How do I fit a child car seat correctly?
Getting the seat matched to the child and the car, fitting it without movement, and the harness checks that decide whether it works.
intermediate45 min5 min read
Maintenance & Servicing
The checks and jobs that keep a car out of the garage.
38 guides in Motoring
What should I keep in a car in winter?
The kit that matters if you are stopped for hours, the kit that stops you being stopped, and where to keep each.
beginner30 min4 min readHow do I check a car over before a long drive?
Ten minutes on tyres, fluids and lights that prevents most roadside breakdowns.
beginner20 min2 min readWhat does a car service actually include?
Interim, full and major services are marketing names, not standards. What each one usually covers, how a service differs from an MOT, and how to tell a real schedule from a padded invoice.
beginner15 min4 min readWhat should I do if my car breaks down?
The order of actions that keeps you safe, why the hard shoulder is not a place to work, and what changes on a smart motorway.
beginner15 min4 min readWhat should I never leave in a hot car?
A parked car reaches temperatures far above the outdoor air within minutes. The short list of things that become dangerous, the longer list that simply gets ruined, and why the dashboard is the worst place of all.
beginner12 min6 min readHow often does engine oil actually need changing?
Why the old 3,000-mile rule is long gone, what a variable service indicator is really measuring, and how much oil a healthy engine is allowed to use between changes.
beginner10 min4 min readWhen can a child stop using a car seat in the UK?
The UK rules on height and age, how the stages actually work, and the five-point check that tells you whether an adult belt genuinely fits.
beginner10 min4 min readHow do I get a car ready for winter?
The autumn hour that prevents the December problems — battery, tyres, antifreeze strength, screenwash concentration, seals and visibility.
beginner1 hr4 min readWhat do I need to do when I move house?
A complete list of who to tell and what to do, sequenced across the weeks before and after moving day.
beginner3 hr2 min readWhen does a cambelt need changing, and what happens if it goes?
Why a cambelt is replaced on a schedule rather than when it looks worn, why the time limit matters as much as the mileage, and how to find out whether yours has ever been changed.
beginner12 min4 min readWhy is my garage floor paint peeling off?
Floor coatings fail for four reasons, and three of them were decided before the paint was opened. Which one applies decides whether a patch will hold.
intermediate30 min2 min readHow do I check my car's tyres and oil?
The five-minute monthly check that prevents most breakdowns and keeps a car legal and economical.
beginner20 min3 min readHow do I cool a car down quickly?
Flushing the hot air out before you switch the air conditioning on gets a car cool far faster than getting in and turning the dial to maximum.
beginner10 min5 min readHow do I jump start a car?
The correct order for connecting and disconnecting jump leads, and the safety points that matter with car batteries.
beginner20 min3 min readWhat do I do if I put the wrong fuel in my car?
The single decision that separates a drain-and-go from a fuel system rebuild, why petrol in a diesel is the expensive way round, and what to do if you have already driven off.
beginner15 min4 min readWhich engine oil does my car need and how do I top it up?
Reading the grade and the manufacturer specification your engine actually needs, checking the level properly, and topping up without overfilling.
beginner20 min4 min readWhy does my car heater blow cold?
Why the heater is the first thing to fail when a cooling system is in trouble, how to tell a stuck thermostat from an airlock from a blocked matrix, and the one version of this that means stop.
beginner15 min5 min readHow do I replace a blown bulb on a car?
Working out which bulb has gone, checking all the lights on your own, and the access problem that makes some cars a garage job.
beginner25 min4 min readHow do I replace a windscreen wiper blade?
Identifying which fitting your car uses, getting the old blade off without dropping the arm, and checking the rear wiper at the same time.
beginner15 min4 min readHow do I charge a car battery at home properly?
Why a short drive does not recharge a flat battery, what a smart charger does that an old one does not, and how to keep a car that sits unused from killing its own battery.
beginner30 min5 min readHow do I clean a car interior properly?
Working top down and dry before wet, treating each surface with the right thing, and getting the glass genuinely clear rather than smeared.
beginner2 hr4 min readHow do I know when my car needs a service?
Reading the schedule your car actually uses, the difference between a service and an MOT, and the items that are on time rather than mileage.
beginner20 min4 min readShould I repair a windscreen chip or replace the screen?
Why a small chip is worth fixing this week rather than next month, the MOT limits that decide repair from replacement, and what changes if your car has a camera behind the glass.
beginner15 min4 min read