The school holidays are over and after spending long hours on the road visiting people or having time away with their family, now is the best time to get your car serviced. Road trips can be tough on your vehicle, so it is important to get your car looked over to make sure everything is still running in good condition and safe.
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Car servicing can be carried out based on a number of factors including a cars age, kilometres travelled or simply an annual check-up, however a quick self-service should also be done yourself as often as possible.
- Tyres
Make sure all of your tyres have the correct pressure and rotate them to ensure even wear. Check that your tyres have enough tread as RTA guidelines state that the legal minimum is 1.5mm on any part of the tyre surface. You should also check for any abnormal wear and damage such as bulges or cracks, which could cause blowouts. Lastly don’t forget to check your spare tyre.
Never ignore dashboard warning lights. Pull over as soon as you can and check for any related issue.
- Oil
First you should check that you have enough oil by checking the level on the dipstick. You should also pay attention to what the oil looks like. It should be shiny and clean, if it’s dark and thick, then you should do an oil change, and always keep some oil handy for top ups.
- Coolant
This can be a major issue - especially when the weather starts to warm back up. Coolant prevents your engine from overheating so you need to ensure your radiator is full and inspect all of your hoses to make sure they aren’t soft or cracked. Again keep some spare coolant to top up when needed.
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- Lights
Apart from a broken headlight, it’s not often you notice if any other lights aren’t working. Headlights (both low and high beam), blinkers, brake and reverse lights should all be regularly checked to ensure they are functioning correctly and replace any bulbs that may have blown.
While you can check these items, you should always get your vehicle serviced regularly by a qualified mechanic. Capped servicing and multi point checks mean that your car will run smoothly and be safe for you to drive.