You don’t need to take your vehicle to the garage for general maintenance.

Think FLOWER - Fuel, Lights, Oil, Water, Electrics, Rubber

Fuel

Always make sure you have enough fuel for the journeys you are planning. This is especially important in the winter months.

Lights

Check that all lights, indicators, and rear reflectors are clean. Make sure there are no cracks in the lens glass, water trapped in lenses or light fittings, or defective bulbs.

Oil

Checking the oil level allows you to check the overall health of your vehicle’s engine. By maintaining the correct oil level, you can save time and money by having your engine running at it’s optimal performance.

Water

Keep your windscreen washer fluid topped up.

Engine coolant should be at least a 50/50 mix of distilled water and a specific type of antifreeze in most cars, which come in a variety of colours.

Antifreeze can become diluted over time if you top up the coolant levels with just water. You can get premixed antifreeze from car parts specialists and your car dealer.

Electrics

The leading cause of breakdowns are due to battery faults.

If your car has trouble starting now, get the battery checked out before it lets you down.

Rubber

The minimum tread depth in the UK is 1.6 mm (1 mm for motorcycles). However, tyre performance degrades significantly once the available tread depth drops below 3mm. Wet weather is what tread patterns are for, so make sure you have the best grip when you need it most.