Now this is too commonly misunderstood so it is important we get this right. The water in your vehicle will go into a radiator which then circulates the engine and other components which are watercooled, this is purely to keep things from over heating. Water is also put into a washer bottle for your washer jets which are used to spray on the screen(s) and on some cars even on the headlights.

Firstly, the water in the radiator should not be “just water”.. it should be a 50:50 concentrated mix of water and anti-freeze. If it was just water, during the winter time you would run a high risk of the water freezing up. This could happen in the pipes, engine, radiator and anywhere else the water runs. When the water freezes up, it expands and so could cause problems like split pipes, damaged core plugs in the engine, damaged water pump which pumps the water around the system.. all these problems could cause leaks which would allow the vehicle to run low on water.

If the vehicle runs low on water, it will potentially over heat which could then result to more serious problems. So as a rule of thumb, just to be on the safe side.. always topup radiator water with a 50:50 mix of antifreeze and water for the best concentration.

The radiator is located under the bonnet of your car, if you lift the bonnet and put it on it’s catch.. right infront you will find a long thin radiator with a small cap on top – be sure the cap is cold before removing! If you have been driving the vehicle, you must allow cool down time before removing the cap because the water does get very hot and pressure will build up inside, removing the cap when hot is dangerous!

To remove the cap, you twist it anti-clockwise and then lift up.

There is no level on the radiator to check how full/low it is, simply remove the cap and look inside, if you cannot see any water/anti-freeze then you should top it up. Just pour in your 50:50 solution of water/antifreeze until it overflows, then go ahead and put the radiator cap back on – Job done!

If it’s a new radiator which has not been filled before then the technique is different. You would need to fill it until it overflows as normal, but then leave the cap off and start the vehicle. After a few minutes the radiator will look empty again so go ahead and pour more of your solution in until it overflows.. you will need to do this 2-3 times before it’s full. Once the water starts getting hot it will bubble up to get any air locks out of the system, you will know when there are air locks in the water because the heating even on full heat will not disperse hot air, it will be mild/cool.

Once the bubbles have calmed down, put the cap back on the radiator and close the bonnet. The heating system should be working fine and if not 100% yet, it will eventually as the air escapes into the radiator expansion bottle.

Does your power steering system feel heavy, as if there is no power assistance at all? It can happen, power steering failures are more common in the electrical power steering systems which are fairly recent but even with conventional belt/engine driven steering pump systems, failure is possible.

If you have a conventional belt & pulley system running the power steering pump, then a diagnosis is far easier and below we’ll tell you how it’s done. For electric steering, we suggest taking your vehicle to or calling Power Steering Services directly because they are the specialists and will be able to advise you on what to do.

First thing to check is the reservoir, is there enough power steering fluid in there? – If not, fill it up with the correct fluid (most commonly Dextron II). If you are unsure of the type of fluid to use, you can request this information from your local main dealer. If there is enough fluid in the reservoir, start the vehicle and have someone turn the steering wheel side to side whilst you look down into the reservoir. Basically, you want to see if the fluid is frothing up, trying to push up out of the reservoir or bubbling.

Bubbling and frothing of the fluid in the reservoir would indicate a leak in the system, somewhere in the system there is air leaking in. Most commonly it’s from a power steering pipe and/or it’s connectors, so make sure the connections are tight and dry, check the pipe work for any damp patches also.

If the fluid is trying to push back up out of the reservoir, then there is a restriction somewhere in the system not allowing the fluid to flow freely around the pump, pipes and rack/box. This is where things can get a little messy, we need to determine what is causing the restriction. The possibilities are as follows:

1. Filter in the bottom of the reservoir
2. Power Steering Belt/Pulley Loose
3. Power Steering Pump Failure
4. Failure of the high pressure hose
5. Power Steering Rack/Box Failure

To check the filter in the reservoir, you need to remove the fluid. In the bottom of the reservoir there is normally a small siv-type filter, if this get’s blocked up with any contaminents then this could most likely be the cause of any problems, check this first and if necessary clean/replace.

Always check the belt if it’s got too much slack, it won’t be spinning the pump fast enough to produce the right amount of pressure. Most of the time you can tell when the belt is loose because it will from time to time make a screeching sound and goes away when you rev the vehicle high. Check for the correct tension on the belt and pulley.

The next thing to check would be the power steering pump, basically the pumps job is just to pump fluid around the system, it does not do anything different when turning left/right, it simply pumps constantly. So to check the pump is pumping correctly, disconnect the high pressure hose from the power steering pump – Now go ahead and start the vehicle, if the pump is working correctly then fluid will squirt out from the opening at high pressure across the engine bay. If the fluid trickles out slowly and with no pressure, then you’ve found the problem and it will need replacing. However, replacing a power steering pump can be very expensive and buying a “used” unit is no good as there is not much warranty and you never know the history to say how long it will last. The best idea would be to have your pump remanufactured or even exchanged with a pump from Power Steering Services, they offer a full 1 Years warranty on all parts including a free collect/return service and fittings.

