Essential car maintenance checks you should be doing

There are a number of car checks you can perform both around the car and under the bonnet to help keep it in good running order and prevent a breakdown.

Breakdown Club found that just a fifth of drivers (19%) say they always check their cars are ‘road-ready’ for making a trip, increasing the potential for breakdowns.

Half of drivers (51%) said they sometimes check their cars over before setting out but an alarming 30% said they never do.

Breakdown Club is therefore reminding people of the importance of spending some time checking their vehicles’ oil, coolant and tyres to ensure as many trouble-free journeys as possible.

Spending five minutes carrying out these simple checks every few weeks - and certainly before a long journey or an MOT - can save you a lot of time and money in the long run, not to mention help keep you safe on the roads.

To keep things simple, here are 8 simple car checks you can carry out today to keep your car safely on the road and on the right side of the law.

When it comes to preventing a breakdown, remember the acronym FORCES, which stands for Fuel, Oil, Rubber, Coolant, Electrics, Screen wash.

5 simple car checks you can carry out today

Spending five minutes carrying out these simple checks every few weeks - and certainly before a long journey or an MOT - can save you a lot of time and money in the long run, not to mention help keep you safe on the roads.

To keep things simple, here are 8 simple car checks you can carry out today to keep your car safely on the road and on the right side of the law.

1 - Oil - Check oil level

2 - Fuel - Check you have plenty of fuel

3 - Rubber - Other essential car checks is your tyres

4 - Check your car’s coolant level

5 - Check your screen wash level

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1 - Oil

Breakdown Club recovery agents check the oil level of every vehicle they attend and find one in three are dangerously low.

This can cause a breakdown and lead to catastrophic engine damage if left unresolved.

Check your oil level is between the minimum and maximum mark on your car's dipstick and top up if necessary.

If you don’t know which type of oil you need to use, refer to your owner’s handbook or speak to your local dealer.

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2 - Fuel

Check you have plenty of fuel in your tank for your journey. It may sound obvious but you’d be surprised just how many people run out of fuel, particularly in harsh winter weather.

OK, so you may have to make a few ‘pit stops’ if you’ve got children, but you shouldn’t need to add fuel to your stop as well.

Besides, everyone knows that motorway service stations are more expensive than your local garage.

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3 - Rubber

Other essential car checks is your tyres! After all these small round things connect you to the road, so you should want to make sure they are in good condition for your journey.

There are four things to look out for when it comes to checking your tyres before a long journey.

1. Pressure

2. Uneven Wear

3. Side Wall Damage

4. Tread Depth

If you aren’t sure what your tyre pressures should be (and yes there’s a good chance the front and rear tyres need to be a different pressures) there are two places you can find out.

The first place is in your vehicles manual, simply search the index for the right page. The second place, and probably the easiest place, is on the driver side door frame.

Depending on how many passengers and luggage you will be carrying will depend on what pressure your tyres should be at.

It is important to make sure you don’t over or under inflate your tyres as this can lead to uneven wear, which can reduce a tyres lifespan.

Whilst I’ve got you making essential car checks on your tyres, it’s also a good idea to check the overall condition. Lumps, bulges, tears or cuts in a tyres sidewall could lead to a dangerous failure if ignored.

Sidewall bulges cannot be repaired, they show that the tyre is unsafe and must be replaced as soon as possible. Tyres are illegal if you find a cut longer than 25mm or a cut deep enough that the cords are exposed

Cracking in the sidewall is a sign of general aging, exposure to sunlight or salty air.

Usually your tyres will wear out before they start to show signs of aging, however it can become an issue on tyres that aren’t used very often, such as caravans and trailer.

Related Articles:

1- The best way to de-ice your windscreen

2 - Car dashboard warning lights - what do they mean?

3 - 9 Tips for Roadside Emergency Safety

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4 - Coolant

Check your car’s coolant level. The last thing you need is a frozen engine or for your car to overheat.

Although it’s a sealed system and shouldn’t need to be topped up, you should always double check, especially before a long journey.

Check your coolant levels when the engine is cold and look in your handbook for the correct coolant and mix to use should you need to top it up.

Check your car’s coolant level. The last thing you need is a frozen engine or for your car to overheat.

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5 - Screen wash

Check your screen wash level in the tank under the bonnet, topping up if necessary with a quality screen wash additive or pre-mix, which you can pick up in most petrol stations.

Screen wash is important all year round. In winter snow and grit cause dirty windscreens, while in summer bugs and pollen can easily smear your view – so never put off checking your levels

Screen wash is important all year round.

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