Your five-minute car check: tyres, fluids and lights

Most breakdowns give a warning first: a soft tyre, a low fluid, a dead bulb. A short routine every few weeks, and before every long drive, catches problems while they are still cheap and safe to fix.

When to check

• The RAC recommends a quick five-minute check every few weeks and always before a long journey.
• The UK Highway Code says to check tyre pressures weekly, before your journey, when the tyres are cold, because warm or hot tyres can give a misleading reading.
• In UAE summer, mechanics quoted by Khaleej Times (July 2026) suggest checking tyre pressure early in the morning before you drive, and checking weekly under the car for coolant, oil or fuel leaks.
• Do your checks parked on level ground with the engine off, somewhere safe away from traffic, such as your own parking space.

Tyres

• Find the correct pressure in the owner's handbook (the RAC's advice); many cars also show it on a sticker inside the driver's door frame or fuel flap.
• Use a pressure gauge at a petrol station air machine or your own digital gauge, and set each tyre, including the spare if you have one, to the figure for your load.
• Look at each tyre for splits, cuts, bulges and uneven wear, as the RAC advises. A bulge means the tyre needs replacing, not just more air.
• Tread: the UK legal minimum for cars is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters of the tread (Highway Code). The RAC suggests 3 mm for better grip in winter if you drive abroad in cold, wet weather.

Under the bonnet

• Engine oil: pull out the dipstick, wipe it, push it fully back in, pull it out again and check the level sits between the minimum and maximum marks (RAC). Top up only with the oil type in your handbook.
• Coolant: check the level in the see-through reservoir only when the engine is cold (RAC). The system is sealed, so a level that keeps dropping points to a leak.
• Brake fluid: check the reservoir level against its marks. The RAC warns that brake fluid is corrosive and suggests getting a professional to look if you are unsure.
• Screenwash: top up the washer reservoir with screenwash. In the GCC, dust and insects make this a year-round job.
• Never open the coolant or radiator cap on a hot engine: hot coolant is under pressure. Wait until the engine is fully cold.

Lights, wipers and battery

• Ask a friend to walk round the car while you switch on side lights, headlights (dipped and full beam), indicators, hazard lights, brake lights, reversing lights and the number plate light (RAC).
• Check wiper blades for splits and cracks and replace them from time to time. Sun and heat in the GCC age rubber quickly.
• Look at the battery terminals: they should be clean and tight (RAC). The RAC says a battery over four years old may be nearing the end of its life.
• If a warning light appears on the dashboard, look it up in the handbook straight away. Red usually means stop safely; do not just keep driving and hope.

Make it a habit

• Put a repeating reminder in your phone for the first Saturday of every month, plus one the day before any long drive.
• Keep a simple log in your notes app: date, tyre pressures, anything you topped up, anything that looked odd.
• Learn where everything is from the handbook (many are online as PDFs). Car layouts vary, so do not guess which cap is which.
• If something keeps happening, such as a tyre that loses pressure or oil that keeps going down, book a garage visit rather than topping up forever.