Supercheap Auto

There are a variety of different fluids that your car needs in order to function properly, efficiently and safely, and if you want to keep your car on the road, it is worthwhile to check them regularly. First off is your oil. Your engine’s oil plays a crucial role in keeping your car working, and without the right type and quantity of oil your engine can become damaged fairly quickly. The oil in your engine makes sure that all of the mechanical components are lubricated to reduce friction, wear and heat. ...

Old or dirty oil won’t work as well as fresh oil since over time the oil in your engine breaks down and starts to collect contaminants. These tiny particles can cause blockages and wear inside your engine, and even though your filter will catch a lot of them, they can still cause extensive damage over time. Checking the quality of your oil is a quick job that can give you an idea of how healthy your engine is in general, as well as providing an opportunity to spot potential major faults. While you are under the bonnet, it is a good plan to check the other fluids - brake, clutch and power steering fluids have their own reservoirs, making them simple to assess - they are each crucial to the safe and proper operation of your car. Similarly, it’s important to regularly check your coolant - both in the overflow reservoir and the radiator. Check out the sections for these other fluids for more info on why you should check them before heading out onto the road. Read more

Headlights, taillights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and more - all of your car’s lights are super important. Therefore, it is a good idea to check that they work properly before hitting the road. Not only do they help you see your surroundings in poor lighting, but the various lights on your car help you remain visible to other motorists and pedestrians alike and let people know what you’re doing when you are driving....

Even if you aren’t planning on driving at night time, you’ll still need to make sure your lights work since your situation can always change. Not every car has a warning light on the dashboard to let you know when your lights aren’t working properly, so it is important to confirm that they are on a regular basis. Read more

It’s highly likely that the only time you will notice anything wrong with your window wipers or washers is when you need to use them - whether due to an unexpected summer downpour, an excessively dusty road, or a particularly nasty spot of bird droppings. To save yourself from being caught out and driving with reduced visibility ...

you should make a habit of checking your wipers and washer fluid regularly.Damaged, brittle or dirty wiper blades will make it almost impossible for your wipers to sweep away enough water to let you see through anything more than a fine drizzle, and certainly won’t help if your windscreen gets dirty as you drive. Similarly, a lack of washer fluid, or washer jets that don’t spray fluid evenly onto your windscreen will mean that a dirty windscreen can become a real hazard. Luckily, checking your wipers and wiper fluid is quick and easy, and replacing both fluid and blades doesn’t cost much at all. Read more

Your tyres are one of the most important safety features that your car has. Tyres wear down with use, and as they do, the amount of grip they can provide will begin to reduce. Good tread depth is critical to your tyres’ grip and if they are too worn they can cause your car to handle badly - particularly in the wet. Checking the tread depth on your tyres is a quick and simple way to make sure that they can do their job, and it will also give you an idea of how they are wearing, since uneven wear can be a symptom of unbalanced tyres or wheels....

Checking your Tyre pressure is also important to do, since running the wrong pressure in your tyres can cause poor car handling, increased braking distance, and uneven or increased tyre wear. While you’re at it, It’s a good idea to check your spare tyre too. Over time the rubber and other compounds in your tyres can deteriorate or become brittle and if you haven’t used your spare tyre in a good long while then it may be deflated or unsafe, and not ready for when you need it. Read more

Cars are incredibly complex machines with a whole range of components to them. Understandably, there are a bunch of things that can go wrong with them so keeping an eye out for early warning signs can save you from a load of hassle, wasted time and money, and even danger. While it can be easy to notice things like a flat tyre, or a broken bulb, checking for more subtle signs of a problem might take a little more care. ...

Nevertheless, checking your car for leaks and dripping fluids, warning lights, strange sounds, vibrations and a whole host of clues should become a habit both before and while you drive.Nevertheless, checking your car for leaks and dripping fluids, warning lights, strange sounds, vibrations and a whole host of clues should become a habit both before and while you drive. Small issues like leaks could lead to major problems such as a damaged or destroyed engine, failed brakes or even a fire under your bonnet. Similarly, warning lights on your dash may seem like a minor annoyance, but they might be a symptom of a much more serious problem - one that could lead to engine damage or a failure that could risk your life. Keep watch for clues that there could be something wrong, and solve the big problems while they are still small. Read more