Performing a Safety Check on Your Car at Home: A Complete Guide

Having your car fail on you is something that comes with an expensive bill and much inconvenience. Sometimes, a fault could be so severe that the car is no longer drivable! A report from the RAC showed that 30% of drivers never check their car before setting out.

However, you can do a few simple things to not only save on repair bills, but also extend the life of your car. At Euphoria Finance, for example, all our vehicles go through stringent checks and tests before being allowed on the road.

At home, you can do the same on a smaller scale and keep your car running well, looking good and performing how you like it.

Read on for our top home safety checks you can do on your car.

Tyre checks

Possibly one of the most important checks you can carry out is your tyre tread. Checking your tyres have sufficient tread and air could make the difference between a serious accident and staying on the road. Put a 20p coin in the groove of the tread, if the band around the coin is hidden, the tread is above the legal limit. The current legal minimum is 1.6 mm, but you should never let a tyre get to this level. Considering a new tyre starts life with approximately 8 mm of tread, 1.6mm shows considerable wear. Poor tyre condition can lead to severe consequences, lesser stopping distances, increased risk of puncture and failed MOTs.

Even at 3 mm, your tyres perform 3 times better than those that have reached the minimum. If you are in doubt, you can use a tread checker to ensure you are as safe as can be. Add in the potential fine of £2,500 if found to be driving with illegal tyres, and that 20p check before you drive will be well worth it.

Oil Check

Your oil is the lubricant that keeps things running smoothly. Without it, your car may as well be a few pieces of metal rubbing against each other at high speed. A low oil level could cause your engine to seize and overheat, which can cost huge amounts to repair.

You can use the dipstick (found under the bonnet) to check how much oil you have. Your handbook will tell you which type of oil is suitable for your car. When refilling, be sure not to go over the maximum level, or put in too little to reach the minimum line.

Before checking, clean the dipstick off, then insert it into the oil tank and slowly pull it out. You will then be able to see the level the oil sits at between the markers.

Engine coolant

A quick check of the coolant could be the difference between a frozen, overheated or well-functioning engine. Most of the time, you will not need to do anything. Occasionally, though, you will need to top up your engine coolant. A word of warning – never check the level if the engine is hot. Only check your coolant level when the engine is cold. You will see markers on the tanks showing maximum and minimum levels. Fill accordingly and save yourself from a costly repair job.

Lights

It is a legal requirement to have working lights on your car. To avoid being the wrong side of the law, and to avoid potential accidents, this is a check worth spending a minute or two on.

Turn the ignition on and flick the lights on. Have someone walk around the vehicle as you run through the motions of each lighting function. They should look for cracks and functionality as well as any signs that the bulbs may have blown. To further enhance the brightness, never underestimate the power of giving them a good clean.

Windscreen and Wipers

Changing weather conditions can make visibility on the road a little harder. It is even further compromised if you have faulty wipers or a cracked windscreen. If you are using your wipers and notice squeaking, juddery movements or streaks or smears, they likely need changing. Leaving this too late can result in a failed MOT and potentially a damaged windscreen. At the same time, check your screen wash levels. Ensuring you have this to remove bugs, dirt, rain and occasionally snow will keep you safe on the road.

Additional car safety checks

There are a few other things you can do at home, but they may require a deeper knowledge of the inner workings of your car, and should only be carried out if you know exactly what you are doing.

This could include removing the engine air filter and cleaning it. (Guidance should come in your handbook). You can also change your sparkplugs, although this can be a tricky job and is best left to the experts. However, if you know how to do it, the suggestion is that you do this every 30,000 miles.

Whether you’re looking for a new car, or are content with your current one, safety on the road is always important. Follow our steps to keep yourself roadworthy. However, should your next set of wheels be on the agenda, speak to the team at Euphoria Finance. We are experts in securing cheap car finance for both used car finance deals and new car finance. We will even help those with bad credit secure the funds for their next vehicle. Secure fast car finance by Getting a free quote today.