The Supa Quick Parow Guide for

Customers

This booklet is not meant to make you an expert on

vehicle safety. It is meant to serve as a helpful guide for

you to make better, vehicle safe decisions. Safety

remains your responsibility.

Tel: 021 930 6396 Fax: 021 930 6397

E Mail: supaquickparow@mweb.co.za

Website: www.supaquickparow.co.za

Address: Corner of Voortrekker / Duminy Street, Parow, 7500

Index

1 Introduction

2 Who is Supa Quick Parow

3 What is wheel balancing

4 What is wheel alignment

5 What you should know about tyres

6 What is the function of a shock absorber

7 What you should know about brakes

8 What you should know about batteries

9 What you should know about exhausts

10 What you should know about CV’s

11 What does Supa Quick Parow check when asked

to do a safety inspection

Introduction

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to make vehicle safe decisions!

In an attempt to make life easier for our customers we have endeavoured to answer the most

frequently asked questions related to your vehicle in non technical terms. This will assist you in

reducing the running cost of your vehicle.

Who is Supa Quick Parow?

1 The Supa Quick Parow is part of a franchise group with more than 250 branches

throughout the country.

2 It also has the backup and infrastructure of a large franchise.

3 Supa Quick is known for fitting well known brands with proper guarantees.

4 Mike, the owner/manager, who is a qualified journeyman, has been running this

business for many years and ensures high standards.

5 We have an open price policy where all prices are displayed.

6 Supa Quick Parow is fully equipped with the latest technology available and has

properly trained personnel.

7 We meet all Fleet Management System Standards and Requirements.

Mike Voges Linda de Kock

Riaan de Kock Teldon Marcus

What is wheel balancing.

Wheel balancing has to do with the dynamics of forces when a wheel is spinning.

How would I know that my wheels are out of balance ?

1. Unbalanced front wheels will cause your steering wheel to shake.

2. Unbalanced rear wheels will cause the whole car to vibrate.

Consequences of wheels out of balance:

1. Uneven tyre wear may result.

2. Unnecessary suspension wear will occur.

3. Rattling and vibration may occur.

4. Reduced comfort leads to fatigue and irritability.

5. Severe neglect may result in accidents.

Recommendation:

Have wheel balancing checked at least once a year or when fitting new tyres. Also have your spare

wheel checked regularly.

At no cost Supa Quick Parow will:

1. Advise whether it is safe to drive the vehicle without repairing.

2. Advise on a time frame before serious damage may occur.

3. Warn if legal or insurance implications may result after an accident

4. Give a free quotation and a time frame to repair.

What is wheel alignment?

Wheel alignment is about adjusting the wheels position on the vehicle in relation with one another

in accordance with manufacturer’s specification.

How would I know that my vehicles’ alignment is out?

1. The steering wheel may be off centre while you are driving on a straight road

2. The car will pull to one side if you take your hands off the steering wheel

3. You can see uneven tyre wear

4. The tyres may squelch abnormally when driving around a corner

A proper suspension check must be carried out before alignment is done. If the steering wheel is

off centre or the car pulls to one side after alignment was set to manufacturers specification it

may indicate a tyre abnormality. Rotation of the tyres usually solves the problem.

Consequences of incorrect wheel alignment:

It will cause abnormal tyre wear which will result in reducing the life of a tyre significantly

Recommendation:

Have wheel alignment checked at least once a year or when new tyres are fitted or if you have

hit a pothole or a pavement.

At no cost Supa Quick Parow will:

1. Do a visual inspection to asses tyre damage

2. Do a suspension check

3. Do a shock absorber check

4. Check to see if the wheel alignment is out

5. Advise whether it is safe to drive the vehicle without repairing Advise if legal or insurance

implications may result

6. Advise on a time frame before serious tyre damage may occur

7. Give a free quotation and a time frame to repair

What you should know about tyres.

Your vehicles’ only contact with the road is rubber, the size of the palm of a man’s hand. Better be

sure that it is a good piece of rubber.

How would I know that my tyres need attention?

1 When a proper tyre inspection has not been carried out in the last 6 months

2 When tyres make unusual road noise

3 When a tyre deflates

4 When you see any visual damage on the tyre

5 When you see uneven wear patterns on the tyre

Tyre specifications and sizes:

These are written on the sidewall of the tyre. Example : 195/55 R16 where 195 indicates the width

of the tyre in millimetres. The second figure states the profile. The 55 would mean that the height or

profile of the tyre is 55% of the width of the tyre. The 16 indicates the rim diameter in inches.

You will also see the manufacturer’s load and speed rating on the sidewall of a tyre. An example

would be “87V” where the 87 would the load capacity of the tyre ( in this case 545kg) and the V

indicates the maximum speed for the tyre at the full load (in this case up to 240km/h). Vehicle

manufacturer’s specifications must be adhered to when replacing tyres. Tyres with lower

specifications are cheaper to fit but can cost you your life.

Consequence of worn tyres:

Legislation requires at least 1.6mm of tread over 100% of the tyre tread area. The tread on the tyre

must get rid of water that comes between the tyre and the road when driving in the wet. The water

then forms a cushion between the tyre and the road and traction is lost. This is a major cause of

accidents in winter.

Recommendation:

1. Adhere to the vehicle manufacturer specifications at all times.

2. Don’t forget about your spare wheel. Have it checked on a regular basis to be sure it is in

good condition when needed

At no cost Supa Quick Parow will:

1 Inspect your tyres

2 Check tyre specifications

3 Check tyre pressures

4 Advise whether it is safe to drive the vehicle with those tyres

5 Warn if legal or insurance implications may result

6 Estimate life left on tyres

7 Give a free quotation and a time frame to repair

What is the function of a shock absorber?

