General car safety checklist

WE eat, get rest and exercise as often as we can, all in a bid to stay healthy and ensure that our bodies are functioning optimally. Well, auto mechanic and car enthusiast Roshane Holness said that much like our bodies, our vehicles require proper maintenance to support us in our travel needs and to increase longevity.

“When serviced on time, you increase the years on your car and ensure that it can function well on the road. Unfortunately, too many times we skip scheduled maintenance days because the car is still running fine. This is a classic case of neglect and is one of the popular ways that you can kill a good car,” Holness told All Woman.

He said that while it is recommended to have your vehicle checked from time to time, it isn’t usually difficult to figure out when something should be checked or changed since the manufacturer of each vehicle provides clear instructions in the vehicle manual to guide maintenance work.

“Maintenance work on vehicles is pretty much the same right across the board. Many cars are indeed built with many technological changes — the engines in newer ones are more complex — but overall the basic make-up of all cars remains the same,” Holness said.

As such, he says, that the same checklist can be used to guide maintenance work on most motor vehicles. Below, he details what you should include in your vehicle maintenance check, starting with the basics.

General car safety checklist

•Seatbelts — check tension and belt buckle operation.

•External lights — You want to replace bulbs if necessary. Driving without your lights operational is against the law and is a hazard for you and other road users, especially at night.

•Handbrake — You want to check to make sure that it can hold the vehicle on a slope.

•Windscreens and mirrors —Windscreens and mirrors should be checked for cracks and repaired or replaced.

•Windscreen wipers —You should check the wear on wiper blades and replace if necessary. These are very important accessories, especially in the rainy season.

•Horn — Ensure that your horn works. It’s one of the most effective channels to communicate with other road users.

•Fluids — Always check engine oil and engine coolant levels.

• Tyres — Make sure that your tyres are at the correct pressure, check tread wear, and make sure that they are screwed on well.

• Spare tyre and jack — You should always have these just in case you get a flat tyre.

•Toolkit — Anything can happen on the road so you want to keep a toolkit handy. Make sure you have items such as a flashlight, jumper cables and a wrench.

Fluids checklist

You want to make sure that you check your:

• Engine oil

• Radiator coolant

• Brake fluid

•Power steering fluid

• Windscreen washer fluid

• Clutch fluid (manual cars)

• Gearbox oil

•Differential fluid.

Tyre checklist

•Tyre pressure (do this every three or so days unless you have a tyre that requires more monitoring).

•Treadwear and tread depth.

•Spare tyre.

•Car jack and tools.

Light checklist

Lights often go out without warning so make sure that you test the following lights and if possible, keep spare bulbs in your vehicle.

•Headlights

•Indicators/hazard lights

•Brake lights

•Reverse lights

•Park and fog lights.

Other important parts of your vehicle to check

• Radiator hoses — You should check for leaks and cracks. A cracked or leaking radiator could interfere with the engine getting cooled which could cause overheating.

• Engine air filter — check that it is clean.

•Battery — look for corrosion around terminals and make sure that they are cleaned because this can interfere with your vehicle starting.

•Fan belts — Ensure that none of the belts are loose or squeaking on start-up.

• Unusual engine noises — hard to start, ticking, hissing or clunking — these should be investigated before it gives way.

Having done a run-through of the list, the next question, naturally, is how often should you aim to complete service checks on your car.

Holness says that information is also provided in your car manual; however, many manufacturers use a 30-60-90 schedule.

“What this means is that certain items need to be inspected, changed, or replaced at 30,000, 60,000, and 90,000 miles. So, for example, before 30,000 miles you want to change air and fuel filters in your vehicle. If you work in a dusty environment, 15,000 is a decent standard,” Holness advised.

Maintenance checks that you want to get done before you car hits 60,000 miles include

•Battery replacement

•Brake fluid change, which some manufacturers recommend between 20 and 45,000 miles.

•Brake pads or shoes — make sure to choose good quality because those last up to 50,000 miles.

•Change your brake rotors at about 60,000 miles.

•Replace your coolant at about 60,000 miles and be sure to request that your mechanic flush the entire coolant system.

•With your car transmission, if you have a manual transmission, plan to change the transmission fluid between 30,000 and 60,000 miles. However, in the case of automatic transmission fluid, it has a lifespan ranging from 30,000 to well over 100,000 miles. Be sure to check your vehicle’s manual in this case before taking it to the mechanic.

Maintenance checks that you want to get done before your car hits 90,000 miles include

• Hoses should be checked and changed as needed, particularly as it hits the six-figure mileage.

•Spark plugs/ignition system, according to Holness, vary in the time they are required to be changed. He said the material used to make the plugs is a large factor, for example, newer cars use iridium or titanium spark plugs, which can sometimes last up to 100,000 miles. On the other hand, he said that going for cheaper spark plugs made of copper will only go to 30,000 miles.

•Timing belt — If your car uses a timing belt instead of a timing chain, Holness said that it is recommended that you change this belt between 75,000 and 90,000 miles.

Sure enough, some maintenance work on our cars is done regularly. For example, we clean our cars and wipe away debris in most instances weekly. Also regularly completed is an oil and oil filter change. This is particularly important to prevent debris such as tiny bits of metal or dirt from getting into the oil and causing excessive wear on the engine. It is recommended that you change these between 5,000 and 10,000 miles.