Advice Centre

Obviously you can't examine your car to the same standard as an actual garage, but working through the following checks will help you to identify some of the possible problem areas before taking your car for its MOT test.

Most modern cars have a pollen filter which stops pollen and dust from getting into the passenger compartment. This filter gets clogged up over time and has to be renewed to make sure that the airflow to the heating and cooling systems remains consistent.

Keeping your car battery healthy is one of those jobs that too many drivers ignore. Just a few moments spent regularly checking your battery can prevent you from being stranded.

Recent motor trade research has shown that cleaning, valeting and making minor cosmetic repairs to your car before you sell it can add several hundred pounds to the value of your car.

All modern cars have disc brakes on the front wheels and a lot of models have discs at the rear as well. Disc brake pads gradually wear out. They have to be inspected at every service and renewed when they have worn to a specified minimum.

Coolant (a mixture of water and antifreeze) is pumped around the engine and cools it down by means of the car radiator. If the level of coolant gets too low, it can cause overheating and serious damage.The coolant should be renewed every two to five years.

Rust is the number one enemy of car bodywork. Superficial rust damage can be dealt with using an anti-rust primer and touch-up car paint. But if a car body panel has rusted right through, more drastic action is required.

All car petrol engines use spark plugs to ignite the fuel-air mixture in the cylinders; these plugs gradually wear out and have to be replaced. How often depends on your manufacturer; see your vehicle handbook or Haynes manual for details.

You don't have to be a professional to achieve a showroom finish. Thanks to the high quality of most car paints and lacquers on the market, you can save yourself a fortune when touching up slight damage or re-spraying repaired car bodywork.

Punctures always seem to pick the worst moment to happen. If your car gets a puncture and you're away from home on the move, the first priority is to get it - and you - to a safe place to change the car tyre.

20% of collisions are caused by poor visibility. If your wiper blades do not clear the screen properly, you cannot see the road ahead and you pose a danger to yourself and other road users. You may be fined £1,000 and have points put on your licence.

Checking your engine oil level once a week is one of the most important things you can do to keep your vehicle running smoothly. If the oil level gets too low, your engine will wear more quickly.