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While depreciation is one of the most talked about costs of owning a vehicle, there are other, less obvious costs that you have more control over, and which could, if managed better, reduce the cost of ownership.

Warming up your car has lost popularity with the advent of the more modern, robust engines. However, it is a really good idea to spend a few minutes letting the oil circulate through the engine, before you speed off in the morning.

Riding the brake pedal will cause unnecessary wear and tear to your brake pads and discs, and the costs associate with replacement more frequently than otherwise. In addition, it is really annoying for the car behind you, who hopefully is leaving a decent following distance.

Driving at speed with the window open will increase drag and you will land up refuelling more frequently, costing you more.

Roaring along in a gear too low is going to apply unnecessary stress and strain on the mechanics of your car. Conversely, driving at too low a speed in too high a gear is also bad for your engine. Both bad habits will cost you over time – choose the correct gear for the speed that you are doing.

Fill up your tank before you hit the reserve warning. It’s really not good for your car to run on a fuel level that is too low as you run the risk of small particles of foreign material that may have settled to the bottom of your tank entering the engine potentially causing damage that could be costly to repair.

Check your dashboard periodically as you are driving – this will ensure that you pick up warning lights as soon as possible. The colour of the indicator will indicate the seriousness of the issue – red, orange, blue/white/green. If the indicator is red or orange – pull over immediately and consult your car’s manual – you may just save yourself a costly repair.

Servicing your car regularly, in line with the intervals indicated in the Owner’s Manual will keep your engine lubricated, and ensure that all engine parts are checked for faults and replaced when necessary. Think of it as preventative maintenance, rather than breaking down in some inconvenient location and having to pay costs of towing and repair, possibly of additional damage caused that could have been avoided.

Leaving your hand on the gearstick as you are driving, could apply pressure that starts to engage the selector forks, leading to wear and tear and possibly expensive repairs.

For those who drive a manual car, riding the clutch is a well known bad habit – heating up the clutch as you drive and potentially burning it out.

Avoiding some of these habits could save you money and ensure that your car lasts longer, and has a higher resale value when you decide to eventually replace it.

Ensuring that your vehicle’s wheels are correctly aligned is a very important maintenance item in order to maintain the safety of your vehicle and its passengers.

What exactly is wheel alignment? Wheel alignment is the measurement, analysis and adjustment of your vehicle’s steering and suspension angles to ensure that the wheels of your vehicle are perpendicular to the ground and parallel to each other.

If the wheels of your vehicle are out of alignment, you will feel that the car seems to be pulling to one side of the road, or your steering wheel is juddering or vibrating. Your wheels can get out of alignment gradually from normal everyday driving, or from any of the following incidents:

• Driving over pot holes or hitting the kerb, or running into concrete parking stalls
• Minor accidents
• Worn runner components as well as worn suspension components – the older your vehicle gets, the more probable it becomes that this will cause a wheel alignment problem

When your wheels are not in alignment, you will increase wear and tear on your tyres and will land up having to replace your tyres long before you would have otherwise needed to. It can also cause unnecessary wear on the suspension components of your vehicle, causing problems with the overall vehicle handling, performance and safety.

You should have your wheel alignment checked whenever you rotate your tyres, and also when you replace them. If you think that your car is not handling correctly, or the steering doesn’t feel right – take your car in to have your wheel alignment checked out.

Suspensions systems of today’s front and wheel wheel drive vehicles require precise wheel alignments that can only be delivered by specialised alignment systems. Also – more cars have special features such as stability controls, dynamic stability controls, active stability management or SAS (Steering Angle Sensors) – all requiring different methods of adjustment to the wheel alignment.

There are 5 factors involved in determining the correct wheel alignment:

• Caster, which is an imaginary line drawn between the centres of the upper and lower ball joints, forming an angle with the true vertical. Caster is important to steering feel and high-speed stability.
• Camber, which is the inward or outward tilt of the tyre. Camber is important for tyre-to-road contact, and takes into account the changes of force when a vehicle is turning.
• Toe, which describes whether the fronts of the tyres are closer (toe-in) or further apart (toe-out) than the rears of the tyres. Toe is important to ensure that the tyres roll in parallel when the vehicle is moving.
• Thrust, which is relevant for solid rear axle vehicles, and the thrust angle alignment allows all four wheels to sit square with each other.
• Ride height, which is the distance between the chassis and the road, and provides a reference point of all alignment measurements.

