A MECHANIC has claimed that an easy car maintenance job that you only have to do once every five years can make you engine “last twice as long”.
Drivers could save thousands by reducing wear on their motors – all you need is a £5 bit of kit from Amazon.
Motors whizz Scotty Kilmer drew on his more than 50 years in the industry to share the advice on his YouTube channel.
He urged motorists to pay attention to an often-forgotten part of their car – the radiator cap.
This plastic cap seals the coolant system and keeps it pressurised, which Scotty compared to a can of pop.
He said: “You car’s radiator system is under pressure.
“Just like the soda can…when you open the cap it lets all the pressure out.
“That’s why you never take the cap off of a hot engine.
“The coolant will boil out all over the place.”
If that happens while your driving along, it could cause thousands of pounds worth of damage to your engine and leave you stranded on the side of the road.
That’s why Scotty recommended keeping an eye on the radiator cap and changing it regularly to make sure it doesn’t blow out.
He added: “The cap has rubber seals and little springs inside.
“They wear out over time…then the coolant will evaporate out of the system.
“If you want your coolant to stay inside your radiator, just change your cap every five or six years.”
The good thing is that you can easily change the cap at home.
When your engine is cool, just remove the old cap and screw the new one back on.
Replacements only cost about £5 on Amazon.
Just make sure to check that the new cap is rated to withstand the same amount of pressure as the old one – this is usually displayed on a label on top of the part.
It comes after a car dealer revealed how he doubled his money on a Mini he picked up for just £300.
