Autumnal Car Care: Preparing for an Autumn Half-Term Road Trip
Essential Checks and Tips for Ensuring Your Vehicle is Autumn-Ready
Are you planning a road trip with your family during the autumn half term holiday? Before you head out it is worth checking that your vehicle is in good shape. Berkshire Car Care, based in Swallowfield near Reading, have produced a guide offering some suggestions on preparing your vehicle for your next trip.
Autumnal Car Service:
If you are planning a long drive, it might be worth getting your car serviced, even if it is ahead of schedule. At Berkshire Car Care, we use modern diagnostic tools to check your vehicle's condition to ensure that it is ready for travel.
Fluid Levels:
It is important to ensure essential fluids, including engine oil, coolant, and brake fluid, are topped up. If they need refilling, it is advisable to get advice on the best products for your car's model.
Oil Change:
Regular oil changes care advised. This ensures that the engine runs as efficiently as possible and reduces the likelihood of issues. you can read more about the benefits of regularly changing your oil in our blog below.
Tyre Condition:
It is always a good idea to check your tyres, especially before a long journey. Their condition can impact safety and fuel efficiency. If the tyre tread is borderline, it is advisable to replace them with new tyres that are suitable for the expected weather conditions. In the run up to winter you may also want to consider putting winter tyres on your car.
Tyre Pressures:
Regular monitoring of tyre pressures is advisable especially when there is a change in the weather as they can fluctuate in different temperatures. If the pressure is below the recommended level, this can affect the performance of your vehicle and can increase the risk of a blow-out.
Addressing Repairs:
If the service highlights any problems, it is best to deal with them sooner rather than later. The team at Berkshire Car Care provide a range of services from brake and fluid level checks to repairs.
Heating and Air Conditioning Systems:
As the weather cools, a working heating system becomes more important, both for comfort and for preventing windscreen fogging. It is worth getting your air conditioning regassed to ensure that it is working efficiently.
Emergency Kit:
In the UK, currently, there is no legal requirement to have a first aid kit in a personal vehicle. Although, it is advisable to carry an emergency kit in case you break down or are involved in an accident. Items including a first aid kit, torch, and jump leads, and a warning triangle are advisable for travelling in the UK.
If you are planning a road trip to Europe, it is mandatory to carry an emergency breakdown kit in your car. Items including a first aid kit, torch, and jump leads, and a warning triangle are advisable for travelling in the UK. For travel in Europe, it is advisable to check the up-to-date rules for the country being visited. The emergency kit should include high visibility vest (one for each passenger kept in the cabin of the car), warning triangle, UK sticker, headlamp beam converters, universal bulb and fuse kit and bulbs, first aid kit and jump leads.
Conclusion:
Preparing your vehicle for an autumn half term road trip may be time consuming, but with some assistance from Berkshire Car Care, it can be more straightforward than you think. For car servicing, oil changes, tyre checks, and repairs, come and visit us at Berkshire Car Care.
If you think your car might need a check-up before your autumn trip, feel free to
get in touch here
About Berkshire Car Care
Berkshire Car Care provides servicing and repairs for all types of cars and vans. We have invested in the latest diagnostic equipment and continuos training for our already experienced technicians. We pride ourselves on providing the highest quality car maintenance and repairs at rates much more affordable than main dealers.
If your car or van needs a an MoT test, service or a repair then please get in touch and we will be happy to talk you through all of your options.
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