Beyond the Breaker’s Yard – Recycling Unusable Cars

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When car parts get beyond circulation as second hand spares, they have to be recycled. Around 80% of a car can be turned into usable products, making car recycling big business today. There are now whole companies that exist around taking different materials from scrapped cars and turning them into reusable products. What are these materials and how are they reprocessed? Continue reading

Checking your Car’s Brake Fluid

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Brake fluid plays a vital role in your car. This liquid transfers the force of the driver’s foot on the brake pedal through to the disc brakes. It uses a system of tubes and pressure, a little like those that you might find on a hydraulic piston, to operate all the brakes simultaneously. It is imperative that you have the right level of brake fluid in your car. If you do not have enough fluid then this may mean that you cannot reach the required levels of pressure in your system to safely operate your car’s brakes.

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Checking and Adding Fluid to Power Steering

power-steeringPower steering aids drivers by providing a level of power and support to the steering process, augmenting the effort supplied by the driver. This is usually automated via a system of hydraulics that uses a power steering pump and reservoir, which sits on the engine. The fluid within the hydraulics is then applied to the steering gear through a set of hoses, and the pressure is used to reduce the amount of force needed to successfully steer the vehicle. Continue reading

Checking and replacing your Car’s Shock Absorbers

Shock AbsorberShock absorbers form an essential part of your car’s suspension system. They are mechanical devices that are used to smooth out bumps and impacts from the road surface that could affect you and your passengers. They work by converting the kinetic energy generated from the movement of the wheels into easily dissipated thermal energy. Continue reading

The Differences between Winter and Summer Tyres

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People use their cars less in winter than in the summer. However, over half of all motoring accidents occur during the cold months. Many of these are down to the fact that people overestimate the amount of distance it takes to brake in the cold weather. In many places where the temperatures plummet and there are extreme seasons, car drivers switch to special tyres for this period. What are the main differences between summer and winter tyres, and when should you put them on your vehicle?

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