If the fluid did squirt out, at high pressure from the pump then you need to check the high pressure hose itself. So connect it back up to the pump, and disconnect the other end of the hose which is connected to the power steering rack/box. Again, start the vehicle and if it squirts out at high pressure then the hose is fine too, but if it doesn’t, then the restrictor inside the hose has failed or something is stopping the fluid from passing through freely. – Most commonly you would require a replacement hose.

If the problem still exists and all other parts as discussed above are in correct working order, then it’s the rack that has failed, check the gaitors to see if they are holding fluid. The gaitors are not meant to hold any fluid, they should be dry with only grease inside. It could also be that you’ve hit a curb or the vehicle has been in an accident or hit a pot hole which has caused it to bend the track rod arm(s) and possible caused damage to the internal ram. To test the rack extensively it needs to ideally be put on a professional test rig, Power Steering Services do offer this service and replacement units ready on the shelf for exchange.

For this procedure you will need the following:

1. 1. 1. A jack, whether it be trolley jack or hand jack.
      2. An axle stand to support the vehicle.
      3. An oil pan to collect the waste oil.
      4. A ratchet & socket set.
      5. Oil filter removal tool.
      6. A funnel to put the new oil in.
      7. New oil & oil filter.

Make sure the vehicle is on level ground and that the handbrake is up, if it is an auto/semi auto transmission vehicle, put it into park (P). Now you need to jack the vehicle up so we can access the engine oil sump. Each vehicle has jacking points, most are designed with a jacking point behind the drivers side front wheel.

A jacking point will run along the under sill of the vehicle and be a flat surface with grooves to show that the cars hand jack can be used here. You can use your cars hand jack but if you do have a trolley jack, it will make life easier.

Jack the vehicle up giving yourself enough space to get underneith and access the bottom of the engine. Before getting under the vehicle, place the axle stand beside the jack when possible or else anywhere suitable you can find. Now release the jack so that the axle stand is supporting the vehicle.

It is now safe to get under the vehicle..

Under the engine you will find a sump pan with a large bolt on the side. To remove the engine oil, you need to undo the bolt and remove it but get the oil pan ready to catch the waste oil. Go ahead and remove the bolt.

Once all the oil has been removed, go ahead and put the sump bolt back in. If you can access the oil filter from below, go ahead and remove it (oil may come out from here too). When you put the new oil filter on (if it’s the screw type) then you only screw it on with your hand, no need to use a tool.. do it as tight as you can with your hands and that will do. Be sure to prime it with some oil first around the rubber seal on the face of the oil filter.

Once the filter has been changed, you can come out from under the vehicle, bring your tools and oil pan out, jack the vehicle back up to remove the axle stand and then remove the jack to bring the vehicle back level ground.

To get a correct reading from the oil level dipstick, the vehicle has to be on all 4 wheels. Checkout our post on how to correctly check engine oil levels for more information.

Now remove the engine cover (if any) and there will be a round screw type cap on the engine, unscrew this because this is where we put the oil in from. Place the funnel in the engine and prepare the new oil (shake well). Now put in just a little less than the desired amount of oil, wait a minute then check the level and from there on use the level as a guide to filling it correctly.

Once filled, screw the cap back on, put the engine cover back on and start the vehicle – job done!

You may notice some smoke from the engine once started, this is normal when there is an oil spillage however small, it will burn away and stop smoking eventually.

Many people make the mistake of starting the vehicle, lifting the bonnet (hood) and pulling out the dipstick to check the oil level. Or even after a journey, turning the engine off, lifting the bonnet (hood) and pulling the dipstick out to check the oil level.

What you have to understand is, the engine oil resides inside the engine sump which is located at the very bottom of the engine. The engine oil dipstick measures the level of oil inside the engine sump. When the vehicle is started, there is a pump inside the engine sump which will suck the oil up and pump it around the engine and it’s connected mechanical components i.e an oil-cooled turbo charger.

If the engine is started, and oil is pumping around the engine, it will be impossible to get a correct reading from the dipstick and 9/10 times it will show you that the level of oil in your engine is exceeding the “Full” mark. Even after a journey if you was to check the oil level, it may still give incorrect readings, this is because the oil has not had sufficient time to reside back to the engine sump.

You should always check the oil level of your engine BEFORE starting the vehicle, i.e. if the engine is cold, it’s a good time to check the oil level. If you have just gone on a journey but want to check the oil level, give the oil 5 or so minutes to run back down in to the engine sump before checking the level.

But HOW do you check it?

1. Remove the engine oil dipstick and wipe it clean with a cloth/tissue.
2. Re-insert the engine oil dipstick. Wait 2-3 seconds, then pull it back out.
3. Now you can check the level of your engine oil.

If the oil level is low, top it up and wait a minute before checking the level again giving sufficient time for the oil to go down into the engine oil sump (remember when the oil is hot, it moves quicker, so fresh cold oil takes longer to move down the internals of the engine).

If it is a petrol vehicle, and the oil is black then the oil should be a golden-browny colour, dark brown at the most but when it’s black, this is a sign that the engine requires an oil change. For diesel engines, this is not the case as diesel engines turn oil to black in a matter of days.