Aline Motor Care, Chelmsley Wood B37
On the drive, before you leave
Do these with the engine cold if you can.
- Tyres: pressure cold, including the spare if you have one. Look for bulges and nails.
- Oil: on the dipstick or iDrive, not “it was fine last month”.
- Coolant: level between the marks. If it is low, find why. Do not set off and top up at services.
- Lights: dipped, main, indicators, brake lights against a wall or with someone standing behind.
- Wipers and washers. Motorway spray in the rain is not the time to find out the jet is blocked.
The jobs that actually stop cars on the M6
Auxiliary belts and tensioners. A chirp on a cold start is a warning, not a personality trait.
Timing belts on VAG petrol and diesel engines that are past interval. A snapped belt on an interference engine is not a recovery you walk away from. Confirm belt versus chain from the engine code, not the model name. The timing belt guide on this site covers the common cars.
Brakes that pull or grind. High-speed stops on the M42 need even pads and a disc that is not on the lip.
Warning lights
A yellow engine light that has been on “for ages” is still a stored fault. On a long run you want to know if it is a lambda sensor or a misfire that will cook a catalyst. Book a diagnostic before the trip if a light is on.
Red oil, red coolant, flashing engine light: do not start a motorway journey. Recover it.
If the car is due a service anyway
Do the service before the trip, not after. Filters, inspection and a digital service entry are cheaper than a hard shoulder. See the servicing page for how we quote.