Chapter 1 — The two-minute walk-around: POWDERS, in order

There are dozens of pre-drive check mnemonics taught at various driving schools — POWDERY, FLOWERY, BLOWBAGS. They all do the same job: give you an order so that you never start a journey having forgotten something obvious. The version below is POWDERS, which works for both combustion and electric cars and takes about two minutes once it becomes a habit.

01P — Petrol or charge

Combustion: look at the fuel gauge before you set off, not at the first roundabout. Plan refuelling around your route, not your warning light. Modern fuel-level senders can give a false read on slopes; if the needle is hovering near reserve, top up.

Electric: state of charge, range estimate, and — for longer journeys — your charging plan. The dashboard range estimate is a guide; in cold weather and at motorway speeds, expect 20–30% less than the displayed figure depending on the model.

02O — Oil

Once a week, with the engine cold and the car parked on level ground, check the oil. Pull the dipstick, wipe it, push it fully home, pull it again, read the level. The level should sit between the minimum and maximum marks; the gap between the two is typically about one litre.

Top up with the grade specified in the handbook — usually 5W-30 or 0W-20 on modern petrol and diesel engines, but check, because the wrong grade can damage variable valve timing components on some engines. Do not overfill: oil above the maximum mark can be forced into the crankcase ventilation system and burnt, which damages the catalytic converter and, on diesels, the DPF.

Some modern engines have an electronic level sensor and no dipstick. In that case, check the level through the dashboard menu with the engine off and the car level, after at least five minutes of standing.

03W — Water (coolant, screenwash, brake fluid)

Coolant: with the engine cold, the level in the expansion tank should be between the MIN and MAX marks. If you are topping it up regularly, something is leaking — get it looked at.

Screenwash: top up to the brim with a screenwash mix appropriate to the season. In winter, use a concentrate rated to at least −10°C. Plain water freezes in the lines and damages the pump.

Brake fluid: check the reservoir level. A falling level usually means worn brake pads — as the pads wear, the pistons extend and the fluid level in the reservoir drops. Do not just top it up; have the pads checked. Brake fluid is hygroscopic and should be changed every two years regardless of mileage.

04D — Damage

Walk round the car. Look for: fresh scrapes you do not recognise (relevant if the car is parked on the street), fluid spots under the car (clear is condensation from the air-con, brown is engine oil, pink or green is coolant, red is power-steering or transmission fluid, black is heavy oil leak), and anything sitting under the wheels that you would rather not drive over.

On modern cars with plastic underbody trays, a single screw working loose can let the tray drop and drag on the road. A torch under the front of the car once a month catches it before it tears off on the motorway.

05E — Electrics and lights

Walk round with the lights on. Sidelights, dipped headlights, full beam, indicators (all four), brake lights (have a helper, or reverse up to a wall and watch the reflection), reverse light, rear fog. A single bulb out is a £100 fixed-penalty and three points if you are unlucky with a police vehicle.

Inside: check the dashboard warning lights when you turn the ignition on. They should all illuminate briefly then go out. Anything that stays on — particularly the airbag, ABS, brake system or engine management light — needs diagnosis before a long journey.

06R — Rubber (tyres)

Pressures: check cold, once a fortnight. The recommended pressures are on a label inside the driver's door shut or on the fuel filler flap. Use the loaded pressure for motorway runs and full passenger loads. An under-inflated tyre runs hot and can delaminate at speed.

Tread: the legal minimum in the UK is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tread, around the whole circumference. Most tyres have wear-indicator bars moulded into the grooves — when the tread is level with the bar, the tyre is at the limit. Replace before you reach it; wet braking performance falls off sharply below about 3mm.

Sidewalls: look for bulges, cuts or cracks. Any bulge is an immediate replacement — the internal cords have separated and the tyre can blow without warning.

07S — Self

The driver is the last component. Are you fit to drive? Medications that warn against operating machinery (some antihistamines, opioid painkillers, some sleep aids), alcohol from the night before, less than five hours' sleep, recent eye drops that have blurred your vision — any of these are reasons to delay.

08When to use the full routine

Every long journey, every time you take a vehicle you do not normally drive, and after the car has been parked for a week or more. Day-to-day, the lights/tyres/self subset takes about thirty seconds. The full POWDERS once a week is enough to catch almost everything before it becomes a roadside problem.