Don't let your shocks shock you!

This may be a shock… but your car’s shock absorbers are more important than you think. They’re vital to the safety of your vehicle on the road, but often misunderstood and neglected.

Your steering, stability, handling, brakes and overall comfort on the road all rely on your shock absorbers being in top condition. The shocks and struts are key parts of the suspension system and need to be checked regularly and thoroughly to help maintain good vehicle safety and control.

Some of the problems caused can have potentially disastrous effects when you're on the road.

Worn shock absorbers can reduce your stopping distance dramatically, sometimes by as much as 20%.

Impacts on the general handling of your vehicle can make it hard to avoid something on the road and cause you to lose control of the vehicle if you have to swerve in a hurry. Worn suspension can also mean that your vehicle veers to one side when braking, or even just swerves under light winds and can even ‘nose dive’.

If you’re hearing rattles or just strange vibrations when using the steering wheel, that can also mean that your shock absorbers are tired and need replacing.

It will also wear your tyres uneven, which is one of the causes of excessive tyre noise and premature tyre wear with unexpected bald patches.

As a rule shock absorbers last for about 100,000km to 130,000km depending on driving conditions such as where you drive, the weather and the loads you carry in your vehicle. 

But it’s in our nature to get used to things, so as the suspension gets soft over time a driver

will get used to the rattles and swerves and just carry on driving.

It’s recommended that you have the parts checked for signs of wear every 20,000km or so, however you can rest assured that at Cooper Automotive we inspect your suspension for wear with every service.

You’ll be shocked at the difference in your vehicle if you’ve been ignoring your shocks and struts too long!

Manager Profile

It's time to put Invermay in the limelight, this month starring Mark Kruse, the service centre manager. Let's find out a bit more about him!

Favourite food:
Steak

Favourite football team:
St Kilda

How many years working on cars:
37 years (OMG!!!!)

And with Cooper Automotive:
2 years

Best thing about the work:
Satisfaction in carrying out good repairs and having the same clients coming back.

What makes Cooper Automotive the place to go?
Honest, reliable, fair pricing.

Most interesting car every worked on? Why?
The Triumph Stage V8 - British ingenuity at its very best.

What car would you buy if money were no object?
A Triumph Stag V8 - would have to win Tattslotto just to keep it on the road!!

Any gripes when on the road?

Drivers that sit in the right hand lane on a dual carriageway when not overtaking.

What's your top tip for keeping a car safe on the road?
Regular servicing and periodic checks of tyres, lights and fluids between servicing.

It’s all about the gadgets

With the recent launch of the new iPhone 6 ‘phablet’ and watch it’s clear that a large portion of our population are crazy about gadgets!  Car manufacturers know this and are all racing to release new model cars with the most innovative and high tech gadgets.

So due to consumers want more high tech features experts are predicting a big year of enhancements to existing technology and more new systems in 2015. All resulting in driving that’s easier, safer and perhaps more entertaining!

One of the brightest things on the horizon are laser headlights. These are smaller, more powerful and more efficient than the LED headlights that were only introduced in recent years. Already fitted to Audi and BMW in Europe they have yet to be approved in the US and Australia. And while you think it may be because they’re too bright, the lamps are fitted with a diffuser system that allow them to keep their bright, white illuminating power while making them safe to view.

BMW laser headlights still awaiting approval in Australia.

Next on our list of effective enhancements is the lane change assist. This isn’t as you might think the alert that sounds when you drift out of lane, this system identifies when traffic is approaching from behind at speed and warns the driver when the signal is given to change lanes.  The Subaru Outback – a very popular in Tasmania – in 2015 will be able to determine when it’s safe to change lanes and advise against a manoevre if it detects another car rapidly approaching. Sensors and cameras monitor approaching traffic in the adjacent lanes – flash an alert on the mirror to advise against the lane change. Could be useful in the rush hour on the Tasman Bridge!

Lane change may assist on the Tasman Bridge.

Technology will also help drivers in bigger more crowded cities to find parking spaces and then locate a car (if you can’t remember where you parked). And once arriving at a parking space, those sensors and cameras again will enable a car to steer itself into a parallel or perpendicular space while the driver operates just transmission and foot pedals.

On an entertainment level, more and more luxury vehicles such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes- Benz will provide in car internet access. But topping that is GM Motors in the US who are fitting most new model cars with a system that provides 3 months of service and / or three gigabytes of data free!

New smartphone integration platforms through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will transform the infotainment system into a version of the smartphone’s operating system. Making a system more intuitive and allowing voice recognition to play music, use maps and ‘voice texting’   - which used to be known as making a phone call!!

Now just the note to self, if purchasing one of these high tech vehicles, that cars are to get you from A to B safely. So leave the playing with the entertainment gadgets to the passengers on board!!