Author Archives: Justin Smith

About Justin Smith

As the man at the helm of BreakerLink, it is no surprise that its Director, Justin Smith, has always had a keen interest in cars, bikes and most things wheeled. Having spent over two decades in the car parts industry, Justin combines his passion that since 2002, has successfully united those looking for new and used car parts with the breaker that supplies them. Follow Justin on LinkedIn.

Who’s that in the Rear View Mirror? Dealing with Tailgaters

a car tailgating a van

Give people space. Only a fool breaks the 2 second rule. And have you seen how much braking distances are impacted by the wet, snow and ice? Doesn’t matter. People still love to tailgate.

However much of a rush you might be in, this is annoying at best, and at worst, downright dangerous. And could lead to a severe crash if someone has to brake suddenly. So what’s the safest and most sane way to deal with tailgating drivers?  

Continue reading

The Truth is Out There… Debunking Popular Car Insurance Myths

model car on car insurance policy

Like death and taxes, car insurance seems somewhat inevitable. You want to drive on UK roads? You must be covered by some kind of acceptable policy. But perhaps because you must have insurance, there is a lot of chit chat that goes around pubs, dinner tables and other social meeting places, which discusses the potential intricacies of costs, policies and covers.

If you’re one of those people who’ve whipped out your phone or powered up your computer to check on some rumours you’ve heard – then you’ve arrived in the right place. Let’s go through some of the most popular assertions and fact check them to see if they’re the real deal, or just some old fake news.

Continue reading

Help… I’ve Been Hit by an Uninsured Driver

car hit by uninsured driver

You’ve been hit, and you know it wasn’t your fault. Once you’ve shaken yourself down and regained your composure, you speak to the driver of the other vehicle. Then you discover they don’t have any insurance or you get the details, only to find it’s a made up policy, or an older one that’s already expired.

Or worse still, the offending vehicle simply pulls off and drives away. The dreaded hit and run incident. Not only bad from a legal standpoint, but a truly callous act if someone has been hurt and injured. Fortunately there have been laws and organisations in place to protect you from uninsured drivers – but what are the practical steps you need to take should such a situation arise?

Continue reading

It’s Never a Good Time when You Lose Your Car Keys

lost car keys

You never realise you’ve lost your car keys, until you need to use your car. And this is often the most inconvenient moment to realise this small, but essential bit of kit has either gone walkies or been stolen. Your partner may have a spare set, but this won’t resolve your peace of mind, if you think they’ve been taken by a nefarious third party – or you might have to get on the phone to a locksmith.

Worse still, if you’re out in the middle of nowhere, or about to embark on the return journey home, you may have less options available to resolve the issue. What should you do if you lose your car keys, and is there any way you could potentially make the moment less awful if it happens?

Continue reading

Don’t Leave Home without it – Breakdown Survival Kit Checklist

car breakdown survival kit

Your breakdown survival kit. We’ve touched on this in previous blogs, however it’s such an important thing to have in the back of your vehicle, we decided to go into more detail. Many people like to check their car regularly for underlying faults and issues, and take their vehicle for periodic services. However, unfortunately no matter of forethought can stop a breakdown from happening regardless of the season.

No one wants to be in a breakdown, but sometimes it inevitably happens to the best of us. In such an event an in-car survival kit will be a godsend. So what should you put in your kit?

Continue reading

Look after the motor – storing your car over the winter months

storing your car in winter

The winter is hard on all of us. Reduced energy. Less happiness. And of course you may find you’re using your car less frequently than in the warm months. If you’re considering putting it into storage, then you’ll need to do it properly to avoid issues with fuel, batteries and even paintwork, and this is especially true in winter when snow can damage the car.

So whether your ride is a convenient car or a collectable classic, use the following tips to keep it fresh over the colder months, when it’s not being used…

Continue reading

Break the Ice – Dealing with A Car Door That’s Frozen Shut

frozen car doors

Apart from stating the obvious, there are a number of factors that increase a car door’s propensity to get frozen. Corroded locks and deteriorating window seals can let water into the door and around the frame, as snow melts in the evening, which then turns into hard ice at night, that unfortunately fits exactly into the gaps in the vehicle.

Inevitably, your car’s exposure to the winter weather can also be a predominant factor. Leave it out in the worst position, and you’re more likely to experience frozen doors than if you cover it, or leave it under a tree, where the wind chill factor isn’t going to be such a problem.

Continue reading

True or False: The Reality Behind Winter Driving Myths

driving in winter

The winter is a great time for myths. From Jack Frost through to Father Christmas, there’s plenty there to stoke the flames of imagination. And of course, motoring as you know, is not immune from wild speculation and story. There’s all kinds of advice, information and directions out there about how you should handle the colder months from behind the wheel of your car – and many of them are simply not true.

Fortunately we’re on hand to go through some of the most popular winter driving legends helping your sort the fact from the fiction. Make sure you’re armed with the right information and don’t get caught out because you made some wintertime assumptions.

Continue reading

Keep Your Car Looking Good – Inside and Out with these Fast and Simple Cleaning Hacks

cleaning a car interior

You can spend a lot of time in your car. Long road trips, mornings in heavy traffic and taking the kids to school. Don’t you deserve to sit in a decent motor that feels good? Remember how nice it is to get into a freshly made bed? Well, doesn’t it feel every bit as relaxing to lean back in a similarly nicely cleaned car cabin?

And we’re not talking about picking up the crisp packets and chocolate wrappers hiding in the footwells. We’re talking the kind of beauty that’s more than skin deep. If you want the kind of car that doesn’t just look, but feels and smells good as you travel round, then you need to think about the outside too. All that you need next then, are the tips to make that cleaning job fast and simple:

Continue reading

Why Won’t My Car Start?

turning a key to start a car

There is nothing worse than getting in the driver’s seat, sticking the key in the ignition, only to find your car won’t start. There are lots of reasons why this can happen, and unfortunately it’s a very common occurrence, happening to hundreds, if not thousands of motorists on a daily basis. From simple issues like forgetting to put fuel in the car, to more complex electrical faults – our quick guide should help you contend with some of the causes…

Continue reading