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General requirements of car ownership ..

weltweit

weltweit

Well-Known Member
How many of these are you comfortable with and are doing?

I keep the screen wash topped up with screen wash rather than water.

I regularly check the engine oil and top up if necessary.

I regularly check tyre pressures and adjust where necessary.

I monitor tyre wear and replace worn tyres when at or before the limit.

When I get the opportunity I check to see all my lights are working.

I know my car has a full-size spare wheel or a space saver and how to access it.

I can change a wheel at the side of the road in the case of a puncture. And I have a warning triangle to place in the road to warn other motorists.

I know where to check levels e.g coolant in the overflow tank and brake fluid in its reservoir.

I know when my cambelt is due for replacement and do / will action this.

I keep a visual check on the condition of engine belts for wear.

I get my car serviced when needed or once a year at least.

I have roadside breakdown cover.

Please add any I have missed :)
 
Last edited:
souljacker said:
I regularly check the cigarette lighter is functioning just in case I get caught in the middle of nowhere and my lighter is lost or out of gas.
Click to expand...
Appropriately my current car doesn't have a cigarette lighter, as I have given up fags, instead it has an accessory power socket :)
 
I suppose in a way my checklist is for people like me, owners of slightly older cars.

I mean newer cars have tyre pressure sensors and diagnostics that tell you when to have a service.
 
i have an expedition pack ( a lidl bag for life) that has every conceivable driving requirement accessory for european driving. the filth in romania and moldova ask to see your required gear in the off chance of getting a petit cadeux. obvs they always find something else to hit you with.and always keep your personal stuff to rucksack size in case you have to abandon the cheap wheels somewhere
 
My local garage that always has the cheapest fuel doesn't have any tissue dispensers on the forecourt so you can't check your oil. I asked at the checkout once why this was and was told that the owner specifically had them removed.
 
weltweit said:
How many of these are you comfortable with and are doing?

I keep the screen wash topped up with screen wash rather than water.

I regularly check the engine oil and top up if necessary.

I regularly check tyre pressures and adjust where necessary.

I monitor tyre wear and replace worn tyres when at or before the limit.

When I get the opportunity I check to see all my lights are working.

I know my car has a full-size spare wheel or a space saver and how to access it.

I can change a wheel at the side of the road in the case of a puncture. And I have a warning triangle to place in the road to warn other motorists.

I know where to check levels e.g coolant in the overflow tank and brake fluid in its reservoir.

I know when my cambelt is due for replacement and do / will action this.

I keep a visual check on the condition of engine belts for wear.

I get my car serviced when needed or once a year at least.

I have roadside breakdown cover.

Please add any I have missed :)
Click to expand...
I top of the screen wash when the car tells me it needs doing

I would top up the engine oil when the car tells me but I don't do many miles so it's rare

I put air in the tyres when the car tells me

I do check the condition of the tyres from time to time (the car won't tell me to do this)

I do check the lights from time to time but the car tells me when one isn't working

I have run flat tyres so there's no spare

I have changed a wheel in the past but see the point above. I know where the warning triangle is if I need it

I know where to top up the levels if I need to and the car lets me know when this is required

My car has a timing chain rather than a cambelt. It's supposed to last the life of the engine.

The car is serviced when it tells me it needs it. I do check the on-board computer from time to time to see if anything is imminent.

I have roadside breakdown cover.

ETA: My car isn't particularly new either
 
weltweit said:
How many of these are you comfortable with and are doing?

I keep the screen wash topped up with screen wash rather than water.

I regularly check the engine oil and top up if necessary.

I regularly check tyre pressures and adjust where necessary.

I monitor tyre wear and replace worn tyres when at or before the limit.

When I get the opportunity I check to see all my lights are working.

I know my car has a full-size spare wheel or a space saver and how to access it.

I can change a wheel at the side of the road in the case of a puncture. And I have a warning triangle to place in the road to warn other motorists.

I know where to check levels e.g coolant in the overflow tank and brake fluid in its reservoir.

I know when my cambelt is due for replacement and do / will action this.

I keep a visual check on the condition of engine belts for wear.

I get my car serviced when needed or once a year at least.

I have roadside breakdown cover.

Please add any I have missed :)
Click to expand...

add petrol or diesel as required

:hmm:
 
planetgeli said:
You get your car serviced once a year at least???

At least??

On top of knowing all that other stuff?

Bit OTT.

I get free breakdown cover with a bank account. And get my car serviced once a year. That does me.
Click to expand...

If you do more than the specified annual mileage it certainly needs servicing more than once a year - it varies but if you did 36,000 miles it might need servicing three times in year.
 
planetgeli said:
You get your car serviced once a year at least???

At least??
..
Click to expand...
:)
I get my current car serviced once a year, I am now a low mileage driver. There was a time I was doing a thousand miles a week in a company car and I think it might have been serviced more than once a year back then.
 
Leafster said:
I top of the screen wash when the car tells me it needs doing

I would top up the engine oil when the car tells me but I don't do many miles so it's rare

I put air in the tyres when the car tells me

I do check the condition of the tyres from time to time (the car won't tell me to do this)

I do check the lights from time to time but the car tells me when one isn't working

I have run flat tyres so there's no spare

I have changed a wheel in the past but see the point above. I know where the warning triangle is if I need it

I know where to top up the levels if I need to and the car lets me know when this is required

My car has a timing chain rather than a cambelt. It's supposed to last the life of the engine.

The car is serviced when it tells me it needs it. I do check the on-board computer from time to time to see if anything is imminent.

I have roadside breakdown cover.

ETA: My car isn't particularly new either
Click to expand...
aha, your car (probably a BMW) is higher spec than mine then :) I expect you have some clever sensors :)
 
weltweit said:
aha, your car (probably a BMW) is higher spec than mine then :) I expect you have some clever sensors :)
Click to expand...
Yep, spot on! :) It also transfers critical information to the keyfob. When you take it in for a service you hand over the keyfob and they can assess from that what might need doing. I'm sure other cars must be the same?

I've just had an MOT and service. They gave me a courtesy car and when I took it back they could see from the keyfob that I'd put in a little more petrol than I'd used. :D
 
Leafster said:
Yep, spot on! :) It also transfers critical information to the keyfob. When you take it in for a service you hand over the keyfob and they can assess from that what might need doing. I'm sure other cars must be the same?
Click to expand...

Most cars store that info onboard instead of having a stupid key with a screen on it, but I guess BMW drivers like showing off.

I have an app which tells me anything important, as well as allowing me start it remotely and turn the heated seats on from the other side of the world.
 
platinumsage said:
Most cars store that info onboard instead of having a stupid key with a screen on it, but I guess BMW drivers like showing off.

I have an app which tells me anything important, as well as allowing me start it remotely and turn the heated seats on from the other side of the world.
Click to expand...
Mine doesn't have a display on the key. I feel cheated now!
 
I do all of those regularly both for mine and my wife's car.
I still check the tyres on mine manually even though it has pressure sensors
It reminds me about services but I always have it serviced and MOT'd at the same time every year anyway
I do top up the washer fluid when it reminds me rather than just do it regularly like my wife's car.
One of the rear light clusters failed and it came up on the dashboard to warn me. I was very impressed with this until I discovered how much replacing an LED unit costs compared to just a bulb
 
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