Passing your driving test brings a wonderful sense of freedom. Suddenly you can hit the open road and go anywhere you like—but do you know how to keep your car in a roadworthy condition? Before heading out on your first road trip, make sure you know how to carry out basic maintenance on your car. These three checks will help keep you safe on the road and should be carried out every week:

Oil

If you drive around with too little oil in your car engine, it can seize up, which could cause a collision. Frequently letting the oil run low in your car can also wear out the engine, so spending a few dollars a month on oil is surely preferable to spending hundreds of dollars for a new engine. However, putting too much oil in your car engine can also cause damage such as burning out the spark plugs, so be careful not to fill the oil tank above the maximum level indicator.

You should check the oil level in your car when the engine is cool as the oil sinks to the bottom of the engine when it's cold and this allows you to take a more accurate reading. Simply remove the dipstick, wipe the oil residue off it with a dry cloth and replace it. Next, remove the dipstick once more and check that the oil level is between the 'high' and 'low' markings on the dipstick. If you need to add oil, check your car's user manual to ensure you use the correct type of oil.

Tyres

Looking after your tyres will help you stay safe on the road, so check the tread depth and pressure on each tyre every week. Underinflated tyres can increase your stopping distances and reduce road grip, so they can be particularly hazardous in wet conditions. Your car's user manual will contain information on the correct tyre pressure for optimum performance. You should never let your tyre tread wear down to below 1.5mm, which is the legal minimum. Don't eyeball the tread on your tyres; you can purchase an inexpensive tread depth gauge from most garages.

Uneven wear on your tyres such as the inner tread being less worn than the outer tread can indicate your wheels are out of alignment. This can shorten the life of your tyres and make your car more difficult to handle and control when turning corners. The alignment can be knocked out of place from going over a kerb or a pothole, but it's quick and inexpensive to have fixed at a local garage like PEPPERS TYRES BERKELEY VALE.

Screen Wash And Coolant

If a truck zooms past you on a wet road and sprays your windscreen with mud, you have to clear the windshield quickly to be able to see the road in front of you. So what would happen if you suddenly found you were out of screen wash? Don't allow yourself to get into such an unsafe situation. If the screen wash holder in your car is small—and many hold less than a litre—keep a bottle of premixed screen wash in your car at all times and stop during long journeys to top up.

Your car also has a coolant tank that should be checked regularly. Coolant absorbs heat from the engine and disperses it in your car's radiator. This prevents your engine from overheating, which can cause costly damage to the seals and gaskets, so keep your car topped up with a manufacturer-recommended coolant.

Staying on top of basic car maintenance will save you money and keep you safer on the road. If you notice any fluid leaks, bulges on your tyres, or have concerns about how your car feels when driving, stop driving it and book it into your local garage for inspection.