Safety Tips
Top safety tips to keep those repair bills at a minimum.
Don’t wait until something detrimental happens to your vehicle. The ideal way to prevent accidents, breakdowns and expensive repair bills is to carry out regular maintenance.
Tyres are your only contact with the road and they play an essential role in ensuring that your journey is a safe one. They must bear the weight of the motor vehicle and respond to increases and decreases in speed, steering changes, as well as absorbing the shock of uneven roads.
Check Tyre Pressures
Frequently!
The vehicle handbook will give the correct tyre pressures. Under-inflation can cause tread wear, overheating and increased fuel consumption, whilst over-inflation can damage the composition of the tyre. Check tyre pressure when your tyres are cold, never during a journey or after. Always check the spare too. Worn tyres decrease the efficiency of steering, braking and acceleration, especially in the wet.
Check the tread depth - the minimum legal tread depth is 1.6mm, however 3mm will give you safer, more efficient tyres.
Worn tyres are not only unsafe, they are unlawful. If caught, you could face a fine of up to £2,500 plus 3 penalty points per tyre.
Check for punctures or slashes in the tyre caused by contact damage from objects in the road or nails, etc.
Check for sidewall damage such as bulges or splits. This sort of damage can result in unexpected tyre failure, so replace the tyre as soon as possible.
Have your tyres professionally checked if the vehicle has been involved in an emergency manoeuvre (sudden and / or heavy braking) as this can bring about serious wheel misalignment and imbalance.
If your wheels are out of balance, you may notice your steering wheel starts to judder above a certain speed. Unbalanced wheels result in early wearing of steering and suspension components, rotating parts and tyres.
After wheel balancing, you should notice a more comfortable ride and better wear from your tyres.
How Safe Are
Your Brakes?
As brakes and braking performance are likely to depreciate progressively over time, most people don't spot a problem with their braking system until it is too late. The means by which we drive can affect how often our brakes need servicing. When new pads are fitted, it's essential to drive gently and carefully at first (for about 200 miles).
Excessive braking on new parts will possibly damage them and lead to a loss of braking efficiency and performance. A grating noise when you operate the brakes can mean your brake pads are excessively worn and need to be replaced along with the damaged brake discs/drums.
Pulling to the right or left is normally symptomatic of a sticking or seized hydraulic or mechanical component. Continuous “throbbing" might signify a distorted brake disc or drum. A "squishy” feeling when pressing the brake pedal points to air in the hydraulic system due to a brake fluid leak.
You may observe that your handbrake is pulling up higher than it normally does in modern cars, more than 6 to 8 clicks.
For safety reasons, it's vital to have your vehicle inspected as soon as possible if you spot any of the above symptoms.
Is Your Exhaust
Functioning Correctly?
The exhaust emissions system is the only means of funnelling away noxious fumes that are created by your engine, e.g. Carbon Monoxide. An exhaust that has failed can lead to these fumes being drawn into the vehicle compartment. Prolonged exposure to exhaust fumes can make you feel sleepy and therefore, place you at risk.
How To Tell If There Is A Problem...
If your exhaust starts to make a loud, deafening noise, then it is quite likely that there is a problem with your silencer, which is normally the part of the exhaust that needs to be looked at first as it is the farthest away from the engine and is the most likely to be corroded by acid.
You might hear a “hissing” noise, which points to a crack in the exhaust manifold, exhaust pipe or leaking gasket. A “chugging” sound could mean an obstruction in the exhaust system. A “rattling” under the car could mean that the exhaust system has become out of kilter. If you can hear a loud metallic vibration, it often means that something is touching the exhaust pipe or that a support bracket, mounting or clamp is loose.
You can identify many problems with a visual check. Exterior rust may not be as serious as it first appears, because it may just be on the outer surface. Cracks in the pipe or holes around joins and seams between pipes, however, can be a sign of larger problems.
If you discover any of the above, then get your exhaust checked out immediately.