How do I check a car over before a long drive?

Ten minutes on tyres, fluids and lights that prevents most roadside breakdowns.

Difficulty: beginner
Time: 20 min
Read: 2 min
Safety: warning

Short answer

Tyres, oil, coolant, screenwash and lights — in that order, with the engine cold. Tyres are the most important and the most neglected, and under-inflation is both a safety and a fuel-cost issue.

Most breakdowns on long journeys are things that would have been visible in a ten-minute check. Doing it the evening before, rather than in a service station, is what makes it useful.

Safety

Never open a hot radiator or expansion tank cap — the coolant is under pressure and above boiling point, and it sprays out. Let the engine cool completely first. Check tyres when cold; pressures read high after driving. If a warning light is on, find out what it means before setting off.

What you'll need

Tyre pressure gauge
Screenwash
Engine oil (optional)
Torch (optional)

Step by step

Check the tyre pressures when cold.Before driving, or at least two hours after. The correct pressures are on a plate in the door shut or the fuel flap, and there is usually a higher figure for a fully loaded car — use that for a holiday.
Check the tread and the condition.The legal minimum is 1.6mm across the central three quarters. A 20p coin works: if the outer band is visible when inserted in the groove, get it checked. Look for bulges, cuts and uneven wear, which suggests an alignment problem.
Check the spare or the repair kit.Including its pressure, and that the tools and the locking wheel nut key are actually in the car. Discovering the spare is flat at the roadside is a common and avoidable problem.
Check the oil with the engine cold and level.Dipstick out, wipe, reinsert fully, remove and read. Between minimum and maximum. Top up slowly and recheck — overfilling causes its own damage.
Check the coolant level, cold.The expansion tank has minimum and maximum marks and is usually translucent, so you can read it without opening anything. Never open the cap on a hot engine.
Fill the screenwash properly.With screenwash, not plain water — water freezes and does not clear road film. Running out on a motorway in bad weather is genuinely dangerous.
Check every light with someone watching.Headlights, main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights, reversing lights. Brake lights are the ones you cannot check alone and the ones that matter most.
Check the wipers and the fuel.Smearing wipers need replacing before a wet motorway drive, not during. And plan the fuel or charging stops rather than discovering the range is short.

Tips

Do this the evening before. Anything you find can be fixed before you set off rather than becoming a delay.
Under-inflated tyres wear faster, use more fuel and handle worse. Checking monthly is worth it regardless of journeys.
Keep a torch, a warning triangle, a hi-vis vest, water and a phone charger in the car. All are useful and none takes space.

Questions people ask

What should I check before a long drive?

Tyre pressures and tread, oil, coolant, screenwash and all the lights. Ten minutes with the engine cold, ideally the evening before.

What tyre pressure should I use?

The figure on the plate in the door shut or fuel flap. There is usually a higher pressure listed for a fully loaded car — use that when packed for a holiday.