At this time of year, the roads of Britain are busier than ever. Our cars are travelling further distances and are being frequently used, and it’s not difficult to see why. The summer holidays mean that the kids are off school and families are spending a lot of time out and about.
Our cars become workhorses over a six-week period which means that there is more strain and pressure built up for a car’s mechanical components.
Keeping your car in tip-top condition is essential for its overall condition and, with a new school term looming, this summer break provides an ideal period in which to give your car a good going-over. We’ve picked out some of the top checks to make.
Check your tyres
If they are old, they will be hard and cracks will start forming around the sidewall and in the tread depths, which could make them more susceptible to blowing out. Always look for nails, and cuts in the rubber and measure the tyre tread. The legal tread depth requirement in the UK is 1.6mm, anything lower than that not only is illegal and an MOT failure, but it severely affects your car’s wet-weather handling.
Test the air-conditioning
Turn the car on and crank up the fan to its maximum speed with the air-conditioning on. Cold air should start coming through within a matter of moments, if it doesn’t, it could be a simple fix like just having the system re-gassed. However, if there is a leak, you could be looking at a new condenser which will cost a lot more money to fix.
Have your car serviced
A full service usually consists of an oil change with a new filter, an air filter replacement, spark plugs changed, brake fluid replaced and a general health and safety check all around the vehicle.
Test the battery
When giving the unit an electrical test, it should read anything between 10 to 12V, any reading below 10 will give you a clear indication that the battery needs replacing. You can ask a trained technician to do a battery test when you take it into a garage, too.
Don’t overload your vehicle
Before setting off, make sure that all your luggage is securely fastened in the boot and that nothing obstructs your view out the back window. If your car is overloaded, it will put a greater amount of kerb weight on. The car will take longer to stop in an emergency and will put extra strain on the engine, and suspension components and will make the fuel economy suffer as well.
