BRAKES:

Q: What are the requirements for the brake?
Q: Can you please check the brake?

Answer: The car must have 1 pedal hydraulic / electrical (if the car is electrical) brake which can include an extra emergency brake (the two circuit brake system) plus 1 separate mechanical handbrake. The

Answer regarding the handbrake:

The hand brake must be an independent brake and function mechanically.

The hand brake can also be the emergency brake, it must work minimum on the 2 rear wheels and it must keep a vehicle uphill slope of 18%.

CONTROLLING THE BRAKES (the pedal hydraulic brake):

Q. Can you please check the brake system? (you should only talk about it, even though they say please check)

Answer: There must be non-slippery rubber  (ceramic or another non-slippery surface) on the brake thread pedal.

The pedal must not rock from side to side, it must be firmly situated.

The pedal must only max sink half way down

The pedal must feel hard and solid when used.
The brake liquid must be between the min. - max. mark.

The brake system must work quick, safely and effectively.

Hydraulic means the system uses liquid to brake.

If you have mentioned the above, and the examiner says “Can you continue? or Can you say some more?” Then continue to talk and show how to check the vacuum brake.

CONTROLLING THE VACUUM /POWER BRAKE:

Q: Please check the vacuum brake?

Ensure the gear is in neutral position and the handbrake is activated.

Then do the following:
The engine must be off.

Press the pedal 3-4 times.
Keep the brake pedal down.

Start the engine.

You should feel the brake pedal is sinking, when you start the engine, but max ½ down.

If the pedal does not sink, the vacuum brake is in disorder.

In the front, you have the following lights (the compulsory lights):

Q: Please check, means you have to turn on the light and walk up to the light and reply.

2 x Position front light
 - color white and visible at 300 m.
- if the light bulb is in the same lighthouse as the near and far beam, it is allowed to be yellow.

2 x Low dipped front beam headlight

 - they must be of color white / yellow.
- they must light up the street min. 30 m.
- they must have a slope of 1 % and

 - they must be asymmetrical to the right side.

2 x Far high beam front light
 - they must be of color white / yellow
- they must light up the road min. 100 m.
- they must have a blue control lamp in the display panel in the car

In the back you have the following lights:

2 x Rear or called taillights.
 - they must be of color red and be visible from 300 m.

2 x Rear reflecting plate.
 - they must be of color red and they must NOT have a triangular shape.

1 x  license no# plate light bulb.
 - the number plate light must light up the number plate, so the plate is visible from min. 20 m.

3 x  brake / stop light in the rear
 - they must light up 3-4 times stronger or be significantly stronger than the rear/taillights.

The signal indicator lights are in the front, on the side and in the back:
There are 6 Signal flash/turning lights.
They must flash 60-120 times per min / or 1 flash per. second.
They must be visible during bright sun.

They must be used on motorway just before any position or lane change

2 in front, 2 on the side and 2 in the rear = 6

Hazard emergency warning light:

- are all 6 signal lights all flashing at the same time

- a must use on the motorway when you approach a queue (rows of cars during heavy traffic)

- at any other occasion it is not a must, to use the hazard light
- at emergency break down due to engine etc failure, the hazard lights are a supplement
- a supplement to the compulsory use of the sign triangular engine breaks down / failure

When is it compulsory lighting time (in Danish called Lygtetændingstiden):

Minimum use of low dipped light, when driving in a tunnel.

You have to use the low dipped lights when it is getting dark, snow, rain, fog etc AND when you have the sun in the back of the car and between sunset till sunrise and therefore needed so you can see the others and others can see your vehicle in the traffic.

The shell of the car / the body of the car :

-it must not have any sharp edges

-the shell inside or outside the car must cause any danger to the driver or passenger or others.

- the doors, engine helmet and the hatchback must be secured when driving and must be able to stay locked.

The exhaust pipe behind the car:

- it must be firm and not hanging loose.

- it must not have a strange loud noise

- it must not eject strange dark colors.

Good to know:

- black smoke = poor combustion due to fault in engine, blocked air filter, defect choke

- excessive noise = fault in the silencer

STEERING system:

It must be stable, steer precise and effective.

Direct steering column system: Tandstangsstyretøj in Danish.

No slackness is allowed on the steering wheel with the Direct steering column.

Classic steering system allows max 0 - 5 cm of slackness.

When slackness is allowed, it must be spread throughout the entire steering system.

Allowed slackness only 0,5 cm spread throughout the steering system

No strange noise is allowed.

How to check slackness in a power steering vehicle:

The liquid box must be between max. og min. mark (in some cars there is no mark of min / max)

Before checking, place the gear in neutral position.

1. Turn on engine
2. Place the wheels in a straight up position (should be done already when you parked the car)
3. Turn down the left car side window
4. Step out of the car
5. Place hand on the steering wheel
6. Look at the right front wheel
7. Turn the steering wheel slowly left and right within 10 - 15 cm to left and right
8. Say, that the wheel reacts immediately along with you turning on the steering wheel
9. Say, you will need help to check the other front wheel.

Power steering vehicle: straightens up the front wheels after a turn, at a certain speed.

Your driving instructor will show you how to check the steering wheel towards the driving test.

CHECK ENGINE BELT: (in Danish:drivremmen)

Engine belt / drive belt

The belt is part of the air fan system in the car.

Point out the belt in your car

Say that the belt has to be unbroken and not worn out.

TYRE:

Must be the same type on all wheels.

4 types: 1. Radial, 2. Diagonal/Crossply (also called 2 summer tyres), 3. Winter og 4. Metal piece tyre

Min. 1,6 mm. pattern depth.

Check if there is depth indicator on the tyres (must not exceed depth indicator)

Correct air pressure according to the car instruction book.

No punctured or worn tyres allowed.

Metal stud tyres allowed between 1. Nov. – 15. Apr.

Winter tyres and summer tyres can be used all year.

It is yet not compulsory to use winter tyres during the winter.

(There is a suggestion to change the law, but it is not yet implemented).

Indicators on the tyres by arrows or in writing informing the tyres have to be installed with the correct side out. Instead of an arrow, it might be written: Outside.

If a car pulls to one or other side while driving = check tyres, axies, tyre pressure

Mirrors, the compulsory ones are:

The internal mirror (the one to see behind the car) and the left external mirror.

The right external mirror is compulsory if your car is a station car, mpv or larger vehicle.

Car documents required when driving:

- driving in DK, a copy of the registration certificate, which is given when you reg your car for the first time.

- driving outside of DK, the original registration certificate is required.

- a trailer must have its own registration certificate matching the car

SHOCK ABSORBER:

Compulsory to have one by each tyre.

Shock absorber stabilizes the vehicle ex. when driving over a hole

CONTROL CHECK OF SHOCK ABSORBER:

Press hard once on the chassis above the wheel (show on the front wheel)

The car has to stabilize itself after one bounce.

Creaking noise = fault in springs and shock absorbers

Horn: 

Must only be used to PREVENT an accident

The sound of the horn must be a clear, single and normal sound (not a homemade sound)

Suspension of a car:

Only good to know. The examiner may ask for part of the suspension, but they do not ask you to mention all the parts. The suspension consists of a chassis car, metal body, wheels (rims and wheel bearings), wheel suspension axis, springs and shock absorbers. You must ensure that the doors and hatch can close and stay closed while driving.