Regular health checks for your car aren’t just for your wallet’s benefit; they also benefit your safety. When a car is left to its own devices, fluid levels drop, visibility becomes worse, and the tyres become death traps. Keeping on top of these areas of car maintenance will not only help it to last longer, but it’ll make sure you’re completely safe when you’re driving down the street. Of course, you’re told to do these areas of maintenance regularly, but do you actually? Here’s why you should.
Regular fluid checks
Your car requires a lot of different fluids to run smoothly. When these fluids run down, the result can be drastic, varying between simply grinding to a halt, and actually causing you to crash at high speed. So checking your brake fluid, oil, power steering fluid, and windscreen wash are essential not just to the health of your car, but your own health. These checks should be done at least once a month, but also before embarking on any long road trip, without fail. Leaks can be slow, so you may not notice them unless you check the fluid levels regularly.
A good scrub
There are many good reasons that you should give your car a good scrub. Firstly, it just helps them to look beautiful and shiny – if you want to know how, click here for more info. Secondly, it actually helps to protect the metalwork from the elements. This is particularly important in winter, when salted grit from the roads can get stuck to the car, causing it to oxidise and rust faster – not a good look. And finally, it’s essential for your visibility. The less you can see out of the windows, and not just the front windshield, the more dangerous you are on the road. A full car wash at least monthly is essential, but it doesn’t hurt to hose the car down more frequently in winter to avoid problems with rust that may occur.
A tyre inspection
Tyres are fickle creatures, and one of the biggest liabilities on your car. Regular pressure checks are essential to your safety. Failure to do so can result in a blowout at high speeds, which could ultimately cause a crash. Checking your tyre pressure every couple of weeks is wise to catch any slow leaks, but it should also be done before any long car journey. You could also be checking the tread regularly too. Tyres with very worn tread do not get good traction in wet or icy weather, and are far more susceptible to a blowout due to the high temperatures caused by friction at high speed. If your tread is smaller than 1.6mm, you could be in serious danger, but you could also be on the receiving end of a hefty fine too.
Keeping your car in good nick isn’t just for your own sense of pride, it could be the difference between life and death. Just remember to keep standards up and make regular checks, and everything will be right as rain.