If not for the popularity of the above idiom, the topic best suited for this article happens to be ‘Top 12 Kobowise-Naira-foolish car practices’; but either way, what this article is about is simply stating a few odd practices most motorist indulge in with the intention of making huge savings. However in reality, these practices lead to relatively higher spending at the end of the day. In this list are the causes and consequent effects of some-may be- regular practices we may just be guilty of as motorist and how such translates to higher spending.

Brake pad wear leading to rotor (popularly known as brake disc) damage: if your brake pads in active use goes below a quarter of an inch, you stand the risk of damaging your rotor, especially when metal-metal contact is made owing to the action of your foot pedal. Some Nigerians even keep using their brake pads until it falls off -no jokes here.

Engine oil overuse leading to poor cooling and high engine wear: many motorist fail to recognize the primary role of oil cooling in engines and how it is hampered when used up oil keeps being circulated around the engine with most of its properties and viscosity lost. Wear rate is higher when you continually use used-up oil and the result is more metal debris in your oil and poor engine conditions.

CV (constant velocity)-joints’ boot rupture: if you change your cv-joints boots just on time, you may salvage the entire joint and even your drive shafts. But most just keep driving like it’s no man’s business with leaky and oily boots.

Poor wheel alignment/balancing leading to uneven tyre wear and damage: your reluctance to perform a process that just may require as little as #2500 would end up causing damages that will require #40,000 or more to fix. It’s just plain and simple maths, as more than one wheel is affected by poor wheel alignment/balancing conditions.

Shock absorber damage leading to more steering work: well this condition may not materialize immediately but whenever your shock absorbers are down; your steering suffers and you stand the risk of changing or repairing steering components anytime soon.

Managing wrongly inflated tyres and spending more on fuel: well this practice just had to get on the list; according to experts, 20% more fuel is expended by cars to compensate for poor tyres (inflation) conditions.

Coolant/water underuse leading to engine overheating and damage: overheating causes irreversible damage like warping of engine blocks and cylinder heads, also irregular expansions in some engine areas eventually leads to the need for total engine replacement. In most cases the simple cause of this can be the use of plain tap water alone and fiddling with radiators.

Driving with your ‘check engine’ light on: at this point your vehicle has ‘limped-in’ and your fuelling budget inevitably goes up by as much as 15%. If you happen to be a regular daily driving motorist, this may translate to as much as #8000 extra monthly for a condition that can be fixed with #5000(for diagnostics) + #10,000 oxygen sensor(just saying).

Not documenting repairs and spending more on fake parts: [/b]without proper vehicle maintenance documentation, it becomes almost impossible to track certain trends and discover fake parts from some vendors.

[b]Not getting your license and vehicle documents and spending more on bribes and tickets: well you might evade this by leaving home early and heading back from work late, but for how long? Unscrupulous/non-bribe collecting LASTMA, VIO, FRSC officials and police men are on the hunt for your type! Last time I checked, in Lagos for instance before even retrieving your impounded vehicle, it will be required for you show a proof of your tax-payment (tax returns) records for 3years and pay as much as #15,000 without the daily demurrage fee.

Not spending on proper driving schools and wrecking your car/spending most of your time in panel-beating(car body) shops: [/b]time is money! Not using your time productively amounts to losses. And guess what you hand-in to Oga-panel whenever you pay him an unpleasant visit? Money!

[b]Not servicing your automatic transmission when due and spending lots of money when your car breaks down on: LASTMA(for Lagosians)+New gearbox + towing fee(God saves you that you are so far from any mechanic workshop)+labour cost +cost of finding good labour. At this point you don’t need any more cash breakdown!

With this sketchy analysis of a few driving practices, the real question here is; are you really saving?

http://autobaseafrica.com/top-12-pennywise-pound-foolish-car-practices/

So on point.... That is whta the white man calls preventive maintenance

fastlane84: So on point.... That is whta the white man calls preventive maintenance

Most motorist need a complete re-orientation about maintenance practices!

