It is vitally important for you to ensure that your car is roadworthy, which means that you should check that all of your car parts are in working order. You could bring your car to a service garage, but you could also service some parts yourself. Things like your light bulbs, mirrors, windows, and brake pads are all easily checked, so take half an hour to ensure that your car is safe and roadworthy. Before driving on any road, it is the driver’s responsibility to ensure their car is safe and everything is in working order.
Electrics
The electric system in your car controls, well, everything electrical. These include car lamps, window wipers, batteries, etc. If your electrics fail, it is generally quite a big job to fix so it’s best to keep on top of them by getting either yourself or a mechanic to service the parts. Online car parts are a good, cheap option for when you want to replace bit yourself, such as the wipers and bulbs.
Lights
First and most obvious, the light bulbs in your car lights should be working properly. Both of the lights should be of the same brightness; an easy way to do this is to buy new light bulbs at the same time, to ensure each gets equal wear. Ensure that each car lamp is focused on the proper direction i.e. straight ahead. There should be no cracks in the headlights and if there are they should be replaced.
Bodywork
Ensure that all body parts of your car are fixed on properly, free of any sharp edges and rust. The last thing you want to happen as you drive 80mp/h down the motorway is for your wing mirror to fly off and hit another car. Generally not a problem with newer cars, some older cars may have loose fittings. If this is the case in your car, time to invest in some new car parts! Or a new car.
Tires
Tires are important to check every couple of months, if not weeks. This is because tires can easily become bald, which means they begin to lose grip and can’t hold the road very well. This is especially dangerous in wet conditions and when going around bends, as there’s nothing to hold the car to the road and you can simply slide off. Never replace only one tire either; treat the back tires as one set and the front tires as another. This means if you’re going to change one back tire, change the other as well so they both get even wear.
Brakes
If you begin to hear squealing upon braking, it’s a sign that you should change your brake pads. The squeaking sound means that the brake pad has worn away so there’s literally nothing to stop the car. Brakes go hand in hand with tires, because without good tires, there’s no grip on the road when you try to brake. That’s why it is incredibly important to keep both in top-notch condition.
At AAMCO Colorado, we want to make sure every driver on the road is safe and can get to where they need to be. If you live in Colorado and need a Transmission Service, Radiator Repair, Brake Repair, or any other Auto Repair, please contact your local AAMCO Colorado Location to schedule an appointment.
Thanks for the tips on ensuring that your car is roadworthy. My brother has an old car that he is trying to make sure will pass the test. I’ll have to make sure that he checks all his lights like you mentioned.