So check the door as we open it, good place
to check the seatbelt. So we need to check the whole of the webbing, so we'll reel it
all out. We're looking for cuts or damage. Plug it in and check that it retracts on an
empty seat, and that it will come undone under pressure if we need to. Check that it retracts
all the way. Check the seat for security and on this vehicle the battery is under the seat,
so we'll just check that it's secure, and not going anywhere. We climb in, and then
we start to look at the view. We look through the near side mirror there to check our view
down the near side. View through the windscreen. Check it's not obstructed by stickers or anything
in the way, across to our driver's side mirror, back to the near side, across the dashboard.
We can put the ignition on.
Just check the de-mister is working. Check our driving controls,
put my foot on the brake and we can check the handbrake, operating, it's secure, and
there's no excess travel. Check our switches and our warning lights, we've got the indicator
switch and washers and wipers. Check they clear the screen and work over a good enough
area for me to see clearly. Check all the warning lights, main beam, and obviously when
I'm driving if any of those come on we need to report the fault. Pull in somewhere safe
and get it reported. Hazard warning lights work with the ignition on and off. Check the steering
wheel.
Any signs of damage and that it's secure. Moving down into the footwell area, check
that there's no rubbish that's going to foul the operation of the pedals. And then check
my pedals for the anti-slip provision, and I can put my foot on the brake, start it up
and check whether the pedal dips. Keep your foot on the brake pedal and see if it sinks,
if there's any signs of leakage, see that everything feels OK. Check the horn. Check
all the light switches. We can start the vehicle up, foot on the brake pedal, start it up,
it should dip a little for the servo, check that our pedal is not creeping down.
Check
our power steering now. That's OK. Check for any signs of excessive smoke from the exhaust
that may indicate problems with the engine. While we're driving, keep an eye for any warning
lamps on the dashboard that come on indicating a fault. If it does get it reported and get
it rectified as soon possible. While your driving the vehicle, check the feel of the
vehicle, the steering, the brakes, is it driving correctly, it's not wandering and that should
be OK for you. Do these basic checks and you know your vehicle's going to be in good condition.
You can download further information from the website. The best practise guide – your
van. Inside there, there is the walkaround check with all these items on there to be
checked as a handy reminder..