Prior to the 1980s, seat belts were the only form of passive restraint in our cars, and statistics have shown that the use of seat belts has saved thousands of lives.

In the 1980s the first commercial airbags appeared in motor vehicles. Statistics show that airbags reduce the risk of fatality in a head on collision by about 30%. Nowadays, we also have seat mounted and door mounted side airbags – and some cars have six or even eight airbags. The airbags deploy in the event of a crash, and provide cushioning for the driver and passengers in such a situation.

But how do they work? We know that moving objects have momentum, and cars consist of several objects, including the vehicle, loose objects inside the vehicle and of course, the passengers. When a car is stopped by a collision, the vehicle itself may be stopped, but the other objects inside the vehicle will continue to move at whatever speed the car was travelling, until they too are stopped by the body of the car or the windscreen. When a car crashes, the car’s momentum is changed instantly, but the passengers’ momentum has not changed. The goal of the seat belts and also the airbags is to help to stop the passenger’s momentum while doing as little damage as possible.

SRS airbags supplement the restraining action of the seat belt, and provide a barrier that can reduce the severity of head injuries in a crash. These types of airbags are now standard in most new vehicles, and are located in the hub of the steering wheel (driver airbag), in the dashboard above the glove compartment (passenger airbag), and side airbags are located in the door panel or seat. Curtain side airbags are located above the side doors.

During impact, sensors in the vehicle detect the sudden deceleration. A strong enough impact will initiate a flow of electricity to the inflator which will light the gas generator and the airbag will inflate in milliseconds into the space between the driver and the steering wheel, or between the passenger and the dashboard and between the side door and the driver/passenger. The bag will then deflate quickly when the gas escapes through vent holes or through the fabric – absorbing the energy of the driver/passenger when this occurs.

These days some airbags have different levels of inflation depending on the speed of impact and the distance between the driver and the steering wheel.

It is important to know that certain types of collisions, such as a rear-end collision, or if your car should roll without actually colliding with anything, may not cause the airbags to deploy unless your vehicle is fitted with a rather sophisticated sensor system, and specifically rollover sensors to detect the situation where your car rolls. So it is important when purchasing your vehicle, to check not only how many airbags there are and where they are situated – but also how many and what type of sensors the car has.

Also important to note is that the front passenger airbag should be set OFF if you have a child under the age of 13 or a person less than 153 cm tall in the front passenger seat.

Modern cars are built with mechanical and electrical systems – any part of which could fail. The Australian Government regulates the manufacture, importation and first supply to the market of road vehicles in order to ensure an acceptable level of safety. If a safety or non-compliance issue is found in a vehicle, manufacturers are responsible to fix these, and that means that they will recall the vehicle.
Obviously, recalls are expensive for the manufacturer of the vehicle, therefore it stands to reason that, should your vehicle be subject to a recall, the issue is real and could pose a threat to your safety. Regardless of the irritation that an owner of a vehicles subject to a recall might feel, it is therefore very important to follow the request of the manufacturer with regards to the recall – from a safety perspective as well as in order to keep your warranty valid.
The number of recalls issued by manufacturers of motor vehicles is rising, probably in line with the complexity of modern engines and electrical systems. Not all recalls are for major fixes – vehicles are recalled for smaller-scale fixes all the time. Smaller issues are sometimes addressed when you take your vehicle in for a service.
At the other end of the scale, it has happened that the manufacturer has issued a “do not drive” instruction – such as was issued with Porsche for its 911 GT3 model that started catching fire. Don’t take chances – follow the instructions in the recall notification and get the issue sorted out a quickly as possible.
You will not have to carry the cost of fixing any issue subject to a vehicle recall. As mentioned above, the vast majority of recalls are for minor technical issues that may involve a small part and about 30 minutes to repair.
The manufacturer will normally contact you by mail to advise of a recall. If you are not the first owner of the vehicle, or you do not receive the mail for some reason, you can go to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) website and look up your vehicle.

