MOTORINGMONTHLY
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Keeping your car safe and legal Ensure you and the car are insured with at least liability insurance so if you crash into another car, or something, or someone, that the repairs, and or medical bills will be covered by your insurance. Keep a copy of the current insurance summary in the car in a safe place so it is easy to find but won’t get tossed out when you clean up, vacuum, and de-trash your car. Ensure you have a copy of the current vehicle registration papers in the car. Ensure you have the current safety and emissions inspection documents. You may want to keep the maintenance receipts
in the car as well. Some people keep these in another location but this is a problem when you are at the shop, or home for the weekend. You may wish you had them in the car if someone asks when you last rotated the tires, changed the oil or transmission fluid, or flushed the radiator. Keep these receipts in the car. Learn how to check the pressure in all of the tires and keep a tire pressure gauge in the car so you can check it at least monthly. Under inflated tires cause many accidents. An under inflated tire can be torn off the rim when cornering hard causing a serious
crash. Remember that the oil in the engine needs to be changed regularly. Check the owners manual for guidance. Many cars need it changed every 5,000 kilometres Air filters should also be replaced periodically. Dirty oil and dirty air filters will allow dirt into the engine and scar the inside of the engine making wear out much faster and cause early and very expensive engine failure. Rotate your tires every time you change the oil. This means having the wheels taken off and put back on in different locations such as moving the
front tires to the back and vice versa. This helps the tires wear more evenly and last sometimes twice as long. Check the pressure in the spare tire every month along with all of the other tires. Seasonal temperature swings can change the pressure in tires even if there is no leak. Your brakes should be visually inspected at least once every year. Brake shoes eventually wear out just like the soles of your walking shoes. When they wear all the way through it can cause damage to the brake rotor that can be expensive to fix. Even though they stop the car
effectively the shoes could be very thin and start damaging the brakes any time so check them visually when rotating your tires. Learn how to check the vital fluids in your own car for your own safety. These are easy to check on most cars by opening the engine compartment. Oil, Coolant/Anti-freeze, Transmission fluid, .Brake Fluid, Windshield wiper fluid. If they are low they should be topped off. If they keep getting low you might have a leak. Check your parking spot for drips. Learn to change a flat tire. Learn how to use the
jack and lug wrench that is in your car and practice jacking up your car and changing a tire in your driveway so you will know what to do if you get a flat. In case of emergency keep a few items in a duffel bag in your car. Think about what you might need or want if your car broke down or got smashed and you had to stand outside for 3 hours waiting for help. What if you had to walk home in the heat or in a storm. Suggested items include first aid kit and working flashlight
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ZIMBABWE INDEPENDENT MOTORING SUPPLEMENT FEBRUARY 7 TO FEBRUARY 13, 2014
motoring monthly
Short term insurer that is a cut above the rest
The best kind of life we can live is a life without regrets, or wishing that we had ourselves covered against unexpected tragedies and problems. There is a Shona proverb that literary advises us not to wish that we were close to a cave once it starts raining (usazoyeukabakomvurayonaya). Indeed, having insurance policies is not an option but a necessity. Safel Insurance Company (PVT) ltdis one such company that is there to provide a safe haven against the tempests in our lives. Safel Insurance Company (Pvt) Ltd is the crème de la crème of short term insurance service providers. Since it opened its doors in 2013, the Company has embarked on a mission to provide short term insurance, risk management and related services that are based on sound insurance principles and practices. The company provides Third Party Motor Cover, ThirdParty Fire and TheftCover, Comprehensive Cover with lowpremiums, hugebenefits and a very short turnaround time in claims settlement. In addition to insurance against theft and fire, there is also cover for the motorist‘s legal liability to Third Parties, as well as damage to Third Party property. If one insures with Safel Insurance Company for three consecutive terms, or more the policy holder stands a chance to get free funeral benefit of up to USD1000. Safel Insurance Company also provides domestic cover, for buildings, property and personal items, such as laptops and cell phones. The insurance company has also taken a stride towards insuring that farmers have peace of mind, despite being susceptible to the vagaries of Mother Nature, predators and wayward men. Safel Insurance Company Farming Insurance covers tobacco from “field to floor”, as well as wheat and other crops. There is also cover for livestock, such as beef cattle and dairy cows, farm buildings and farming implements. The insurance company also has an Asset Policy that protects business assets against losses incurred due to fire, burglary and other possible natural and man-made causes. This policy also covers goods and cash in transit. Justice might be blind but one should not be blind to the fact that legal aid is a necessity, irrespective of one’s social status, financial standing or profession. Safel Insurance Company has an irresistible legal aid cover, availing competent legal practitioners, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for as little as $5.00 per month, giving tremendous benefits for low premiums. Cases covered include maintenance, labour court matters, unpaid wag-
