Whether you’re planning a long weekend away, a far-reaching road trip, or a self-drive holiday in the UK, remember – the car’s the star. And as with all stars, your car will need attention, pampering, and treating properly. So before you set-off, pre-holiday preparation is crucial. To help you along, we’ve put together this essential holiday season checklist for your car.
Make sure all your levels are topped off
That goes for eveything, including coolant, oil, water, screenwash, and air. Make sure you have enough of each and make a point to check the vital systems they support for any obstructions and leakage. You don’t want to discover any once you’ve set off on your journey, for fear of becoming stranded. Make sure your battery level is sufficient too. With regards to air levels…
Make sure your tyre pressures are right
Having the correct tyre pressures will make a significant difference to your driving experience in many ways. These include rate of tyre wear (and whether it’s even or uneven), ride quality, fuel consumption, and – most importantly – your driver and passenger safety. We hope you’ll agree that all of these points are crucial to the success or otherwise of a self-drive holiday or road trip.
You can typically find the correct tyre pressures for your car on either the inside of the driver door or under the fuel cap. And don’t forget to factor in whether your vehicle is overly laden or not, as any extra weight will make a difference to your tyre pressures. There’s a separate pressure value for your tyres if your car is heavier than normal.
Having good tyre tread depth makes all the difference
Often overlooked, but arguably the most important thing you should check for before you set off on your journey – particularly if the roads are wet. It’s the tyre tread that provides you with the essential grip you need to drive safely. This is especially the case in wet weather conditions. While we all hope for sunny, clear blue skies and dry weather when on holiday, the reality is that more often than not we encounter that peculiarly British summertime occurrence of showers and downpours. Tyre experts, like Continental and Asda Tyres, recommend that you ensure your tyres have at least 3 mm of tread depth. Lower than this and grip soon starts to deteriorate, fast.
Check for tyre damage before you set off
The last thing anyone wants while on their journey is for their tyres to give up on them. It could be a puncture or sidewall blowout that brings the trip to a sudden stop, potentially endangering their safety. Be sure to inspect for tyre damage before setting off, and look out for cuts, nicks, tears, cracks and bulges, as well as for objects that may be lodged in your tyres, such as nails, glass, stones, or other debris.
Fitting self-sealing or runflat tyres offers additional driver safety
You can avoid having to immediately stop your journey because of a puncture by fitting tyres with Contiseal™ technology. Tyres that have it automatically self-seal holes that are up to 5 mm in diameter, from inside the tyre. This ensures drivers can continue with their journey without the need to come to an immediate stop, and provide the opportunity to get to a local garage or park up in a safer, non-roadside environment (which is often dangerous, and intimidating, especially if you have to change a tyre).
Alternatively, consider driving on Continental SSR self-supporting runflat tyres. If you should have the misfortune to experience a puncture, these super strong tyres (with their reinforced sidewalls) will enable you to continue driving for a further 50 miles, before needing to stop.
Post Script
And remember, if you’re anticipating the need to change your own tyre, make sure your car jack and locking wheel nut key are in your vehicle – and easily accessible.