Maintaining your car

How to charge and care for a car battery

How to charge and care for a car battery

A car battery is a bit like the family pet dog. With the right care and attention, it will be faithful and obedient. But drivers who don’t give it a moment’s thought could find it lets them down and goes flat when they need it the most. And unfortunately, that’s most of us: a flat battery is one of the most common causes of car breakdowns for Green Flag members, and the most common in winter.

That goes some way to explaining why this Thursday (18 February) has been named National Battery Day. Knowing how to care for a car battery means knowing how to charge it from time to time. Researching the charging process will throw up all manner of well-meaning amateur and professional advice with conflicting guidance. So this guide is intended to help drivers understand how to better care for their car and charge its battery. Continue reading →

James Mills 4 Comments

Advice for new parents: check your car’s tyres before leaving hospital

Parents

Janine McCarthy’s car rolled six times after a tyre burst; she urges mums-to-be to check their car’s tyres (Picture © TyreSafe)

When it comes to offering advice to new or first-time parents, everyone has words of wisdom to speed mums and dads towards a blissful time with baby. From sleep routines to feeding, pushchairs to car child seats, the parenting tips come think and fast. But it’s rare that those who mean well would ever advise checking your car’s tyres.

However, that’s the message to proud parents across the nation, as a safety campaign gets under way, aimed at parents of the 695,000 babies born in England and Wales each year. It suggests that checking the condition of car tyres is just as critical as making sure babies are taken home from hospital in an appropriate child seat if travelling by car.

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Most reliable cars come from Japan and Korea

Most reliable cars

Toyota’s reputation for reliability appears well founded (Picture © Toyota)

If you want a car that isn’t going to let you down, you should look to makers from the far east. New figures from guarantee firm Warrantywise show the top 10 most reliable cars comprises seven manufacturers from Japan and one from Korea.

The Warrantywise data revealed that the five most reliable manufacturers are Toyota, Honda, Suzuki, Mitsubishi and Mazda – all from Japan. They are followed by Korean company Hyundai and Japan’s Nissan. Ford is the first non-far eastern brand. The findings tally with the 2015 Auto Express Driver Power survey where owners rated the Toyota iQ and the NX and IS from sister brand Lexus as the UK’s top three most reliable cars.

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Car servicing: save money and get the best service by shopping around

Car servicing: a Which? investigation found drivers can save over £200 in many towns and cities by shopping around 

Most drivers appreciate the need to have their car serviced on a regular basis. They will follow the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended service intervals, or with modern digital systems, keep an eye on a display in the dashboard which counts down the miles or days until a car next needs servicing. But when the time comes to have the job done, how many of us shop around to save money and get the best standard of work?

The answer is probably not many. It’s all too easy to go with convenience, such as a local garage. And with younger cars, drivers are often swayed by sticking with franchised dealers.

However, the hourly labour rates that greatly influence how expensive a car’s servicing bill vary greatly.

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To chill or not to chill: when to use a car’s air-conditioning in the winter

Driving in winter with air conditioning

Once upon a time, air-conditioning in cars was the ultimate luxury, available only on the most expensive motors. Now it’s a standard feature in the most affordable cars on our roads: the small Dacia Sandero, Skoda Citigo and Vauxhall Viva city cars offer it. But drivers often think that it will be more economical and save on fuel if they don’t use it over winter, when the air rarely needs cooling. So the question is this: to chill or not to chill in winter?

Should you switch a car’s air-conditioning off in winter?

Air-conditioning expert Sam Sihra from Alpinair, in West London, has been servicing cars’ air-conditioning systems since 1972. In his view, switching off a car’s air-conditioning system for weeks on end when the weather is cold, and perhaps only running it occasionally, is a mistake.

Why should drivers use air-con in winter weather?

Air-conditioning is the best way to dehumidify, or dry, damp air. With it running, the inside of a car’s windows won’t mist up; switch it off and it could seem as though you’re driving in dense fog. Equally, using the air-conditioning is a great way of de-misting the car if it steams up when you first get in it on a cold day. Continue reading →

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Vauxhall Zafira fire fears: advice and contact information for Zafira drivers

Vauxhall is offering a free safety inspection to owners of the Zafira B (above) built between 2005 and 2012

Vauxhall is offering a free safety inspection to owners of the Zafira B (above) built between 2005 and 2014 (Picture: © Vauxhall)

The Vauxhall Zafira is one of the most popular family cars of its type, bought by drivers who typically need to ferry a small army of children on the school run during the week and then zig and zag their way to dance classes and swimming lessons at the weekend. But owners of the MPV (multi-purpose vehicle or people carrier) have begun a high-profile campaign on social media after their cars burst into flames.

