How 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 read
Motoring
Faults, tyres, servicing, insurance, tax and the paperwork — for people who own a car rather than work on them. These guides explain what is happening and what it means for you, and say plainly when a job belongs to a garage. They are not repair manuals, and they recommend no insurer, lender or product.
206 guides
How do I get a bad smell out of a car?
Finding the material actually holding the smell, dealing with the air conditioning source that most people never consider, and why air fresheners fail.
beginner1 hr 30 min4 min readHow do I power a dashcam without flattening the car battery?
Why a dashcam left on parking mode kills batteries, what a voltage cut-off actually does, and the difference between a cigarette socket, a hardwire kit and a separate battery pack.
intermediate30 min5 min readHow do I stop my catalytic converter being stolen?
Why particular cars are targeted, which deterrents actually work, and what to do about it if the worst happens.
beginner15 min5 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 readWhat do I do if my handbrake is stuck or frozen on?
Why handbrakes freeze on overnight in cold or wet weather, the safe ways to free one, and how to park so it does not happen again.
beginner20 min5 min readWhat is an EGR valve, and why does it keep blocking?
What exhaust gas recirculation is for, why short journeys clog it, the symptoms of a stuck valve, and why blanking it is not a fix.
intermediate15 min6 min readWhat licence do I need to ride a motorbike or scooter in the UK?
How the CBT, the A1, A2 and A categories fit together, what each one lets you ride, the age thresholds, and the progressive access route.
beginner20 min5 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 readWhy is my gearbox hard to get into gear?
Why the clutch is usually the culprit rather than the gearbox, how to tell a hydraulic problem from worn synchros, and the pattern that means stop driving.
beginner15 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 readDo I have to tell DVLA about a medical condition?
What notifiable actually means, why the duty sits with you rather than your doctor, what happens after you tell them, and the eyesight standard everyone is subject to.
beginner15 min5 min readHow do I charge an electric car to protect the battery?
The charge window that suits daily use, why rapid charging is for journeys rather than habit, and what cold weather actually does to range.
beginner15 min4 min readHow do I find and change a fuse in a car?
Where the fuse boxes actually are, how to read the diagram, how to spot a blown fuse, and why a fuse that blows repeatedly is telling you something the fuse cannot fix.
beginner20 min5 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 scrap a car properly?
How to find an authorised treatment facility, what a certificate of destruction actually proves, why cash is a red flag, and the DVLA notification that ends your liability.
beginner25 min5 min readHow do I stop my car windows misting up?
Why car windows mist, how to clear them fastest, and how to stop it recurring by removing the moisture source.
beginner30 min2 min readHow do I use a tyre sealant kit or a space saver spare?
What each option can and cannot do, the speed and distance limits that apply, and when to call for recovery instead.
beginner30 min4 min readHow old are my tyres, and does age matter as much as tread?
Every tyre carries its week and year of manufacture in a four-digit code. How to read it, why a nearly new-looking tyre can still be unsafe, and where age matters most.
beginner10 min4 min readShould I keep my car keys in a signal-blocking pouch?
What a keyless fob broadcasts, why a pouch or a metal tin helps, and the household habits that matter at least as much.
beginner15 min5 min readWhat coolant does my car need, and can I mix the colours?
Why coolant colour tells you almost nothing, what the specification code on the bottle actually means, and why old coolant damages an engine even though it still looks fine.
beginner12 min5 min readWhat do the numbers on a tyre sidewall mean?
Decoding a marking like 205/55 R16 91V, finding the date the tyre was made, and which of those figures a replacement must match or beat.
beginner10 min4 min readWhy are my parking sensors beeping at nothing, or my camera gone black?
Why sensors scream at nothing after rain or frost, what a towbar does to the system, and the windscreen and calibration issues behind a black camera screen.
beginner15 min5 min readHow do I check my driving licence details and share them?
Where your endorsements and entitlements actually live now the paper counterpart is gone, how to generate a check code for a hire company or employer, and what to do at 70.
beginner15 min5 min read