Auto on Helmoa
Auto guides & tools
Cars, maintenance and buying.
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How to check tyre pressure
Check monthly when tyres are cold, using the pressure on the driver’s door jamb sticker — never the number on the tyre sidewall, which is a maximum. Correct pressure improves fuel economy by up to 3% and stops uneven wear.
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How often should you change engine oil?
Follow the car’s maintenance schedule, not the shop sticker. Most modern cars on full synthetic run 12,000–16,000 km (7,500–10,000 miles) or 12 months. Short trips, towing and dusty roads cut that roughly in half.
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How to change a tyre on the roadside
Get fully off the road, hazards on, loosen the nuts before jacking, jack on the manufacturer's designated point, swap the wheel, hand-tighten in a star pattern, lower, then torque properly. Space-saver spares are limited to 50 mph.
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How to jump start a car safely
Red to the dead battery positive, red to the donor positive, black to the donor negative, black to an unpainted metal ground on the dead car — never the dead battery's negative terminal. Start the donor, wait two minutes, start the dead car.
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What to check before buying a used car
Run the VIN history, check for mismatched panel gaps and paint, look for rust under the sills, confirm service records match the odometer, and pay for an independent pre-purchase inspection before any money changes hands.