and then do periodic checks to ensure that they are okay. If not, fill them up.

Replacing clogged air filters can help improve acceleration time and improve your car's fuel economy. This will keep your car breathing properly.

This is one of the simplest car maintenance services you can do to keep your vehicle in good running condition. Not maintaining it could void your warranty and even cause an engine failure, which can cost thousands. Check your next service appointment.

When checking your battery look to see if the terminals have become loose, if there is any corrosion around the terminals, if it needs distilled water or if any loose metal objects are touching the terminals.

Check your tire pressure regularly (including the often-overlooked spare!). This helps to improve fuel efficiency, cut down on tire wear and tear and lets you know if your vehicle is correctly aligned. The correct tire pressure for your vehicle is mentioned at the inside of the door.

Rotating your tires at intervals is recommended to even out the wear and tear so ask your service advisor when checking in your vehicle. Also, check regularly for slow leaks, cuts, bad wear, thread separation or any noticeable changes in the look of your tire.

Make sure your Vehicle Inspection and Insurance are up to date! All too often we take care of our vehicles but forget to renew these on time.

Check your tools often to make sure that in case of a flat tire or any other minor mishaps you are covered. Must haves include a jumper cable, jack, flashlight, spanners, screwdrivers, lug tool and tire inflator/fixer.

At minimum have your vehicle aligned once per year to ensure the proper wear & tear of your tires and to make sure that your vehicle is performing at its best. Unpleasant road conditions and bad driving patterns can affect the alignment of your vehicle.

Washing not only keeps your vehicle looking good; it's also a good way to maintain that new-car finish. Allowing a layer of dead bugs, bird droppings, dirt and chemicals to accumulate on your vehicle can strip away wax and eventually paint. If you decide to wash your car yourself, don’t use household cleaning agents like hand soap, dishwashing detergent or glass cleaner, which can also strip off the protective wax. Use a product designed specifically for cars. In addition, aim to polish your vehicle 2-3 times per year.