6 Easy Car Maintenance Tips to Keep it in Tip-Top Shape

Just like eating 5 plus a day, exercising and seeing your doctor for a regular health check, your car needs a similar amount of love and attention. With so many moving parts working together to get you to your destination, ensuring it’s in good condition keeps you safe and helps hold the resale value.  Regular maintenance doesn’t need to take much time out of your day and will save you from forking out an insane amount of money to fix anything that’s faulty.

Here’s a list of 6 easy car maintenance tips you should do to keep your ride in tip-top shape, regardless of whether or not you’re a car expert.

1. Check the engine oil

With petrol and hybrid engines needing lubricating oil, checking your engine oil every month is a good idea. When you’re checking your engine oil, you need to check for the oil colour and level. If your engine oil looks very black, you probably need an oil change, as a healthy colour is somewhere between light brown and dark red.

To check the oil level - ensure your car is on level ground, pull the dipstick out all the way, wipe it down with a cloth, stick it all the way back in and remove it again. If your oil level is somewhere between the ‘H’ and ‘L’ labels on the dipstick, you’ve got enough engine oil in the  sump to keep on driving, but if it’s too close to or below the ‘L’ label, you’re due for a refill.

To add oil, simply twist off the cap marked with an oil-can symbol (or the word "oil" on it) on top of the engine and pour in the amount of oil you need to bring it below the ‘H’. Wipe away any drips off the engine as oil can smoke when it gets hot.

Your engine doesn't just need enough oil, it needs clean oil. So be sure to get the oil and oil filter changed at the mileage intervals recommended in the owner's manual.  You can take it down to a mechanic or your manufacturer’s service centre and leave this to the experts. 

If you find any traces of oil leaking on your driveway, or that the engine oil has significantly dropped since your last refill, it’s worth getting your car checked.

2. Top-up your fluids

Fluids like your brake fluid, power steering fluid, transmission fluid, window washer fluid and other fluids are critical to the safe operation of your car. So regularly checking the fluid levels puts you on the front foot for topping them up if need be, and spotting any leaks if your fluid levels have gone down way too quickly.

The most annoying one is when something lands on your windscreen playing havoc with your visibility, you turn on your window wipers to wipe it off and instead smear it across the screen as the window washer fluid has run out. 

How often you check the windshield-washer reservoir depends on the season and the weather, but if you are checking the oil monthly, add this one into the routine.

To check and refill the windshield-washer reservoir, pop the bonnet and look for a clear plastic tank, sometimes with a blue lid or with a window wiper spray icon on it. Open the reservoir cap and fill with washer fluid. Commercial washer fluid can have alcohol in it that keeps it from freezing and helps get the extra sticky bugs off the windscreen.

Brake fluid, power steering fluid, transmission fluid and radiator coolant are also located under the bonnet where the engine is. By checking them regularly, you will notice if and when they are going down, so you will be able to take it for repairs. Fluids like these have a working life and must be replaced at regular, long-term intervals. Check your owner's manual to see at what point they should be replaced and take it to a mechanic or service centre to complete.

3. Maintain tyre pressure & condition

You can have the best performing engine in the world, but without the right tyre pressure and tyre tread, your car will not handle corners, stop effectively or operate as it should . Checking your tyre pressure and condition should be done monthly and every single time you head out on a road trip.

You can check your tyre pressure using your very own pressure gauge or use the one down at your nearest petrol station. If your tyres feel a bit flat, fill them up to the inflation pressure recommended by your vehicle’s manufacturer. You ‘ll find that information on the sticker on the ‘B’ pillar or the pillar between the front and rear doors. Remember not to over fill them as this can be as dangerous and uneconomical as underfilling them. 

Walk around your car inspecting your tyres for any cuts, nails or worn areas. Tyres are the all-important connection between your car and the road. You don't want to let them wear until they're bald. At that point, tyres act like water skis when the road gets wet and ride on the film of water, making it much easier to lose control. 

To check the depth of a tyre tread, place a 20c coin into the tread or grooves of the tyre. If the whole of the number 20 can be seen, there’s less than 2mm of tread left on your tyres - and it’s time to get some new ones. You’ll also want to check the condition of your spare tyre in case you ever need it.

If you need new tyres, head down to the nearest tyre shop where they can replace them, rotate the front and back tyres to even out the wear and do a wheel alignment at the same time. 

4. Clean your car

This one may not seem as technical but regularly washing your car protects the paintwork from corrosive elements like the sea air or bird droppings, keeping your car looking good for longer. 

Ideally you should wash your car every week. Use your hose to run some water down the body and undercarriage to remove any road salt, sand or dirt from driving off-road, through muddy tracks or in wet weather conditions. Go over it again with some car soap or shampoo to scrub off the dirt, rinse off with water, and then finish with a polish or wax for a diamond-like shine. Don’t forget to clean your windshield from all the bugs splatter as it can impair your vision and pose a risk to you and others on the road.

Check your wiper blades are in good condition, making sure they don’t have any wear and erosion that could scratch your windshield. Once a month, put some methylated spirits on a rag and wipe along the edge of your wiper. The meths will get rid of any contaminants that can accumulate on the wiper blade. Replace the wiper blades once a year or as needed to prevent smearing. 

Give your headlights and brake lights a good clean so they’re bright enough for you and other road users in all driving conditions. At the same time, check that your headlamps, brake lights and indicators are all working and replace them with new bulbs as soon as possible. Being seen on the road is important so don’t delay getting them fixed.

Lastly, clean out any rubbish, dust off the mats, wipe down all the surfaces with a damp cloth and vacuum up any crumbs, dust or debris.

5. Stick to a maintenance schedule

Follow your car’s servicing schedule.  While you can do a basic maintenance check on your own, the easier option is to take it down to your car manufacturer’s service centre - so that the experts can have a thorough look at it. Having a car in primo condition keeps you safe on the road and lowers the risk of any breakdowns that could leave you in the middle of nowhere.

You’ll find the recommended maintenance schedule specifically for your car  in the  owner’s manual, usually located in the depths of your glovebox. 

Each service is different as some components wear out or need replacing at different intervals. Catching potential problems early on prevents major repairs burning a huge hole in your wallet.

6. Review your car insurance policy

While you’re at it, it’s a good idea to set up an annual schedule to review your car insurance to make sure your policy is up-to-date with the coverage, limits and payments. That way if anything does go wrong you are covered for the situation.

With these 6 easy tips to maintain your car, you can ensure it’s in tip top shape for your journey and reduce the risk of any delays from breaking down.

So if you’re after a new car and not sure where to start, download our Complete Guide to Buying a New Car and find out what you need to look out for when you’re shopping around.