After a minor car accident: what to do and record
Stay safe, stay at the scene, record the right details and tell your insurer, even when the damage looks small.
21 itemsStart
Car smells of burning: what to check
Work out from the smell whether to stop now or book the garage, and what to tell the mechanic.
Right now (5)
- Smoke or flames: pull over, engine off, everyone outMove well away from the car and away from traffic, then call the emergency number.
- Do not open the bonnet if you see smoke or flamesFresh air can feed a fire.
- No smoke: stop somewhere safe and turn on the hazards
- Check the temperature gauge and the warning lightsA red light or a gauge in the red means do not drive on.
- Let the engine cool for at least 30 minutes before you touch anything
Match the smell (7)
- Burning plastic or electrical: treat it as urgentCould be a wire or a melted part. Do not drive until it has been checked.
- Burning rubber: look for a slipping belt or a loose hose touching the engine
- Burning oil: look for oil on the engine or the exhaustOften a small leak dripping on hot metal. Check the dipstick.
- Sharp, acrid smell near a wheel: suspect the brakesA stuck brake or a handbrake left on can do this. Do not touch the wheel: it can burn you. Get a garage to look.
- Sweet, syrupy smell: suspect a coolant leakNever open the radiator cap while it is hot.
- Burnt smell after a steep hill or a hill start: suspect the clutchShould fade once it cools. If it keeps coming back, have the clutch checked.
- Rotten eggs or fuel smell: do not keep drivingFuel can catch fire. Have it towed if you smell raw fuel.
Quick look once cool (4)
- Look under the car for fresh drips and note the colourBrown or black: oil. Green, pink or orange: coolant.
- Look for a plastic bag or debris stuck on the exhaustCommon and easy to fix once it is cool.
- Check the oil and coolant levels
- Check the handbrake is fully off
Garage (3)
- Write down the smell, when it starts and how long it lasts
- Note whether it comes through the vents or from outside
- Call for a tow if the smell is electrical or fuel, or if it comes back
Similar
Before a long road trip: car checklist
What to check a week before and the night before, so the car is not the story of your trip.
21 itemsStart
Buying a used car: inspection checklist
Check the papers, the body, the engine and the road manners before you hand over any money.
32 itemsStart
Car AC not cooling: checks before the garage
Simple checks you can do yourself, and the signs that it needs an AC technician.
17 itemsStart
Car battery keeps going flat: what to check
Work out whether the cause is the battery, the charging system or something draining it while parked.
17 itemsStart
Car brakes squealing or grinding: what to check
Which brake noises can wait a few days, which cannot, and what to tell the garage.
20 itemsStart