Admittedly, if you don't do that many kilometers a year, you'll get pretty lazy. There is sure only the grip on the oil dipstick, which was practiced in a certain rhythm in the past, but this proves to be more and more unnecessary with a moderate driving style, which increases the laziness even more.

But actually the side view to the reservoir with coolant, which is usually necessary, is not an act, but often does not want to succeed. You can transport the oil dipstick if it is too dark, but not the container. In addition, its middle edge is precisely covered by the components surrounding it.

You see, there is a never-ending chain of arguments for laziness. This is not at all harmless, because for a long time the control was supplemented by a temperature display without a warning light. You could swear one didn't keep an eye on them when it was absolutely necessary.

The consequences should not be underestimated. Repairing today's cylinder heads is considerably more complex than it used to be. Just think of the complex drive of the two camshafts, and above all of the consequences if a mistake creeps in here. It may even be that this only becomes apparent when you step on the gas.

No, definitely avoid it. There is even a suspicion that the engine could never be the same again, quite apart from the costs. But the sloppiness has the property of spreading especially when the possible problem falls below the perception limit, incidentally also possible with commissioned service.

When you think of the cooling systems of the past ... Radiator repairs were the order of the day, not only because of accidents, leaking water pumps were even more common. All rubber parts had to be replaced at least once in the much shorter car life. Leaks in the heating inside were particularly unpleasant.

There are now indeed systems that, with a mileage of just a few kilometers, can last almost 10 years before they have to be refilled. And so here's a tip for anyone who has long since surrendered in the fight against their own laziness: put a half-litre bottle of mineral water in the spare wheel well, but only if you have found out in the owner's manual that there is a warning light for the cooling system.

This is something of a standard in vehicles these days. If it lights up because there is not enough coolant, you can drive calmly to the next rest area with always a look at the temperature display. The following part of our tip can be really dangerous and gloves are of no use. Laymen, after all, have a habit of immediately turn on any lid.

Even that can be dangerous, because hot steam escaping in a targeted manner can even burn your face. So wait until everything has cooled down and then refill only half of the bottle at first. If the light then warns you a second time while driving on, give the cooling system the rest of the water.

Why reasonably exact these quantities? Because of course you then have to top up the system with the same proportion of pure coolant additive in order to maintain the mixing ratio. Skimping with just a quarter liter avoids overfilling with possible flooding at the end. No, you no longer have to measure the proportion of antifreeze.

The water in the luggage compartment has another advantage. Meanwhile it is recommended to take precautions against long-lasting traffic jams in the car. Of course, this mainly applies in winter, which also includes protection against the cold when there is no longer enough fuel in the tank. A small supply of mineral water can also help, but also in the hot summer.

Incidentally, we could soon be more interested in coolants in general, since e-cars require up to twice as much coolant as combustion engines. Even the selection during the ordering process can be more complicated. With the Ford E-Transit, for example, there is a cold start package with a second battery for temperatures down to -29°C for an extra charge. There, today's combustion engines have fewer problems.