The sun finally shows up in Wales. Suddenly everyone wants to load up the boot and head for the coast. Before you do, though, it’s worth giving your car a proper look over. A few minutes of checking now can save you a roadside headache later. That’s especially true if you’re driving further than usual. It’s also true if you’re piling the family in for a long stretch on the motorway. This is exactly where a summer car check earns its keep.
At A & S Tyres in Briton Ferry, we see the same pattern every year. Cars sit through a grey, wet winter. Then they’re suddenly asked to cope with heat, long distances, and a full load of passengers and luggage. That’s a lot to ask of tyres, brakes, and cooling systems that haven’t had a proper once-over in months. Below is a full run-through of what to check yourself. We’ll also cover where our garage in Port Talbot can step in if something needs sorting.
Start With Your Tyres
Tyres are the only part of your car actually touching the road. They’re the obvious place to begin. Tread depth matters most. The legal minimum in the UK is 1.6mm, measured across the central three-quarters of the tyre. For a long trip, though, we’d suggest aiming for more than that. This matters most if rain is forecast anywhere along your route. A simple way to check at home is the 20p test. Pop a 20p coin into the main tread grooves. If the outer rim of the coin is hidden, you’re still within the legal limit.
Have a look at the sidewalls too. Cracks, bulges, or uneven wear can all point to a tyre that’s struggling. That’s not something you want to discover on a fast A-road with a full car. Pressure matters just as much. Soft tyres create extra heat as they roll, which raises the risk of a blowout on a hot motorway. Overinflated tyres, meanwhile, reduce your grip exactly when you need it most.
Check pressure when the tyres are cold, ideally before you’ve driven anywhere that morning. Heat from driving will give you a falsely high reading. You’ll find the correct pressure for your car on a sticker. It’s usually inside the driver’s door frame or on the fuel cap. It’s worth bumping the pressure up slightly if you’re carrying a heavy load or towing. Don’t forget the spare, either, if your car has one. A flat spare is no use to anyone halfway through a trip.
If anything looks off, pop into our garage. We’ll check pressure, fitting, and tread depth properly. We also carry a wide range of premium and classic tyre brands. There’s a good chance we’ll have what your car needs in stock. Stuck somewhere with a problem tyre before you’ve even left home? Our mobile tyre fitting service can come straight to you.
Check Your Brakes Before You Load Up
A heavier car needs more from its brakes. Bags, bikes, and extra passengers all add weight. If they’ve been squeaking, grinding, or pulling to one side, don’t ignore it and hope it sorts itself out. Worn pads and discs take longer to bring a loaded car to a stop. That gap matters on unfamiliar roads or in holiday traffic.
A quick check you can do yourself is to listen and feel. Does the car pull to one side when you brake gently in a quiet, safe spot? Does the pedal feel softer than usual, or sink lower before it bites? Either of those is worth getting looked at properly rather than guessing.
Our team can inspect pads, discs, and the rest of the braking system. From there, we’ll carry out repairs or a full replacement if needed. It’s a straightforward job for us, and one of the more reassuring things to tick off before a long drive.
Look Under The Bonnet: Oil, Coolant & Screen Wash
This is one part of a summer car check you can do yourself in a few minutes. It costs nothing but a bit of time. With the engine cool and the car on level ground, pull out the dipstick. Wipe it clean, then dip it again for an accurate oil level reading. It should sit between the minimum and maximum marks. Low oil on a long, hot motorway run is asking for trouble. The engine works harder and runs hotter for longer stretches than it’s used to on the school run.
Coolant matters just as much in summer, despite the name. It stops your engine overheating in traffic and on long climbs. Check the level against the markings on the coolant reservoir while the engine is cold. Never open the radiator cap on a hot engine. Top up if it’s low. If you’re topping up often, that’s usually a sign of a leak worth getting checked.
Screen wash is the easiest job on this whole list, and the one most people forget. Summer brings dust, bugs, and pollen. All of it ends up smeared across your windscreen the moment you put the wipers on. A topped-up reservoir means you can actually see where you’re going.
If checking any of this feels daunting, our full car servicing covers all of these fluids alongside a proper diagnostic check. It’s worth booking in before a big trip if you’d rather have a professional eye over it.
