How-to & DIY

Plain, practical guides for keeping the things you rely on running — no jargon, safety first. First up: the car. More topics (home, tools, water, power) to follow.

Basic car maintenance — the 15-minute monthly check

Most roadside breakdowns trace back to something you could have spotted in your own driveway. Once a month, on level ground with the engine cold, the handbrake on and the ignition off, run through the checks below. Keep a rag, gloves, a torch and your owner's manual to hand — the manual lists your car's exact oil grade, tyre pressures and service intervals, and it wins any argument here.

Engine oil

• Pull the dipstick, wipe it clean, push it fully back in, then pull it again and read it. The oil film should sit between the MIN and MAX marks.
• Low? Top up with the grade in your manual, a little at a time — don't go above MAX.
• Milky, gritty, or a level that keeps dropping → see a mechanic.
• Change it on the distance or time in your logbook even when it looks fine.

Coolant

• Only when the engine is cold. Never open a hot radiator cap — pressurised steam can scald badly.
• Check the overflow reservoir against its MIN/MAX lines; top up with the correct coolant (a pre-mix is easiest).
• Bright green, orange or pink puddles under the car, or a level that keeps falling → a leak; get it looked at.

Tyres

• Check pressure cold, before driving. The right PSI is on a placard in the driver's door jamb or the fuel flap — not the big number on the tyre, which is the maximum.
• Tread: the legal minimum in Australia is 1.5 mm. The moulded wear bars in the grooves show when you've reached it — replace before then.
• Look for uneven wear (a sign of alignment trouble), cracks, bulges and embedded screws. Check the spare too — a flat spare is no spare.

Brakes

• Trust your senses: a soft or sinking pedal, squealing, grinding, or pulling to one side all mean a mechanic, soon.
• Check the brake-fluid reservoir sits between MIN and MAX. A falling level can mean worn pads or a leak.

Lights & wipers

• Walk around with the lights on: headlights (low and high beam), park lights, indicators and the number-plate light. Have someone press the brake while you check the brake lights, and check the reverse light.
• Wipers smearing or chattering? New blades — cheap, and a five-minute job. Top up the washer fluid while you're there.

Battery

• Look for white or blue corrosion on the terminals; clean it off and make sure the clamps are tight.
• Most batteries last three to five years. A slow, laboured crank when starting is the warning — replace it before it strands you.

A quick look underneath & under the bonnet

• Glance under the car for fresh puddles. Clear water from the air-con on a hot day is normal; oil, coolant or red transmission fluid is not.
• Under the bonnet, look for obviously frayed or perished belts and any loose, chewed or melted wiring.

Keep a log

Note the date and odometer at each oil change, tyre rotation and service. It tells you what's due next and protects the car's resale value.

When to stop and call a mechanic

Do the checks yourself; leave repairs you're not confident in to someone qualified — anything to do with brakes or steering, electrical faults, the milky oil or persistent leaks above, or a warning light you can't clear. If in doubt, don't.

The driveway kit

A tyre-pressure gauge, gloves, a rag, a torch, the correct oil and pre-mix coolant, a funnel — and the owner's manual.

General guidance for common passenger cars; your owner's manual and a qualified mechanic always have the final say.