Most of us treat the car like a fridge. It hums along in the background until the day it doesn’t, and then it becomes the only thing that matters. The technicians at Car Care Clinic in The Square see the same pattern at every spring car service, when Sunninghill’s commuters arrive with problems that started whispering months ago.
The workshop, an RMI five star approved franchise that has grown to 30 branches nationwide since 2012, says a few warning signs deserve attention before the December road trip.
- The aircon that blows warm. Gas leaks out slowly over years, and by the time the cabin feels like a taxi in summertime traffic, the compressor has been working overtime. A regas in September beats a queue in December.
- The squeal when you brake. Brake pads have a built in wear indicator that squeals on purpose. Ignore it long enough and the brake disc joins the shopping list.
- The clutch that bites near the top. If the pedal only engages at the very end of its travel, the clutch is telling you it’s on its way out.
- The dashboard light you’ve learnt to ignore. Modern cars talk in fault codes, and the diagnostic equipment at the workshop reads them in minutes. Guessing costs more than knowing.
- The service you keep postponing. Timing belts, in particular, fail without warning and take the engine with them. The manufacturer’s interval is not a suggestion.
The Sunninghill branch opens at 07h00 on weekdays, which means a car can be dropped off for its service before work, and the Checkers, the pharmacy and the coffee are all within walking distance while you wait for your lift.
Car Care Clinic Sunninghill is at Shop 40, The Square, Sunninghill. Tel 011 202 5586. Monday to Friday 07h00 to 17h30, Saturday 07h30 to 13h30.
