The rains have arrived. Do not delay anymore the things that you need to do for personal safety and vehicle durability. Be it a two wheeler or a four wheeler, it needs to be ready for the rains. Remember, vehicle breakdowns during the rains are more troublesome; small accidents can become major mishaps.

Vehicle safety inspection checklist

Tires: Be it a two wheeler or a four wheeler, if the tires are not good, it will skid in the rains. Even if the brakes are in good condition & the tires are bad, accidents can occur. The gutters which form during rainy season can create punctures in good tires also. Check the tires & tubes. Change the tires which are worn out. If there is more than one puncture in the tube, it is good to change that also. It is also necessary to bring the tire pressure to the correct value. Tires with excess pressure can be dangerous.

Electricals: The electrical system, which can be called the vehicle’s nervous system, is more prone to faults during the rainy season. Since the parking lamps and the wipers are used almost permanently, the components including battery have a higher workload during this season. If it’s a two wheeler, there is higher chance of problems caused by water entering the electrical system. Battery, alternator, starter, indicator, lights, wiring, horns etc – check all these and replace as required. Fog lamps increase your safety quotient during the rains. Check if the rear window defogger is working.

Brake: Check the brakes regularly. If the liners & pads are bad, then change them. It is essential to change the rubber parts & to ‘top up’ the fluid. The advantage of cars with A.B.S brakes will be known during rainy season. This will give better control than the other brakes.

Other parts: It is good to check the following

• Engine
• Suspension
• Gear box
• Steering.
  

If it is a four wheeler it is good to change the wipers. Its performance will have become bad in extreme heat. Two wheeler vehicle owners should similarly give equal importance to helmet visor. It is good to add some liquid soap to the windshield washer bottle. Check if the other rubber parts & beading are in good condition. Otherwise here is chance for water to enter the vehicle.

continuous exposure to water can cause damage to the vehicles body. It is important to immediately touch with paint in the areas where it has peeled off.

Apply a new coat of wax for vehicles which have waxing on them. Check the polyurethane coating of vehicles that have the coating on them. If the vehicle is more than 3 years old, apply rust proof paint on the insides & beneath the vehicle.

Engine bay, spare wheel compartment, insides of door pads all require rust proof painting. Special care is required for the chromium coated parts of two wheelers. There are special chemicals available for the same. Do not cover a wet vehicle which has just been exposed to rain. Such an action will destroy the paint finish & will also be a factor for rust formation. Try to park the vehicle where there are less chances of it getting wet.