Routine car maintenance

A few simple regular checks can help keep your car running sweetly, keep you safe and even benefit the environment. Modern cars are complex machines, but that shouldn't put you off doing some simple regular maintenance. It means you can ensure your car is as safe and efficient as possible and also keep an eye out for those bigger jobs that you need a mechanic for.

Tyres

These are your car's contact patch with the road, which have the tricky task of providing grip in the wet and the dry, allowing your car to move by providing traction and to steer and stop. They're extremely important, so check them regularly for damage and wear. The legal minimum for tread depth is 1.6mm in a continuous band over three quarters of the tyre's width. If you're near or approaching this get them replaced - a fine could cost you up to £2,500 and three penalty points per tyre.

Look out for unusual wear patterns that can point to a number of problems. It's best to see an expert tyre fitter in this case. Keep them inflated to the right level; too much pressure reduces the tyre's contact with the road lessening its grip and too little means you create drag, which hammers fuel economy. You can find the correct pressures in your car's handbook.

Check your oil

Oil is the stuff that stops your engine from prematurely wearing, its lubrication of components vital to smooth and efficient running. Checking it takes just 60 seconds, but despite this around half of all motorists don't check their oil regularly enough.

Don't wait for the oil light to come on, as that's usually too late; simply park your car on level ground, leave it for a while for the oil to settle in the engine's sump and pull out the dipstick to check the level. Use an old rag to wipe the dipstick then put it into its holder and pull it out. The oil should be between the maximum and minimum levels - if it's too low top it up. How to do so varies, so check your car's handbook for guidance, but it's usually a very simple process.

Check your fluids

While you're under the bonnet checking your oil you should take a look at all the other fluid levels. Check your windscreen washer liquid, engine coolant, brake and power steering fluid levels. Usually it's just a case of looking at minimum and maximum level indicators through the side of their semi-transparent reservoirs. Your car's handbook should help you locate these if you're not sure where to look, and guidance on how and what type of fluids you need to top up with should also be there, too.

Light up

It's incredible the number of cars on the road with faulty or broken lights. Don't be one of them by carrying out regular checks on all your lights. It's as easy as turning them on and wandering around the car. Even the brake lights can be tested yourself if you're observant and park in front of a reflective surface or even another car. It's easiest to have someone help though. Check the indicators too, and be sure that you switch off your fog lamps after use.

Windscreen clean and clear

Keep your windscreen clean inside and out and keep an eye open for small chips caused by stones. Get these repaired immediately - it's usually possible via your insurance company - and potentially save you the cost of an expensive new windscreen. Check your windscreen wipers for wear and replace if they're hard and don't clear the screen correctly.

Service regularly

Keep up to date with your service schedule and your garage can watch out for trickier things to spot like brake life and engine wear and tear. It's a false economy to skip services, as driving your car with a fault is only likely to result in bigger bills. If you want to save some money take your own oil to a service and be sure things like the washer fluid bottle is full - garages usually charge more for oil than you'll pay yourself and will also bill you to fill the washer reservoir.

Follow these few simple tips and running your car should be relatively painless. More importantly it should be safer and more efficient too, and you can help prevent big bills in the future.