It’s road trip time!
Sun tan lotion? Check.
Mills and Boon? Check.
Strawberries and cream? Check.
Cooler? Check. The kids? Check.
So you’re all ready to roll out for your summer road trip…
Then you hear the voice in the background…“Darling have you checked the car?”
Question. Before you hit the road, are you up to date with your summer vehicle maintenance?
It’s ok I get it… vehicle auto maintenance is perhaps the last thing on your mind. But trust me, it will hit the top spot pretty damn fast if you end up breaking down at the side of the road.
So to help, here are my top 7 summer vehicle maintenance checks – which I hope once carried out, you’ll be patting yourself on the back for.
Oh… and don’t forget the lemonade.
First up:
1. Tyre Check:
I didn’t want to go there, but traveling during the summer in the UK, can and generally does involve driving in the rain. So its important to ensure that the tread on your tyres is adequate for any rainy weather, we really don’t want you ending up in a ditch.
Checking the tread depth on your tyre’s doesn’t take long, so while you’re at it you may as well check your tyre pressure too.
2. Replace Windshield Wipers:
Have you ever put your windscreen wipers on during a downpour, to realise they are not… doing the job there suppose to? It’s not a good look, and it can most definitely be scary.
The UK has just been through a rather intense winter, so it makes sense to check your windscreen wipers for wear and tear.
Winter weather can be ruthless on your windshield wipers, making them virtually useless during those summer showers. So by having quick vehicle maintenance check, and ideally replacing them at the beginning of the summer it should aid to a little peace of mind.
3. Check Your Headlights:
It’s so easy to be driving, without realising that one of your headlights is out.
Not only is it unsafe, but the police could pull you over and slap you with a ticket, – all of which is unnecessary. So what better time than now, to do a quick vehicle maintenance check,and take a little gander to see if you need to replace a headlight bulb.
4. Inspect Your Brakes:
It goes without saying, but car safety should be your top priority, and what is a car without good brakes?
I always suggest to my customers, that they at least inspect their brakes twice a year just to make sure everything is tiptop. But while you’re at it, why not check your brake fluid also.
5. Car Radiator Flush:
Did you know that the coolant in your radiator doesn’t last forever? In fact unless replenished over time, it can break down and begin to corrode the inside of your radiator. Which would naturally lead to cooling problems and, you got it…radiator repair.
A great, cheap way to prevent this and reduce the cost of vehicle maintenance is by flushing your radiator once a year.
6. Check Your Car Battery:
You may think, that checking the car battery every now and again should be given. But unfortunately, you’d be surprised just how many people fail to do it until it is too late.
During winter months corrosion is very likely to build up. So take some time out to check your battery posts and cables to ensure that you have no starting problems.
7. Replace Your Air Filter:
Last but by no means least; you should really replace your air filter twice a year. It’s a 10-minute job and good check to get it out the way before your summer road trip.
Glass of Pimms Anyone?
7 top tips for summer vehicle maintenance checks
Finally… let’s be honest, it’s summer, and at the end of the day who doesn’t like a drop of Pimms or a glass of plonk or two? But if you’re driving – car safety begins and indeed ends with you.
So please don’t do anything silly like drink driving or speeding, it’s really not worth it. But most of all, enjoy your road trips and enjoy the summer, because who knows how long it will last!
If you have the know-how and the tools, perhaps now is good time to look at undertaking some of my 7 top summer vehicle maintenance checks. If not, and you need a little guidance, feel free to get in touch as we’d love to help.
To vehicle health
By Philip Xavier
Looking for an MOT West London anybody?
We all love a good deal, and currently there are a tons of garages offering cheap MOT specials online for customers. But how do you go about spotting a genuine deal from a scam?
“It’s not the MOT test fee, but repairing the “fails” that usually costs a fortune.”
Companies can only charge up to the official maximum for an MOT. (The maximum test costs are £54.85 for cars or motor caravans and £29.65 for motorbikes. For a full list, see the Gov.uk website).
For example while some garages may promote MOT West London, with specials to win new clients over and build lasting relationships, (based on good service and a positive first experience), others might have a more short-term objective in mind, and unfortunately your £24.99 MOT deal may just end up costing you thousands in repair costs.
Still, getting your MOT done in a local garage does bring convenience, as you can get all the necessary repairs done in one place – and the re-tests are usually free.
So how do you separate the genuine deals from the phonies and avoid unnecessary repairs?
For example if your looking for and MOT West London, check that the garage is on Good Garage to ensure it’s trustworthy, its great website because the reviews are based on real customer feedback and experience.
Second, conduct a do-it-yourself MOT check of the avoidable fails.
Forty percent of MOT’s fail first time, and far too many are due to a simple avoidable reason. Don’t worry, most of this is common sense not mechanical sense. Some of the fails you can sort yourself, others will need professional help. Either way, sorting out some basic work pre-test will usually end up being cheaper, and either way at least you’ll be prepared.
How To Beat The Most Frequent Fails
Without further ado, here’s my guide to helping you beat the most frequent types of MOT fails.
Lights: Are your lights fully working?
Have someone sit in your car while you walk around checking every light. Front, rear, headlights and dipped, hazards and indicators. If any aren’t working properly, buy a new bulb for a few quid and replace it. It’s easy in most cars although a few manufactures do make it slightly more complex.
Suspensions: Check your suspension.
While a full suspension check is difficult, in order to see if your shock absorbers have gone, quickly apply your weight to each corner of the car and then release. The car should quickly settle back into place – if not you may have a problem.
Brakes – Is there tension on the handbrake?
This is not so easy to do yourself, and it will need a professional mechanic to fix. If your brakes feel loose and unresponsive, or the handbrake slides up without resistance and can’t be reached at a certain level, it’s likely you have a issue with your brakes that will need attention.
Tyre’s: Check your tyre pressure.
To check your tyre pressure, look up what pressure they should be and fill ’em up at the petrol station. Check your tyre tread, which is the depth of grooves for road grip. The legal minimum is 1.6mm for a car tyre (enough to let surface water slip through).To measure, use the quick 20p tyre test detailed on the Tyre Safe website. Pop a 20p coin on its edge into the main grooves of the tyre tread. If the outer rim of the coin is hidden, your tyres should be legal. If you can see it, well its probably new tyre time.
Windscreen: Is your windscreen damaged?
Damage to the driver’s central view should be no larger than 10mm, and within the whole of the swept area, it should be no larger than 40mm. If it is, it make sense to have it fixed pre-test (often this is included in car insurance policies). Windscreen wipers? Front wipers are checked in the MOT test and need to clear the windscreen in conjunction with the washers.
Exhaust: Is your exhaust leaking?
To check, start the engine (in a well-ventilated place, at normal temperature) and from the rear of the car listen for any unusual noises or abnormal smoke. If you can hear unusual noises this may indicate a leak, which you should have looked at and fix pre-MOT.
License Plate: Can you read your license plate clearly?
Make sure that your license plates are clean and easily legible from 20m away.
Fluids: Are all your car fluids topped up?
Check the brake fluid, windscreen washer and oil reserves.
The rest: An all-over once-over. Make sure that your fuel cap is secure, that your mirrors are in good condition, and that all your seat-belts are fully functional.
Heads Up
New MOT checks were introduced in March 2013 under EU rules which were already in place in Northern Ireland. These include some extra checks on categories already part of the test, including electronic warning lights, speedometers and electronic handbrake checks.
You can find more info on these individual changes via the DFT website, but for a full list of each check type please see – Gov.uk.
But as always, if you need any help or guidance please feel free to get in touch.
To health and vehicle happiness
Your fearless mechanic
Phil