Car maintenance made easy
The world of car maintenance made easy
Has car maintenance ever been this easy?
We found out how to make all the expert car checks for free, to ensure your car is in great shape before selling.
Under the bonnet | Headlights | Tyres | Windscreen wipers | Car battery
We headed to the Halfords superstore in Wandsworth to test out their five-point car health check, and show you how to check your car yourself.
All five-point health checks are completed by a Halfords trained professional for free.
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Make sure the engine is switched off, the car is cool and parked on flat ground. Open the bonnet and look for individual markings on the side of the following four tanks:
Oil – pull out the dipstick from the engine, then wipe and replace. Pull it out again – the oil level should sit be between the minimum and maximum marks. If not, top it up.
Coolant – ensure the tank isn’t hot, and use a cloth to remove the cap. Check the minimum and maximum levels on the coolant tank, and fill up with water to the halfway point.
In the winter it’s a good idea to use a 50/50 mixture of water and antifreeze, but take care as anti-freeze can burn your skin and ruin your car’s paintwork. This will help prevent freezing, which could crack your car’s engine block.
View our bonnet check slide show:
Screenwash – make sure washer fluid is filled up to the maximum mark, but take care not to overfill.
Brake fluid – check the brake fluid level is between the minimum and maximum points. If not, ask an engineer to help – driving with low levels of brake fluid can be dangerous. Brake fluid should be changed every two years.
Check your lights are working. These include headlights, tail lights, brake lights, indicator lights and fog lights. If a bulb is blown or doesn’t work, it may need replacing.
1. Open the bonnet and look behind the headlight.
2. Identify the faulty bulb and remove it from its holder
3. Check your vehicle handbook for the right specification or ask an engineer to find the right bulb before buying. It can be helpful to take the old bulb along to ensure you buy the correct one.
4. Unscrew the old bulb and screw in the new one. Take care when touching the bulbs – a small piece of dirt or grease can ruin the bulb
5. Ensure there are no cracks or dirt on the bulb’s seal
6. After fitting a new bulb, switch on the lights to check they work
Money-saving tip: Extend your car’s life
Tyres with low pressure or tread can be dangerous and impair your car’s handling. Here are two essential tyre checks:
1. Tyre pressure:
First make sure the tyres are cold, and remove the valve caps (small caps which twist off by hand from the outside of the tyre).
Check the pressure level and adjust as necessary using a footpump or inflator with a reliable pressure gauge, before replacing the valve caps. Check your vehicle handbook for the correct tyre pressure.
2. Tread depth
Locate a tread wear marker – small squares found in the grooves of the tyre, and make sure your tyre’s tread depth is higher than this. If it’s lower, your tyres need changing. For a more accurate measure, use a tyre tread depth gauge.
A minimum tread depth of 1.6mm should be across the central three-quarters breadth of the tyre and the entire outer circumference (3mm is recommended). Any lower and your tyres will need changing. Look for any cuts, bulges and foreign objects stuck into the tyres (such as nails).
Video: Tyre tips
Find out how to check your tyre pressure and tread depth:
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If your wiper blades are leaving behind dirty smears or tiny scratches instead of cleaning your windscreen, it’s time to replace them.
1. Check your vehicle handbook for the correct wiper blade size
2. Lift the old wiper blade up away from the windscreen
3. Slide the old blade off – you may need to release a securing tab to remove it
4. Slide the new wiper blade onto the wiper arm by clicking it into the metal hook of the wiper arm
5. Lower the wiper back into place
6. Repeat with the second wiper
7. Test the new wipers by activating the washer control and switching them on
You can clean your wiper blades with vinegar each week to keep them in good condition. Give them one quick wipe with a cloth.
View our slide show on how to change a windscreen wiper:
Car batteries generally last around four to five years. You can use a car battery charger to check your battery's condition or ask a Halfords trained professional to help as part of the five point health check.
If your battery is dead you may have a faulty alternator, or damaged glow plugs (in certain diesel cars only) – so your battery may not need replacing. Check first.
To prolong car battery life, switch off electronic controls including lights, wipers, radio and the heater before switching off your engine. This allows extra charge to run into the battery.
Visit Halfords.com or contact your local store to book a car health check
Recycling
Current government legislation means it can be tricky to dispose of old car batteries – they must go through a long clean-up process before batteries can be sent to landfill, and refuge sites are often sited inconveniently.
Halfords can assist, as every store is served by an approved waste disposal company, meaning batteries can be disposed of easily. If you buy a new battery from Halfords and ask them to dispose of the old one, you'll get a £2 gift voucher too
You can get your Free Five Point Car Health Check at any of Halfords 450 stores nationwide.* Visit Halfords.com or call 08457 626625.
Disclaimer: Tyres are not checked in a Halfords five-point car health check. If unsure always seek a professional to help.
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