Vehicle Safety and Mechanical Knowledge
These questions test the daily and weekly checks that keep a vehicle safe in heat, dust and sand, and whether you understand what a fault does to braking, steering and grip. The examiner wants a cause-and-effect answer, not a list of parts.
Before you drive
Walk round the vehicle: tyres (pressure, cuts, embedded stones, tread depth), lights and indicators, mirrors, windscreen and wipers, and any leak under the engine. Under the bonnet, check engine oil, coolant, brake fluid and washer fluid with the engine cold and the vehicle level. Confirm the spare wheel, jack, wheel brace, warning triangle and reflective vest are on board. In Mauritania the dust load matters: a clogged air filter costs power and fuel, so clean or replace it often.
Heat and sand
Tyres heat up and pressure rises as you drive; never bleed a hot tyre - set pressures cold. Long descents cook the brakes, so use a lower gear and engine braking rather than riding the pedal, which causes fade. Overheating comes from low coolant, a failed fan or a blocked radiator; stop, let it cool, and never open a hot radiator cap. Overloading the rear axle lifts the headlights and lengthens stopping distance.
Worked example
After two hours on a desert track the steering feels heavy and a front tyre looks soft. Reasoning: the tyre is hot, so the correct cold pressure is unknown; do not simply inflate to the handbook figure while hot. You stop in shade, let it cool, check for a puncture or a cut, fit the spare if needed, and re-check pressures cold the next morning.
Traps that cost marks
Checking oil with the engine running; topping up with water where coolant is specified; inflating or deflating tyres while they are hot; and assuming a warning light will reset itself.