4 Things You Absolutely Should Not Save On

We’ve done a fair bit of cost saving tips for the savvy and budget conscious reader.

In these rather murky economic times, that’s us doing our part to help you and your wallet, because car ownership here can be quite the bomb.

Yet there are some things you should never scrimp on, because if you already own a car, these things will literally either make or break the car, and in some cases, you too.

You should definitely not be too bothered to use back the OEM windscreen wipers your dealer will gladly sell you.

After all, a poorly maintained and worn Bosch wiper blade is no better than a brand new, high quality Asian made one.

Yet the same cannot be said about brake pads.

Picking the Asian made one will come with certain negative possibilities – the most unwanted of which is a failure to stop when you need it to, where your life depended on it.

Manufacturer approved parts have been strictly regulated and tested to perform in accordance with their specifications, which are derived from extensive testing and design calculations which take into account the mass of the car, heat generated from braking and weather conditions among other things.

Okay you need not get the most expensive engine oil there is out there.

But what you must do is get the right specification oil for your engine. Oil comes in a range of temperature ratings and viscosities, which means that using the right one for your engine is of paramount importance.

Just because the bottles on the shelves of some supermarkets are going for a discount price doesn’t mean you should just pick up any random bottle to use.

Engine oils from different brands also come with different additives including detergents to clean out gunk that is left over from combustion and lubricating agents which aid the oil in keep your engine running smoothly.

So even as you consider which workshop is offering you the cheapest servicing, do consider also what oil they are including in the package – because that can be the difference in price.

We did mention that there are ways to save money on tyres.

If you can get the same performance tyres at a discount price because somebody upgraded their rim size that’s a bargain.

But if you’re getting cheap tyres without proper credentials then you’re asking for trouble.

First and foremost, always stick to the right size of tyres the manufacturer of your car recommends for it. Just because a slightly smaller or larger tyre is on discount doesn’t mean you should risk compromising the handling and driving characteristics of your car.

Next, try not to pick the cheapest tyre on the tyre rack. Not that there's anything wrong with those tyres, but you’ll want something with the best blend of comfort, noise and grip, both in wet and dry conditions.

High performance tyres tend to sacrifice noise damping in favour of grip; whereas comfort biased tyres do the reverse. Since most of us neither drive sports cars nor luxury limousines, the tyres that find a balance in both will be the best.

We’ve already taught you the right way to wash your car.

We’ve also recommended you a good no-rinse shampoo to save water.

Be like us. Use these tips.

Because if you think Mama Lemon will cut it when it comes to a car shampoo, you’re sorely mistaken.

Cars are protected by a layer of wax (if you haven't already done this, we highly recommend waxing your car every 6 – 9 months), which fills the micro gaps in the clear coat and helps to repel contaminants.

Some people also elect to do a synthetic coating, which replaces the wax with some sort of sealant, either ceramic or silicon based, which does the same thing but lasts longer.

If you use dishwashing liquid or your kid’s baby shampoo to wash your car, you risk stripping the protective layer especially in the case of wax, because detergents are designed to break down oils, of which wax contains a large amount.

So get a proper car shampoo, preferably one that doesn’t strip wax and instead leaves some to give your car continued protection.

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