BreakerLink Blog

Car Safety Tips for Children

It is an accepted fact that cars are extremely dangerous places for both drivers and passengers. Over the years there have been a number of campaigns to get drivers and passengers to take more responsibility for their safety, including government drives to get people wearing their seat belts. However, most of the safety systems in cars are designed with adult users in mind, even though a large percentage of car owners also drive their children around. What can we do to make our vehicles safer for the younger generations?

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The New Mercedes GLA

According to the Motoring press, Mercedes are ready to set the car world alight once again with their new GLA, which is being touted as a serious SUV styled for the younger generations. Some may claim that this is so called “lite” version of the famous Mercedes GL class SUV transport – a vehicle that’s been a favourite with the market and the critics for a number of years. With its formal release not planned until the Frankfurt Motor Show in mid September, the motoring media are a-buzz with their previews of the car. Some of the bigger magazines and newspapers have already put their opinions on paper and the web, and we’ve picked out enough of the vital stats to give you our own brief look at this much awaited car.

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Personalised Number Plates – “A nice little earner”

Personalised Reg Plate

Last week I was driving on the M6, when a black Bentley swept by majestically and I noticed its rear number plate, T123. I said to myself “nice car, but those number plates must have cost a packet.”.

As I drove along, I started thinking about personalised number plates and the first time I’d ever seen one of these unique vehicle registrations. My mind was cast back to the time when I was a student in the 1970s, visiting my wife’s uncle. Parking my Continue reading →

Checking and Refilling Your Oil

Keeping your engine’s oil at the correct level is one of the most important things that you need to do in order to ensure that your engine doesn’t suffer from premature part failures. You should look up how regularly your oil needs to be checked in your car’s service manual, although as a rough guide we’d suggest that you change it every 3,000 miles. Do not wait until you see the red oil check light on your dashboard, as by this time

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Replacing Car Headlights and Rear Lights

Possibly the most common type of repair that you may be required to perform on your lights is the replacement of a headlight. Often the bulb will burn out, or you may experience a crack in the part caused by loose shingle that has kicked up and hit the lens, causing cracking and reducing the effectiveness of your headlight. In these cases you’ll need to check with your owners manual to find out what kind of headlights feature on your car – these can be one of three types – sealed beam, sealed halogen or composite, and replace it in accordance with our instructions.

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Five of the UK’s Best Green Cars

Go back two decades and green cars were blue-sky thinking. Whilst scientists pushed the technology of the time to its limits to see if they could make solar-powered cars that could travel vast distances in desert climes, such innovations seemed a lifetime away from the UK’s roads, especially when electric cars only ever seemed to promise a fraction of the power of their petrol-driven cousins. However, in the last five years this situation has changed considerably, and the demand for a cleaner, greener generation of vehicles has shaped the industry, with many of the top manufacturers now offering some serious environmentally friendly cars.

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How To Replace Windscreen Wiper Blades

It’s always a good idea to inspect your windscreen wipers whenever you’re cleaning your front or rear windscreen. You may want to replace them before the rubber is brittle and cracked, as you never know when you might be driving in a deluge where wipers could make the difference between adequate visibility and no visibility. Wiper blades should be replaced at least once a year, or when any smearing or chattering occurs when the wipers are in use.

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Inspecting And Adjusting Your Engine’s Belts

First Inspection

There are two different types of belt. The first is the serpentine belt, which is constantly tensioned by a spring or hydraulic means, the second is the component tensioned belt, which is usually found on older cars. Both belts will exhibit the same kind of signs of failure. Look for cracks, which can be an indicator the part is failing, or glazing, which means that the belt is too loose and is slipping. Finally if there is any major damage to the belt, such as a tear or split, you will be required to make an immediate change out of the part.

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Dangers Of Using Smart-Phones Whilst Driving

Banned

According to a survey conducted by the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) in March 2012, using a Smart-Phone whilst driving caused 1,690 accidents between 2006-2010. Of this number 110 were fatal, although police believe these figures are actually higher, as there is often no way to check if a driver was using their phone at the time of an accident. With more and more of the UK population owning one of these high-power pocket computers, surely this number is sadly only set to rise. The same report estimates that drivers who use phones Continue reading →

Could You Be A Greener Driver?

In an ideal world we wouldn’t have to use cars. However, in the fast-paced modern world where you have to fulfil a number of responsibilities, such as working commitments and picking up your children from school, life without a vehicle for many people is unthinkable. Given that we live in a society that is now reliant on the auto-mobile, what small changes could you make Continue reading →