maintenance by hawkwell driving school

Put heavy pressure on the brake pedal and HOLD for 10 seconds. It should feel normal and firm. If it doesn’t or sinks downwards then there is a fault.

Tell the examiner that you would move the car slowly along, check that it was safe behind, depress the clutch then apply the foot-brake firmly – the car should stop in a straight line without pulling sideways.

Tell me where you would find the information for the tyre pressures for this car and how to check them

Tyre pressures for the car are found in the handbook and are 26 pounds per square inch for the back and 32 for the front) Check when the tyres are cold using the tyre pressure gauge. Remove the dust cap on the tyre valve and press the gauge on until the end shoots out – read off the pressure. don’t forget to mention the spare tyre.

Show me how you would check that your indicators are working.

Turn on the ignition, switch on the left indicator and get out to check they work front and back, do the same for the right indicator .

Show me how you would check that the headlights & rear lights are working.

Turn on the ignition, switch on the headlights and get out to check they work, turn on main beam and get out again.

Tell me how you would check the tyre condition.

Tell the examiner that you “use the tyre tread gauge, place it on the tread and push it in, then read off the depth” (minimum legal depth is 1.6mm over the whole circumference and over the central 3/4 of the width). Look around the side-wall of the tyre and say “there must not be any cuts or bulges.”.

Tell me how you would check the power steering fluid level.

With the bonnet open – show the examiner where the power steering fluid reservoir is and tell him that the level should be between the “max.” and “min“. marks.