Vehicle repair services offers in Reading right now: How much can skipping oil changes affect your budget? Oh, plenty. Oil problems can be some of the costliest car maintenance issues to fix, since oil affects pretty much everything your car does. So don’t skip it. Getting your oil (and filter) changed costs around $35–75.1 For the price of a family dinner at a higher-end fast food joint, you’ll lower the risk of wearing out your engine—which costs a lot more than burgers and fries to replace. Discover extra details on car service Reading.
Once you’ve done that, you can visit your local tyre outlet, or choose one of the plethora of online tyre retailers. Our current test favourite is Black Circles, although there is a range of other sites out there, allowing you to pick the tyre you want at prices we’ve found to be competitive. You buy the product online, and select a local fitter to have the work carried out. The tyre is shipped directly to the fitter you choose, so all you need to do is drive there, and wait while your replacement is fitted.
Visit a place you know is reputed and if it’s not an authorized garage for your car brand, ensure the technicians use the approved materials, for instance the exact grade of oil, or replacement parts bearing the exact numbers approved by the car manufacturer. This not only ensures the best results and reliability, but will also comply with any warranty the car may be under, Also make sure you retain all the bills and service receipts that bear the above details. Whoever you entrust your car with, make sure they are careful workers. If they pay attention to the little details, you’ll know your car is in good hands.
Ask questions. Lots of them. Don’t be intimidated. Ask questions about why something needs fixing or how a technology works. As the customer, you have a right to become more educated about your vehicle. Request Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) parts. Whenever parts need to be replaced, be sure to request genuine OEM components rather than generic pieces. Maintaining exact manufacturer specifications is important in achieving optimum performance. The low-price allure of aftermarket parts often prompts customers to forgo OEM quality, but spending the extra dollars on factory-approved equipment now can make a big difference down the road, especially in terms of vehicle longevity.
Once a car is three years old (four years in Northern Ireland) it must be tested each year to check it meets road safety and environmental standards. This Ministry of Transport test is commonly known as an ‘MOT’. MOT tests are carried out at authorised test centres around the country, all of which display an official blue sign featuring three white triangles. The brakes; The safety, condition and performance of your brakes will be tested thoroughly tested. If relevant, the ABS/ESC dashboard will be tested alongside the dashboard functions.
An MOT is a legal requirement after three years. Without it your insurance is invalidated, and you could be fined. There’s another important aspect to the MOT. It proves that your car is roadworthy, and safe to drive. Vehicles have a lot of stresses put upon them. As they age the chances of parts wearing or failing increase. An MOT test can help to spot problems before they occur. Call Tilehurst Service & MOT Centre today. We perform fair and thorough MOTs for all cars and motorbikes.
The air you breathe inside your car is important, which is why experts recommend you change the air filter every 12 months or 12,000 miles. Changing the air filter is something you can get done when you take your car for an oil change or a routine check. However, if you’re skilled with cars, you can change it yourself. A typical air filter costs about $10, and it takes 10 minutes to change. Find more details at carservice-centre.co.uk.
There was a time when a paper MoT certificate was a vital document, and the police would routinely ask to see it during traffic stops. Nowadays the information is stored on a national MoT online database and the paper MoT issued after your test is simply a statement of whether your car has passed or failed. It can be a handy document for when it comes to sell your car on as it shows its service history, and it’s also a useful reminder of when your test is coming around again. However, if you’ve mislaid the paperwork – which is easily done – you can check your car’s MOT status (or the MoT status of any vehicle) by searching for the phrase ‘when’s my MoT due’ online.
Many people don’t realize that your battery’s health is not only affected by winter, but by summer too. Heat can cause malfunction of the battery or its failure to operate properly. So watch out for telltale signs of your battery’s declining health over the summer months. This may include : Slower cranking of the engine than usual while starting the car; Dimmed headlights or internal lights; The “check battery” light on the dashboard is lit up. You should make sure the battery is in tip-top condition so as not to be surprised by a sudden and unwanted breakdown.
How frequently should I service my car? You should have your car serviced annually or before it reaches a certain mileage outlined by the manufacturer (typically 12,000 miles) – whichever comes first. It’s best to check the service intervals in your car’s handbook, because they vary depending on the model, fuel type and engine. What work is carried out during a service? This depends on the service interval your car has reached. Most first services for new cars will involve only an oil and filter change, then the second service will also include the replacement of components with a 24-month lifespan – such as the spark plugs (petrol cars only), glow plugs (diesel cars only) and the brake fluid. There will be a larger, full service the following year, and after that the same cycle continues throughout the car’s life. However, if you own an older car and don’t cover many miles, you can opt for smaller services more often.
It’s quite easy to lose track of overall spending on your car, and many drivers are happiest not thinking about it. Fortunately, there’s plenty that you can do to help keep these costs as low as possible. A bit of forward thinking, some minimal changes to your driving style, and a bit of shopping around are just some of the ways that you can make surprisingly big savings – and they’re all very easy to implement. Here we have gathered together a bunch of useful tips and advice to help you to reduce your motoring bills…