Is your car ready for spring?

With the high number of breakdowns on British roads, Highways England recommend that you carry out a few basic safety checks on your vehicle before heading out on long journeys. Completing these simple checks will not only ensure that your vehicle is safe but also can save you money as repairs become more costly the longer they are left. Continue reading to find out more about some checks that you should ensure are regularly carried out on your vehicle.

Tyres

One of the most important elements of vehicle safety is your tyres as they are the point of contact between your vehicle and the road. Two key aspects of your tyres that you should check are tread depth and pressure. You can check your manufacturer’s recommended tyre pressure in your vehicle maintenance guide, in the inside front door or on the fuel cap. These pressures refer to an unladen vehicle so if you’re planning on transporting a heavy load, then you should check what the laden pressures should be. To make sure that your tyre pressure matches up to the manufacturer’s recommendations, you should remove the valve dust cap, press the gauge onto the valve and the gauge will show you the tyre pressure reading. If the reading falls outside of the manufacturer’s recommendations then it is important to inflate or deflate the tyre as required. Make sure to get your spare tyre checked too!

It is also important that your tyres have a good amount of tread depth. The UK legal limit is 1.6 mm. However, tyre performance decreases at anything below 3mm. You can check your tread depth with the 20p test. Place a 20p coin in the main grooves of the tyre, if you can see the outer part of the coin, then you don’t have enough tread left and it is vital that you replace your tyres whenever possible.

Battery

Checking your battery is another crucial element of vehicle safety. Your car relies on its battery to run so a battery check is crucial to ensure that your vehicle is functioning effectively and safely. Most modern car batteries have a performance indicator so it’s obvious when they need replacing and there isn’t much you need to check on them. However, checking terminal connections are clean is one thing that can help to prevent dirt and grease from building up. If you’re concerned about your battery you can book a free vehicle health check where we will take a look at your battery and how it is performing.

Fluid Levels

Maintaining the strength and levels of your coolant or anti-freeze is important in keeping your vehicle running as efficiently as possible. You should look to see whether the liquid reaches the full line and if it doesn’t top up as necessary. It should be topped up with a mixture of water and coolant until it’s at the right level. It is important never to add coolant to a hot engine as this can put you at risk of being burned or damaging your vehicle. The level of your screen wash fluid should also be checked to make sure that it is sufficient and topped up when required.

Blades/ Bulbs

Wiper blades are often overlooked in vehicle maintenance. However, they are important in clearing your screen especially in wet weather conditions. It is crucial that these wiper blades are checked for possible damage.

Ensuring that your car light bulbs are working properly is crucial to vehicle safety. Both your internal and external lights should be working properly. Internal lights indicate potential problems with your vehicle while external lights alert other drivers to your presence. Lights that aren’t working properly are a common cause of MOT failure. It is your responsibility to ensure that your lights are clean and adjusted to the right settings. You could be stopped by the police if there are issues with your light bulbs.

Talk to Kwik Fit

If you’re unsure about how to make sure that your car is ready for spring, you can book into your nearest Kwik Fit centre for a free vehicle safety check where our team will ensure that your vehicle is safe and ready for summer.

If you need more a full top-to-bottom check, why not book in for an MOT check?