Car Maintenance

The single most important maintenance job. Fresh oil keeps the engine smooth, reduces wear and extends its life. Check your handbook for the correct oil grade and capacity, then it's the same process on every modern car.

Safety-critical but mechanically simple — modern cars use disc brakes with sliding callipers front and rear. Always replace pads in axle pairs (both front, both rear) and replace discs at the same time if they're worn or scored.

The easiest maintenance win on any car. Garages typically charge £100-160 for 10 minutes of work and £25-40 in parts. The cabin filter is usually behind the glovebox (no tools). The engine air filter sits under clips on the airbox.

Standard J-hook or push-button fittings on most modern cars. The biggest job is identifying the correct length — your handbook or any auto-parts website's number-plate lookup will tell you. Bosch Aerotwin is the quality benchmark.

Coolant degrades over time and needs replacing every 4-5 years on most cars. A flush removes rust and scale that build up in the cooling system, helping prevent overheating, head-gasket failure and corroded heater matrix.

Knowing how to safely jack the car, swap a wheel and plug a small puncture means you'll never be stranded. The same skills also let you rotate tyres yourself (every 6,000 miles) to even out wear and double their lifespan.

Most car batteries last 4-6 years. A failing battery causes slow cranking, dim headlights and warning lights. Test it with a multimeter before replacing — sometimes the alternator is the actual culprit. Swapping a battery is a 15-minute job once you have the right size.

Headlights, sidelights, indicators, brake lights and number-plate bulbs all blow eventually. Most are 5-10 minute swaps once you can access the bulb housing. A blown bulb is also a quick MOT failure — keep spares.