Do You Know What’s Under The Bonnet?

Here’s the latest from STP on how we should reconnect with our cars.

Car DIY is on the increase, thanks no doubt in part to the financial squeeze, but an unnecessary fear of the unknown is preventing simple cost-saving DIY amongst many motorists, according to STP, the engine care and fuel additives specialist.

Lack of knowledge of routine maintenance, and a fear of engine complexity, prevents many motorists from conducting the simplest of DIY tasks, to help pin down running costs. As a result they are either paying large sums to get their cars serviced or even skipping the service altogether.

Significantly, Britain’s younger motorists can be the least savvy about how to keep their car in best condition, as any parent of a recently-qualified driver will testify.

“The younger generation of motorists don’t tend to subscribe en-masse to a preventative culture,” said Veronica Fung, Brand Manager of STP, a company that, has engaged with generations of DIY enthusiasts throughout its 50-year history. “There is also a lack of knowledge on how to conduct simple maintenance procedures amongst the same group which can impede their engagement in DIY,” she added.

Haynes, whose comprehensive range of DIY manuals has been the under bonnet companion of motorists for over five decades, agrees. According to Matthew Minter of Haynes; “There is undoubtedly a perception amongst motorists, apart from enthusiasts, that typical fuel-injected engines are too complex to touch. In reality, routine maintenance is normally no more taxing than in the past. Indeed, speaking as someone who has been doing his own routine maintenance for 30+ years, I would say it’s normally a lot less taxing.”

STP also suggests the addition of its Fuel Injector Cleaner or Diesel Injector Cleaner, to a tankful of fuel every 3,000 miles. The super-concentrated additive helps remove power-sapping combustion deposits that are created during normal running conditions in the injectors of fuel-injected engines. The regular usage of STP fuel additives aid starting, smoother running and delivers greater engine efficiency, which in turn will help improve fuel economy.

Both STP Fuel Injector Cleaner and Diesel Injector Cleaner are priced at just £5.49 for a 250ml bottle treatment lasting 3,000 miles, are suitable for engines of all types and ages, safe for catalytic converters, and are widely available nationwide via fuel forecourts and accessory shops.

For the full range of market-leading STP fuel additives and engine maintenance products, visit www.stp.eu/uk. To see the whole range of Haynes DIY Manuals and car maintenance guides, visit www.haynes.co.uk