If you are someone who relies on a vehicle for business, or simply to get to or from work, a breakdown is more than just an inconvenience, it means lost business or wages for the time that the vehicle is off the road, inconvenience for customers and a host of other problems.
Imagine a breakdown during or just before a holiday, especially if you are travelling abroad! Or a breakdown ten minutes before your pupil was due to take a driving test...
The best way to avoid problems with breakdowns is to plan not to break down.
Good drivers do this by carrying out daily and weekly vehicle checks and by having their cars serviced at the regular intervals recommended by the manufacturer.
To help you get into the habit of carrying out the checks listed in this section, this programme provides you with some simple vehicle check projects, the first of which is included below.
The projects include daily and weekly car checks and 'discovery sessions' where you will learn a bit more about your vehicle - learning some 'basics' will also help when it comes to 'car sympathy'.
From a fuel saving point of view, poor maintenance = poor economy.
Every day you should check and clean the following items:
You should also check the correct operation of the:
It is illegal to drive the car with any of the items listed above inoperative.
Tyres: Make a quick visual check of the tyres. Walk around the car and look for any obvious tyre damage or pressure loss. If in doubt, check your tyres with a pressure gauge. And despite popular opinion, you can't check tyre pressures by giving the tyres a good kick!
Each time you drive, perform a static and running brake test.
For the static brake test simply press the brake pedal before moving off to check for pedal pressure.
A running brake test can be done at 5 or 10 miles per hour to check that the brakes are operating correctly (note that this is not an emergency stop!).
Once a week you should check the following items:
*Most batteries are now 'sealed for life' and do not require checking.
If you are unsure about how to carry out these checks you should consult your vehicle handbook or local garage.
The small footprint of each tyre is all that is holding you on the road. Damaged or wrongly inflated tyres will simply let go in an emergency...
You should make a detailed inspection of your tyres once a week to make sure that you stay legal (fines of up to £2,500 per wheel), stay roadworthy (tyres are a major MOT fail item - source Kwik Fit survey) and stay safe.
Incorrect tyre pressures are a major fuel waster!
Keeping your tyre pressures within the manufacturers recommended range will help save fuel, maximise braking efficiency and affect handling. Check tyres when they are cold.
Tyres must be the correct type for the vehicle (speed rating, etc.) and free from cuts and bulges. The minimum tread depth for tyres is 1.6 millimetres across the central three-quarters of the tyre and around the whole circumference. your tyres have rectangular wear indicators within the tyre (running across the tread); when the indicators are level with the tread it's time to replace the tyre.
Front tyres will often wear quicker than rear tyres but tyres on the same axle should wear evenly; if opposite tyres wear unevenly, or a single tyre wears on one edge, you have problems...
If you are unsure about your tyres, consult a tyre specialist.