Simple Safety Tests to Extend the Life of Your Vehicle

Your car keeps getting you to work in Green Valley, AZ, even after all these years. But when was the last time you had it checked to make sure it is still safe to drive? Insurance Center of Green Valley offers up a few tips to help you avoid having your vehicle fall apart while operating, preventing costly and painful repair and medical bills.  Spending a few dollars on preventative maintenance can save you thousands in lost wages, expenses and deductibles.

  • Penny Test Your Tires: Take a penny and insert it between the treads of your tires with Abraham Lincoln’s head pointed down.  If you see half of Lincoln’s head or more, it might be time to replace your tires before they fail on rough country roads.
  • Jack It Up and Jiggle: Your ball joints keep your tires pointed in the right direction. Failure at high speed can cause a severe accident and you can’t see them to know when it’s time to replace them. Jack up the car so a wheel is off the ground. Try to wiggle the wheel–put a little effort into it.  If there is shifting and a thunking noise, you need new ball joints.
  • Grinding and Squealing Noise: If you can feel grinding through the brake pedal or even the steering wheel when coming to a stop, that is a warning your brakes are close to failing.
  • Check All Your Lights: It’s easy to miss when your tail lights have a bulb go out. Take one minute to walk around your vehicle and make sure high beam, low beam, brake lights and turn signals are working. It can help others avoid hitting you.

Check with your Green Valley, AZ auto repair shop and the Insurance Center of Green Valley for more inexpensive preventative maintenance tips and save your aging auto from a premature death.