Simple checks to save you money and time – Electrics

With the cost of living soaring and most people needing to review their unnecessary spending we thought it might be useful to highlight some of the simple things that you can check around and about your vehicle. Some will save you money straight away and some will help prevent bigger bills later.
Spend five minutes carrying out these simple checks every few weeks – and certainly before a long journey or an MOT.

Electrics

There are plenty of electrics in your car – from headlights and fog lights to your battery – and they all need to be checked regularly to keep you safe.
Walk around the car and make sure your lights are all working, even the number plate lights, as you can be fined for having a registration that can’t be seen. We’ve had cars fail the MOT test for number plate illumination issues.
If your engine struggles to start when you turn the key, get the battery checked out with us. If your battery is over four years old, it may be getting to the end of its life and could let you down.
Some cars will start shutting down superfluous gadgets like stop/start technology, heated seats, boot openers etc if the battery is struggling, before starting the engine becomes a noticeable problem.

Simple checks to save you money and time – Coolant

With the cost of living soaring and most people needing to review their unnecessary spending we thought it might be useful to highlight some of the simple things that you can check around and about your vehicle. Some will save you money straight away and some will help prevent bigger bills later.
Spend five minutes carrying out these simple checks every few weeks – and certainly before a long journey or an MOT.

Coolant

Check your car’s coolant level. The last thing you need is a frozen engine or for your car to overheat.
Although it’s a sealed system and shouldn’t need to be topped up, you should always double check, especially before a long journey.
If you find that you need to top your coolant up frequently you may have a potential problem. Arrange to get your car looked over to prevent major problems developing.
Only check your coolant levels when the engine is cold and look in your handbook for the correct coolant and mix to use should you need to top it up. You must not mix the different coolant colours; some have bad reactions if mixed.

Simple checks to save you money and time – Tyres

With the cost of living soaring and most people needing to review their unnecessary spending we thought it might be useful to highlight some of the simple things that you can check around and about your vehicle. Some will save you money straight away and some will help prevent bigger bills later.
Spend five minutes carrying out these simple checks every few weeks – and certainly before a long journey or an MOT.

Tyres

Tyre pressure checking is one key to happy motoring. Making sure your tyres are set to the correct pressure for the load you are carrying will help to prevent premature tyre wear. Tyre pressures for your car/van can usually be found in the door aperture, petrol flap or owner’s manual.
Check your tyres for general wear and tear, splits or bulges, and crucially tread depth.
Modern tyres normally come with an indicator nodule at several points around the tyre tread. When the tyre is worn down to the level of this nodule it time to replace them.
Nodules will indicate the wear on your tyre.
If your tyre has a split or cut that is deep enough so that you can see or feel the cords or canvas, then it is an MOT failure and is considered a dangerous condition if you get stopped by the police for any reason.
This tyre is worn and the cords are showing, it is not legal.
This tyre is worn and the cords are showing, it is not legal.

Simple checks to save you money and time – Wipers and screen wash

With the cost of living soaring and most people needing to review their unnecessary spending we thought it might be useful to highlight some of the simple things that you can check around and about your vehicle. Some will save you money straight away and some will help prevent bigger bills later.
Spend five minutes carrying out these simple checks every few weeks – and certainly before a long journey or an MOT.

Wipers and screen wash

Check that your wipers are clearing your windscreen effectively. It is frequently an MOT failure, as is not having washer fluid. Both checks are very easy to do, you don’t even need to leave the driver’s seat to perform them.
Screen wash is important all year round. In winter,  snow and grit cause dirty windscreens, while in summer, bugs and pollen can easily smear your view – so never put off checking your levels.
Your owner’s manual will tell you where to top up the washer fluid. Which you can buy in concentrated form to dilute with water yourself, or you can buy pre-mixed, and it can be poured straight in. Just check what strength you need depending on if its summer or winter. They will contain different levels of an anti-freezing agent depending on the weather temperature.
Wipers can sometimes be tricky to change if you are unfamiliar with them, and there are a few different fitting options.
As a word of warning, don’t allow the naked metal wiper arms to spring back suddenly onto your windscreen as it can cause damage.
If you are at all worried about changing your own wipers do feel free to give us a call to arrange for us to change them for you. We do keep some in stock, but not every variation so we might have to order some in for you.