Regular maintenance and care are essential to ensure your car remains safe, roadworthy, and efficient. Regularly check the following components:
- Lights, brakes, steering, exhaust system, seat belts, horn, speedometer, wipers, and washers to ensure they are all functioning properly.
- Monitor oil and water levels, especially before embarking on long journeys. Be cautious not to overfill oil, as this can lead to leaks.
- Check brake fluid levels regularly; low levels can be dangerous and may lead to incidents.
- Monitor battery levels; unless it’s a maintenance-free battery, it may require topping up with distilled water (up to just above the cell plates).
- Ensure the windscreen is in good condition.
- Check tyre pressures regularly, at least once a week. Do this when the tyres are cold for a more accurate reading. Under-inflated tyres can affect fuel economy, steering, and braking efficiency.
- Steering: Under-inflated tyres can make steering feel heavy and less responsive.
- Fuel consumption: Incorrect tyre pressures can lead to increased rolling resistance, resulting in higher fuel consumption.
- Braking: Tyres with insufficient pressure may reduce braking efficiency, leading to longer stopping distances.
- The tread depth on car and trailer tyres must be at least 1.6 mm deep across the central three-quarters of the breadth of the tyre and around the entire circumference. Driving with tyres that have deep cuts in the sidewalls is illegal.
Uneven wear on tyres can result from faults in the:
- Braking system
- Suspension
- Wheel alignment
Unbalanced wheels could lead to steering vibrations.