No-one wants their car to be known as a “skip-on-wheels”, so keep things clean with a regular interior clean, clearing out your footwells, wiping down your dashboard and keeping only the essentials in your boot.

It’s not just about being a neat freak, a clean interior also keeps you safe on the roads – you don’t want any discarded bottles dangerously rolling underneath your pedals. Carrying less unnecessary weight is also more fuel efficient.

Apart from visual checks of the pipework, there is not a lot for you to check yourself. But you should aim to run the air conditioning until it gets cold at least once a fortnight all year round.

The air-con is filled with a refrigerant and some oil, and it pays to keep that liquid flowing and the components of the system lubricated.

It’s hard to underestimate the importance of properly functioning brakes, so keeping them maintained is essential. Book in with us to check if your brakes are wearing low.

You can check the brake fluid level, but if low, don’t just top it up. Low fluid could indicate brake wear and/or a leak. If you find that you do need to top up, check your vehicle handbook for the correct fluid specification. Be careful as brake fluid is corrosive, and if you feel unsure then bring it to us to look at.

Brake fluid should be changed at certain mileage intervals – again, check your handbook for service details.

A faulty or clogged-up air filter could reduce your fuel efficiency and lead to reduced engine power, which is why mechanics recommend getting it checked every 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first.

Check your vehicle handbook for instructions, but it’s more likely that you will need to bring it in for a mechanic to do that as some are in hard to access places.

There are plenty of electrics in your car – from headlights and fog lights to your battery – and they all need to be checked regularly to keep you safe.

Walk around the car and make sure your lights are all working, even the number plate lights, as you can be fined for having a registration that can’t be seen. We’ve had cars fail the MOT test for number plate illumination issues.

If your engine struggles to start when you turn the key, get the battery checked out with us. If your battery is over four years old, it may be getting to the end of its life and could let you down.

Some cars will start shutting down superfluous gadgets like stop/start technology, heated seats, boot openers etc if the battery is struggling, before starting the engine becomes a noticeable problem.

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.

If you find that you need to top your coolant up frequently you may have a potential problem. Arrange to get your car looked over to prevent major problems developing.

Only 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. You must not mix the different coolant colours; some have bad reactions if mixed.

Tyre pressure checking is one key to happy motoring. Making sure your tyres are set to the correct pressure for the load you are carrying will help to prevent premature tyre wear. Tyre pressures for your car/van can usually be found in the door aperture, petrol flap or owner’s manual.

Check your tyres for general wear and tear, splits or bulges, and crucially tread depth.

Modern tyres normally come with an indicator nodule at several points around the tyre tread. When the tyre is worn down to the level of this nodule it time to replace them.

If your tyre has a split or cut that is deep enough so that you can see or feel the cords or canvas, then it is an MOT failure and is considered a dangerous condition if you get stopped by the police for any reason.

Check that your wipers are clearing your windscreen effectively. It is frequently an MOT failure, as is not having washer fluid. Both checks are very easy to do, you don’t even need to leave the driver’s seat to perform them.

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.

Your owner’s manual will tell you where to top up the washer fluid. Which you can buy in concentrated form to dilute with water yourself, or you can buy pre-mixed, and it can be poured straight in. Just check what strength you need depending on if its summer or winter. They will contain different levels of an anti-freezing agent depending on the weather temperature.

Wipers can sometimes be tricky to change if you are unfamiliar with them, and there are a few different fitting options.

As a word of warning, don’t allow the naked metal wiper arms to spring back suddenly onto your windscreen as it can cause damage.

If you are at all worried about changing your own wipers do feel free to give us a call to arrange for us to change them for you. We do keep some in stock, but not every variation so we might have to order some in for you.

We’ve read reports that RAC patrols 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 premature engine wear or catastrophic engine damage if left unresolved.

It is normally easy to check your oil level on a dipstick. (Don’t ask mechanics opinions of vehicle design engineers who think that its good not to have a dipstick.)

If you are not sure how, come and talk to us for a quick demonstration or have a look at your owner’s manual.

If you need to top up, check your manual for the correct oil for your car e.g. 5W-20, or 5W-30 etc. Most oils can be bought from your local Automotive parts shop or garage. Always take care and top up to the correct amount, use the dip stick to check as you go. Overfilling can damage your engine and associated components.

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.

And on that note, you should aim not to see that little red light come on. It is to warn you that you are running on fuel reserves, not be a reminder to fill up.

Running the fuel that low especially on a recurring basis increases the chances of pulling any contaminants or sediment from the bottom of the tank through your fuel system and into the engine. Greatly increasing the possibility of causing expensive and long-term damage.