The Importance of Car and Brakes Maintenance

Whether you like to take the family down to Southend on the A127 or prefer to frequent the A13 to get into central London, the one thing you will have noticed in recent years is how much more traffic there seems to be. With so many cars, lorries and other road users filling up the highways of Essex these days, it is even more important to check your brakes and to carry out your other essential car maintenance jobs regularly. You never know when you'll need to slow down, swerve or bring the car to a complete standstill! What should you be doing to keep your car's occupants safe?

Brake Checks

It is not easy to check your brakes yourself unless you are mechanic but if they squeal of feel a bit spongy when you put your foot on the middle pedal, something is wrong. Consult your log book to see when your brake pads were last changed and have new ones fitted if you are not stopping as quickly as you should. It doesn't take long. If you are looking to repair or replace your car brakes in Basildon, for example, then visit Jet Wheel Tyre.

Tyre Checks

There are two essential tyre checks you should do every couple of thousand miles. Firstly, confirm the air pressure in your tyres is sufficiently high. If not, then you won't be able to swerve out of the way of dangers on the road effectively. This is because even slightly flat tyres will slew when you corner hard meaning you can lost traction entirely. Under-inflated tyres run inefficiently, too, so they cost you more in fuel. The other check to make is to ensure you have enough tread to stop properly. Since the tread clears water from the road for you to maintain grip, so your tyres need deep enough grooves to work properly. Insert a 20 pence coin into the tread and if the rim disappears, then your tyres are legal. If it only just covers the rim, however, then consider new tyres anyway. Older tyres which may still be okay to drive on by law won't be as effective as new ones at providing the necessary grip for you to stop in an emergency.

Lighting Checks

You need to see where you are going in all road conditions so confirm your dipped, side and main headlights are all working every month or so and don't just assume they will function when you need them. The same goes for your brake, fog and reversing lamp on the back of your car. And while you're at it check your indicators work, too. So many motorists in the county seem to have faulty indicators these days. Or, more likely, they simply cannot be bothered to use them!