Pre-drive Checks.

[Silk]

Best thing about a POWDEREY/cockpit drill is imagine you've just picked a hire car...what do you need to do before you set-off?

Check all the compartments for money?

[TheInsanity1234]

Best thing about a POWDEREY/cockpit drill is imagine you've just picked a hire car...what do you need to do before you set-off?

Check all the compartments for money?

Make sure there are no dead bodies anywhere.

[Silk]

Best thing about a POWDEREY/cockpit drill is imagine you've just picked a hire car...what do you need to do before you set-off?

Check all the compartments for money?

Make sure there are no dead bodies anywhere.

And if there are, check them for money as well.

[waremark]

It's not only whether somebody else has been driving my car, but whether I have been driving another car. In the last three days I have driven four different cars. They each have the parking brake in a different place. For that sort of reason I like to give a moment's thought to where the key controls are before setting off, including for example the horn and the position of the hazard light switch - and I still sometimes make myself feel stupid by reaching for the parking brake in the wrong place.

For my IAM Masters, I told my Examiner all about the car over coffee before we went to it, and just pointed out a couple of aspects when we got in to make it apparent that I was checking that I was in top of things (your seat controls are ..., are you comfortable and ready to go? I filled it up and checked it over yesterday).

[Graham Wright]

I thought I did it by the book - until yesterday.

All that everyone has mentioned but the guy at the tyre bay next door yesterday observed I had a two inch slit in the side wall of my nearside (nearly new) tyre.

At the bottom of the wheel, it was quite hard to spot.

Potentially a killer.

[TripleS]

I thought I did it by the book - until yesterday.

All that everyone has mentioned but the guy at the tyre bay next door yesterday observed I had a two inch slit in the side wall of my nearside (nearly new) tyre.

At the bottom of the wheel, it was quite hard to spot.

Potentially a killer.

Hmm, worrying. Possibly caused by dropping a wheel into a pothole and catching the side of the tyre on the edge of the hole?

[TR4ffic]

Fairly obvious probably, but the original BMC Mini with the cord that you pushed down on and the sliding front windows is another in question.

My TR had a fly-off handbrake - the operation of the button being the opposite way round to convention - confusing to the uninitiated. Of all the cars I've driven/owned, it's been the only one like it...

[Graham Wright]

I thought I did it by the book - until yesterday.

All that everyone has mentioned but the guy at the tyre bay next door yesterday observed I had a two inch slit in the side wall of my nearside (nearly new) tyre.

At the bottom of the wheel, it was quite hard to spot.

Potentially a killer.

Hmm, worrying. Possibly caused by dropping a wheel into a pothole and catching the side of the tyre on the edge of the hole?

The tyre expert and the police (who happened to be investigating a break in) thought it was clean enough to be a knife job. I don't believe I have (such extreme) enemies and prefer it to be a kerb scrub. It is clean though.

[fungus]

The tyre expert and the police (who happened to be investigating a break in) thought it was clean enough to be a knife job. I don't believe I have (such extreme) enemies and prefer it to be a kerb scrub. It is clean though.

You don't need enemies. A couple of years ago about twenty or so cars had their tyres slashed in the Bournemouth area, which turned out to be yobs who could think of nothing better to do.

Or it could be this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g01dknzEZlE

[sussex2]

Oh yes, TVR is another good one for maximum passenger confusion

Yep. I generally point out to passengers how to get out before we set off. Doesn't seem fair not to.

I do that with the MX5 - Don't hang onto the window glass (liable to shatter if you slam the door with it)and don't lean on the door which is lightly built and prone to warping. In fact you had better make sure you can get out of one before you buy it.
A Seat Ibiza we own has a passenger door handle which from the inside needs to be pulled twice to open it; presumably a safety device to try to stop granny abandoning ship at speed.

[fungus]

My 54 reg Ibiza had the same system but it could be disabled. IIRC you disable it on the button by the drivers door handle.

[sussex2]

My 54 reg Ibiza had the same system but it could be disabled. IIRC you disable it on the button by the drivers door handle.

Indeed and you have to be sharpish to prevent the ham fisted ripped the handle off

[Graham Wright]

Best thing about a POWDEREY/cockpit drill is imagine you've just picked a hire car...what do you need to do before you set-off?

What you should not do is accept the word of the hire engineer when he states "There is a scuff mark on the door by the handle caused by a dog, otherwise its blemish free".

It wasn't and when I returned it, I was stung. The hire company reckoned someone had scraped along the side with a bumper and introduced an indentation. It was real but very hard to see without getting up close. I never left the vehicle all day and overnight it was parked at home. Nobody came anywhere near it.

Lesson learned.

[sussex2]

I've given up with car hire companies and especially in the UK.
They go over the thing with a fine tooth comb picking at nicks you can hardly see.
I'd prefer to have an independent insurance that covers this sort of stupid thing; rather than buying the rental companies.
I was asked last year if someone had been eating in the car Yes I said they probably have been and I can plainly see the tiny crumbs on the carpet.
I won't give them the time of day.

[Graham Wright]

I also thought the rolling brake check was a waste of time until I bought a pressure washer, whereupon I discovered that it takes a fair few car lengths to recover braking after a good clean.

What is the approved rolling brake test? I was taught move the car slowly forward, apply the brakes and see if the car responds.

Then I was taught, check for a clear road, accelerate to 40 mph and then perform an emergency stop with the clutch depressed.

Quite extreme differences in tuition.

I always do the first and occasionally the second.

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