Approximately 130 people have reported overheating problems occurring behind the glovebox. A number of cars have suffered more seriously, bursting into flames as they were being driven, prompting the car maker to examine around 20 burned out Zafiras.

Vauxhall has now responded to the potentially deadly issue. The Luton-based car maker has issued advice to Zafira owners, and if you’re one of them, or have a friend or member of the family who drivers a Zafira, here’s what you need to know.

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Expert advice: DIY checks to prepare your car to pass an MOT test

How to carry out DIY checks on your car before an MOT

Even without a ramp at home you can easily carry out DIY MOT checks

Carrying out DIY checks on your car before you take it for its actual MOT inspection is surprisingly easy to do and could save you money. Passing the test is a legal requirement for all cars more than three years old. But for many of us, the MOT is a bit like having the outside of your home painted; we know we need to do it but we don’t look forward to it because it can bring to light remedial work that will hit the wallet hard.

According to the Driver Vehicle Services Agency (DVSA), which oversees the annual MOT test, around 40 per cent of cars fail. Yet many flunk their MOT for reasons that even a novice mechanic could spot. Follow my tips for your own basic DIY MOT test, and you could stop your car failing on the simplest points.
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Mike Shaw 3 Comments

Convertible roof repair: cleaning, caring for or replacing you car’s hood

Convertible roof repair
With the chimes of Hear Comes The Summer now a distant memory, drivers of soft-top cars should think about convertible roof repair before the winter weather sweeps in.

The life of a fabric or vinyl hood for a convertible, cabriolet or roadster can be greatly extended by cleaning it correctly and then reapplying a waterproofing agent. At the same time, any nicks and tears can be patched up, much like a child’s pair of jeans, and electrical or mechanical problems can be fixed without resorting to a complete replacement of the hood.

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James Mills 3 Comments

Engine flush and fuel additives: Are they worth the money or not?

Engine flush

Regular oil and filter changes should be a routine part of car ownership

When it comes to finding out whether drivers should use engine flush products or fuel additives, the internet will send you round in circles. Some say the products, added to a car’s oil or fuel to clean the engine’s internal moving parts and boost performance, are worth their weight in motor-protecting gold. Others claim they’re not worth the time or the effort.

The basic theory behind both these kinds of products is that by running them through the engine, you’ll clean out any deposits left by the engine’s combustion process. Proving whether they work is easier said than done. Here’s what the experts say.
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Should I fill my car with premium fuel?

Should you fill your car with premium fuel?

It’s a familiar scenario. You drive onto a petrol station forecourt and pull up alongside the pumps. Staring back at you is a range of multi-coloured nozzles labelled with an equally confusing array of names: Fuel Save, V-Power Nitro+, Synergy, Synergy Supreme+, Regular Fuels, Ultimate, Momentum. The list goes on, with all retailers offering standard and premium fuels. The question is: should drivers fill their car with premium fuel?

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James Mills 6 Comments

A fifth of drivers skipping car care

Drivers skipping car care

Not having your car regularly maintained can cost drivers more in the long run (Picture © Institute of the Motor Industry)

Drivers skipping car care is nothing new. But a new survey shows that a fifth of us aren’t bothering with the routine servicing necessary to prevent breakdowns. If that figure sounds worrying, the proportion of drivers skipping car care is even worse in London where a third of car owners are putting off essential maintenance.

The survey, conducted by garage chain Kwik Fit in August 2015, shows that drivers in the south west of England are more savvy. This is where the most conscientious car owners live with just 13 per cent missing servicing.

Bizarrely, almost half of those drivers skipping car care are doing so in the knowledge that they’re just storing up more trouble – and bigger bills – for the future. Kwik Fit has even estimated how much this approach is taking. The company reckons an extra £154 million will have to be found for the additional work that will ultimately be needed.
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Why it’s dangerous to drive with a bulging tyre

Bulging tyre

Replace any tyre that has a bulging sidewall like this. It is potentially dangerous

Having a bulging tyre – a lump in the side of the tyre – should prompt drivers to take immediate action.

Tyres lead a tough life. They’re subjected to a variety punishments from Britain’s ravaged roads, with potholes, crumbling verges, speed bumps and aggressive kerbs all taking their toll.

The result can see a bulge, typically about the size of the top of an egg, appear. It means the materials within the tough sidewall have been weakened. The next thing that could happen is the bulging tyre suffers a blow out – effectively explodes – and that could possibly lead to a loss of control of the car.

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How to sit comfortably and avoid back pain when driving

Back pain: guide to sitting comfortably when driving, with advice from the British Chiropractic Association

As the summer holidays get into full swing and millions of motorists take to the road, drivers who are sitting comfortably in their car are luckier than they may have imagined. Four out of five people suffer from back pain, according to the British Chiropractic Association (BCA), and of those surveyed this January, 40 per cent say that sitting down aggravates back or neck pain. It’s enough to send a shiver down a driver’s spine.

