According to a recent study by The Telegraph newspaper, nearly 70% per cent of the British drivers are clueless about the very basic car maintenance, such as topping up their screen wash. Ten per cent can not even open the bonnet of their vehicle.
According to the AA, regular car servicing and maintenance could prevent nearly half of all vehicle break downs.
Here are some simple and straightforward checks you can carry out yourself.
OIL
Open the car’s bonnet as instructed in your car’s handbook. You should be able to spot the oil dipstick very easily.
Pull the dipstick all the way out and wipe it down with a paper towel or lint-free cloth. After cleaning, push it all the way back into the tube.
Pull it back out again to examine the mark left by the oil. Ideally, it should be mid-way between the minimum and maximum indicators.
Your oil level should never be above the maximum mark!
If it is, however, below the minimum level for prolonged periods, it may seriously damage your engine. You must add a small amount of the engine oil. Please refer to your handbook for the correct type of oil to use. After you have topped it up, ensure to wait a few minutes before checking its level again. Repeat this as required.
COOLANT
In most cars, the coolant expansion tank tends to be a transparent plastic bottle. Once you have opened up your car’s bonnet, you should be able to spot it very easily.
Through the transparent plastic, you should be able to see the coloured liquid inside the coolant tank. The colour of the liquid may be orange, pink, purple or green. Similar to the oil levels, the coolant level should be between the maximum and minimum level markers. But, unlike the oil level checking steps, you can check the coolant levels visually.
The coolant level should not go down. If you notice that it is lower than expected, this may point to the start of a major issue. Please use the correct coolant to top it up by checking your owner’s manual, and get in touch with us to check it over as soon as possible.
Do keep in mind that if you do not get your car regularly serviced, it can not only prove to be very expensive, but your vehicle can suffer a break down as well. So, call please contact us to for your car servicing in Berkshire.