Keeping MOT costs down

MOT’s can be scary for many car owners as they may not know what work is required until they have the MOT done. From the initially £40 approx. for the MOT test, the final bill can often go up by hundreds on cars requiring quite a bit of work to get it to pass. There are a few things that you can do to try and keep your MOT costs as low as possible. Firstly try and find a garage that you trust. Although the MOT test is very strict, unfortunately there are same garages that will take advantage of a test and quote for work that does not really need doing. When carrying out some recent online research I was surprised to find that many garages offer a MOT...
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Checking your brakes

Brakes are a vital part of a cars safety system and a fault in your brakes can cause you to have a serious accident. You are advised to test your brakes when you go on any car journey, simply by pressing the pedal down when going at a slow speed to ensure you stop. Many cars have warning lights that will illuminate on the dash when your brake pads are low, but you shouldn’t rely on this totally as the sensor may be faulty or the dash not working correctly. Your brakes will be tested on an MOT inspection but your pads and or disc may need changing sooner than this. When you have brake pads changed they will also inspect your discs to let you know if they also...
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Avoiding a Broken Wheel Axle

A broken axle is a serious problem for any car owner, and the fact that it usually occurs on poor quality roads, which are usually rural roads, means that you can often be stranded hours away from any assistance. There are things which you can do which will help you to avoid this happening to you: Firstly, you need to understand the roads you’re driving on and what your vehicle can handle. It is no use driving a two wheel drive vehicle on a road which is very bumpy, as it will almost definitely cause your axle to break. Secondly, you need to do a vehicle check before you reach a road where your axle will be tested, checking to make sure that the suspension, tyres, and wheel alignment are...
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Wheel Replacements – When Changing Your Tyres isn’t Enough

Every now and then, your entire wheel could need to be replaced. This can be a frustrating experience for people, as they may actually mistake a broken wheel for a simple flat tyre, and replace the tyre, only to have that one go flat as well. When wheels are under a lot of stress; through extended use of the vehicle, through poor quality roads, or through the improperly maintained tyres, the wheel frame could experience micro-fractures, which can leak air from the wheel, but will also reduce the safety of the vehicle, as the fractures can quickly be exacerbated by continued use of the wheels. Replacing a wheel is, unfortunately, considerably more expensive than getting a tyre replacement. It is also something which will require an expert, so you should...
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Replacing the Anti-freeze in your Radiator

Occasionally anti-freeze can turn into gunk. Well, actually the antifreeze actually reacts with the radiator’s release agent and it turn into thick floating gunk. This can be problematic but it only needs replacing before issues are caused. If you’re not mechanically minded then you should have a garage release the antifreeze from the vehicle, completely flush out the radiator with clean water, and then replace the antifreeze. It’s a common problem on many vehicles and it’s just likely changing your oil, it’s common task but it’s not life threatening if you spot it early. Even if your radiator antifreeze is not gunky, having it changed can be beneficial, especially if you have not carried out this type of maintenance work over the past few years.