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You must be able to answer 3 of the following questions before you drive a test with the examiner. Learn all this material by heart, and then you will be well prepared for the test
Car Equipment
The following equipment should be able to be identified ( point out )
- Steering wheel lock, ignition, electric starter, windshield wipers and washers, horn, authorized and required lights, heating and ventilation system, electric rear window, and mirror adjustment controls.
- Clutch pedal, accelerator, and brake.
- Gear lever, including gear positions, parking brake control, and steering wheel.
- Fastening points and lock of the seatbelt.
- Control for opening the hood and fuel tank cap.
- Caps for motor oil, coolant, windshield washer fluid, and possibly power steering fluid.
BRAKE FLUID-FOOT BRAKE
The fluid level in the brake fluid container should be between the minimum and maximum marks or indicated by the absence of the warning light in dashboard.
CHECKING THE FOOT BRAKE
- The brake pedal should have non-slip rubber coating on it.
- The brake pedal should not reach the floor when pressed hard.
- Normally, the brake pedal should not sink while being held down with constant pressure.
CHECKING THE VACUUM BOOSTER (Also known as a brake booster)
- Pump the brake pedal 4 to 5 times with the engine off.
- Then, hold the pedal down.
- The pedal should not go more than halfway toward the floor.
- Start the engine.
- If the pedal now sinks, it indicates that the vacuum booster is functioning.
THE COLOURS OF THE LIGHTS
- The lights in a pair should have the same colour and brightness.
- All lights and reflectors should be intact and clean, and all lights should be able to illuminate.
DIPPED HEADLIGHTS ( Low Beam )
- There are 2 low beams and should be white or yellow in colour.
- It should illuminate the road up to 30 meters, while also ensuring that it does not cause glare or discomfort to other drivers on the road.
- The low beam should have a drop of 1%. (equivalent to a drop of 1 cm per meter)
CHECK THAT THE LIGHT BORDER DROPS BY 1%
- This can be checked by standing one meter away from the car and measuring where the light border hits the leg.
- Then step back 10 meters, and the light border should have dropped by 10 cm.
HIGH BEAM
There should be 2 high beams in front of the vehicle. The high beams should be white or yellow in color. They should illuminate the road up to 100 meters ahead. To show the examiner, ensure that high beam is switched on.
CHECK THE TAIL LIGHTS ( BACK LIGHTS )
There should be 2 red tail lights, and they should be visible from a distance of 300 meters. To check the back lights,
ensure that the lights are switched on before going behind the vehicle to demonstrate or show the examiner the two back lights.
CHECK THE STOP LIGHTS – BRAKE LIGHTS
There are three stop lights which are red in colour and to verify their functionality, the examiner should ask to press the brake pedal and then go behind the vehicle to ensure that all three lights are functioning correctly. The stop lights should provide significantly brighter illumination than tail lights ( 2 back lights ).
NUMBER PLATE LIGHTS
Number plate lights should emit white light that can illuminate the rear license plate and the number plate should be readable at a distance of 20 meters.
INDICATOR LIGHTS
All 6 indicator lights should flash with yellow light that is clearly visible in sunlight.
The hazard lights should be able to activate all indicator lights simultaneously.
Position Lights
There should be 2 position lights and should be visible from a minimum distance of 300 meters.
Positions lights must not cause glare ( blinding ).
REFLECTORS
There should be 2 red reflectors behind a car. The reflectors should not be triangular.
HORN
The horn should have a clear and constant tone.
TYRE
Tyres and wheel rims should be undamaged.
The tyres should have a minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm throughout the tyre.
They should be of the same type on all four wheels (all summer tires or winter tires).
They should be inflated to the correct tyre pressure (as specified in the vehicle’s instruction manual).
SHOCK ABSORBERS
- Checked by pressing firmly on the car’s shock absorber.
- The car should immediately come to rest.
- Do this for all 4 shock absorbers.
ENGINE AND EXHAUST
- The engine must not produce unnecessary smoke and noise.
- Engine oil should be filled to a sufficient level, as indicated by the maximum and minimum marks on the dipstick.
- The exhaust system should be tight and securely attached.
CHECK FOR THE UNNECESSARY SMOKE AND SOUND
Start the engine and ask the examiner to press the gas pedal down while you go behind the vehicle to see if it produces unnecessary sound, and check the tightness of the exhaust system by touching it with foot ( shoes wearing). Then, go near the engine compartment to listen for any unnecessary sounds from the engine
MOTOR COOLANT
Motor coolant should be filled between the maximum and minimum marks indicated on the container.
Windshield Water Fluid
The washer fluid should be sufficient for the trip , and it shows on the dashboard in case its insufficient.
Steering System
- The steering system should be easy, safe, and quick to operate.
- The steering system should be self-centering without any abnormal noises.
What is Steering Play?
Steering play is the portion of the steering wheel that can be turned without the wheels immediately following along. When you turn the steering wheel and it commands the wheels to turn, if the tires do not turn at the same time as the steering command, it indicates the presence of steering play.
Is Steering Play Allowed ?
There should normally be no steering play. This means that the wheels should immediately follow the movement of the steering wheel.
How to check Steering Play ?
- To check for steering play, start the engine,( In vehicles with power steering, the check is performed with the engine start)
- Step out of the vehicle, and turn the steering wheel while observing the movement of the tires.
- You can see the tyres move at the same time as you turn the steering wheel, it means there is no play in the steering.
Now you have to check the other wheel
- Ask the examiner to turn the steering wheel while you observe the movement of the wheels from the other side.
- If the wheels respond promptly and move in conjunction with the steering wheel without any delay or excessive play, it indicates that there is no steering play.
- However, if there is noticeable delay or excessive movement before the wheels respond to the steering input, it indicates the presence of steering play.
It is important to ensure that there is no steering play as it can impact the vehicle’s maneuverability and safety.
Parking Brake
The parking brake should be mechanical and operate on at least 2 wheels.
It should be able to hold the vehicle on an 18% incline and remain engaged in a locked position.
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