Basic car maintenance
Get under the bonnet and learn some basics to maintaining your motor.
Video transcript
You never know when your windscreen washer will run out or when a bulb is going to need replacing, so it's a good idea to learn some basic car maintenance. Not only will you be safer, but you'll be able to save money because you won't have to rely to a mechanic to do everything.
Even before you've passed your test, as a learner you'll be expected to answer questions or demonstrate how to carry out the basic maintenance of your car. We speak to Bob Millard, driving examiner for the Driving Standards Agency (DSA), who explains about the 'show me, tell me' part of the practical driving test. "The typical question that the examiner would ask the candidate is to identify how they would check their engine oil and how they would top it up if it was necessary. The follow-up question would be to ask the candidate to demonstrate how they would check if their power-assisted steering was working before they started their journey."
Why do I need to know about vehicle safety checks before I pass my test?
"This was a road safety initiative that was introduced in 2003 when it was found that lots of drivers weren't really aware of what they needed to check on their cars from a road-safety aspect, i.e. tyres, and engine oil, etc. Part of the initiative was to bring it into the driving test, which means that people are learning these things when they're having training with their approved driving instructor. It gives them a sound basis for when they get their own car to know exactly where the important points are to check before going on a journey of any size."
What are the risks of driving without all of the required elements working correctly?
"Any part of your car that isn't functioning correctly can add to the danger and can put you into an accident, which can of course be most importantly, life-threatening, as well as very expensive."
What are the benefits to the environment of looking after the basic of my car?
"A badly maintained car can be using far more fuel than a well-maintained car and this is not only costing you money, but is bad for the environment."
It's important you check what petrol your car needs before you fill up. This may be unleaded or diesel. If you're filling your car up fully, you'll need to listen and feel for a click when the fuel has finished going into your car. Always make sure you have enough petrol for your journey and allow for more, just in case you get stuck in traffic.
Why should I make sure my windscreen washer is full up?
"If your windscreen gets dirty and you've got the sun shining on it then your visibility will have completely gone. If you push the water button and nothing comes out you could be in serious trouble, so always keep your washing bottle filled up and make sure you have a cleaning additive in it to help with the cleaning process."
Why is it important that I have enough oil in my car?
"Your engine relies on the oil to keep all the parts lubricated. Lots of motorists tend to leave the oil until the red warning light comes on, which of course is too late, and if you do actually have your engine damaged through lack of oil, it can be very expensive with today's modern vehicles."
Crackers Patel from the RAC explains how to check your oil and takes us through some basic car maintenance tips.
Oil
"I'm just going to show you how to check the oil. First, we'll pull the dipstick out, wipe it clean and put it back in. Here you can see the maximum and the minimum marker and it's right in the middle, so that's fine. Check it when it's cold so that the oil is always at the bottom and also, on a level ground, because if your car is on a hill then you'll get an inaccurate reading."
Cooling expansion tank
"This is your cooling expansion tank. We recommend you check it every couple of weeks. Most of them are transparent and if you look on the side, they'll have a minimum and a maximum, so anywhere between those two levels are acceptable. You don't actually have to unscrew it or check with a dipstick, just have a visual check. If you are going to have to top up any water, do it when it's cold because if it's hot, it's pressurised and you may scald yourself from the steam."
Bulbs and battery connections
"It's always advisable to carry a few spare bulbs so if you do have one that goes you can replace it yourself. There's usually a step-by-step guide in your handbook to show you how to do it. If not, call someone to help you. This is a normal bulb. The headlight bulbs are normally halogen so you mustn't touch them with your fingers because if you do it shortens the life of the bulb. If you get a chance, open your bonnet up and check your battery connections are nice and tight so you don't have any problems starting your engine. To remove the bulb, hold the base firmly in your hand, twist it quarter of a turn and then it should come out. And once you put it back in, twist it back."
Tyres
"As you can see, the middle part of the tyre tread has no pattern left; it's completely bald. The outer edge has actually gone through the tyre and onto the construction cords and there's a little bit of a tread left there. Ideally, what you want is a tyre like this one where the tread is clearly visible and you need to have 1.6mm across three-quarters of the tyre. Now, we're just going to check the tyre pressures. What you do first is remove the valve cap. Hold the attachment firmly onto it otherwise it'll just come off again. To add air, just squeeze the trigger and take the reading. If you want to take some air out, here's how to do that. If you over inflate you'll normally find the middle of the tyre will wear quickly as it's the only part touching the ground. If you under inflate, you use more fuel and you'll wear the tyre out on both outer edges. Don't forget to check the pressure of the spare tyre, which is normally found in the boot."
It may be dirty work at times, but think how satisfied you'll be when you take care of things yourself, without any help from parents or mechanics. At the same time, if you're unsure about anything, make sure you take your car to the garage before you set off on your journey so you can ensure your car is safe to go on the road.
View our text article on the practical driving test.
Print this page Email this page to a friend Add to favourites
