Virtual Mechanic

From time to time it’s a good idea to perform a driveway safety check to make sure your vehicle is safe to drive.
It does not matter whether you drive a nice looking Porsche or 20 year old Holden, the standards are the same.

You might be thinking hang on that’s what I pay my mechanic or service centre to do.
STOP right there who is checking your vehicle between services ?
If you have a private servant Mechanic that performs a weekly check then you don’t really need to read on.

If you are the average person in that requires your vehicle to be operating in a safe mode then I suggest the following checks to maintain a reliable transportation for you and your family

Note the following items are all important

Tyres make sure they are all with the correct pressure including the spare, YES the spare tyre now when checking the spare make sure its free of water and rubbish where the spare wheel is stored. On some vehicles in the BMW series the dash will let you know if the tyres are low in presure

Engine oil
For some reason most people think oil will last between services, and in most cases this is true but what if it decreases in level and then the engine will develop premature wear, its not hard for most people, as you may not be aware oil at the correct level acts as a cooling effect not to mention lubrication.

Drive belts
Check that they are not cracked or loose

Lighting
Check high beam low beam, brake lights and tail lights, how you ever driven behind another vehicle without brake lights, the first thing you want to do is overtake the vehicle to prevent an accident.

Battery
The battery is the most important item when it comes to safety and reliability, you need to make sure the battery is secure and clamped down to prevent movement, the simple reason to prevent movement is to prevent a potential fire under the bonnet.
Check that the battery terminals are free from acid and that the terminals are firm on the battery poles.
If the battery is a wet cell meaning that you are able to fill the battery with water then fill only to above the cells and no higher.
Batteries don’t last very long these days due to a number of factors  

Warning lamps
If you see a warning light appear it’s a sign to DO SOMETHING NOW before you breakdown on the side of the road

More to come on this subject
Written By Darren Gow-Brown WWW.Virtualmechanic.com.au