Between vehicle ownership and regular maintenance cost

With the rising cost of both new and used vehicles, including the Nigerian used specs, many owners of these different classes of vehicles have no option but to make sure everything maintenance options are considered to ensure these vehicles not only have long life span but also gives returns on investment to the owners.

Following the rising cost of vehicles in the country, most Nigerians, especially the middle class that constitute the larger percentage of the working class, can no longer afford them.

It is against this back drop that all necessary steps and precautionary maintenance measures have to be taken on vehicles through routine checks on such basics as oil and water level in the engine system.

Utmost care is needed for every vehicle by their owners be it the government, individuals or corporate institutions considering the high cost of spare parts in the market. Worst still is  the bad network of roads that are dotted with potholes, ditches and gullies all over the country which have over the years remained travellers nightmare.

In the long term, the efficient operation of an automobile is achieved from the combination of various systems ranging from mechanical, electrical, hydraulics to pneumatic systems.

The various systems put together help to achieve efficiency in speed, performance, safety, convenience and fuel economy. For easier understanding of these systems and their various functions, the vehicle itself is broken into various sections such as the powertrain, body, chassis and communication systems.

The powertrain for instance consists of the engine which is the powerplant of a vehicle that produces power through internal combustion of fossil fuel thereby generating heat, sound and rotational motion.

While the transmission system helps to manage and connect the power of the engine to the road wheels through the use of gears, clutches and/or hydraulics, the transfer case further distributes the power from the transmission in a 4×4 system.

Before we go further, it is instructive to note at this point that the life span and efficient running of the engine of a car largely depends on the type and quality of lubricants used in servicing the vehicle and most of the time, either the automobile mechanics or the car owner is responsible for the efficient of bad running of the engine as result of their choice of lubricants or oil used.

To complement the powertrain and transmission system of the vehicle and give it a holistic outlook is the body system which comprises of the interior and exterior features. These provide for comfort and convenience to the occupants even as it can also help provide security.

Over the years, vehicle security system as well as occupant security have improved over the years. For instance, systems such as door locks, anti-theft alarm and immobilisers and so on, help to secure both the vehicle and its occupants.

On the other hand, looking after the convenient systems of the vehicle is of paramount importance as these provide comfort and ease to the vehicle occupants. Examples of these convenient systems include the radio/entertainment, heating ventilating and air conditioning as well as the telecommunications systems.

In all of these and of paramount importance to every vehicle is the lighting system without which any vehicle is not completely ideal to run on the road especially during the dark hours of the day on at night.

The various lights on a vehicle help to illuminate and also to indicate/signal other road users while driving. The interior and exterior lights are connected to the vehicle body system.

And above all is what is referred to as the chassis of the vehicle which is the internal frame work that gives it structural strength. Many vehicles systems especially those concerned with safety and stability of the vehicle can be found on the chassis and such systems includes the brakes, suspension, tyres and the stability control amongst others.