I’m a motorsport mechanic – oil is one of just four key parts of vehicle to keep maintained to stay out of the shop
A RACECAR technician and shop owner has warned drivers not to neglect four key car components used in everyday driving.
Neglect can mean the difference between an accident and a scare.
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Alberto Peña, a racecar technician for Evetech Motorsport in Spain who’s worked on racecars for the McLaren Trophy, Ferrari Challenge, and the Porsche Carerra Cup in Germany, is an expert concerning car details.
In motorsports, competition is fierce and many technicians see maintenance as an opportunity to take down competitors.
“In the motorsport world, there is a lot of ego and testosterone, and for many mechanics, their way of asserting themselves is by tripping up others,” he told La Vanguardia, originally written in Spanish.
“That’s when mistakes happen.”
In the real world, though, Peña owns a shop in Fuenlabrada where the competitive energy he has on the track is converted into a slow-paced method.
He said that many drivers don’t pay much attention to the four most important parts of a car to keep it functional.
“At the very least, oil, filters, brakes, and tires must be in perfect condition, because with normal use, you won’t notice it, but it can make the difference between an accident and a scare if you have to swerve,” he said.
His experience with racecars reinforces the importance of these systems, as an overlooked detail or imperfection can mean a DNF for a driver’s team.
Tires are essential for maintaining or regaining traction on and off the track, and subpar tires can shave off a few miles per hour at the top speed.
A blown tire can cause an accident, which can seriously injure a driver or other competitors on the track.
Bad brakes can be disastrous at high speeds, resulting in loss of control, spinning out, or serious injury and even death if a vehicle can’t properly stop.
Oil is essential for keeping a racing engine, which operates at incredibly high rotations per minute and high temperatures, from seizing.
Air in the combustion chambers is crucial for optimal fuel-to-air mixing and clogged or dirty filters can inhibit that.
When all four components are in perfect condition, the vehicle is easier to control, more efficient with gas, and all-around safer when road surfaces are questionable.
All of these principles can be applied to everyday vehicles on roads, making it incredibly important to keep up with maintenance at the proper intervals.
It’s also helpful for drivers to know how to inspect these areas, which is incredibly easy – even for those who aren’t mechanically inclined.
On a tire with adequate tread, the top of Lincoln’s head will disappear. If you can see all of Lincoln’s head, the tread has worn down too low.
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Tires can be inspected visually to ensure that the tread isn’t lower than the minimum depth – which can be checked with a penny.
“To test your treads, turn the penny upside down with Lincoln’s head facing you,” wrote Evan’s Tire.
“Insert the coin into your tire treads until the top of the coin touches the rubber at the bottom of the groove. On a tire with adequate tread, the top of Lincoln’s head will disappear.”
Pay special attention to Lincoln’s head to know when the tread depth is too low.
“If you can see all of Lincoln’s head, the tread has worn down too low,” the site continued.
Engine oil can be checked by inspecting the oil dipstick under the hood, which is usually indicated with a yellow handle and an oil symbol in the middle.
Be sure to consult the owner’s manual to know the precise location and description of the dipstick before attempting the inspection.
The very first step is to make sure the engine is off, and the vehicle is parked on level ground.
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When pulling out the dipstick, wipe it clean with a cloth, and reinsert it to get a more accurate reading – look at the bottom of the stick, where you’re likely to see three lines at the bottom to indicate the oil level.
The top line is full, the middle is getting low, and the very bottom line indicates the level is low – if no oil is visible, take the car to a trusted mechanic after adding enough oil to show on the dipstick to have them inspect for leaks.
Running an engine on low oil can cause severe damage to an engine over time, resulting in thousands in repair bills to bring it back to running order.
If it should seize due to low oil levels, it can cause an accident.
The oil should be changed every 5,000 miles or so, but the exact interval depends on the make of the vehicle, so be sure to read the owner’s manual.
Filters can be inspected visually after finding their precise location from the owner’s manual.
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If a filter is held up to the sun and light is barely passing through, it’s time to replace them.
Filters should be replaced once a year or more depending on the climate and normal driving conditions.
Brakes are the hardest to visually inspect unless you know what to look for.
With brakes, if you hear squeaking, feel shaking when braking, the pedal feels squishy when depressed or they feel less effective, take the vehicle to a mechanic immediately.
Brake pads typically need to be changed between every 10,000 and 20,000 miles, with rotors needing replacement every 50,000 to 70,000 miles, though it can vary depending on driving style and normal driving conditions.
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