DRIVERS have been urged to carry out a “squeeze and wiggle” test or risk “walking home” with a £500 repair bill.
The check is particularly important as Storm Lilian brings colder, wetter weather to the UK.
Met Office forecasters are predicting winds of up to 80mph and below average temperatures this week as Britain is battered by the storm.
With such harsh conditions on the way, your car may well be the last thing on your mind but it’s vital to make sure it is in good shape and failing to do so can be costly.
Expert mechanic Scotty Kilmer has begged motorists to make a quick and easy check on their vehicles as summer comes to an end.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, he revealed that many motors feature numerous rubber parts under the bonnet which can be damaged in colder weather.
He explained: “Your car has a lot of rubber parts under the hood and eventually some of them will rot and need replacing.
“Replace them before they go bad.
“Every three of four years at least, check all the rubber parts.
“If they’re cracked, go to a discount auto parts store and change them now.
“If your fuel line is cracked and leaks…you’ll be walking home.”
Thankfully it takes very little effort or mechanical skill to make the essential check.
All you have to do is lift up the bonnet and identify which parts are made of rubber.
For larger parts give them a gentle squeeze between your fingers.
If you feel any cracking or the rubber is too resistant, that’s a sign that the part needs to be changed.
Then, with the smaller parts give them a soft wiggle and make sure that they are not brittle for the same reason.
Swapping them out should only cost between £50 and £150 each at a local garage but if you wait too long you could be shelling out much more.
And with roadside recovery on top of that, you could be looking at a bill over £500 all at once.
It comes after the launch of a “groundbreaking” AI app that could help you save thousands on routine repairs.