Looking to buy a car but not sure where to start? These are some top tips that can help you get the best deal!

First of all, it pays to understand your needs and your budget. Make a list of the types of trips and the use that you will need from your vehicle – this will guide you in selecting a suitable model of vehicle based on your specific requirements. Then, armed with a view of which makes and models of vehicle you are interested in, research the market to see what is available and at what price, and compare this with your budget to enable you to make a good buying decision.

In need of finance? Get that sorted as soon as possible so you know your budget going in.

It is preferable to use a licenced dealer who will be regulated and provide you with legal protection in the event of a problem, as well as offering you a cooling off period and Statutory Warranty on used vehicles. You will not have the benefit of this type of protection if you use an unlicensed dealer or a private seller – here the onus will be on you to protect your interests.
If you are buying from a private seller, do remember to check that there is no balance outstanding on any finance on the vehicle, and also that it is not stolen or written off. Be sure to use a car broker, such as Carbiz, to ensure that you don’t have to deal with this extra hassle!

When buying a vehicle, take particular note of the safety features, and buy a vehicle with the highest ANCAP or used car safety rating.

If you are buying a used vehicle, make sure that you get the vehicle inspected by an independent qualified mechanic. Include wording in the contract that provides for the sale to be revoked should the inspection be unsatisfactory. Don’t ever sign an incomplete contract – read it through and make sure that you understand the contract before you sign. You have the right to insist on the wording of the contract being changed to suit your requirements – if the dealer will not comply then you should consider carefully whether you should in fact go ahead with the purchase.

Remember that any verbal undertaking will be difficult to enforce – make sure that you get any guarantee or warranty offered, in writing.

Finally – make sure that you have insured the vehicle before you drive off. Although Compulsory Third Party (CTP) may be arranged, this will not cover damage to your vehicle – so consider whether you should in fact have Comprehensive Motor Vehicle Insurance or Third Party Property insurance as well.
Contact us on 1300889256 today to find out how easy it is to buy your dream car!

Buying a car could be one of the most expensive purchases that you will make – having said that you should understand all of the financial implications before you buy.

Obviously, there are the initial costs of buying a car, such as

• Car registration
• Compulsory Third Party Insurance
• Comprehensive insurance
• Mechanical or other inspections
• Dealer delivery charges – Dealer delivery is a charge set by the dealer. It covers expenses that the dealer will incur in selling the car – such as cleaning the car, compliance, administrative costs and the cost of holding the vehicle prior to the sale.
• Goods and services tax (GST) is a broad-based tax of 10 per cent on most goods sold in Australia. If you are buying a luxury vehicle, be aware of the Luxury Car Tax, which is 33 per cent on the GST-inclusive value of the car over the relevant threshold.
• Government taxes and levies which include stamp duty and transfer fees. Stamp duty will vary depending on which state you are in
• Any vehicle that is sold as an unregistered vehicle will incur the cost of number plates.

In addition to the initial costs, you need to consider the cost of running your vehicle. Australian households are now spending up to $22,000 every year on their vehicles as toll-ways, insurance and other costs continue to rise. Have you considered the everyday running costs? These will include:

• Fuel, which makes up a significant portion of the running costs
• Road tolls
• Insurance which will be compulsory third party as well as comprehensive insurance which you may decide to purchase to cover you for any damage to your own vehicle
• Loan repayments, if you have not purchased your vehicle with cash
• Regular services at the correct servicing interval as stipulated by the manufacturer. If you have purchased a new vehicle or a relatively new used vehicle the cost of servicing may be covered by a service warranty for a period of time.
• Spare parts and repairs, which will include tyres, shock absorbers, brake pads etc that need replacement on a regular basis, as well as any part that may fail unexpectedly and need replacement.
• Membership of associations and clubs
• Roadside assistance
• Registration costs which need to be renewed annually

Carbiz Online is a full circle motor vehicle dealership. We can help you source ANY car you want at the best possible price, finance, trade-in, insurance, warranty and so much more. For more on costs of owning a car, Contact us on 1300889256 today!