И̣̣̣̥o wonder!!!.....thanks

I have been enlightened. Thanks OP

even people wey never buy Keke go still say on point #hides

E no concern me. Me and my boys dey get in shape to go confront Shekau, dead or alive.

Thanks. Does automatic transmission needs servicing? And how often can that be?

Beaf!:
Thanks. Does automatic tansmission needs servicing? And how often can that be?

I just found out,regretably at a huge cost.

Being a virgin used to be fun, not until ritualists started using people like 'us' for rituals....

Beaf!:
Thanks. Does automatic transmission needs servicing? And how often can that be?

For most Japanese cars;you need to service your gearbox especially for older tokunbo cars.Servicing entails draining off old transmission oil and replacing with new oil.

Baba_Eleko: E no concern me. Me and my boys dey get in shape to go confront Shekau, dead or alive.

Are you tempting God?

I ve been driving with "check engine light ON" for two yrs.....who cares?
Buying fuel @97 per litre is already expensive.

priscaoge: Being a virgin used to be fun, not until ritualists started using people like 'us' for rituals....

what is the relation btw ur post and the topic

;DNice one bro we need more of dis

priscaoge: Being a virgin used to be fun, not until ritualists started using people like 'us' for rituals....

Off point , Did you miss road ? @ OP Nice one and very interesting ......

Good reminders.

Darelee on Nairalee......*farts on thread*......

Point 13
Just becuase of fuel, u wudnt turn on the ac hence u begin to sweat like a goatt in traffic. If u die of heat stroke someone else with take over the car

priscaoge: Being a virgin used to be fun, not until ritualists started using people like 'us' for rituals....

Come mak i dis-virgin you so that babalawo go stop to dey chase you

Is this English

Seriously i dunno what i just read up there

One of my tires seems to be jumping when i drive i noticed one wheel is slightly bent dunno if my failure to do wheel balancing in the last 8months is a contributing factor? I guilty like die of not carrying out periodic maintenance

priscaoge: Being a virgin used to be fun, not until ritualists started using people like 'us' for rituals....

Up till now, I've not seen a bit of fun at it...

yuzedo: Great article!

For some of the points raised, kindly elucidate/englighten greenhorns on how to carry out preventive checks; e.g. Brake pads, transmission, etc.

Also if Siena can help answer a personal query: My car dashboard has had the ABS light ignited for months now. Mechanic tells me not to worry about it. Your take? Many thanks in anticipation of a helpful response..

run a scan on the Brake System... Never Hesitate to... You don't wanna give Miss Yuzedo a lift with that..

uj_sizzle: Is this English

Seriously i dunno what i just read up there

It's called pidgin English.. You would need it when you encounter these..*pics..below* ◑▂◐♡◑▂◐

uj_sizzle: Is this English

Seriously i dunno what i just read up there

na french... mumu

uj_sizzle: Is this English

Seriously i dunno what i just read up there

uj_sizzle: Is this English

Seriously i dunno what i just read up there

It's called pidgin English.. You would need it when you encounter these..*pics..below* ◑▂◐♡◑▂◐

yuzedo: Great article!

For some of the points raised, kindly elucidate/englighten greenhorns on how to carry out preventive checks; e.g. Brake pads, transmission, etc.

Also if Siena can help answer a personal query: My car dashboard has had the ABS light ignited for months now. Mechanic tells me not to worry about it. Your take? Many thanks in anticipation of a helpful response..

did you work on ur shafts?

Nice post

@poster: Thanks a lot for this very useful information, very appreciated- from a single girl with all her brothers out of the country...

Please can you tell us more about gauging tires? Why do the vulcanizer chaps always want to do a different figure from whats on the car?

As for ignoring that ABS light, do so at your own peril. Several years ago, I had a Honda Accord that the mechanic messed up the braking system and told me to ignore the blinking light. Suffice to say I thank God I am still aliv; that was the last tokunbo car i ever bought. I swore that i would never have dealings outside of a car sellers workshop!!!!! So I bought a kia and now use a toyota.

God deliver us from Naija artisans

Pls wat is engine light on pls