The function of a shock absorber is to keep the tyre in contact with the road.

This is a safety critical item and must be respected as such. The condition of the shock absorber determines the vehicles road holding performance and is

therefore directly related to accident prevention.

How would I know that my shock absorber’s needs replacement?

1 The vehicle will be bouncing all over the road especially on bad roads

2 The stopping distance will have increased.

3 You can see oil leaking from your shock absorber.

4 You will notice uneven tyre wear and a short tyre life.

A shock absorber does not influence the height of a vehicle but only dampens the up and down

movement of the wheel. Have shock absorbers checked at least once a year

Consequence of a shock absorber failure:

The tyre looses contact with the road and you loose control of your vehicle

Recommendation:

Have your shocks tested at least once a year. If you don’t you, may only find out that there is a

problem during an emergency!

At no cost Supa Quick Parow will:

1 Do a visual inspection to assess damage or leakage of the shock absorbers

2 Do a shock absorber test with our machine and give you a printout of the results

3 Do a tyre inspection

4 Advise if legal or insurance implications may result after an accident

5 Give a free quotation and a time frame to repair

What you should know about brakes.

How would I know that my brakes need attention?

1 When your vehicle has not had a proper service which included a proper brake

inspection within the last 6 months.

2 When you hear funny noises when applying brakes.

3 When the brake pedal shudders whilst braking.

4 When you think the brakes feels different from the past.

5 When you see brake fluid leaking from your vehicle or when the brake fluid reservoir

needs topping up.

6 When the brakes fade whilst braking.

7 When the hand brake needs adjustment.

Recommendation:

1. This is a safety critical item and must be respected as such

2. Take a responsible approach regarding the condition of your brakes

3. Make sure that your brakes are properly inspected during every service or at least once a

year

At no cost Supa Quick Parow will:

1 Do an inspection of your brakes.

2 Advise whether it is safe to drive the vehicle.

3 Advise if legal or insurance implications may result after an accident.

4 Advise on a time frame before serious damage may occur.

5 Give a free quotation and a time frame to repair.

What you should know about batteries.

It is fact that most batteries fail during winter months. To help prevent untimed failure we can do a

load test to determine the condition of the battery. To do this test the battery must be fully charged.

Other indicators of battery failures are:

1 The alternator lights up while you are driving indicating alternator or battery failure

2 When you turn the ignition key to start the engine and the engine hesitates before

starting - could indicate pending battery failure.

3 Leaving your lights, glove box lights or door lights on, can drain the battery to the extent

that the car will not start. Recharging the battery should solve this problem.

4 Modern sound systems place huge demands on batteries.

Recommendation:

1. Check the battery water level at least once a month

2. Get a load test done before winter

3. When starting your vehicle, the engine starts to swing slower.

The life of a battery depends a lot on its application. Two years is a fair life expectancy, under

normal conditions, for an average battery, but some batteries do last much longer.

At no cost Supa Quick Parow will:

1. Check the water level or leakage

2. Clean terminals

3. Do a proper battery test with printed results

4. Give a free quotation should a new battery be required.

What you should know about exhausts.

There is less acid in petrol nowadays and therefore exhausts systems last much longer than before.

How would I know that my exhaust system needs attention?

1. When you hear an exhaust leak.

2. When you hear a scraping noise when driving over a pavement or a speed hump

3. When you can smell exhaust fumes inside your car.

Consequences of an unsafe exhaust system:

1. Exhaust fumes may cause you to fall asleep whilst driving.

2. The fuel consumption may increase.

3. The exhaust system may fall off.

Recommendations.

The exhaust needs to be checked from time to time to inspect for leaks, welding failures and the

condition of the rubber hangers.

At no cost Supa Quick Parow will:

1. Inspect and report on the condition of the system.

2. Give a free quotation for repair and a time frame.

3. Give a free quotation for a performance system should you so require.

What you should know about CV’s.

A Constant Velocity Joint is a mechanism that allows a driving axle to turn so that it can also be a

steering axle. This means all front wheel drive vehicles have a left and a right hand side CV shaft.

Each CV shaft has an inner and an outer CV joint.

How will I know that my CV’s need attention?

1. When you turn sharp left or right and you hear the “TUK, TUK, TUK” noise.

2. When the CV boots are damaged.

3. When the CV boot straps are damaged or missing.

4. When you see grease on the outside of the CV joint .

Consequences of worn CVs

1. CV failure may leave you stranded on the roadside.

2. The loss of grease will severely shorten the life of the CV.

Recommendations.

The less you accelerate while your steering wheel is turned, the longer your CVs will last. If the

grease inside the CV leaks out, severe wear takes place resulting in a short CV life. Specifically ask

for a report of the CVs when your vehicle is serviced.

At no cost Supa Quick Parow will:

1. Test the CV to establish the condition.

2. Visually inspect the CV boot and straps.

3. Look for grease leakage.

4. Give a free quotation for repair and a timeframe.

What does Supa Quick Parow check when asked to do a safety inspection ?

Tyres Tread depth

Alignment wear

Balancing

Spare wheel

Pressure check

Battery Water/acid

Visual check

Brakes Brake Pads

Brake Disk

Brake fluid level

Brake fluid leaks

Shocks Leaks

Osolation test (movement)

Exhaust Noise

Holes/splits

Clamps/brackets

Gaskets/seals

Knocking on body

Rubber Hangers

CV Joints Leaking Boots

Worn Cv’s

What does a safety inspection cost?

Supa Quick Parow will do all this at no cost and it takes about 15 minutes.