Ensure your car is summer ready with our holiday motoring checklist

The school holidays are just around the corner. You may be lucky enough to be going on holiday this summer. You might be flying off to Spain, Italy or even further afield.

Or, like many of us, you may have decided to stay closer to home this year. Perhaps you’re crossing the Channel or travelling to Scotland, Wales or an English seaside town. If this is the case, it won’t just be the family that is going on holiday. Your car will be too. So ask yourself – is your vehicle summer holiday ready?

High temperatures and busy roads can place additional demands on both drivers and cars. The last thing you want is to start your trip completely stressed out because the car has overheated or had a puncture.

Here are M&BM Motors’ top tips to reduce the risk of a breakdown (motor and emotional!) this summer.

Keep cool

It’s hardly surprising that the hotter summer months can play havoc with your car’s cooling system and cause serious damage that can be costly to repair.

Check your vehicle’s coolant reservoir level on a regular basis

Keep an eye on your coolant hoses – if you notice wet or white staining this could spell trouble

Check your fan – let your car’s engine idle for up to ten minutes. Your cooling fan should cut in automatically

Check fluids

We all need fluids to stay healthy, hydrated and active in the summer. Your car is no different. In addition to coolant, make sure your vehicle’s fluid levels are topped up to avoid a potential breakdown in the middle of nowhere:

• Engine oil
• Windscreen wash
• Fuel

Punctures

High temperatures mean hot roads. Hot roads aggravate existing damage to your vehicle’s tyres. Plus, if they are under inflated, this only adds to the problem. Under inflated tyres cause more friction and heat, resulting in weak spots turning into punctures or worse still, blowouts.

Before you go any distance, you must:

Check your tyres’ condition and pressures. If you are carrying extra load (and who doesn’t end up with everything but the kitchen sink when they’re off on holiday?), you also need to adjust tyre pressures to suit.

If you are taking a caravan or trailer tent, remember to check its tyres for cracking. It’s likely that it’s been sat dormant for many months, which can lead to tyres degrading.

Save on fuel

There are lots of ways to reduce your car’s fuel consumption in the summer. Tempting as it may be, open windows actually cause extra drag, which can affect the amount of fuel your vehicle uses. Try opening the air vents instead.

Also, air conditioning will cool your car but does it need to stay on the entire time once it does? Consider turning it down or off, and don’t use it if you have the windows open – it’s just wasting fuel.

Roof boxes can reduce drag so if you do need to carry luggage on the roof of your car, it may be an idea to invest in one. Just remember to remove it once you reach your holiday destination or you’ll soon find that those little day trips are costing you more than they should in fuel.

Plan your journey

School holidays often spell hours sat in traffic jams. It is well worth looking into alternative routes, as well as the towns and landmarks you will pass on the way. If you are travelling with children, the likelihood is that you will be stopping regularly for toilet and food breaks. By planning ahead, you can reduce a lot of stress and arguments!

Be ready for any emergency

Hopefully your journey will go smoothly. However, cars do break down, no matter how old or new it may be. Putting together an emergency kit will make a massive difference if you do end up in dire straits.

We recommend that you pack a breakdown triangle, torch, blankets, mobile phone, map, breakdown cover details and high visibility jackets (which are actually a legal requirement when travelling in France).

So, from all of us at M&BM Motors in Grays, Essex, have a wonderful summer holiday! And if you are concerned that your car isn’t up the journey, get in touch – we’ll be more than happy to do some quick and simple checks for your peace of mind.

Call the team at M&BM Motors on 01375 379401 for more information.