Car Health Checklist

A few regular checks avoid a whole lot of problems.

Ever thought what might happen if something failed on your car? The consequences could be severe, so it’s vital that you keep it well maintained at all times.

1. Check your tyres

Do you know if your tyres are worn below the legal limit of 1.6mm? Research has shown that many tyres are either under inflated or worn below the legal limit of 1.6mm.

Tread

We would recommend that you change your tyres when they reach 3mm tread depth, as tyres below the 3mm recommendation are worn by up to 78% and will greatly affect the overall braking and cornering performance of your vehicle.

When tyres are below 3mm tread depth the risk of Aquaplaning (when water is formed between the road and tyre) is increased on wet roads. This causes the tyre to lose contact completely with the road surface, resulting in neither the car's steering or brakes to be properly applied.

Pressure

If your tyre pressure isn’t correct it can cause irregular wear patterns, heavy wear in the centre if over-inflated or worn shoulders if under-inflated. Check your driver’s manual for information on where to find the correct tyre pressure readings for your car and for different loads (towing caravans or heavy loads, or going on a long journey). It’s important to remember that you must check the tyre pressures at ambient temperature (before being driven).

Legal Considerations

Please keep in mind that if your tyre is un-roadworthy, not only is the performance of your vehicle affected, you could also risk a possible maximum penalty fine of £10,000 and 12 penalty points on your driving licence.

2. Check your oil

Switch off the engine and leave the car to cool for at least 10 minutes. Locate the dipstick, remove it and wipe it clean to get rid of any unwanted oil deposits. Put it back in the engine, wait for a moment or two, then remove it again and check the level. The correct level will be shown by two marks on the dipstick. A satisfactory level of oil will be somewhere between the two marks, but ideally closer to the maximum mark.

If you need to top up the oil, you must locate the oil filler cap, which is separate from the dipstick. Check that you have the right grade of oil for your engine – this information will be in the manufacturer’s handbook, or available from most oil stockists. Pour in small amounts of oil, checking the level carefully until it is correct. Never overfill it, and don’t spill any or it’ll burn when the engine gets hot.

3. Check your brake fluid

First, find the brake fluid reservoir – your handbook will tell you where it is (usually on the engine bulkhead, to one side of the engine). Identify how the brake fluid level is measured – either by a mark on the reservoir indicating the level it should be filled to, or by a dipstick under the lid.

If the fluid is slightly below the minimum level, top it up by pouring brake fluid in up to the indicated level. Always use the correct fluid and never get any on your hands or the car’s paintwork - it’s highly corrosive. If you discover that the fluid level is significantly below the indicated level, do not attempt to drive the car under any circumstances. Call for breakdown recovery.

4. Check coolant levels

Find the plastic radiator expansion tank - this is where you’ll top up your coolant. When the car is cold, locate the mark on the plastic tank that shows the minimum coolant level.

If it needs topping up, slowly remove the cap (remember, only ever do this when the car is cold) and fill the tank to the required level with water and the correct concentration of anti-freeze for the time of year.

Don’t forget to add anti-freeze, as this stops the water expanding in very cold conditions and potentially cracking your engine block.
If your car requires regular top-ups, it almost certainly means there is a leak somewhere. You’ll need to take your car to a garage to get this fixed.

5. Check your washer fluid levels and windscreen wipers

Locate the water container for the washer jets. There is no need to be precise with fluid levels here – just fill the tank with the correct concentration of water and screen wash (the label on the bottle will tell you what concentration to use).

If your wipers smear the screen, try wiping them with a cloth doused in a mixture of vinegar and water. If the wipers still smear the screen, buy new wiper blades. It’s advisable to replace the whole head, not just the rubber.

6. Check your lights

There are a few things you need to do to ensure your lights are operating correctly. The obvious one is to make sure they are clean, but there’s a bit more to it than that. For example, check that none of the bulbs have blown - switch the ignition on and look at all the lamps.

With your headlights turned on, check the sidelights, dipped beam and full beam. Get someone to help you check your brake lights. Alternatively, reverse up to a reflective surface and press the brake pedal.

Also, ensure there are no cracks in the lenses, or that there’s no water inside. Each can cause problems and could lead to your car failing an MOT.