Automobile experts in the city are of the opinion that as use of cars has increased significantly, most of the owners care little about the regular maintenance of their vehicles. Vital car maintenance tips are a must to be followed to increase the longevity and safety of the car, they stressed.

Harishankar Krishnan, an auto analyst said, the vehicle should be serviced once in a fortnight at authorised service stations. “LPG and CNG results in a considerable loss of power and torque vis-a-vis petrol (about 5-8 per cent on an average), means the driver will be stressing the engine a lot more on a daily basis. This would ultimately drop the engine life, therefore, engine should be checked on a regular basis,” he said. Regular checks of the gas pipes are also a must.

According to him, to get proper return for the owners’ investment the auto gas agencies advice to change the air filter once in 4,000 km and spark plug once in a year. “They are also advice to drive the car around 10 km on petrol once in a week,” he added.