Check your vehicle fluid levels
It’s really easy to check your van or car water level, but it’s one of those little things that tends to be forgotten about until you need to wipe the windscreen or find the vehicle overheating. It’s your responsibility to make sure the water level is correct for the duration of your Meashams hire.
Follow these step by step instructions to make sure you’ve always got the right level in your Meashams car, van or minibus.
Make sure the car is parked on a level surface. If you’re up on a hill or a curb, any reading won’t be accurate. The car or van should tell you with a warning light if the water levels are too low but it’s always best to check yourself to make sure.
Refilling screen wash
Refilling the screen wash in your hire is easy. Simply open up the bonnet and locate the screen wash bottle. The cap will helpfully have a little symbol of a windscreen with little water droplets spreading across it. You can’t really go wrong!
Once you’ve found it, take the cap lid off. Have a look inside the bottle and you should be able to see a line that indicates the maximum amount of liquid that should be in there. You can then fill up the bottle with screen wash fluid, being careful to stay under the maximum line. Replace the cap and you’re good to go.
Learn how to prepare your car for winter and how to replace wiper blades if they're getting tired.
Checking for low radiator fluid
Checking for low radiator fluid is an important part of your hire, as it can have significant impact on the vehicle’s performance. We make sure that all our vehicles are kept fully maintained by their manufacturers, but it’s always helpful to know what to do should the worst happen while you’re on the road.
You’ll notice the car, van or minibus is getting too hot while you’re driving if there’s not enough cooling fluid for the engine’s radiator. You’ll also get a little warning light appear on the dashboard to let you know something’s not quite right. If you’re in the area, just pop the vehicle back to us and we’ll set things right.
However, if you’re not able to come in, you can add more coolant yourself.
- Make sure the vehicle is parked on a flat surface and let the engine go cold. You don’t want to risk scolding yourself on hot metal or boiling fluids.
- Once the vehicle is cold, open up the bonnet and locate the radiator fluid tank (also called the coolant tank).
- Remove the cap and have a look inside, you should be able to see the minimum and maximum marks inside the tank.
- If you can see that you’ve got low radiator fluid, you can then top it back up by pouring more liquid into the tank. In a pinch, clean drinking water will serve just fine, but it’s much better to have a mixture of water and coolant to help keep the engine in a good condition.
- Once you’ve refilled the fluid and securely replaced the cap, turn the car on and let it idle for a few minutes. Keep your eye on the temperature gauge and if no warning signals come back on, you’ll be good to go.
If the problem hasn’t been resolved, contact us and we’ll be able to get you the help you need.
Oil
Your oil is another fluid that needs to be regularly updated to keep your car in perfect working order. If the oil level dips too low, you'll start to notice lots of little problems with your car as the moving parts won't get the lubrication they need to operate smoothly.
We have detailed guidance on checking your oil levels here.
Power steering fluid
If you notice that your vehicle is whining a little when you're turning, it could be that you need to get some fresh power steering fluid in it. If the fluid is low or too old, your car can't function properly. If you pop the bonnet open, your power steering fluid dispenser and check to see if the levels are between the min and the max line. If it's too low, top it up as you would the screen wash, but triple check you've got the right fluid! Your owner's handbook should clearly tell you what your vehicle requires.
For more advice on basic car maintenance that’s required under your Meashams hire terms, take a look at our tips for checking tyre pressure and oil levels.