10 Essential Tips for Car Maintenance You Should Be Doing
While taking your car for a regular service at your local garage in Theale is advised, there are some easy and quick vehicle maintenance checks you can do yourself to help keep your car in top shape. These easy steps don’t take long and will make a big difference to the condition of your car.
1. Top up your windscreen wash
Keep your windscreen wash topped up, especially before long journeys and in the colder months. Your wipers work more effectively when they are used with windscreen wash, and it will stop your windows from getting thick with dust and dirt.
2. Check your tyres
You should know your optimal tyre pressure and check it regularly. Too high or too low will shorten your tyres’ lifespan. While checking your tyres, do the 20p check – if you can’t get a 20p coin in the tread of your tyres, they’re too worn and need to be replaced.
3.Top up your engine oil
Using your dipstick, check that your oil is between the minimum and maximum levels. Too low, and you risk causing damage to your engine which could result in an unexpected breakdown. But remember, too much oil can also cause issues, so don’t just pour the entire bottle in.
4.Change your battery
Car batteries usually need to be replaced every three years if possible. Since a faulty or flat battery is a common cause of breakdowns, it’s important to make sure yours isn’t getting too old.
If your engine is taking longer than it normally does to turn over, it’s a sign of battery failure. You might also notice the battery light flickering or taking longer to go off when you turn your car off.
5.Top up your coolant
Coolant isn’t just important in winter, it’s needed year-round to keep the temperature of your engine just right. Coolant needs are different in different makes and models of car, so check your manual to make sure you keep on top of its coolant needs.
6.Beep your horn
This one might seem a bit easy, but when was the last time you checked your horn works? Blast is every so often to make sure it’s working properly. The last thing you want is to need it in an emergency situation and it not work.
7.Look at your exhaust
Outside in a well-ventilated area, turn on your car and check your exhaust pipe for leaks, smoke, or banging noises. As drivers, we hardly look at the back of our car when it’s on so exhaust issues usually go overlooked.
8.Test your brakes
You probably remember how nerve-wracking it was doing an emergency brake during your driving test, but these are important to check the effectiveness of your brakes. In a safe place where there isn’t traffic, check both your footbrake and handbrake to make sure they’re functioning properly.
9.Pay attention to your dashboard lights
It’s easy to ignore warning lights when they appear, but they could be showing you a serious issue that needs attention. Make sure you understand what each light means and if you’re not sure, bring it in to get a diagnostic check. Better to be safe than sorry.
10.Book an annual service
These regular checks will help you keep your car running smoothly day-to-day, but make sure you book it in for a regular service to get a thorough assessment. This will highlight any issues you might not be able to see and get any repairs necessary sorted.