Author: Declan

Buying a used car – what to look out for

Written by Declan
When you are considering buying a used car there are a number of details to identify before you begin your search. The financial constraints are probably going to be the main concern for most people when deciding on a vehicle and this may influence your decision on where to buy the vehicle from however it is worth remembering that many dealerships offer finance over a number of years and if you qualify it may be a good way of getting a better vehicle for your money. The size of the car needs to thought about as it is not a good idea to have a car that is bigger than you need for instance if you only go to the local shops on a regular basis it would not be...
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Using a local garage for servicing verses using a dealership

Written by Declan
It is of utmost importance to keep our vehicles in a good roadworthy condition making sure that it has an up to date MOT certificate and that it is serviced regularly but how important is it that we use one of the large car dealership service centres for these services? Is it equally as good to use a smaller local garage for our services? If you do not feel capable of carrying out minor maintenance work on your vehicle yourself then you will need to employ the services of a mechanic to do this for you. Shopping around for a good deal on servicing is a must as prices vary considerably. Local garages are a good place to start and are usually a lot cheaper than car dealership service centres....
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Are you being quoted a fair price for car repairs?

Written by Declan
Car repairs are something that none of us like forking out for and often they can spring up from nowhere and usually at the time that is most inconvenient. Unfortunately, some garages will take advantage of the fact that many of their customers do not know a lot about the internal workings of a car and therefore trust that what the garage says needs to be done is correct. Although this is against the law, some garages will quote for additional work that does not really need doing. They may also quote for work that does need doing but at a lot higher price than you may expect. If you use a chain garage such as QuickFit or National for example, they are often a bit more expensive than an...
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Changing your steel wheels for alloys on your car

Written by Declan
Most modern cars now come with Alloy wheels as standard but other times you must pay extra when the car is new to have them fitted at the factory. Often alloys are the more sporty options, so if you opt for a model of vehicle that is sporty or the higher end version you will most likely have alloy wheels on it. There are advantages and disadvantages of having alloy wheels over steel wheels and often people go for them purely for the look and style that they add to the car. If you damage a steel wheel, you may find that if you were considering putting alloy son then this would be a good time to replace your steels with a full set of alloys. Alloys wheels can be...
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Don’t miss your MOT

Written by Declan
A MOT test is an annual test of vehicle safety, roadworthiness aspects and exhaust emissions required in the United Kingdom for most vehicles over three years old. It is required by law if the vehicle is going to be used on public roads. Once a vehicle is over three years old a new MOT test will need to be carried out every 12 months. If you take your car to a main dealership or a garage which is part of a chain then you will likely receive reminders to tell you when your MOT is next due. If you use a small independent garage this may not always happen. The DVLA do not send out MOT reminders so it is your responsibility to check that the MOT is still in...
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