Six quick checks to help you avoid a breakdown this summer
With the summer holidays around the corner, thousands of cars will get dusted off to tackle long journeys on potentially congested roads in hot weather.
Road safety and breakdown organisation GEM Motoring Assist has a selection of simple tips to minimise the risk of breaking down during a trip.
Six summer car health check tips
- Tyres: check pressures and adjust if necessary to take heavy loads into account. The legal minimum tread depth is 1.6mm across the central three quarters of the tyre.
- Fuel: set off with a full tank of fuel, or full battery charge if you’re driving an electric car. Plan where you’ll stop to recharge or refuel.
- Batteries: battery failures are a year-round cause of vehicle malfunction. The summer load on your car’s electrics can be greatly increased if you’re in stop-start traffic on a hot day with everyone needing to keep their mobile devices charged. A visit to your local service centre can put your mind at rest when it comes to battery health… and if it needs replacing, then you can get it done before it lets you down.
- Fluids: many breakdowns could be avoided through simple and quick checks of the fluids your car needs. Consult your car owner’s manual to see what checks you can make and how to do them. Engine oil level checks are vital for your car to run smoothly.
- Warning lights: don’t be tempted to ignore any warning lights that appear on your car dashboard. Yellow warning lights mean you need to take action to have a fault put right. Red warning lights mean you must stop the car as soon as it’s safe.
- Screens and screenwash: expect a build-up of dead insects on your windscreen and front lights. Make a point of manually cleaning the windscreen and windows regularly; don’t rely on wipers and washer fluid to clear away everything. Do also check your windscreen washer bottle is full before you set off.
“A car that’s well maintained and properly looked after is much less likely to break down,” said GEM chief executive Neil Worth.
“That’s why we are urging drivers to get some basic maintenance checks done before setting off for a summer break in the car.
“We can all carry out checks on tyres to ensure tread is sufficient and pressure is correct. We can also check fluid levels and ensure screens are clear and clean.
“Battery failure remains the number one reason our members call for breakdown recovery, even in summer, so we strongly recommend getting your vehicle battery checked before a long journey. Take the opportunity to get any dashboard warning lights investigated as well.”