With the cost of pretty much everything rising at the moment you may be looking to avoid any unexpected expenses, one of the ways you can do this with your car is to take care of the basic maintenance yourself at home. First check your washer fluid, ensure that you use professional screen wash as these contain degreasing agents and antifreeze to protect your pipes in the winter months. It’s actually illegal to drive with no washer fluid so make sure you keep it topped up at all times. Next check your oil level, this can be done with the dip stick which will indicate the correct fluid level, if it’s running low then check your car manual for the correct oil to use. Coolant levels should also regularly be...

Read More »

Petrol and diesel prices have soared over the last few weeks partially due to the conflict that is happening with Ukraine and Russia. This has meant that prices have gone up by around an average of 50 pence per litre which equates to around and extra £28 each time you fill your tank. This is a huge amount of money resulting in over a hundred pounds a month extra fuel costs for those of us that use a full tank of fuel every week. Experts warn that we may not have seen the worse yet and fuel prices could reach as much as £3 per litre over the coming weeks. This is quite a scary thought and having just started to come out of restrictions due to Covid, many people...

Read More »

At this time of the year especially many of us rely on our cars to get us to the shops, to take the children to school or to get to work and it can be frustrating when they let us down or are not running as they should. It is important to be aware of the signs that our cars are struggling during the winter months as there are things we can do to prevent some of the breakdowns that can happen. The first thing to notice is whether the battery appears to be less able to make the engine start. It could be that you need to use more acceleration to get the engine to fire or you may notice a sluggishness in the sound of the engine starting...

Read More »

During the festive period lots of people have to travel to go and see loved ones. It could be that you are going to spend the big day with friends or family or that you are planning on going to see them before or after. No one wants to break down or have issues with their car at any time but especially not at Christmas. The thought of spending Christmas time stuck on the motorway or on the back of a breakdown truck is not nice for anyone and although you cannot stop it from happening you can try to avoid the situation and be prepared should it happen. Always make sure that you have adequate breakdown cover. Although in this country it is not law to have breakdown cover,...

Read More »

You may usually buy a car outright so often spend less than a few thousand pounds on one. If you want a newer car then you may have to find a way to finance it yourself. You may decide to take out a personal loan or maybe you will choose car finance. Whichever you choose, don’t automatically assume that you will not have any issues with the car. It can be devastating to find hat you have spent thousands on a car only to have to have repairs done to it a few months down the line. When buying a car, you need to check what warranty you have with it and what exactly is covered. Lots of second hand car garages will give you 6-12 months warranty on older...

Read More »