jack
If you want to enjoy a successful and safe career on the road, knowing how to drive and understanding the rules of the road isn’t enough.
You’ll also need a range of additional skills and knowledge. When applied sensibly, these can help you respond effectively to emergencies—or avoid them altogether.
They can also reduce long-term costs like fuel and maintenance, and even make your overall driving experience smoother and more enjoyable.
Why Car Know-How is a Modern Life Skill
Let’s start with the more fundamental and easily-reached pieces of motoring skill. You should know how to top up your oil, and you should understand the difference made by oils of different types.
These relate to the viscosity of the substance at various temperatures. If you’re going to be driving in winter, then having an oil that will flow easily and provide great coverage can be hugely advantageous.
Being able to replace other consumable fluids, like screenwash, is also worthwhile. It’s also worth noting that your wipers are designed to be replaced every so often.
If you don’t replace them, then you’ll suffer visibility problems. This will drive up the likelihood of your being involved in a collision. After all, it’s difficult to avoid obstacles that you can’t see.
Finally, it’s worth knowing not just how to inflate tyres, but how to change one, too.
Modern cars often lack a spare tyre, such is the extent to which manufacturers disdain the average motorist and their tyre-changing ability.
If you carry a spare on your car, however, and you’re able to change it, then you’ll be better able to deal with problems, and you’ll end up spending less money on callouts to breakdown recovery vehicles.
How to Change a Tyre: The Basics Everyone Should Know
Let’s run through the process of changing a tyre, and why learning how to do it properly is worthwhile.
Start by getting the car into a safe place. Avoid narrow roads where possible. Make sure that you set up your warning triangle, and leave your warning lights on so that you’re as visible as possible.
Before you start, you’ll need to ensure that you have the right tools. These include the wrench, the jack, the chocks, the wheel nut key and the car’s manual (which might tell you where the jacking points are. It’s also worth keeping a pair of gloves, a torch, and a reflective jacket in the car.
First, position the chocks so that the car doesn’t roll away. You want at least one chock on the opposite wheel to the one that’s punctured.
Then loosen the nuts and jack up the car. Once it’s jacked, you can take the nuts off entirely, remove the tyre, and mount the spare.
From there, you’re simply doing the steps you’ve already taken in reverse order: hand-tighten the nuts, lower the car, and then get those nuts really right with the help of the wrench.
Before you’re safe to drive, you’ll need to check the tyres’ pressure. If you have a pressure gauge ready in the car, this is ideal.
If you don’t, you’ll need to drive very carefully to the nearest petrol station. If possible, phone ahead to make sure that the tyre pressure station there is working properly.
Finally, you’ll need to look for a replacement tyre. Note that even if you haven’t suffered a puncture, it’s worth swapping your tyres every now and again, in order to keep your car performing optimally. New tyres mean better grip, greater fuel efficiency, and lower stopping distances.
Finding a Trusted Local Tyre Service
Ideally, your local tyre service should be reliable and reputable. That way, you’ll be sure that the tyres you’re getting are of a high quality, and that you have the ability to correct any problems you encounter.
Just Tyres is a good, affordable option preferred by many motorists in the UK. It’s a good idea to look for a local branch.
When it comes to tyres in Chesham, experience speaks—just ask the locals. If you get your tyres changed regularly, then being able to change everything yourself might help you to cut your costs in the long term.
However, if you value your time highly, it’s often a good idea to outsource this task to a professional fitter.
That way, you can benefit from the specialised equipment and expertise present in a working garage.
