Orchard Garage – 01322 271000
128 Park Road, Dartford, DA1 1SZ
159-161 Heath Lane, Dartford, DA1 2TW
Summer motoring
Road trips into Europe, extra driving on family days out – it’s best to make sure your car is ready for the summer, because no-one wants to be broken down waiting for recovery!
Here are our top tips for safe driving this summer – pop by one of our garages to have a check or repair to get you on your way!
Tyres:
Check your tyres before you go anywhere, making sure the pressures are correct. If you are filling the car up with people or luggage, add more pressure to the tyres.
Your tyres are at a higher risk of puncture in the heat if they are not at the right pressure or the tread is thin.
A good test to check the tread is to use a 20p coin – if the tread is below the border of the coin, they’ll need replacing.
If you are stopped, it will be two points on your licence before you can say ‘change my tyres’.
Washers
Screen wash is an important one for summer – because with less rain, nature isn’t giving us a helping hand. Sap from trees can make your screen sticky and tend to make a mess on it, so keep it clean with a topped up screen wash.
Levels
If something isn’t quite right in the car, then you risk overheating – especially if it’s going to be hotter than The Med this year!
Keep a check on your coolant and oil and top them up, or pop by and we’ll do it for you.
Wipers
There’s no point having the screen wash if the wipers then make a mess of it, so ensure your wipers are up to scratch and not causing smears, because in glaring sunlight, your vision will be restricted.
Brakes
This one goes without saying and it’s a good idea to have your brakes checked at any time of the year but perhaps more so if you’re planning a summer trip.
Lights
You still need your lights in the summer so do a quick test to make sure they’re all working – ask someone to help you as you go through them all.
You won’t necessarily know if your lights aren’t working unless someone tells you!
Exhaust
Listen out for noises – they’re an indication of a problem, plus if there’s a bad smell, that can also be an indicator.
Emissions will be higher and there could be a risk of carbon monoxide exposure to people in the car too.
Suspension
No-one wants to sit in a bumpy car for a long journey, plus damage can be caused if there’s a suspension problem.
Pop by for a check to get it all in order.
MOT updated
It’s quite common for people to bring their cars to us on the day their MOT is due, but we wouldn’t recommend it, especially if it needs some work to pass it and you need your car!
Try to plan in advance so that if we need to keep your car, you are not left looking up the bus timetable.
You can have your MOT done up to a month in advance.
Air con
We all want to be cool in the summer and if your air con is working, it will make for a very comfortable drive but if it’s not, then you’ll be a big, hot, metal box!
Air con needs to be re-gassed from time to time – every two years is recommended, especially in this area because of the high pollution levels.
Orchard Garage – 01322 271000
- 128 Park Road, Dartford, DA1 1SZ
- 159-161 Heath Lane, Dartford, DA1 2TW
Pop by for one of our summer offers:
Summer Health Check: £10 (We’ll check your exhaust, washers, tyres, levels, suspension, wipers, lights and brakes.)
Air Con re-gas: From £50 +VAT