The Ultimate Guide to Car Maintenance

Maintenance is an important part of car ownership. Not only does it keep your vehicle in good condition for longer and prevent expensive repair bills, but it’s also something you could save money on by learning how to do it at home. 

Research by the RAC shows that only a fifth of drivers always check their cars to ensure they are ‘road ready’ before making a trip, and at FixMyCar, we’re on a mission to change that. This guide provides detailed advice about all aspects of maintenance to help drivers get to grips with caring for their cars.

How often should you do car maintenance?

The table below shows some suggested intervals for different types of maintenance. You can find the manufacturer-recommended intervals for your car in your vehicle handbook.

If you’d prefer to stick with basic tasks and leave the rest to the professionals, regular servicing is a good option for your car. A full service should be carried out every 12 months or 12,000 miles.

How to maintain your battery

General maintenance

Car batteries typically last three to four years before they need replacing. There are several things you can do to keep yours in good condition for as long as possible, including:

• Performing a visual inspection

• Keeping it clean

• Checking the acid level

• Avoiding too many short journeys

Check out this guide for even more battery maintenance tips.

Charging a battery

Investing in a battery charger is worthwhile because it will help you get back on the road without attempting a jump-start. 

There are two types of charger:

• Standard - suitable for lead-acid batteries. It is not suitable for cars with stop/start technology.

• Smart - more technologically advanced, designed for AGM or EFB batteries.

We recommend disconnecting your battery before attempting to charge it. Then, connect the battery charger and wait for it to do its job. After the battery is fully charged, remove the charger and replace the battery in the engine bay, following safety procedures as you reconnect the terminals.

Read this guide for detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to charge a car battery.

Changing a battery

Knowing how to change a car battery is a handy maintenance skill, especially since it’s a job that needs to be done every few years. 

The most important thing to remember is the order in which the battery terminals are disconnected. The negative (black) one should be done first, followed by the positive (red) one. When it’s time to connect the new battery, this order is swapped, meaning you start by connecting the positive terminal.

Read this guide for detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to change a car battery.

How to check and change fluids

Cars rely on various fluids to function, including engine oil and coolant. The consequences of having low fluids can be severe, damaging components and reducing the lifespan of your vehicle. That's why learning how to check and top them up is essential.

We've compiled a series of guides that will help you keep up with the maintenance of your car's fluids:

• How to check your car's fluid levels

• How to check and change brake fluid

• How to top up screenwash

• How often you should change your engine oil & how to do it

• How to bleed a car's clutch

• What coolant should I use for my car?

How to maintain tyres

Tyre maintenance is easy once you know how. It revolves around two things: tread and pressure. 

Tyre tread

Your tyre tread (the grooves in the rubber) must be at least 1.6mm deep to be road-legal. This rule exists for safety reasons - shallow treads can’t grip the road as effectively, making accidents more likely.

Fortunately, an easy at-home trick allows you to check your tyre tread using a coin - find out how to do the 20p tyre test here.

Tyre pressure

Maintaining the optimal tyre pressure for your car has several positive effects, including reducing fuel consumption and making the tyres last longer. Conversely, tyres that are inflated too much or not enough are more likely to become damaged and wear down faster.

You can usually find the recommended tyre pressure in your vehicle handbook or displayed somewhere around the frame of the driver’s door.

Our ultimate guide to tyre pressure explains how to check and top up the air in your tyres.

Changing a tyre

You’ll probably encounter a flat tyre at some point or another. It’s an almost inevitable part of car ownership. But would you know what to do in this situation? Research conducted in 2019 showed that 51% of drivers can’t change a tyre.

Although the idea can seem daunting, it isn’t as complex as you might think. Our beginner’s guide takes you through the process in simple, easy-to-follow steps.

How to maintain a car’s exterior

Car maintenance isn’t just about the essential things like cleaning your car or changing your engine oil or spark plugs. It can also involve cosmetic bodywork maintenance. You don’t necessarily have to put up with minor damage - in some cases, it’s possible to restore your car’s bodywork at home.

Washing your car

• How to clean a car like a pro

• How to clean the engine bay

Removing rust

Dealing with rust is a more important aspect of maintenance than many people think because it worsens with time, causing more damage. 

This guide explains how to repair car rust.

Removing scratches

Even minor scratches can be unsightly, ruining the overall look of your car. Fortunately, you don’t have to put up with them - there are ways to minimise their appearance and, sometimes, to remove them altogether.

Shallow scratches can be removed using:

• WD-40

• Toothpaste

• Scratch repair pen

This guide explains how to remove scratches from your car using the above methods.

Cleaning and changing windscreen wipers

Did you know that windscreen wiper blades should be replaced roughly every six to 12 months? It’s also worthwhile cleaning them in between changes to ensure they can clear the windscreen effectively - otherwise, they pose a safety hazard.

Learn how to clean and change windscreen wipers here.

Checking and cleaning lights

• How to check your car's lights

• How to clean car headlights

• How to replace a headlight bulb

Other maintenance

How to change spark plugs

Spark plugs provide the spark that begins the combustion process, so as you can imagine, they’re pretty essential. They typically last 30,000 miles, depending on the brand and the material they are made from.

Signs that your spark plugs need replacing include a misfiring engine, trouble starting and poor fuel economy. While this job is often done during a full service, it’s possible to do it yourself at home, saving you money.

A simplified version of the process looks like this:

• Locate the spark plugs.

• Remove the high-tension lead.

• Remove the old spark plug.

• Get a new spark plug ready.

• Tighten the plug.

• Repeat.

Check out this guide for a more detailed explanation of how to change spark plugs.

How to regas your aircon

With the right tools and knowledge, it’s possible to top up your car’s aircon at home. You’ll need suitable refrigerant gas and some tools, all of which can be bought in a kit for around £50. 

If you plan on topping up your aircon each year, this could be a worthwhile investment instead of paying someone else. But if it’s a one-off job, having it done professionally will cost roughly the same amount.

This guide discusses the pros and cons of a DIY aircon regas with instructions on how to do it.

How to avoid DPF problems

The diesel particulate filter (DPF) rarely gets a second thought - until it becomes clogged and causes problems. Fortunately, avoiding a blocked DPF is easy when you understand how regeneration works.

Regeneration is when the DPF cleans itself after reaching a very high temperature, which allows it to burn off excess soot. Using your car for many short journeys means that the DPF doesn't get hot enough for regeneration, eventually leading to a blockage.

You can prevent this from happening by taking your car on a longer motorway journey once a week.

Learn more about how a DPF works and how to avoid problems with it in this guide.

Looking for affordable car repairs or maintenance? FixMyCar can help you find the right garage at the right price.

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