Released in 2006

You want a break, not a breakdown

They didn't show the hard shoulder of the M1 in the holiday brochure! There wasn't a photograph of a breakdown truck and nothing was said about a tow rope.

Holidays from hell happen. But they needn't. At peak holiday periods, the UK's major breakdown organisations deal with more than 50,000 calls a day. Yet most faults are simple things - low engine fluid levels, faulty jacks, snapped drivebelts and so on. They could easily be avoided by a pre-holiday check of your vehicle. At least a week before taking your car on holiday, you should carry out a number of simple checks - some of which should be repeated just before you leave.

Below are some of the tasks recommended by Haynes - the world-leading publisher of automotive repair manuals. In addition to its best-selling servicing and maintenance manuals for particular cars, vans and motorcycles, Haynes publishes two useful glovebox guides. Your Car contains everything you need to know about owning and maintaining your car - from what to do in an emergency to preparing for the MOT test. Driving Abroad details rules and regulations for different countries around the world and has vital information about documents, insurance, extreme driving conditions and so on.

Before you take your car on holiday, undertake these checks

1. Check that your car won't become due for an MOT test or a service while you are away.
2. With the vehicle on level ground and a cold engine, check all the fluid levels - engine oil and coolant, brake, clutch and power steering fluid reservoirs. Check for leaks if any of these need a lot of topping-up. Also top up the screen washer bottle.
3. Check the condition of the tyres carefully, including the one on the spare wheel. The UK legal tread wear limit of 1.6mm is an absolute minimum and you should ideally replace any tyre with less than 3.0mm of tread before embarking on a lengthy holiday journey.
4. Inspect the wheels to see if they have been damaged by 'kerbing' and look for a particularly clean patch around the rim that could indicate a missing wheel balancing weight.
5. Using a good quality pressure gauge, check the inflation pressure of each tyre. A low reading on one tyre could indicate a slow puncture, which you should get checked. Remember that you may have to increase tyre pressures when fully laden.
6. Now check the condition of the wiper blades. Clean them with some neat screenwash on a piece of tissue. If they are cracked or show any signs of deterioration, or if they smear the glass even after cleaning, renew them.
7. Inspect the engine auxiliary drivebelt for cracks and separation of the belt plies.
8. Make sure all the external lights are functioning - including rear fog lights. Try the horn too.
9. If you are going on holiday abroad, check the essential equipment - such as a warning triangle, spare bulbs and first aid kit - which you must carry in certain countries.
10.  Clean the windows inside and out and wipe the lamp lenses and door mirrors.

Hopefully, you will have a trouble-free and relaxing holiday - just as promised in the brochure.