Tag Archive for: maintenance

How To Best Avoid The Depreciation Of Your Motor

/in /by

Depreciation is a sad word to hear for any car enthusiast. Unfortunately, when you buy a brand spanking new vehicle, it starts to depreciate at a crazy rate the minute that you get behind the wheel. In the first few years, it’s estimated that new cars can lose up to half their value. Never fear, all is not lost. There are a few things that you can do to combat the beast of depreciation!

Do your research first

So this one starts before you’ve actually bought the thing! If you do a little research, you’ll discover that some cars will depreciate slower than others. Choose wisely and your off to a good start. According to Auto Express magazine, some of the slowest depreciating cars include the Porsche Panamera, the Volkswagen California and the Porsche 717 Cayman. 

How to reduce depreciation 

To reduce the depreciation of your vehicle, it’s essential to consider the mileage that you are ramping up. While you won’t want to avoid driving too much; of course the higher mileage on your car, the less it will be worth. Consider that the average mileage is about 10,000 miles per year. To avoid a drop in value, you may want to stick to the average or below. As well as this, you’ll want to make sure that you get your car serviced as regularly as possible. The closer that you stick to your service schedule, the better. 

It’s vital to repair any damage to the car as soon as possible. It’s a great idea to purchase a used car or a ‘nearly new’ car. Doing so means that the depreciation stages will have already occurred prior to your ownership. Although the value has previously reduced- you won’t be the one who has lost any cash! You also should perform regular maintenance checks of your vehicle. Whether your car is new or used, you’ll want to keep it in the best working order. If you’re looking to make a purchase, sites like Really Easy Car Credit offer lots of attractive and easy to access options. 

Maintenance checks & upkeep 

Check your tyres at least every couple of weeks. You need to ensure the correct pressure and check the spare tyre while you’re at it. Always make certain that your tread adheres to the correct legal measurements. Carry a wheel removing kit and a jack if your car has a spare wheel. You may also want to keep a locking wheel nut key with your tools. Keep an eye on your power steering; have the garage top up your hydraulic fluid on each service. You can also consistently check its levels yourself. Check over the bodywork often to look for signs of rust. You need to watch out for rust as it’s not just ` a cosmetic damage. When ignored over time, rust can cause corrosive damage to your car parts. 

Depreciation is a pain, but buying a used car can take off the financial pressure. It’s also worth looking into the depreciation rates of each vehicle that you are considering. Overall, the better care you take of your car- the less you will be contributing to devaluing it!

What Drives A Man’s Love For His Car?

/in /by

What is it about men and their cars? 

 

You see them on a Sunday morning, spending hours cleaning, waxing, and probably caressing their vehicles on the driveway. 

 

You see them salivating over car ads online, planning their next purchase (even if it’s only an imaginary pipe dream of a purchase), looking at luxury sports cars akin to the Ferrari 488 showcased on Wavertree Car Centre’s classified pages. 

 

You see them deliberating over each and every motor at the showroom, desperately trying to reason with themselves that yes, they can afford the latest and greatest car, even if it means taking on a second or even third job to justify the purchase. 

 

But why? What drives a man’s love for his car?

 

Is it a status-symbol thing? Driving down the road in the Lexus-LX, windows rolled down so passersby can see the driver at the wheel; it’s almost as if the guy behind the wheel is shouting ‘look at me.’ The bigger and more expensive the car, the better. A man’s car can signify that he has made it in the world. It can give the guy a sense of coolness that he might not achieve in other aspects of his life. A car can grant him kudos from his peers, and quite possibly, it can elevate his self-esteem, even if it does become more inflated than his newly-purchased tyres.

 

Is it a tech thing? Not only do guys love their cars, but many of them are tech-heads as well. And because today’s cars are stocked with the latest technologies, getting behind the wheel of a gadget-laden car must be akin to every guy’s wet dream. From the latest in sound system technology to more practical features, such as dashcams and digital assistants, it’s little wonder that men spend a lot of time behind the wheel. There is a lot to play and fiddle with! 

 

Is it a freedom thing? Life is stressful, right? Perhaps then, a guy loves nothing more than getting behind the wheel of his car to escape those aspects of his life that are getting him down. With nothing but the open road ahead of him, he has the freedom to escape life’s trials and tribulations. He is in control of the drive, with nobody telling him what to do or where to go. And if his car does elevate his self-esteem, and if it is laden with the latest and greatest in-car accessories, then he will instantly feel better about his life within the safe confines of his motor. He is free to be himself as he takes the freedom of the open road, without the pressures or criticisms of others. 

