Car maintenance tips: checks to keep your car running smoothly
There are several tips to keep your car running smoothly, but what are they?
The Cazoo editorial team
Published on 23 September 2025 | 1 min read
For many of us, a car is one of the most vital ways of travelling around, but if it doesn’t work, then it’s almost useless.
As we approach the winter months, our cars will need to be in tip-top condition in order for them to carry on doing their daily duties of being reliable workhorses.
Many cars break down or go wrong, due to a lack of vehicle maintenance, but with a little bit of pride and care, there are several ways to prevent them from letting you down.
So, if you own a car and are worried about it breaking down, here are some useful tips and advice to keep your car running smoothly.
Check the condition of the battery
Check the condition of the battery as the colder months will put more strain on it, which could lead to it failing and leaving you stranded.
A standard car battery runs at 12 volts, so if you think it needs to be replaced, firstly have it tested to see how many amps it’s reading.
If any battery reads below 10 amps, then you’ll need a new battery, which will give your car a new lease of life.
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Check your brakes
Brakes are the most important safety feature on your car, as they are designed to slow you down and prevent accidents.
However, if your brakes are worn out, they could be more likely to fail on you, which could lead to a serious accident. Look to see if there are signs of wear on the discs themselves, check for corrosion, lips, pitting and check to see how much meat is left on the brake pads.
If you find any of these signs when checking your brakes, get them replaced. A reputable garage should be able to source you some new discs and pads, and they will be able to fit them for you, too.
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Replace the oil regularly
Most modern cars need their oil replaced once a year or every 10,000 miles; however, if you cover a lot of miles, you’ll be having to top up the oil more frequently.
If you don’t replace the oil, then this could lead to oil starvation on the engine, which will eventually cause the internals to rub together and fail, leading to a new engine.
Your engine needs regular oil changes in order to keep everything lubricated and working as it should. If you begin to fall behind changing the oil as intended, it could lead you to some big bills later down the line.
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Check the condition of the tyres and replace them if necessary
Just like with brakes, tyres are one of the most important safety features fitted to your car and they need to be checked on a regular basis.
Here in the UK, the minimum legal tyre tread requirement is 1.6mm. If your tyre tread is lower than that, you need to replace them immediately as it will be classed as ‘dangerous’ and will not pass an MOT.
Look for signs of wear such as cracking in the rubber, cuts in the sidewall, make sure there are no nails in the tread and the tyre is not too old.
If you drive a car running on old rubber, the tyre will not be as effective in slippery conditions and could be more susceptible to failing, causing a blowout at speed.
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Give your car a clean
An overlooked tip to keep your car running smoothly is just giving it a general wash.
Make sure that you clean the entire bodywork, getting in between the wheel arches where mud and salt collect, and give the car a thorough clean underneath.
A lot of car drivers miss these vital areas, which can lead to rust, which will eventually spread throughout the vehicle, causing it to fail an MOT and be deemed fit for the scrapyard.
Also, when washing your car, make sure you give it polish and wax, using a good quality microfibre towel, as doing this will give an extra layer of protection to the car’s paintwork.
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Check the fluid levels
Always make sure you check the fluid levels such as screenwash and brake fluid as both of these are important when it comes to safety.
Top up your screenwash, as this gives you peace of mind that when the windscreen gets covered in road dirt, that there is wash liquid in the tank that can safely clear the screen. Plus, always check the brake fluid levels, as having no brake fluid can be seriously dangerous, which could lead to brake failure, causing a serious accident.
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If you own a diesel, check the DPF filter
Most modern diesel cars will come with a ‘diesel particulate filter’, or DPF for short.
A DPF is located within the vehicle’s exhaust system and is designed to capture and remove any nasty soot and particulates from the engine’s exhaust gases. However, if you don’t cover many miles, over time a diesel car’s DPF will get clogged up, causing it to run rough and not perform as best it could.
So, we’d recommend that you take your diesel car out once a week for a longer run, potentially down a motorway as this will be enough to clear the filter out, allowing the car to run smoothly again. Diesel engines are designed to be used, and if you’re covering very few miles a year, a petrol-engined car will be better suited for you.
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