Don’t Forget The Air Conditioning
Nobody wants to sit in traffic on a baking afternoon with warm air blowing through the vents. If your air con has been weak lately, or simply isn’t cooling like it used to, get it looked at before you set off. It’s far better than discovering the fault halfway down the M4. A quick way to test it yourself is to run it on full for a few minutes before you leave. If the air doesn’t cool down properly, or smells musty, that’s worth mentioning to us.
We offer full air conditioning servicing, including re-gassing and system checks. That means cool air flowing again before your trip, not during it.
Batteries, Lights & The Smaller Jobs
It’s easy to focus on tyres and brakes, and forget the quieter components. They matter too, though. A tired battery might just about manage cold winter mornings. Ask it to run air con, infotainment, and charging ports on a hot day. Add an engine working harder than usual, and it can fail. If your car’s been slow to start, or the dashboard lights have dimmed when you turn the key, get it tested before you rely on it for a long trip.
Lights and wipers are worth a glance as well. Walk around the car with the engine running. Check headlights, brake lights, indicators, and fog lights are all working. It’s an easy job for a second pair of hands. It’s doable alone too, with a reflective wall or window if needed. Wiper blades that streak or squeak are usually due for a replacement. That’s a cheap fix that makes a real difference in a summer downpour.
Our team checks batteries, all lights, and wipers as part of a general inspection. That way, these smaller items don’t get missed if you’d rather leave it to us.
Pack Sensibly & Mind The Load
This one isn’t about a garage visit, but it makes a genuine difference to how your car handles. An overloaded boot, or weight piled unevenly on a roof box, changes how your car sits, steers, and stops. Try to keep heavier items low and central. Spread the weight evenly, and avoid stacking everything on one side. If you’re using a roof box or roof rack, check it’s fitted properly before you leave the driveway. Make sure the load is secured too, not after you’ve heard something shift on the first roundabout.
It’s also worth checking your mirrors and seating position once the car’s loaded. Visibility can change with a full boot or back seat.
Book A Full Service Or MOT Before You Go
If your car’s MOT or service is due around the time of your trip, get it booked in before you leave. Don’t wait until after. An MOT covers many of the points above in one go. A full service goes further still. Oil changes, filter swaps, and proper diagnostics catch anything that isn’t obvious from the driver’s seat.
We carry out MOT tests and full car servicing at our Port Talbot garage. You’ll get honest advice on anything that needs sorting. It’s a sensible way to head into a long trip with one less thing to think about.
Other Areas Worth A Look
A few other jobs are worth folding into your summer car check. This applies especially if your car’s been showing signs of trouble. A noisy exhaust or a DPF warning light shouldn’t be left until you’re back from holiday. We handle exhaust repairs and DPF cleaning, so it’s worth getting sorted beforehand. Likewise, if your alloys have picked up kerb damage, or your steering’s been pulling slightly, our alloy wheel refurbishment and wheel alignment services can have things running straight again.
It’s also worth giving the boot a quick check for a few essentials before any long trip. A torch, a high-vis vest, a basic first aid kit, and a charging cable for your phone all earn their place. None of these need a garage visit, but they’re worth having if anything does go wrong on the road.
Plan Ahead For The Drive Itself
Beyond the car, a bit of planning helps too. Long stretches behind the wheel in hot weather are tiring. Plan in regular breaks, especially on motorway legs. Keep water in the car for hot days stuck in traffic. Check your route in advance, too, if you’re heading somewhere with patchy mobile signal. None of this replaces a proper mechanical check. It does round off a sensible summer car check, though, and makes the journey itself a bit easier.
Visit A & S Tyres Before You Hit The Road
A summer car check doesn’t need to take over your whole weekend. Most of what we’ve covered can be sorted in one visit to our Briton Ferry garage. The bits you can do yourself only take a few minutes. We’re used to helping drivers from Port Talbot, Neath, Swansea, Baglan, and Aberavon get ready for trips big and small. With over 20 years of experience behind us, our team knows what to look for. We won’t recommend work you don’t actually need.
Get in touch with A & S Tyres today to book your summer car check. Then head off on your road trip with one less thing to worry about.