Regular car maintenance is vital for a healthy car and saves time and money. It’s also easier than you think. Leigh Robshaw shows you the basics.

Checked your tyres lately? What about the oil? NRMA Motoring & Services’ patrolman Ross Walker says the majority of breakdowns he attends may have been avoided if Members carried out regular car maintenance. Even if you don’t know the difference between a dipstick and a gear stick, our simple guide can help save you from the hassle of a breakdown and thousands of dollars in repairs.

Engine oil: On level ground with the engine off, clean the dipstick with a lint-free cloth while the engine is still warm. Reinsert the dipstick fully, remove it and check oil level. If the reading is low, top up using the grade of oil recommended by your vehicle’s manufacturer.
Ross’ tip: “You only need one litre to bring the level from the low mark to the full mark.”

Radiator coolant level: Don’t just check the level in the plastic reservoir, as the bottle could be full while the engine is empty if there is a fault in the system. While the engine is cold, remove the radiator cap, check inside the radiator and fill it up if required. A temperature gauge won’t read correctly when there is no coolant in the system, so don’t rely on it if you haven’t topped it up for a while. While the engine is cold, feel the hoses and if they are hard and you can hear a ‘cracking’ noise (listen carefully), or if they feel very soft or swollen in places, get them changed. Have a mechanic change the coolant every two years.
Ross’ tip: “When filling up coolant, check your owners’ manual for the recommended coolant and don’t mix different brands.”

Automatic transmission and power steering fluids: Procedures vary from car to car, so check your owners’ manual.

Battery: If your battery has removable caps, check that the fluid inside is about 5mm above the plates or between the levels indicated on the case. (Be careful as battery acid can cause serious injury.)

• If low, top up with distilled water and avoid overfilling.
• Don’t expose a battery to a naked flame and remember battery fluid is corrosive and can damage paint and wiring.
• Pull back the terminal covers and check that the wiring around the negative and positive terminals is in good condition. If you see any corrosion build-up, dissolve with hot water or bicarbonate of soda.

Ross’ tip: “If the car won’t start and you suspect the battery, turn the ignition on, then turn the headlights on and check how bright they are when you attempt to start the engine. If they go dull or are not on at all when cranking the engine, then it’s likely that it is the battery. In this case, wait 30 seconds with the lights on (engine off) and then put a finger on each terminal (negative and positive). If you find one is getting hot, it means that terminal has a bad connection. The battery terminal has to be removed and cleaned inside and out. You can possibly wiggle it and get enough contact to get the car started and then take it to a repairer.
“If the battery continually needs topping up, have the alternator charge rate checked.”

Brakes: Check the fluid level in the master cylinder (usually located near the right-hand corner in front of the driver’s seat). If the level is low, the disc pads could be worn. If the level keeps dropping get it checked immediately for leaks. Have a mechanic flush the fluid every two years, as it absorbs moisture. Watch out for noises while braking and pulsations in the brake pedal.
Ross’ tip: “Don’t play with brakes – get a professional to do it.”

Tyres: Check and adjust tyre pressure when the tyres are cold. (You’ll find a tyre pressure placard on the inside of your glovebox, fuel cap filler or the driver’s door.) Check for a minimum tread depth of 1.5mm on any part of the tyre surface that comes in contact with the road and look for abnormal wear or damage. Adjusting the pressure to the top of the recommended range reduces fuel consumption and wear.
Ross’ tip: “If you need to turn the wheel constantly to the left or right to make the car go straight ahead, or if it pulls to one side when you let go of the steering wheel, you may need a wheel alignment.”

Headlights: Check all lights are working, including stop and reverse lights. Drive up to a reflective surface if you cannot get someone to help you check this.
Ross’ tip: “If your car won’t start and your headlights are dull or don’t work, it could indicate a bad terminal connection in the battery, which will need repairing.”

Windscreen wipers and washer fluid: Fill washer bottle with clean water and the right amount of washer additive, not household detergent. Check the condition of the wiper blades and replace if split, perished or not wiping properly. Run your thumb and finger along the wiper blade to remove any gunk.

Inside controls: With the engine switched off, check all controls for tightness and function. Put the steering wheel in position so the tyres point straight ahead. Lightly swing the steering wheel from side to side – free play should not exceed 50mm.

Cosmetics: To keep your car’s age as long as possible, wash it regularly, polish it at least twice a year and vacuum when necessary. Some polishes can adversely affect modern paint finishes, so always check your owners’ manual. Avoid parking it under trees and in industrial areas, and wash any bird droppings and other stains off immediately.

Servicing: New cars should be serviced according to outlines in your owners’ manual – it’s imperative not to miss the oil changes. Older cars should have an oil and filter change every six months or 10,000km, whichever comes first.

Warning lights: According to Ross, the most important thing to do if a warning light remains on is stop. “Don’t try to get home as those last few kilometres could do the most damage. Remember, a red light on the dash means ‘stop’ and an orange light means ‘caution’.”
Ross says motorists are often confused about what their warning lights mean, especially the following three:

• ‘Oil’ light: Pull over immediately if you see this light on – it doesn’t mean you’re out of oil, but that there’s no oil pressure, which could indicate a serious problem.
• ‘Check Engine’ light: This light means the computer has recorded an error or a fault and it requires attention, but not necessarily immediately.
• ‘Alternator’ light: As this light has a picture of a battery on it, people think they need a new battery, but it actually means the alternator is not charging the battery, so pull over and call NRMA.

