As of: February 13, 2024, 9:47 a.m
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The letters CLOUD provide a mnemonic to check the most important points on the car.
The trick comes from the military.
There's probably nothing more embarrassing than having your car break down halfway because it ran out of gas - a small thing that could have easily been controlled.
To prevent this from happening, you should always check how much gas is left in the tank, as well as a few other important things on the car.
The CLOUD scheme is a mnemonic for five points on the car that you should check regularly.
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Mnemonic from the Bundeswehr: The CLOUD scheme for checking the car
In this case, the word CLOUD does not mean the clouds in the sky, but is made up of the letters CLOUD, each of which stands for a detail on the car that needs to be checked.
It's a mnemonic so you don't forget any of these things.
According to
Motointegrator.de,
the scheme for motor vehicles was invented by the Bundeswehr and then also used by the fire department and the THW.
Private individuals can also use this simple reminder to ensure that their car is always ready to drive.
The CLOUD scheme is made up of letters that each represent a detail on the car that needs to be checked.
© Maria Wendel/DALL-E (AI generated)
W – water
O – oil
L – air
K – fuel
E – Electrics
CLOUD scheme as a memory aid for drivers: W for water
The letter W stands for both coolant and windshield washer fluid.
The level of both is easy to check as both containers located under the hood are transparent.
The cooling water container has a label for the minimum and maximum levels between which the water level should be.
If the water level is too high, you can drain water using the drain screw; if it is too low, water must be refilled.
Simple tap water is sufficient here.
The windshield washer fluid container can also be filled with tap water.
However, certain cleaning products that are available at hardware stores or specialist retailers are better suited for the windows.
In winter we recommend one with frost protection.
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CLOUD scheme: O like oil
The oil level should be checked regularly because the engine simply would not run without oil.
Although you don't have to do this before every trip,
Motointegrator.de
recommends checking it every third fuel stop.
To do this, the dipstick is pulled out of the oil container, wiped with a cloth and put back in.
You can then read the oil level on it and know whether oil needs to be refilled.
If the oil level is too high, there is probably a problem and you should go to a workshop.
CLOUD scheme: L for air
To check the air pressure in your tires, you can either drive to a gas station or get a measuring device to use at home.
The correct air pressure can usually be found on a sticker in the B-pillar of the driver's door - or in the car's operating instructions.
According to Kfzteile24.de,
you should also adhere to this information
and not exceed or exceed the recommendations for minimum and maximum pressure.
Too low or too high air pressure can cause damage to the tires.
And if you're already concerned with the tires, you can also check the tread depth, which by law should be at least 1.6 millimeters.
Memory aid for drivers: K for fuel
It may sound simple, but you should always check that there is enough gasoline in the tank.
According to
Adac.de,
a lack of fuel belongs to the area of engine management (23.8 percent), which is the most common cause of breakdowns in Germany after problems with the battery (43.2 percent).
You can usually easily see whether there is still fuel in the tank on the on-board computer.
However, you shouldn't rely on this blindly.
If you have already driven further than you have ever managed with one tank of fuel, or if you remain stranded even though the pointer is not yet on “empty”, you should have the display checked.
E for Electrics
According to driving school instructors, you should actually check the lights before every trip.
Do the indicators at the rear and front work, are the lights on?
This is rarely done in everyday life, but you shouldn't skip it completely.
The rest of the electrical system must be checked regularly in a workshop or at the TÜV.
There is also the main inspection (HU), which must be carried out every two years.