More and more new cars are sold featuring technology to help you drive better and look after your vehicle more easily.
From sat nav systems to autonomous driving aids, driving has never been as easy.
It’s simpler than ever to own a car too. Sensors monitor every aspect of its mechanical operation, and the latest cars can even alert garages in advance about potential problems.
Whether you are at the wheel of a petrol, diesel, or electric vehicle, the latest automotive technology is designed to make the process of car ownership as stress-free as possible.
Advanced automotive software platforms enable OEMs to implement technical upgrades over the air (OTA), with OTA updates for vehicles that make owning a car less of a headache, whether you are mechanically minded or not.
But automotive experts are still adamant that the owner should know when to maintain and upgrade any vehicle. Automatic technology can spot all the obvious problems – but do you really want to trust your life to a sensor or transistor than could go wrong?
And even if you are getting a dashboard reminder to book a service online or you are looking for the best way to replace tires or rims. It will be you who has to make the decision.
Today’s car industry is much more user-friendly than in previous generations – but you still have to make all the buying decisions and book the jobs on your car yourself.
Maintain your tires
Driving authorities are still also keen to remind owners how important basic maintenance is.
They are keen to pass on warnings about how even normal wear and tear can create changes in how your vehicle behaves on the road. Motoring insiders are increasingly concerned that many drivers are now neglecting simple jobs like checking their tires.
If a car comes with a modern tire pressure monitor, they have found that drivers tend to ignore their all-important wheels until they get a warning.
It’s still worth doing regular visual checks on the state of tires and rims, as the pressure monitor will not alert you to bulges, cracks, or rust. Any of these could signal trouble ahead.
And if you have no tire monitors at all, then it’s definitely worth doing your regular wheel and tire checks.
It’s not just the danger of less grip, traction, and braking with incorrect tires or damaged rims. Remember that it will hit your pocket with the costs of increased fuel usage if your rubber is under-inflated.
Fluid levels
Experts also advise how important it can be to monitor the fluid levels in your vehicle. One sensor failing can mean you don’t notice a critical fall in brake fluid that could be very dangerous.
So experts still recommend keeping an eye on the levels of all the fluids in your car, and that even includes the windscreen washer reservoir. You’ll need it when a sudden dust storm blocks up your view of the road.
The level and condition of engine oil in a petrol or diesel car are critical to its smooth operation and longevity. Keeping to the service schedule advised by a manufacturer is still essential in keeping any vehicle in the best condition for safe and reliable driving.
Keeping an eye on your vehicle
So there are many factors where today’s onboard technology can make driving a more pleasant experience. From dual-zone climate control to voice-activated music systems, modern cars are more pleasant places to be than they have ever been.
But there’s still room for keeping a check on the underlying mechanical parts, whatever drive or fuel system it uses.
From brake fluid to wheel rims, it’s worth regularly checking everything is as good as it should be. And if you want to upgrade your car in any way, for example, with superior tires and rims, there is no technology that’s going to make that decision for you. Sometimes nothing beats the good old method of simply taking a look at the car yourself.
