Engine oil is vital for keeping your car working properly. It stops heat and friction building up within your engine and allows all of the moving parts to work properly. Without oil, your engine would cease to work.

If the engine oil light comes on in your vehicle, make sure to pull over safely as soon as possible and check underneath your car. If you see liquid dripping down, this is most likely to be oil and you should stop driving immediately.

If there is no leakage, purchase some engine oil and top it up immediately. Ensure it is the correct type of oil for your vehicle.

If your vehicle misses a regularly timed service, you are putting your car and yourself in danger, as various problems can arise as a result.

A result of a service may be that you are informed by a qualified mechanic that certain repair jobs need to be done to the vehicle in order for it to keep running smoothly.

This may prove costly and the best way to ensure you get a fair price on these jobs and vehicle servicing is to contact your local garages for quotes.

Regular services and annual MOT’s will help you avoid breaking down. It is a legal requirement in the United Kingdom for your car to have a valid MOT.

Your driving habits have a direct impact on the health of your car and the parts which are essential for driving.

For example, you shouldn’t rev your car engine in the cold weather because this will create rapid temperature changes within your engine and can therefore damage components.

Try to avoid hard stops and hard starts because your brake pads could eventually wear out. Instead, brakes should be applied smoothly when bringing your vehicle to a halt.

You should avoid riding your clutch as this will wear down the bearings which are essential for keeping your clutch working, and a new clutch can prove costly.

Wherever possible, avoid applying your brakes while you are driving downhill, as it causes significant strain and heat build-up on your braking system.

If your car is stuffed full of books, spare parts, half of your wardrobe, year old junk food, tigers and random passengers, you’ll be carrying weight, which is having a negative impact on your car.

Each time you turn a corner, brake and accelerate, your car is having to work significantly harder to do what you want it to do.

Your suspension and brakes will also be under more pressure, while the fuel economy of your car will be significantly reduced.

Ignoring a problem won’t make it go away. The longer you ignore a problem, the worse it is going to get and it won’t go away on its own. This is especially true for vehicles.

As soon as you hear a strange noise coming from your car or notice a difference in the way it drives, take your car to a garage and explain exactly what the issue is. Doing this as soon as possible will help you avoid bigger and more costly problems further down the road.