Vehicle Maintenance and Pre-Trip Checks
The Vehicle Maintenance and Pre-Trip Checks domain tests the checks a driver is expected to make before and during a journey, and the faults that should take a vehicle off the road. In Dominica, where a breakdown on a mountain road can block traffic for hours, examiners treat these checks as part of driving competence rather than optional housekeeping.
The walk-around
Before moving off, walk around the car: tyres for visible damage, tread and foreign objects; lights and indicators; mirrors; windscreen and wipers; bodywork for fresh damage; and anything lying under the vehicle. Confirm that registration and inspection are current and that the insurance certificate is in the car.
Tyres
Tread depth must be at least 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre and around the whole circumference. Check pressure when the tyres are cold; a hot tyre reads high and will mislead you. Look for cracks, bulges and uneven wear, which points to alignment or suspension faults.
Under the bonnet
Check engine oil with the car level and the engine off, coolant only when cold, brake fluid against the reservoir mark, and washer fluid. Look for perished belts, cracked hoses and leaks. A battery with corroded terminals or a loose clamp will fail when you least want it to.
Brakes, lights and equipment
Test the brakes at low speed at the start of every journey. Confirm that all lamps work, including brake lights, and that the horn sounds. Carry a jack, wheel brace, spare wheel, warning triangle, torch and first aid kit, and know how to use them.
Worked example
On a pre-trip check you find the coolant below the minimum mark while the engine is still warm. The correct action is to wait until the engine is cold before topping up, then look for and fix the leak. Opening a hot radiator cap risks scalding, and topping up a hot engine can crack the block.
Traps
Checking tyre pressure after a long drive; ignoring the spare until it is needed; confusing the coolant and washer reservoirs; and treating the annual inspection certificate as a substitute for daily checks.