Why and What You Should Check Before Driving
Have you given a thought to the maintenance of your car after the quarantine? During what has been known worldwide as the “lockdown”, most drivers had to stop driving their vehicles for months. As a consequence, their cars have been parked for long periods of time in garages or even outdoors.
Unfortunately, parking a vehicle for a long period can result in different types of damages in different areas of the vehicle.
We have a few tips for you to make sure that your car is back in shape, preventing damages that could be caused by this involuntary pause.
1. Lights
One of the easiest yet most essential things you need to check on your vehicle or caravan is your lighting system.
Although this is something you want to make sure is working every time you’re driving, it is especially important when you head out onto the highway on your holidays.
Things to check before you go on your holiday:
- Car & Caravan Light operation
- Head light lens is clear, clean and not faded
- Head light aiming checked
- Fog lamps are functioning and visible
- Stop lamps are clear and in operation
- Park light system
- Trailer connections and lighting
2. Tyres
Are your tyres ready for your holiday trip or your daily drive? Here are five things you should check regularly:
- Correct air pressure
- Tyre wear
- Correct wheel alignment
- Age of the tyre
- Spare tyre condition
Air pressure in your tyres should be checked regularly along with the state of the tyres themselves. You should also check to make sure your spare is in good shape!
Is there visible damage on your tyres such as a bulge or a puncture?
Is the tread on your tyres worn out or is the tyre perishing due to old age?
If so, it may be time to replace your tyres. Blowing a tyre while on the highway can be extremely dangerous, so don’t risk it. Have your tyres and wheel alignment check by us before you leave on your next holiday!
3. Oil, Water and other Fluids
All fluid in your vehicle should be checked to ensure they are all topped up and capable of running your car to its best capacity. The overall health of your vehicle depends on it! The fluids that need to be looked at includes:
- Engine oil
- Power steering fluid
- Transmission & differential fluids
- Coolant Antifreeze
- Windscreen washer fluid
- Brake fluid
Not sure how and where to check these fluids? When you bring your car into our workshop, our mechanics can check all of these for you and top them up where needed.
Keeping you motoring hassle free!
4. Brakes, Steering and Suspension
Does your brake pedal feel spongy or travel further than usual, does your car wander or pull to one side when you are driving? If so have it checked by us. We can complete a compressive inspection for you so these essential parts of your car will be fully functional and reliable to keep you safe on the road.
You should also have your brake pads checked in your vehicle for cracking and wear. This is a common fault of brake pads that have being overheated or are near replacement.
Although any problems in these areas may seem small during your day-to-day driving, they could become exacerbated when driving long distances on the highway at high speed or when towing your caravan or trailer.
One inspection, one result, one outcome.
Don’t forget to have this inspected before you leave on your next road trip. Keeping you motoring safely!
5. Battery
How important is your battery in your vehicle?
Well in today’s new vehicle range, manufacturers have more electronic components than ever before, so this has put extra load on the battery systems in our cars. The importance of your battery being in working order is essential to the running of your car. If your battery gets below 9.5 volts, the computer system will fail and will cause your car to stop or run unusually.
A battery will usually last in a car between 2 to 4 years, so if your battery is 2 years old or more, it’s worthwhile having it tested before the trip.
You can visually check the condition of the battery itself to see if there are any cracks, damage or acid leaks, or allow our mechanics to check it out electronically for you. The battery terminals should also be tight and not corroded. If your battery fails these visual checks, it should be replaced. At Auto Giant, we can test your battery longevity and serviceability keeping you motoring while you’re on holidays.