Tackling the problem of sitting comfortably when driving and avoiding back pain doesn’t require action as drastic as buying a new car. That could be a very costly mistake, as it’s rare for a car to leave drivers feeling uncomfortable after a brief test drive; often it takes hours on end at the wheel before the telltale signs of back or neck pain begin.

Instead, there are plenty of practical steps to follow that should help most people get comfortable at the wheel. We asked Rishi Loatey, a practising chiropractor and member of the BCA, to share his advice for drivers and help banish Britain’s bad backs.  Continue reading →

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Repairing tyres: All you need to know

Repairing tyres

Whether a tyre can be repaired depends on where the damage is. Whoever’s doing the repair should first remove and inspect the tyre (Picture © TyreSafe)

Knowing if you can or can’t repair a tyre could come in very handy for a lot of drivers. Tyre companies estimate that on average drivers get a flat tyre about once every five years. Considering tyres can cost upwards of £100 each and you can repair a tyre for around £25, understanding if you can fix a puncture could be a handy money saver. Here’s all you need to know.  Continue reading →

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Expert advice: how to change your car’s windscreen wipers

Windscreen wipers

Windscreen wipers have come on a bit since these. They’re more efficient now as well as being simple to change

Windscreen wipers are vital because good visibility is one of the most important elements of driving. If you can’t see a hazard, you can’t avoid it. Like tyres, oil and filters, windscreen wipers wear out over time. The good news is it can be fairly straightforward to change them. Your car’s handbook is a useful ally here. But if you struggle, a wiper is far too important to take risks with so ask a friend who knows what they’re doing, or your local garage to help.  Continue reading →

Mike Shaw 3 Comments

Dangerous illegal tyres: Nearly 10m cars could pose a safety threat

Dangerous illegal tyres

A bulge like this in a tyre is illegal and could cause a dangerous blow out

Millions of drivers are taking to the road with dangerous illegal tyres. A new survey suggests that one in four cars and light commercial vehicles on Britain’s roads will have an illegal tyre at some point during 2015. With 35.3 million vehicles on our roads that means nearly 10m could have dangerous illegal tyres. Here’s what you should look out for to prevent becoming one of them.  Continue reading →

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Expert tips: Choosing the best garage to service your car

Franchised dealers often have the latest equipment and knowledge of relatively new cars

Franchised dealers often have the latest equipment and best knowledge of relatively new cars (Picture © Volvo)

Looking after a car, especially when it’s new or a driver’s pride and joy, can be a nerve-racking affair. Entrusting strangers with what is, more likely than not, one of the most expensive things any of us owns is enough to send shivers down a driver’s spine and have them turn around and head for home again. But it’s important to have a car serviced according to the manufacturer’s recommended schedule – so how do drivers decide which is the best garage to maintain their car?

This guide looks at the pros and cons of having a car serviced at a franchised dealer, an independent trader and a fast-fit chain.  Continue reading →

James Mills 5 Comments

Expert advice: Looking after car tyres

Looking after car tyres

Not looking after your tyres properly can see you end up in a world of sorrow (Picture © TyreSafe)

Looking after car tyres is one of the easiest elements of motoring. Yet how many times do we look at our cars and not see the tyres? Wheels yes, bodywork yes, but generally tyres can be neglected and taken for granted, even though they’re the greatest contributor to our safety on the road.  Continue reading →

Mike Shaw 3 Comments

White vans slammed: Drivers urged to act on unsafe overloaded vans

Unsafe overloaded vans

Sadly, not all vans are as well looked after as this one (Picture © Iveco)

Van owners and drivers are being encouraged to take more care of their vehicles. It comes after research revealed many are unsafe or overloaded. A study showed almost two thirds have a serious mechanical defect. More than nine out of 10 stopped are overloaded. It has prompted a van maintenance and awareness scheme, launched by industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).  Continue reading →

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Car spring clean: six things you should know

Car spring clean

Easter weekend is a good opportunity to give your car some post-winter TLC (Picture © Autoglym)

Spring has sprung and the Easter weekend presents the ideal opportunity to work off some chocolate by doing a car spring clean. Now’s a good time to do it because winter equals salt on the road, which means the car’s bodywork will have been drenched with corrosive liquid for months on end.

Not only does giving it a good clean enable you to spruce up the bodywork, it also means you’ll be up close and personal with your car and able to check for any other wear and tear. As well as regular maintenance such as checking the fluids, here are six top tips for a car spring clean that your motor will really thank you for.  Continue reading →

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