What should I put in the screenwash bottle?
Why plain water is a bad idea, how to get the dilution right for the season, and clearing blocked jets without damaging them.
beginner10 min4 min read
Maintenance & Servicing
The checks and jobs that keep a car out of the garage.
38 guides in Motoring
Why is my windscreen washer not spraying?
The order to check things in when nothing comes out, why the pump is rarely the culprit, and how to stop the whole system freezing solid in the first place.
beginner20 min5 min readWhat is remapping a car, and what does it affect?
What is actually being changed, why manufacturers leave headroom in the first place, and the four things a remap touches that have nothing to do with performance.
intermediate20 min6 min readHow do I deal with scratches and swirl marks in car paint?
Telling a lacquer scratch from one through to the primer, why swirl marks come from washing, and what can honestly be corrected at home.
intermediate2 hr4 min readIs premium fuel worth paying extra for?
What the higher octane number actually does, the small number of cars that genuinely benefit, and why supermarket fuel is not the poor relation people assume.
beginner12 min4 min readWhy does brake fluid need changing when it still looks fine?
How brake fluid absorbs water out of the air, why that lowers its boiling point, and the driving situations in which old fluid produces a pedal that goes to the floor.
beginner10 min5 min readWhat is AdBlue, and what happens if I run out?
The urea solution that lets a modern diesel meet emissions limits, why the car will eventually refuse to start without it, and how to top it up without making a mess.
beginner10 min4 min readHow do I look after a motorbike over winter?
The three things that actually damage a stored bike, whether to SORN or keep it taxed, and how to bring it back in spring without a workshop bill.
beginner1 hr6 min readHow do I wash a car properly?
The two-bucket method that avoids swirl marks, the right order to wash in, and what actually damages paintwork.
beginner1 hr 30 min3 min readHow do I wax or seal car paintwork?
What protection actually does, the difference between wax, sealant and ceramic coatings, and applying it so it lasts rather than smears.
beginner2 hr4 min readHow do I look after a car I barely drive?
The specific problems that affect little-used cars, and the maintenance that prevents them.
beginner45 min2 min readHow do I get a car ready for hot weather?
The checks that stop a car overheating or breaking down in a heatwave, plus keeping the cabin, the paint and the interior liveable.
beginner40 min4 min readHow do I remove tar, tree sap and bird droppings from car paint?
Why bird mess and sap have to be dealt with quickly, softening each deposit rather than rubbing it, and protecting the paint so it happens less.
beginner45 min4 min readHow do I keep a car tidy?
A small set of habits and containers that stop a car filling with clutter between cleans.
beginner45 min2 min read