 

Are these the factors that drive a man’s love for his car? Maybe, and perhaps you can relate to what we have suggested. Or maybe there are other reasons why you spend a lot of time with your car, be that behind the wheel or caressing it on a Sunday morning with a loving wax and polish. We don’t know how you feel about your motor, but we do know this. Men do love their cars, and if you can shed any further light on why, please feel free to share in the comments section below. 

How To Kill An Hour 2019

Planning A Roadtrip? Check These Things Before You Go

/in , /by

Taking a trip can be really exciting, but if you are out and about, midway into a journey and your car breaks down, things can take a turn for the worst, the fun can be lost, and you can spend a lot of time and money sorting things out. In order to minimise the chances of this happening it is essential to check your car is road trip ready before you even set out.

Check the basics

Before you plan to take a more extended trip, you should always check your air, oil and water. These three tasks can quickly be learned, and you should ensure that for the oil and water checks you have parked on a flat hard standing rather than on a slope as this could give a false reading. Your handbook should tell you what tyre pressures you should be running, and most garages have access to airlines for about twenty pence.

Get your car serviced

Make sure you have been keeping up with servicing on your car, and if you are planning an unusually long journey consider booking a service anyway. This gives you peace of mind that your vehicle has been checked by a professional and if you are unsure about things like oil and water they can check this for you. Failure to serve a car regularly can mean a minor issue is not spotted and over time it deteriorates into a costly job that could have been avoided.

Tyres: Fittings, repair and maintenance

As well as checking the air in your tyres you should also be keeping an eye on the overall quality. Treads have a legal minimum limit, after which the tyre becomes dangerous and could fail to react when braking, or steering sharply. It also means that the rubber has worn away and this can leave the tyre more at risk of punctures or worse, a blowout, which can leave the car uncontrollable and cause an accident. Tyres should be regularly checked for nails, stones and other debris in the treads, and it is vital you have a spare tyre on board, the spare wheel is often only suitable to get you back to proper help, but some vehicles carry a full road legal spare. Even if you’re road-tripping to Scotland and need an emergency repair or replacement, you can get good quality servicing and repairs at places such as C.H. Render.

How to save money

The best way to save money when it comes to cars and road trips is to have breakdown cover should the worst happen. It can be really expensive to get your vehicle towed or repaired at the side of the road if you are not a member of a breakdown service. Check the level of cover and compare it with the journey you are going to make.

The bottom line is that being prepared for road trips is a case of being proactive, not reactive. If you carry out a range of checks and ensure that your vehicle is maintained all year round, you are less likely to have problems when heading out for a longer trip. Being reactive is not only disruptive it can also be hard on the wallet so keeping on top of basic maintenance makes a lot of sense.

 

Keeping Your 4WD In Tip-Top Shape

/in /by


If you’re the proud owner (or proud owner to be) of a 4WD, then you’ll likely know that these beauties generally aren’t so cheap to own or to purchase in the first place. With this in mind, it’s practical to make the best efforts you can at maintaining your four-wheeled pride and joy. Of course, you’ll want to get the most use out of it that you can, for all those adventures off-road and otherwise. Here are a few things you may want to consider to get the best out of your purchase.

Remember your pre-start checks

Underestimating the importance of pre-start checks can be quite the error when it comes to the 4WD; it’s about spotting those little issues before they turn into big ones. Ensure you take a good look over your vehicle to find any signs of damage; this could be your lights, mirrors, wheels or tyres- check it all. Also, make sure that you inspect each tyre carefully for inflation, it’s handy to always have a tyre pressure gauge close by. While you down there, take a look at the wheels so you can find out if the wheel nuts are properly secure (and make sure that you haven’t lost any)!

After this, you can open up the bonnet and make sure all is well with the engine bay. If you’re not clued up on where (and what) everything is inside your car then grab your owners manual to help you to see what’s what. You’ll want to see if the windscreen fluid and the coolant is full plus the clutch and brake fluid. Have a look at your engine oil levels and the tension of your belts to ensure all is good here. Don’t forget to inspect underneath your vehicle for any signs of leaks too.

