Every vehicle is considered a source of increased danger. Therefore, before leaving on the road, you need to carefully check its technical condition and make sure there are no breakdowns. In addition, there is a clause in the Traffic Regulations prohibiting the operation of a vehicle in the event of malfunctions of the following components and systems: brakes, steering elements, clutch, headlights and taillights, windshield wipers, etc.
1. Problems with the brakes
Consider a common situation - before leaving the house, you found a brake compound leak from the line, but when testing the quality of the brakes, there are no problems. However, it is better not to rush out onto the track without repairing the leak and restoring the brake fluid level. The best option is to evacuate the car to a car repair shop.
The failure of the hoses and the brake booster is comparable to the jamming of the entire unit, which will lead to inevitable consequences when driving.
Also, the Road Traffic Rules state that before entering the road, you need to make sure that the parking brake is working and can hold the car at full load when tilted up to 16% for cars and up to 23% for buses. The restrictions for trucks and road trains are 31%.
Among the main breakdowns of the brake unit, in which it is impossible to drive a car, there are:
failure of their brake drives.
If the braking system stops working correctly, at the most crucial moment the driver may lose control of the traffic situation, endangering the health and life of himself, passengers and other road users.
2. Steering elements
The list of breakdowns in which it is prohibited to operate the vehicle includes the failure of steering elements. As a result of prolonged use of the car without maintenance, backlash occurs in the nodes, which affects handling.
Traffic rules prohibit changing the location of nodes and steering parts, if the manufacturer has not provided for such a possibility.
Do not continue driving when the clutch parts are worn, as this affects the safety of driving the machine. Because the system works on the basis of frictional force, it is subjected to increased loads and often fails.
Among the clutch damage, which prohibits the operation of the car, one can single out:
3. Lighting system
When leaving a parking lot or garage, you need to make sure that the outdoor lighting is fully functional. You cannot start driving if the adjustment of the lighting devices does not comply with GOST, or the indication is dirty or the indication has ceased to function correctly.
Also, strict requirements are imposed on the shade of lighting devices. The headlights must be white only, and the fog lamps must be yellow or white. The side lights and brake lights should glow red. If these standards are violated, the operation of the vehicle is prohibited.
On the roads, there are often cars with damaged or incorrectly adjusted optics. For many drivers, this seems like a minor problem, so they still drive with “one-eyed” headlights. However, representatives of the traffic police have the right to issue a fine for such driving. An insufficiently illuminated car becomes invisible to other vehicles, which is fraught with dangerous consequences.
It is important to monitor the condition of the headlights and their adjustment, not to use "non-native" equipment and to eliminate defects with optics in time.
4. Wear of tires
If the tread depth on rubber has decreased to 4 mm or less in a summer set or is less than 1.6 mm in winter tires, the car ceases to be stable on the road. It is more difficult for him to enter turns, and the length of the braking distance increases significantly. Also, the car can hardly cope with maneuvers on slippery asphalt, and in critical cases - on dry.
With thin rubber, the wheels can burst, creating an emergency. To avoid this, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the special grooves in the rubber tread (they are in any tire model). If the grooves are worn out, the set of tires will have to be changed.
5. Cracks on the timing belt
Damage to the timing belt is accompanied by contact of the valves with the pistons, and they begin to deform and cease to perform their main functions. It is possible to do without complex engine repairs - it is important to monitor the condition of the belt mechanism in time and change it at intervals specified by the manufacturer. Usually the timing is changed every 90,000 km, but this can be done after 60,000 km.
If you do not have information about the last belt change, just regularly check the condition of the flex joint. Any defects, cracks and deformations are a serious reason to buy a new belt. Additional signs of wear on the mechanism include hard starting of the power unit or noise during operation.
6 Broken wipers
With intensive use of wipers, they lose their elasticity and cease to normally clean the glass surface. Timely replacement of these consumables and an assessment of the performance of the electric drive will avoid their premature wear. Suitable brushes for a specific model and make of car can be bought at any store and installed by hand.
It is also forbidden to drive a car without serviceable seat belts and head restraints, if their presence is provided for by the vehicle design. It is also necessary to take care of the high-quality operation of the audio signal. Inspectors can also fine for cracked windows, heavy tinted windows and malfunctioning warning elements on the dashboard.
The car can have not only annoying malfunctions, but also hidden opportunities, which are not easy to guess!