💡 In Germany you fill up yourself and pay at the till afterwards: you say the pump (Säule) number and the amount or litres.
💡 Benzin (petrol): Super E10, Super E5; Diesel is diesel. If you filled the wrong fuel don't start the engine but call for help.
💡 Reifendruck is tyre pressure; at petrol stations there is a machine (Luftdruckprüfer) which often needs coins or a card.
💡 Super and E10 are two kinds of petrol; before filling up look inside the fuel flap or in the vehicle papers to see what is allowed; Diesel must never go into a petrol car.
💡 At a petrol station you pay for the car wash at the till: you get a code (on the receipt) that you enter at the wash itself; the wash takes a few minutes.
💡 Inspektion is a service, Ölwechsel an oil change, Bremsen brakes, Reifenwechsel tyre change, Termin appointment.
💡 Useful words: Geräusch (noise), Bremsen quietschen (brakes squeal), ruckelt (jerks), Warnleuchte (warning light), Motor (engine).
💡 Before agreeing to a repair ask for a written Kostenvoranschlag (estimate); the garage should say what exactly costs how much.
💡 Winter tyres (Winterreifen) are appropriate from autumn to spring (the saying von O bis O - from October to Easter); they are mandatory in snow and ice.
💡 For a regular service (Inspektion) and an oil change (Ölwechsel) make an appointment ahead; ask for an estimate (Kostenvoranschlag) and do not agree to extra work without an explanation.
💡 A small crack (Steinschlag) is best repaired at once before it spreads; with comprehensive insurance (Teilkasko) the insurer often pays for glass repair.
💡 After a repair you get a bill (Rechnung) with materials and labour listed separately; keep it: the work done is covered by a guarantee.
💡 A Warnleuchte on the dashboard: yellow usually means you can drive but should visit a garage soon; red means stop and call for help; the Motorkontrollleuchte is the engine light.
💡 The TÜV (Hauptuntersuchung, HU) is a mandatory vehicle inspection usually every two years; the plate has a sticker (Plakette) with the year and month.
💡 If the car fails the inspection (HU) because of serious defects you have about a month for the repair and a re-check (Nachprüfung); ask the inspection body about the exact conditions.
💡 The sticker (Plakette) on the number plate shows the year (by colour) and the month (by the number at the top) of the next inspection; being late can mean a fine.
💡 Parkschein is the ticket from the machine, Parkscheibe the disc with arrival time (in time-limited zones), Parkautomat the machine. The ticket goes behind the windscreen.
💡 A parking fine (Strafzettel, Knöllchen) is paid by transfer within the stated period; if you disagree you can file an objection in writing.
💡 Spaces with a Parkscheibe sign require a blue disc: you set your arrival time and put it behind the windscreen; the maximum time is on the sign.
💡 A resident's permit (Anwohnerparkausweis) is issued by the city office: you need ID, the vehicle registration (Fahrzeugschein) and proof of your registered address; it is usually valid for a year.
💡 In a breakdown on the motorway you switch on the hazard lights, set the warning triangle (Warndreieck), put on the vest (Warnweste) and call roadside help (Pannenhilfe), for example ADAC.
💡 People in Germany gladly help with a Starthilfe (jump start); afterwards drive for at least half an hour so that the battery charges.
💡 To register a car you need: passport, eVB-Nummer (electronic insurance confirmation), Zulassungsbescheinigung (vehicle documents), proof of vehicle inspection. Plates (Kennzeichen) are ordered on site.
💡 To register a car you need the digital insurance code eVB-Nummer from an insurer: you take it to the Zulassungsstelle; at least Haftpflicht (liability) insurance is compulsory.