Basic Van Maintenance - Look After Your Van

As a van driver who uses your vehicle for work and in some cases is your only source of income it is very important to stay on top of the maintenance. It is important that the yearly services and MOT are kept up to date. You should also stay on top of some maintenance that can be carried out on a weekly or monthly basis which could save you money. This article will look at a few simple procedures that can be carried out that could save you costly repair bills and could save you money with cheaper van insurance in the long run.

Tyres - Tyres can be very important when doing simple checks on your van. The first check should be the pressure in the tyres, incorrect tyre pressures can be dangerous. When talking about vans the pressure of the tyres should be carefully monitored and should be altered depending on the loading of the van at the time. Incorrect tyre pressures can effect the steering of a van and make it unsafe to drive resulting accident. With accidents come insurance claims which can raise next years van insurance premiums.

Also check the tread on the tyres on a regular basis, this is because illegal tyre treads can cost the driver of the vehicle a fixed fine and three penalty points for each tyre below 1.6mm of tread. This increase in penalty points could mean an increase in your commercial vehicle insurance.

Oil - Regular checks of the engine oil is also a very important part of basic maintenance. By checking that there is a sufficient level of oil in the engines means that all the working parts in the engine are lubricated properly. When this level falls moving engine parts can rub and cause excessive damage to the engine resulting in huge repair bills.

Water/coolant - Engine water and coolant are the main method for keeping the engine cool. By simply checking that there is enough water in the engine you can prevent large repair bills associated with an engine over heating. Keeping the anti freeze levels topped up in the water is also very important as it prevents the water freezing in the engine during the cold winter months.

Washer fluid - Seems like a simple check but by making sure that it is done on a regular occasion you will never run out. Letting your washer fluid run out can mean that you can't clean the windscreen when needed resulting in reduced visibility. This reduction in visibility can increase the risk of you being involved in an accident and therefore raising your van insurance premiums.

Brake fluid - Checking the brake fluid is the last of our simple maintenance checks but is one of the most important. By neglecting to check your brake fluid you are putting your self at greater risk of being involve in a motoring accident. By checking that the levels in your brake fluid reservoir are correct you could benefit from cheaper van insurance due to minimal amounts of claims.

As can be seen a few checks carried out on a regular basis could not only save you money on repair bills but could also indirectly save you money on your van insurance.