Regular car maintenance is essential if you want to avoid unnecessary repairs and keep your car running, and looking, like new.

Whilst the annual MOT ensures that your car meets the minimum acceptable environmental and road safety standards required by law, there are a number of things you should do to keep your car in tip-top condition and to ensure your safety.

10 easy ways to take care of your car
1. Make sure your car is serviced regularly - ideally every six months. A service includes an oil and filter change, fluid check and top up, plus an assessment of your brakes, tyres and engine. A service will prevent unexpected faults.

2. Check your tyre pressures regularly, and particularly before or after a long journey. This will extend the life of your tyres. Always check when the tyres are cool, not immediately after driving. Your car manual will tell you what your tyre pressures should be, and you can top them up using a hand pump or at most garages.

3. Keep your car clean. If you don't wash your car regularly, the paintwork could become corroded. Also, your headlights could become obscured creating a possible hazard.

4. Check your oil level at least once a month. If you run out, your engine will be seriously damaged. Before you carry out the check, make sure that your car is on a level surface, and the engine is cool. Your car manual will tell you where your oil dipstick is. Remove the dipstick and wipe clean with a kitchen towel. Dip it back in, then remove it, and you will be able to see the oil level. You will normally see two markings on the dipstick, and if the level is between the two markings it is okay. If it is below the lowest marking, you need to top up your oil.

5. Check your windscreen washer liquid. It is extremely dangerous to drive with a dirty windscreen.

6. Change your windscreen wiper blades every 6,000 to 10,000 miles. It is also a good idea to clean the blade whenever you have a few moments to ensure that they do not streak and obscure the windscreen. 

7. Check your tyres regularly for wear and tear. If you find any cuts or bulges, you can often get them repaired. You should also check the tread - the legal limit for tread wear on a tyre is 1.6mm of tread left in the centre 3/4 of the tyre, but ideally you should change your tyre if it goes below 3mm. 

8. Inspect your lights on a regular basis. Make sure that the headlights, brake lights, fog light, indicator signals and interior lights are working.

9. Check your coolant. Make sure your water levels are topped up, to ensure your car doesn't overheat. You can also add antifreeze to your coolant to make sure it doesn't freeze in cold weather.

10. Look after your bodywork. If you see any scratches, chips or dents, get them repaired as soon as possible. If you leave them, the bodywork could become corroded.

How we can help
As well as organising your regular service, MOT2U offers a number of packages that will help your car perform at its best and help you to avoid unnecessary expenses. These include:

Green efficiency check
A green efficiency check will make sure that your car is running efficiently and can help you achieve savings on your fuel bills.

Winterisation & Summerisation check
We will make sure that your car is ready for winter by carrying out a series of important checks. These include your tyres, brakes, coolant and lights.

To find out more please give us a call on 0844 561 6663, or book your MOT or service now.