Your car is a delicate piece of equipment, apart from fuel, MOT and insurance you need to ensure you’re doing the basics to keep it fit and healthy. You’re using your car every day of the week with wear and tear happening on each journey, even more in extreme weather. For that reason, it’s vital to ensure everything you can for smooth operation and absolute safety.
There are a lot more than 5 things to check but we’ve broken down the top 5 to us that you should be doing at home.
1. Oil level and condition
You should check the oil level in your car’s engine regularly to ensure it is at the correct level and in good condition. Low oil levels or dirty oil can cause damage to your engine by reducing its ability to lubricate and cool itself. If you’re not sure how to check your oil level or it’s condition then please pop into a garage to have it checked.
2. Tyre Pressure & Tread Depth
Properly inflated tyres are important for safety and fuel efficiency. With the current cost of living crisis, you should be doing everything you can to keep your fuel costs down. You should check the tyre pressure regularly and make sure the tread depth is sufficient. Underinflated tyres can cause poor handling and increased fuel consumption, while worn tyres can be dangerous and may not provide adequate grip on the road.
Your tyres should be a minimum of 1.6mm of tread depth across three quarters of the tyre. Any less than this and your car would be illegally on the road, unsafe and would fail it’s MOT. If you don’t have the tools for this, they’re inexpensive, however, pop past any tyre of MOT Garage such as ourselves and they will happily check this for you.
3. Brake Fluid Level
Your brake fluid level should be checked regularly to ensure that your brakes are functioning properly. Low brake fluid levels can lead to poor braking performance and may even cause your brakes to fail. It’s important this is handled correctly! We recommend checking, not topping up your fluid, let a trained mechanic handle this. Brake fluid fluctuates as your brakes wear so the level you see may not be a true guide of how much fluid is needed, so please leave this to those qualified.
4. Coolant Level
The coolant in your car helps to keep the engine cool, so it’s important to make sure the level is correct. Low coolant levels can cause your car to overheat, which can lead to engine damage. As well as the level being right, it’s important to have the correct coolant. In extreme weather, poorly mixed or unfit coolant will freeze and you’ll be back with us for major engine work. Just like brake fluid, keep the topping up to the professionals unless you don’t have any. But if you don’t have any, top it up and get straight in to us.
5. Lights and Signals
It’s important to regularly check that all of the lights and signals on your car are functioning properly. This includes the headlights, taillights, turn signals, and hazard lights. Not only is it important for your own visibility and safety, but it is also required by law in most places to have functioning lights and signals on your vehicle. Your car will be classed as unsafe to drive if your lights and signals are not functioning as they should!
Conclusion: The Top 5 Things to Check Regularly on Your Car
By regularly checking these items, you can help ensure that your car is running safely and efficiently, and identify potential issues before they become major problems.
