Hello,

I recently bought a 2011 Mazda 2. Since this is the first car I've owned in 30 years, I now realise I have very little idea about general maintenance, and especially the following:

OIL: Should I be checking this regularly (if so how often?) or just waiting for a warning light to come on? What kind of oil should I use to top it up? How often is a complete oil change necessary?

COOLANT: Again, no idea what to top up/how often. Does antifreeze go in the coolant tank, or elsewhere?

BRAKE FLUID: Same question really: is this something to check weekly, yearly, or what? Should I just look out for a warning light?

So far everybody I have asked has given a different answer, so I'm hoping somebody might take 5 minutes to explain this to me. I won't be in the least offended if you use words of one syllable as if speaking to a 3-year-old, I really am new to all this.

Many thanks for any good advice!

 

Oil & other fluids should be checked once every week or two.

Mazda recommends oil & filter change every 10,000kms / 6,000 miles or no longer than 12 months

Coolant is long life, due at 200,000kms / 120,000 miles or 10yrs

Brake fluid is due for replacement every 2yrs or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first.

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply, that's a big help!