Whitefield Autos Logo

Why a weekly walkaround is the best ten minutes you'll spend

Most breakdowns and expensive repairs don't happen without warning. They start as a slow oil leak, a tyre that's quietly losing pressure, or a coolant level that's dropped just below the minimum mark. A quick weekly check gives you the chance to spot those small changes before they turn into a roadside recovery or a bill you weren't expecting. You don't need to be a mechanic. You need ten minutes, a torch, and a willingness to get your hands slightly dirty. Sunday morning before the kettle goes on is perfect — the engine is cold, the car is on your drive, and you're not rushing.

Engine oil: the dipstick never lies

Oil is the single most important fluid in your engine. Too little, and metal starts grinding against metal. Too much, and you can blow seals. Check it when the engine is cold and the car is on level ground, otherwise you'll get a false reading. Pull the dipstick out, wipe it clean with a rag or kitchen roll, push it all the way back in, then pull it out again. The film of oil should sit between the two marks — ideally nearer the top one.

• If it's below the lower mark, top up with the correct grade. Your owner's manual will tell you whether it needs 0W-20, 5W-30, or something else. Don't guess.
• Add oil in small amounts, wait a minute, then recheck. Overfilling is just as harmful as underfilling.
• Look at the oil's colour. Fresh oil is amber and translucent. If it's black and gritty, or looks like mayonnaise, that's a sign of a problem worth investigating.
• Check for drips under the car where you park. A few spots on the driveway are a warning, not a quirk.

Coolant: check only when the engine is cold

Coolant keeps your engine at the right temperature. If the level drops, you risk overheating — and a head gasket failure can write off an older car. Never open the coolant cap when the engine is warm or hot. The system is pressurised and the fluid can scald you. Wait until the engine is completely cold, then look at the translucent expansion tank. The level should sit between the MIN and MAX marks.

If it's low, top up with a 50/50 mix of water and the correct antifreeze, or pre-mixed coolant from a motor factor. Plain water is a temporary fix only — it lowers the boiling point and freezes in winter. If you're topping up more than once a month, get the system pressure-tested. A slow leak won't fix itself.

Screen wash: don't let grit win

It's easy to dismiss screen wash as a luxury, but a dirty windscreen in low sun or on a motorway is genuinely dangerous. More importantly, running the washer bottle dry can burn out the pump — a cheap part that's often fiddly and expensive to replace. Check the level weekly and top up with a proper screen wash additive, not just water.

• Summer: dilute around 1 part screen wash to 10 parts water. This shifts insects and bird mess without smearing.
• Winter: use a stronger mix, often neat or 1:1, to stop the bottle and lines freezing. Frozen washer fluid can crack the reservoir.
• Use a funnel to avoid spills, and never use washing-up liquid — it strips wax and leaves streaks.

Tyre pressures and condition: the only thing touching the road

Under-inflated tyres wear out faster, use more fuel, and make the car feel vague and floaty. Over-inflated tyres reduce grip and wear unevenly down the centre. Check pressures when the tyres are cold — ideally before you've driven more than a mile or two. Use a reliable gauge, not the one on a tired forecourt airline.

• Find the correct pressures on a sticker inside the driver's door pillar, the fuel filler flap, or in the manual. Typical figures are around 30–36 psi (2.1–2.5 bar), but they vary by car and load.
• Don't forget the spare — or the aerosol sealant kit if that's what you have. A space-saver spare often needs much higher pressure, sometimes 60 psi.
• While you're there, look for cuts, bulges, and objects stuck in the tread. Remove stones with a key.
• Check tread depth. The legal minimum is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre, but 3mm gives noticeably better wet grip. A 20p coin is a rough guide.

Lights: a two-minute circuit around the car

Lights fail one bulb at a time, and you often won't notice until someone flashes you or you're pulled over. Walk around the car with the lights on and check headlights (dipped and main beam), side lights, indicators, fog lights, and the number plate lights. Press the brake pedal and look for the red glow at the rear — a wall or garage door helps, or ask someone to stand behind. Reverse lights only come on in gear, so check those with the handbrake on and the engine running if it's safe.

Keep a spare bulb kit in the glovebox. Most are inexpensive and straightforward to fit, and knowing how to change one in daylight is far easier than learning at the kerbside in the rain. If a light is flickering or the lens is cracked, deal with it that week — an MOT failure or a fixed penalty is a poor reward for ignoring a two-pound bulb.