Your DIY checklist

Run through this list regularly and keep your car in peak condition.

• Engine oil
• Radiator coolant level
• Automatic transmission and power steering fluids
• Battery
• Brakes
• Tyres
• Headlights
• Windscreen wipers and washer fluid
• Inside controls
• Cosmetics
• Service (every six months or so)
• Warning lights

Ross’ top 5 myth busters

MYTH 1: Adding water to the battery will recharge it.
FALSE. Sometimes people get a flat battery, see it has no water and fill it up with water and expect it to be okay. This is not the case.

MYTH 2: Batteries that aren’t used last longer.
FALSE. If a battery sat around unused it could ‘sulphate up’ but if you put it on a long slow charge it could become serviceable. But if your car has been sitting in the garage for six months, don’t expect the battery to have a longer shelf life as a consequence. It ages as soon as it’s created.

MYTH 3: If your car won’t start, the first thing to do is examine the transponder key.
TRUE. Attending to a lady whose car wouldn’t start, a patrolman from the RAC in London noticed the security light was flashing, indicating the immobiliser was activated. He examined the key and noticed the transponder chip was missing. The lady had given the key to her baby to chew on and they concluded the baby had swallowed the chip. The mother held the baby up against the steering column as close to the ignition lock as possible; the patrolman then turned the key to start the engine and the motor started straight away.

MYTH 4: Hindering the movement of the accelerator pedal can save fuel.
FALSE. One guy had a sponge under his accelerator pedal because he thought it would save fuel. And he wondered why he was losing power!

MYTH 5: Pantihose can replace a broken fan belt.
FALSE. It worked in days past but modern cars have one belt that runs all the auxiliaries and can be up to two metres long, so unless you can find two-metre-long pantihose, forget it.

Ross’ top 5 weirdest attempts at car maintenance

1. The guy who drove an old Volkswagen with the battery under the rear seat, which rusted its way through the floor and fell out. He extended the rear seatbelt around the battery to hold it in place, replaced the back seat and forgot about it. When someone sat in the rear seat a week later, pushing the springs onto the battery, it short-circuited and the back seat caught on fire.
2. The lady who tried to do an oil change by draining the oil and when she couldn’t find where to put the new oil used a thimble to pour it down the dipstick tube.
3. A mechanical engineering student with a flat tyre who had a spare but no jack. He undid the wheel nuts and tried to remove the wheel without jacking the car up. It wouldn’t come off so his solution was to drive round and round in circles until it came off.
4. Three different people whose cars had overheated and thinking the oil filler cap was the radiator cap, removed it and filled up the engine with water.
5. The guy who put in a battery back to front and burnt the fuseable link. To fix it, he got some wire used in household power points and wired up the alternator. Being an older car, it still ran until the battery failed, even though the polarity was reversed. It also damaged the alternator.

DIY dictionary. What it all means

• Alternator: generator that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. Used to charge the car’s batteries and electric systems.
• Carburettor: device in an internal-combustion engine that vaporises fuel and mixes it with air so it combusts and helps the car to go.
• Car jack: device used to lift up the car – or part of the car.
• Chassis number: the chassis supports the body of the vehicle and the number on it helps to identify the vehicle body.
• Clutch: device that connects and disconnects the engine from the transmission. Also, may refer to the pedal that operates this device.
• Crankshaft: converts linear motion of the pistons into rotational motion used to drive the vehicle.
• Dipstick: metal stick or rod used to measure your oil level.
• Emission control: system used to control polluting gases produced by the engine.
• Exhaust: system of pipes used to expel engine gases.
• Fanbelt: rubber belt that drives the vehicle’s cooling fan.
• Fluids and oils: engine oil, radiator coolant, automatic transmission, power steering and brake fluids ... each contributes to keep the car working smoothly. If the levels aren’t checked often, major problems can result.
• Fuel filter: screens out dirt and rust particles from the fuel.
• Gasket: mechanical seal (rubber, cork, paper or metal) used to prevent leaks between two compressed surfaces.
• Hoses: used to move fluids around to cool and lubricate the car.
• Muffler: device in the exhaust that reduces noise from the engine.
• Radiator: device that cools the liquid in the cooling system.
• Socket wrench: wrench that completely covers the head of a bolt – used to loosen wheel nuts among other things.
• Spark plugs: device that creates an electrical spark to ignite the fuel mixture that produces the power that drives the engine.
• Timing belt: drives the camshaft(s) that open(s) and close(s) the engine’s valves at the correct time.
• Torque: the turning force produced by the engine to move the car.
• Transmission: device that transmits the power from the engine (in varying amounts) to the wheels.
• Tyre: the band of rubber that fits around the rim of a wheel.
• Tyre gauge: measures tyre pressure. We recommend you buy your own good quality gauge as service station gauges are often not accurate.
• VIN: Vehicle Identification Number found on the body of the car to identify the specific vehicle.
• Wheel: the circular frame that accommodates the tyre.