Category Archives: Maintenance

How to repair minor scratches on car’s paint job

repairing minor scratches on a car

When you are driving it is inevitable that small stones will fly up and cause damage to your paint job.  Big scratches and dints take specialist skills in the spray booth to resolve, especially when your paint has faded.

However, if the damage is smaller than a 50p piece then it is possible that you can use touch up paint to save yourself the costs of a professional job. Obviously the results may not have that fine finish, but with our simple to use guide you can achieve a passible look all on your own.

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Smoke from Your Exhaust – What Does the Smoke Colour Mean?

smoke fumes coming from a car exhaust

Obviously it is normal for a little smoke to come out of your exhaust pipe, which is like your vehicle’s chimney. Air pressure draws waste gases from the engine and then expels them into the atmosphere.

Sometime these gasses are expelled as smoke, and with modern cars becoming increasingly fuel efficient with less emissions it is becoming easier to spot problematic smoke coming from your engine.

An occasional puff of smoke from the exhaust should not cause you any worry. However if you are noticing persistent smoke coming from your car it could spell trouble. Check out what different coloured smoke could mean for your engine with our helpful article.

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The Nights Are Getting Darker: Increased Headlight Use – Are Yours Correctly Aligned?

car headlight

If your headlights are pitched up too high they could blind or glare other drivers, which is likely to be annoying and dangerous when out on the road. If they are pitched too low then you’re not getting full visibility and warning other drivers of your presence on the road. Fortunately it’s not too difficult to adjust your headlights yourself – with a little help from our instructional article.

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How to Clean Your Car’s Engine Bay

cleaning an engine bay

Does a clean engine bay matter if you never see underneath the bonnet? Believe it or not there are several benefits to cleaning your engine bay. Dirt and grit could cause the pulleys and bearings to wear out prematurely or could even hide serious issues like gasket leaks.

A clean engine bay helps the engine stay cooler, pushes up your efficiency and keeping your resale value at the higher end of the wedge. The trick with cleaning is not to be scared of damaging the engine, as it is designed to take a load of punishment. But draw the line at power hosing as this can take off a little more than a layer of grease. As long as you take care whilst cleaning this can be incredibly good for your engine.

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10 Ways to Stay in Your Mechanic’s Good Books

mechanic working on a car

If you want decent prices, the odd favour here and there and a happy interaction with your mechanic it’s always good to keep them onside. Once you have found a decent mechanic in the early days and you have a great relationship, it’s easy. But what are some of the questions and behaviours you should avoid with a new mechanic to keep them onside?

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How to Replace Your Car’s Fuel Filter

replacing a fuel filter

A fuel filter does exactly what you’d expect it to do. It cleans out any impurities from the fuel, helping prolong the life of the fuel injectors and the fuel pressure regulator, as well as keeping your engine running smoothly.

It’s normally something that gets replaced during a service by your local dealer or mechanic which usually is the low hassle, high cost way to do things. But if you think you’re confident with the tools, then we’d suggest this is a job that can be done by anyone who has a moderate skill level as a DIY mechanic.

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8 Signs That Your Car’s Alternator Is Failing

alternator

The alternator is an important part of your vehicle’s electrics. It works like an old fashioned dynamo, turning motion into charge that’s used to keep the battery topped up and the electrical systems functioning correctly.

With the big demands on power from the modern car, any problem with the alternator can cause systems like engine management, entertainment, climate control and even the dashboard to work intermittently or perform poorly.

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How to Adjust Your Windscreen Washers

Windscreen washersWindscreen washers are an important safety feature on your car. Maintaining full visibility at all times on the road is vital. If you are in any way obscured from seeing the complete picture of the outside world from your car this could lead to an accident.

Sometimes however unexpected dirt can fly up onto the window, such as birds mess, filthy water or mud. In these instances windscreen washers can be deployed to keep your windows clean. Continue reading →