Weekly Car Maintenance

 Whether you own a brand new BMW or an old banger, it is important that you look after it. That does not mean get it serviced and MOT'd - it means giving the car a once over every week.

Vardis Driving School and Vardis Instructor Training have teamed up to bring you their top tips for looking after your motor.......

Every day, before you get into your car, it is worth just having a quick walk around the vehicle to make sure everything looks ok.

When you car is left overnight, any number of things could go wrong, and it would be better to know that something is amiss before you drive away.

A quick walk around the vehicle will tell you if there has been any damage done to the bodywork, whether there are any flat tyres and whether you have lost any significant amount of fluid overnight. All of these things could cause you problems if you didn't know about them first - it will only take 30 seconds to look first.

Every week, set aside 10 minutes of your life to check the following things:

• Tyre pressures, tread depth and general condition of all 4 tyres AND the spare
• Check the levels of - Oil, coolant, brake fluid, screen wash and power steering fluid
• Check that all of your exterior bulbs are working like headlamps, brake lights, indicators etc
• Inspect your windscreen wiper blades
• Inspect the bodywork for any illegal damage
• Check all the mirrors and windows are clean and free of any cracks or chips
• Clean the car itself - a clean car will last a lot longer than a dirty one!

If you discover you need a top up of oil, for example, that 10 minutes may have just saved you having to replace the engine!

If however, you find you are regularly topping something up, it may mean you have a leak. If you are in any doubt, seek professional advice.