A few tips for the road...

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 636, 14 May 1996, Page 9

A few tips for the road...

Most drivers learn early on how important a car's brakes are. Hopefully we learn the easy way with a close call. Knowing how important they are, it should be important that they are adjusted properly so they can work at their best. And of course brakes are a very important when looking at the problems of winter motoring. If brakes are adjusted correctly they do not only work correctly they will not wear out as fast. Brakes are one item on a car that are designed to wear out. But it is important to keep them serviced and adjusted correctly. How long does it take to wear out a set of brake pads or shoes? That depends on your driving and the type of brake lining material fitted. If you drive like you're in the Wellington water-front races, after 500km you'll need a whole new set of shoes and pads. But under normal street conditions you could expect brakes to last between 10,000 and 40,000 kilometres. A common bad practice in adjusting brakes is to only adjust the rear brakes by altering the hand-brake cable. All this does is make the brakes less effective and cause one shoe on each wheel to wear out faster. You should also keep an eye on your brake fluid level. If it starts to diminish you should attend to it straight away. If you don't, the fluid may leak onto your brake shoes and cost more money to repair. Worse, you could find you run out of brakes. Without good tyres, the best brakes will be of little use. The worst factor in winter motoring, especially around the central plateau, is poor traction. We get frosts and wet roads more than most, not to mention snow and the dreaded black ice. If your tyres are in poor condition, incorrectly inflated or bald, you are reducing your chances of handling a bad situation. Most tyre dealers will check your tyres for free, and will be able to advise whether you should have your wheel alignment altered to improve handling and extend the life of your tyres. Keeping your car up to scratch is good for safety but also your pocket. Most car service checks hurt the pocket, but the cost of leaving them can be much worse. And if you put off getting a warrant of fitness to save a few dollars, you risk losing the price of the car if you have an accident, as you can lose your insurance cover. It is surprising how a new set of radials, reconditioned brakes, shocks and good general suspension can improve your car's driving characteristics. It's so easy to check engine oil, radiator, belt tension, battery electrolyte level, brake fluid level, windscreen washer level, tyre pressure. Check these each time you fill up. Having your fuel and ignition system checked and brought up to scratch will save headaches with poor winter starting. If your battery is past it, you may neea to repxace it or face poor starting all winter. Not just for comfort' s sake, but safety also - get your heater and vent system working properly. It's tempting, especially if you don't have far to go, to drive with steamed up windows if your demister isn't working well. But poor visibility makes it harder for you to be a safe driver. If your demister is very slow to work, go out and starting up your car a few minutes before you want to leave to give it the time it needs.