Checking the water cooling system

Driving without enough water or anti-freeze in your car's cooling system can do some serious damage to your engine.

When you are checking your water cooling system levels, you should always make sure that the engine is cold. If you have to do it when the engine's hot then make sure you protect yourself from escaping steam by placing a large cloth over the filler cap when you open it, as this is very dangerous.

1. Prepare a mix of 1/3 anti-freeze to 2/3 water in advance. You need anti-freeze in your engine all year round as it's also very effective at preventing rust
2. Check the levels of your water cooling system when parked on a level surface. Pop the bonnet and look for the plastic container marked with a water symbol. This has clearly marked minimum and maximum levels and, when your engine is cold, the level should be at maximum
3. If the level is below the maximum mark, unscrew and top the container up to the maximum level with your anti-freeze water mix

Diamond Tip:

If you need to top your water cooling system up more than once every couple of months then your system probably has a leak. If this is the case then get your car checked out by a garage.