es, will writing, divorce, debt collection, unfair dismissal, road accident claims, domestic violence, court assistance, civil litigation, contract drafting, bail application, change of name, delictual matters, custody/ access, children’s rights, criminal litigations. After 5 years of being a member and without claiming, the policy holder will be reimbursed 50 percent of the total contribution. Should the account holder die after 24 months without a claim, 25 percent of the policyholder’s total contributions shall be paid to the beneficiaries. Other products on offer are professional indemnity, personal accident, fidelity guarantee, engineering and marine insurance. Safel Insurance Company is professionally enriched with highly qualified and experienced staff , with the Chief Underwriter Mr. Pfigu Cleopas having held strategical senior positions at a number of insurance companies in Zimbabwe , including an impressive eleven years of service at Heritage Insurance Company. Claims department is manned by an actuary with vast experience in claims processing. Safel Insurance Company has a staff complement of 15 at the Head Office in Harare, ably supported by 60 Marketing Executives. Mr. Janhi Sahi Loverose, the Chief Executive Officer said he wants to close the gap in the insurance market, where he has realized that the general public is uninsured (exposed) when sound insurance products can be availed at a reasonable cost. The company has tapped into a lot of great ideas imported from developed countries and from discussions with fellow Zimbabweans. Thus, there are multi-faceted and great benefits for customers of Safel Insurance Company and the nation through world class innovations, once the company is given a chance to truly rise to the occasion. ‘A new product is in the offing and this is to do with Loss of Employment, where retrenches can salvage a living out of their relationship with Safel,’ revealed Mr. Janhi. Safel Insurance Company (Pvt) Ltd insurance products and services can be found at allGlow Petroleum Service Stations, all Trek Service Stations and many other selected Service Stations where Marketing Executives are stationed.Safel Insurance has partnered service stations that offer best services. For more information members of the public can contact the service team at the following numbers: 04-758 381/2, 0772 958 936, 0774 419 819 1st Block, 1stfloor 1 union Avenue Building No. 1 kwame Nkrumah Harare
ZIMBABWE INDEPENDENT MOTORING SUPPLEMENT FEBRUARY 7 TO FEBRUARY 13, 2014
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motoring monthly
Fuel Economy: The Facts
Petrol is and has routinely been very expensive these days and saving fuel is high on most motorists’ lists. There are many myths about how to save to precious golden stuff. If you believe in them then apologies if we debunk a few. Many drivers think that garages that sell brands you’ve never heard of offer petrol that is of lower-quality. However, usually, these no-name petrol
stations purchase their fuel from oil companies that you have heard of, it’s just that the brand name companies usually have more additives in their fuels. These additives help clean the engine. However, your car will not be harmed if you use the cheap stuff that does not have additives. Today’s cars have very advanced engine technology and your car’s on-board computer should be able to
adjust to different types of fuel. You will not even notice a difference in performance, just price. It is also conceivable that premium fuels are not necessarily the best for your car. It often has a slightly higher octane rating that makes it more resistant to pre-ignition but unless your car specifically needs a premium product you do not really need to pay the extra money
Pre-ignition is a condition in which fuel burns uncontrollably in the engine. Usually, only higher-performing engines are susceptible to this condition. Higher octane fuel is often required for sport or luxury cars for example which will help maximize power in high-performance engines. If you use the regular stuff in such a car, you may not reach full power, but many drivers do not know the
difference. On more basic vehicles this is much less of a problem so why pay more than you need? It is always best to use the grade of fuel recommended by the car manufacturers, however. It is a common belief that it is best to fill up in cooler weather. This really is an old chestnut. Some drivers still believe that cooler gas is denser and therefore, you will get more for your money. This may well be true, but garages usually store their petrol underground. It’s conceivable that this underground stock may well be susceptible to weather change, but it is incredibly minimal. Filling up your tank when it is cooler will make basically no difference at all. Many drivers believe that opening the windows at high speeds can affect mileage. Using air conditioning certainly affects your vehicle’s fuel use, by up to 10% they reckon but opening the windows at high speeds does not cause a significant difference. In short, to save on fuel it is best to open the windows instead of using the air-con. Some motorists make it a habit to warm up the car before driving. In the past, aeons ago, this step was important but in modern cars, it isn’t necessary. Engines are most efficient at regular
operating temperature and the most efficient strategy to reach regular operating temperature is to drive immediately after starting the car. There’s no need to warm up the motor first. Once, petrol was delivered to the engine via a carburetor. The carburetor mixed the fuel with air to make it ready for combustion in the cylinder. If it was cold, the engine needed a rich fuel mixture to start. The engine needed to be warmed up, in order for the carburetor to effectively mix the fuel. Today, computer controlled performance systems use electronic sensors to mix the fuel. Another common myth is that dirty air filters causes an increase in consumption. In older engines, this is true. However, in modern engines, again, a computer controls the air/fuel ratio. The computer senses the amount of air coming through the filter and adjusts the amount of fuel used to match the air flow. If your air filter is dirty, the fuel economy will not change. However, the car may accelerate much slower with a dirty filter, so it is true to say that dirty air filters will affect performance. The solution to maximize fuel consumption is to service the car regularly in line with manufacturing guides and drive more slowly!
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Blackwood Hodge (Zimbabwe) Pvt Ltd Authorised Distributors of TATA Vehicles in Zimbabwe, Stand No.4917, Corner Hobbs Road and Simon Mazorodze Road P. O Box 4917, Harare, Zimbabwe Tel; +263 4 620951/3, +263 772 164 990/1 Sales Team: Collins:+263 778 433 788 Lilian:+263 712 965 104 Tiripo: +263 773 370 074 Email: sales@tatazimbabwe.com like us on
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