Buying a car is a major purchase for most people. Should you buy a new, or a used car?

A new car will come with a warranty and service plan – and there will be no existing problems that may surprise you. If something does go wrong – your warranty will cover repair/replacement of the faulty part. The downside of a new car purchase is depreciation of the value of the vehicle. The value of your car reduces the moment that you drive it out of the showroom. The average new car in Australia loses 15% per year in the first 3 years – that’s a whopping 40% in the first 3 years. Thereafter, the rate of depreciation slows to around 10% per annum – assuming that you don’t drive more than 15000 km per year. Think about it this way – if you spend $100 000 of a new car, in 3 years it will be worth only $ 60 000.

A used car will be a lot cheaper than the price of a new model, and if the car is more than a year old, the biggest hit from depreciation will already have been made. Mileage is a big issue when it comes to depreciation of a vehicle – low-mileage vehicles will tend to look and feel better, and be more reliable. If you want to minimise the loss of value of your vehicle due to depreciation, buy a car that is more than a year old and one that has a low mileage relative to the age of the vehicle.

There may be existing problems with the vehicle – but if you do your due diligence thoroughly, checking out the service history and getting the vehicle checked by a mechanic – you can do a lot to mitigate this risk. You can also look for a brand that has a long, comprehensive warranty, and select a used car that is still within the warranty period.

Buying a used car at auction may be more risky as you may not be able to test drive the vehicle, or get it inspected before you buy.

One option to look for when buying a used car, is to buy a car that is being sold off a novated lease. A novated lease is an option whereby a brand new car is run and maintained by its purchaser, and then sold privately at the end of a three-year ownership period. Novated lease cars are usually maintained and serviced as part of their contracts, and when the lease period ends the new owner should have the option to extend the factory warranty – providing some of the peace of mind associated with purchasing a new car.

Contact Carbiz today to secure your new car. Let us take the hassle out of buying or selling your car – Carbiz, a better way to buy and sell your car.

Driving a 4 wheel drive car is a skill, and having the knowledge to proper driving is essential to keeping you and your family safe. Here are some great tips for you when driving your 4WD on dirt, gravel and sand.

When travelling on an unsealed road, visibility is impaired by the dust that your tyres kick up. You should therefore travel at slower speeds than you do on a tarred road, in order that you have enough time to react safely, and brake if necessary while still maintaining traction with the surface of the road.

If there are oncoming vehicles and if you can see up ahead, travel on the crown of the road where there will be less loose sand and gravel. If you encounter an oncoming vehicle, or one behind you that wants to overtake, move slowly to the left to avoid a sudden loss of control should you hit loose stones or gravel.

If you are travelling in a convoy, keep a suitable gap between you and the car in front – anything from 100 metres to 500 metres. This will help you to stay out of the dust cloud from the car in front – providing better visibility and also ensuring that your air intake filters don’t get blocked.

Grip is very important when driving on unsealed roads – don’t switch off your Dynamic Stability Control (DSC). Drop your tyre pressure a little if the road is very corrugated, as this will increase grip and also give you a more comfortable ride.

When driving on sand, consider your momentum and keep in mind your tyre pressures. Lowering your tyre pressure will increase the length of the tread, and keeping up enough momentum to keep the vehicle on top of the sand, will help you to floating across the sand rather than churning through it. Don’t forget to watch your turning circles after dropping your tyre pressure – if you take too tight a turn you could have the tyre peel off the rim. Always drive up and down a sand dune in a straight line – if you try to drive diagonally across a dune you may roll your vehicle.

The golden rule is – don’t deflate your tyres if you don’t have the means to re-inflate them. On unsealed roads, slow down and look ahead.

Fancy yourself as a 4WD car owner? Contact Carbiz today to find your perfect match – a better way to buy and sell your car.