Simple Car Checks You Can Do Yourself Between Services

Engine oil and coolant

Park on level ground with the engine off for a few minutes. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it, push it fully back and pull it out again. The oil should sit between the minimum and maximum marks. If it is low, top up with the grade your handbook specifies, a little at a time.

For coolant, look at the translucent expansion tank and check the level against the marks, only when the engine is cold. Never open the cap on a hot engine. A level that keeps dropping suggests a leak, and that needs a garage.

Keep a rag or kitchen roll in the boot for wiping the dipstick, and check the colour of the oil as well as the level. Oil that looks gritty, milky or very black and thick is worth mentioning to a garage, because it may be telling you something about the engine.

Washer fluid and wipers

Top up the washer reservoir with screenwash and check that the jets spray onto the glass. Run the wipers on a wet screen and watch for smearing, juddering or missed patches. Perished rubber is cheap to fix and makes a big difference to visibility in rain.

• Replace blades that streak or squeak
• Clean the screen inside and out
• Check the jets are not blocked

Tyres

Check the pressures when the tyres are cold, using the figures in your handbook or on the sticker in the door frame, rather than the number on the tyre sidewall. Look for cuts, bulges, cracking and uneven wear across the tread.

The legal minimum tread depth for cars is 1.6mm across the central three quarters of the tyre. Do not wait until the limit, as grip in the wet falls away well before then. A bulge, a deep cut or a tyre that keeps losing pressure should be looked at straight away, and you should not carry on driving on one that looks unsafe.

Do not overlook the tyre valves and the spare, if you have one. A missing valve cap lets dirt in, and a spare that has been flat for a year is no use when you need it. Many modern cars carry a repair kit instead of a spare, so check it is complete and within date.

Lights and warning signals

Check all lights occasionally, including brake lights and indicators, by using reflections in a window or asking a helper. When you start the car, watch the dashboard. Warning lights should come on briefly and then go out.

Any light that stays on deserves attention. A red warning light, such as for brakes, oil pressure or temperature, means stop driving safely and get advice. An amber light is less urgent but should still be investigated, and fault finding will tell you the cause.

Notice how the car feels, too. A steering wheel that vibrates at certain speeds, a brake pedal that has gone softer, or a clutch that bites higher than it used to are all things you can feel before any warning light appears. Make a note of when it happens and tell the garage.

How often, and when to call a garage

A reasonable habit is to check fluids and tyres once a month and before any long journey, and lights whenever you think of it. Write down anything unusual so you can describe it later.

Call a garage for repeated low fluid levels, dripping under the car, warning lights, pulling under braking, a spongy pedal or new noises. A vehicle health check at Banks of the Tyne can look over the whole car if you are not sure what you are seeing, and we will explain what we find.

If you drive a van for work, add the load area and the tyre loading to your routine, as vans often carry more weight than their tyres or suspension are comfortable with. Interim servicing and general maintenance at sensible intervals keep a working vehicle dependable.

Frequently asked questions