Basic Maintenance
Basic maintenance should be applied once a week or when you fill up with petrol. It's really important that you do this! It doesn't take long and will save you money in the end. This month's issue will look at what you need to do to check your oil properly. Here we go…

Checking your Oil
Why should I check the oil? Oil is one of the major components of an engine. Without oil there is no lubrication meaning that friction will melt the motor. First off, make sure your car is on a level surface and that the hand brake is on and the engine off. Allow a few minutes after switching off the engine for the oil to drain back into the sump. Open the bonnet, making sure that it's in the locked position - you don't want it falling on your head!

Find the dipstick. For most modern cars they will be colour coded, Yellow, Red, Orange or White. Wipe it clean with a rag first and then re-insert it. When pulling out, keep the gripped end up. This ensures that the oil will not run up the dipstick, and that you'll have a true reading of the level of your oil. The true level should be in between the two marks (maximum and minimum) which are quite visible at the end of the stick. If the level is near the maximum mark, your oil is at a suitable level. When the level is near the minimum mark, you should add half a litre of premium engine oil only.

This can be done through the filler cap at the very top of the engine motor. If the level is low, add the half litre and recheck it after so that it doesn't overfill. You should be adding oil about once every week. If the engine oil is continuously low, it's probably best that you seek professional advice from your local qualified repairer. They can determine whether your vehicle has an engine oil leak or is consuming the oil (the motor is burning the oil & smoke is coming out the exhaust).

 Safe motoring!