Hi, so you survived the winter snow and ice, but did your car?
Here are just a few helpful things for you to check on your car whilst it’s still cold outside and the spring is bringing in another change of temperature and new road conditions for you to deal with!!
* Antifreeze for your radiator, make sure it’s still 50/50, just in case you do get any Jack Frost days and your radiator decides to take the opportunity to bail on you and freeze. If you have cheated a little and topped it up with water, might be worth checking it and giving it a flush and refill.
* Windscreen Wash with antifreeze, (not be mistaken for radiator antifreeze), it is more helpful if it protects up to -35 and is topped up in the reservoir for the screen wash. Whilst you are out there looking clever under the hood, why not really impress by checking the jet’s direction and that there are no blockages, simply pull the wiper stalk on your dash and see where the fluid directs to, if blocked, they can usually be simply unblocked with a pin and the ball head moved to fire in the right direction!!
* Windscreen Wipers, one of the most obvious names for something so beneficial!! Always worth checking that your wipers aren’t frayed or perished, as soon as they are damaged it is best to replace them, you never know when you going to have a lovely surprise sunny day and be caught out by a dirty windscreen crossed with the suns glare, often a bump waiting to happen.
* Tyres, although another obvious one, once you’re in and driving away you often dismiss the tyre as ok, because your moving ok, but its definitely worth taking 5 minutes to check the pressure when you’re in filling up with fuel, as tyre pressure drops in cold weather and can swell in hot and a couple of mixed days can leave your tyres tired and confused, 5 mins to check could save your life. While you’re there check the tread too, 1.6 mm is the legal limit, whilst manufacturers very sensibly recommend 3 mm, don’t imagine the grip in snow imagine stopping distances on the road with very little tread. The difference between the legal limit and manufacturer’s advice is ONE FULL CAR LENGTH AT LEAST.
* Lights, although the nights may soon be getting lighter, the mornings can still be dark, make sure you have your lights on not just for you to see in front of your bumper but for you to be seen by other motorists on the road as well, if your lights are grubby from the wet and dirty roads, give them a rub down and you’ll be thankful.
* Lastly, tiredness, it goes without saying that tiredness kills, so there is another sneaky reason to keep a bar of chocolate in the car! On a serious note, if you’re tired and don’t need to make the journey don’t. If you do need to rest first, for whatever reason you need to be somewhere is it more important than you yourself?
Joke of the month:
What did the first traffic light say to the opposite traffic light? Don’t look now I’m changing!
