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Dear Start My Car,
It’s not just us. Everyone, it seems is moving in the digital direction. Have a look at the Wheels24 article below. It seems that South Africans are now able to report minor accidents and even get case numbers on line. This is real progress.
We too are making progress and are working every day to make our environment increasingly efficient and user friendly. You may notice that we have made some changes to this newsletter and have added a section called “What’s that noise?” The idea is to help any motorist, no matter how knowledgeable, to identify a range of sounds their vehicle may make, and what mechanical problem it may be indicative of.More importantly we are working to make sure to include as many deals as possible.Let us know if there is something that we are not offering so that we can make sure to do so.
Mostly, drive safe.
Regards,
Baruch.
Involved in an accident?
Report it online and get a case number too!
Motorists can now report an accident and obtain a case number via the National Traffic Information System (NATIS) website, removing the schlep of having to go to a police station.
However, there are a few stipulations, with only minor crashes can be reported and must be done within 24 hours or the next working day. Uploading a crash report is legally binding, according to the NATIS site.The user will be provided with an automated crash report number that can be used for insurance purposes. There is no charge for the service.
Here's a handy list of the process:
- This submission of a crash report will be legally binding.
- All crashes must be reported within 24 hours or the next working day.
(Non-Working days Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays)
- For insurance claims the motorisit will be provided with an automatically generated Crash Report
Number (CRN).
- Only minor damage accidents can be reported.
- Crashes which include a person or persons being injured, killed or involved in a hit and run
accident/crash must be reported immediately to the nearest municipal/metro police, traffic
department office or South African Police Service (SAPS) station.
- All crashes involving five or more vehicles must be reported at your nearest South African Police
Services (SAPS).
- The information submitted by you can be made available to your insurance service provider.
- The reporting of the crash service is free. RTMC reserves the right to charge entities or persons to
access the data at a later stage.
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What’s That Noise?
Shocking experience
Knowing when to replace your shock absorbers!
Driving with worn shocks or struts may result in more than just a bumpy ride – there are many safety considerations to consider. Shock absorbers keep your tyres in contact with the road surface and are essential to your motoring safety.
Why Replace?
A worn shock absorber will detrimentally affect the stopping, steering and stability of your vehicle. Consider the following scenarios:
-Stopping: At 60Km/h, a single worn shock absorber may increase your stopping distance by up to 2.4 metres. This could be the difference between hitting someone or not.
-Steering: Worn shock absorbers may cause your tyres to lose contact with the road, and generally reduce your vehicle’s handling ability. A car with reduced handling ability will not be able to respond as quickly to a need to change direction to avoid a potential collision or adverse road condition such as a pothole.
-Stability: Worn shock absorbers cause excessive sway around corners, making the car a lot less stable. As the shock get older, body roll increases. In extreme situations, the vehicle may roll over, as the suspension is no longer able to redistribute the weight of the vehicle going into a turn.
Recognising it is time to replace the shocks is not always easy. You get used to the way the car drives as the deterioration is gradual. It is comparable to your favourite pair of shoes that feel fine until, one day, you discover the soles are worn out.
The Warning Signs
Initially, suspension manufacturers recommended that shock absorbers should be checked every 20 000 kms and replaced every 80 000 kms. However, due to the poor state of roads and increase in potholes, shocks often need replacing sooner.Below are some of the warning signs that may indicate worn shocks or struts. If you are experiencing ANY of these signs, you should have your shocks or struts inspected by a qualified service technician immediately:
1. Instability at highway speeds. Your vehicle never feels completely stable on the highway and is constantly “bobbing”/moving up and down.
2. Vehicle “tips” to one side in turns. When taking a sharp turn or an off-ramp, your vehicle leans or sways to the outside of the turn and feels wobbly.
3. The front-end nose dives, or vehicle swerves, during hard braking. You may not notice this until you have to jump hard on the brakes.
4. Uncomfortable steering wheel vibration. Worn shock absorbers stop effectively absorbing and damping surface irregularities, causing the steering
wheel to vibrate and shake.
5. Rear-end squat during acceleration. You’ll notice the front end of your vehicle rising while the rear “squats” during hard acceleration.
6. Tires bouncing excessively. After hitting a bump or when driving on rough surfaces, you can feel a tire (or tires) reacting or “bouncing” for a time. You
may also hear a clunking noise.
7. Unusual tire wear. Because the tire isn’t being held firmly to the road, you’ll notice uneven wear or “bald” patches.
This increases your risk of hydroplaning,
8. Leaking fluid on the exterior of shocks or struts.
This is a sign that the seals have broken and the internal fluids essential to proper function are escaping.
9. Dented or damaged housing. This can lead to the restriction of oil between the inner and outer tubes, resulting in poor performance of the shocks.
10. Vehicle veers in crosswinds. You shouldn’t have to “correct” your car in mild winds.
In Summary:Worn shock absorbers are not only dangerous, they can also lead to costly repairs on your vehicle. Not replacing worn shocks will cost you a lot more money downstream by having to replace other components such as mountings, tie-rod ends and ball joints that have been damaged by the excessive spring movement. Or tyres that have to be replaced prematurely due to bald patches and uneven wear.
Take advantage of the many specialist fast fitment centres which offer to check your shocks absorbers for free. If they do need replacing, Start My Car has access to the entire local KYB range. Have a look on our website, or contact us, and we would be happy to source your part for you!
