This is a quick vehicle inspection you can do at any time, and in any place. We recommend giving your car this quick check once a week. The best time would be before the first drive of the day. Once you become familiar with the list it should only take a few moments.
1 Walk around
Start by walking around your car and look at your tires first. Tires are the only contact between your car and the road, so make sure you don’t have a flat tire. If you have an air pressure gauge, go ahead and check your tire pressure.
Check for any fluids under your car that might have leaked out. Make a mental note of the color (red, black, clear) and area of the leak. If there are large puddles of fluid please call us before driving to discuss the possible areas of concern.
By knowing the color and general area of the fluid, it can help us determine whether you should drive your car or have it towed to our auto repair shop.
2 Check your lights
Make sure your headlights (high and low beams) operate. Check your turn signals, tail lights and, if you have someone else with, check your brake lights. If you do not have another person, you can back your vehicle up against a wall or garage door and use your mirrors to see if the brake lights show up on the garage door.
3 Check your wipers
Make sure there is not any rubber coming loose from the wiper blades. Turn the wipers on and operate the washers; make sure the fluid sprays and that they clear the water off the windshield without bouncing or making noises.
4 Open the hood
Here is what you need to look for:
- Check the engine oil level: Locate the engine oil dipstick, remove and wipe clean with a paper towel or shop rag. Reinsert the dipstick into the tube and then remove it one more time to check the oil level. It should be within the hash marks.
- Check the coolant reservoir bottle: There are cold and hot marks. The coolant should be within them.
- Check the radiator: If you are familiar with removing the radiator cap, and the engine is cold, go ahead and check the coolant level in the radiator. Do not remove the radiator cap if the engine is hot. If you are unsure how to do this, do not attempt to remove the radiator cap. We will be happy to assist in checking this level for you at our Gainesville auto repair shop.
- Check the serpentine belt or belts: Make sure they are not broken, frayed or loose.
If you noticed any fluids under the car during the walk around, look around under the hood for the source of the leak.
5 Look for warning lights
If the under-hood fluids looked good and you did not notice any large fluid puddles, go ahead and start the engine. Does it sound normal? Are there any warning lights on the dash, i.e. check engine, red brake light, amber ABS light, air bag light?
Did you find problems?
This check over should take no more than five minutes and might help catch a small problem before it escalates into a much larger issue. If you do notice anything abnormal, we recommend having a professional perform a complete inspection on your vehicle. You can call to schedule an appointment by dialing (352) 335-5780.