Tyre pressure is key

 It’s important not to overlook the quantity of air that you run in your 4WD tyres. This is because if you are using incorrect tyre pressure, this means that your tyres are going to wear much faster (and we don’t want that)! You’re also going to wind up with poor traction if this is the case. The key is to pick the right pressure dependent on the different types of terrain that you are going to be driving on. If you are simply driving on the road then you can just follow the recommended tyre pressures that can be found on your tyre placard (This should generally be between 32 and 38psi depending on your vehicle.)

If you are driving on sand, you will most likely have heard that you will need to drop the air pressure in your tyres- you can drop it to around to between 18 and 26psi. By lowering the pressure, you will be improving your flotation while also giving yourself momentum to stay on top and not get stuck! Sand can end up building up a lot of heat in your tyres so you might find that you need to give your vehicle a few driving breaks. If you are driving on rocks, you can also reduce your tyre pressure and ensure that you’re not going at too much of a speed.

Perhaps you find yourself driving through mud? In this case, if the foundation of the mud is quite firm then it’s okay to stick with higher air pressures, yet if it’s deep and sinking mud then low air pressures are a better bet! Although driving through mud can be frankly- a lot of fun, it’s actually pretty bad for your 4WD. This is because it gets stuck inside everything and is hard to get rid of! It can block your radiators and is also corrosive. (If you can resist- back away from the mud!)

Don’t skip on the service

You’ll know that getting your vehicle serviced is a must, yet not all services are the same, and you’ll want to find one that’s both quality and suited to your needs. If you have a look at your 4WD manual, you should be able to find the info you need that is going to help you to know which is the right kind of servicing and schedule for your vehicle. You can consider what your service interval is and go with that. However, you might want to think about more frequent services if you know that you have been working your 4WD pretty hard overall, driving on lots of challenging terrains or perhaps towing? You’ll want to know that your precious wheels are in good hands with your 4WD servicing so make sure that you choose a reputable source to give you the standards you need.

 

Upkeep on the differentials

Your differentials are the sets of gears that enable the wheels of your 4WD to operate at different speeds. The differentials aim engine power at the vehicle wheels and also act as the final gear reductions, slowing up the transmission speed once more before it meets the wheels. You need to make sure all of the different components of your differentials are lubricated to keep it in good working order. You can have a mechanic change your differential oil approximately every 30,000 to 60,000 miles.

Ditch the rust

Your 4WD adventures (though fun) may have already exposed your vehicle to some damage. If you find and apply a good rust prevention treatment that’s one less thing for you to worry about! You can use, for instance, underbody rust proofing sprays which can stop rust from forming to begin with. You could also choose to opt for electronic rust prevention. These work by using systems that aim to replace lost electrons in steel, with a negative charge, and thus decreasing the rate of corrosion.

 

Your servicing needs will depend on the type of 4WD vehicle you have and the type of driving you’re doing, so it’s just all about assessing what your needs are. While you’ll want to leisurely take those off-road jaunts and have a blast; it’s definitely worth your time to give your vehicle a little TLC!

 

 

 

how to kill an hour car lot

4 Essential Considerations You Have Got to Make When Buying a Car

/in /by

When it comes to buying a car, you need to think about making the perfect choice for you. This is something that you need to ensure you get right because a car is one of the most important tools in your life. It provides you with freedom, independence, and opportunity, and this is why you have to make sure you think hard about the best ways of making the right choice when buying a car.

 

There are a lot of factors you need to assess before you can be sure you have chosen the perfect vehicle for you, and this is something that plays a massive part in the process. There are a lot of things you have got to think about when you want to buy a car, and these are 4 of the biggest considerations you need to make to help you choose correctly here.

 

  1. Find the Right Dealership

 

Finding a car dealership that can provide you with what you need is so important. You want somewhere with an excellent range and selection of vehicles, competitive prices, and additional services you can make the most of. An online dealership like CC Cars Limited is one of the best places to start when it comes to trying to find the perfect dealership for you.

 

  1. Customise Your Car

 

Working on modifying and customising your car is one of the best things you can do. There are so many elements to keep in mind here, and you mustn’t be afraid to get creative as much as you can. There are a lot of basic ways you can customise and modify your car to make it look really great. And you should look at things like changing the paint job, replacing the seats, and improving the engine.

 

how to kill an hour car lot

 

  1. Look After It

 

Of course, once you have bought your car, you need to look after it as much as possible to ensure it is as dependable and roadworthy as possible. There are lot of ways of achieving this, and one of the best ones is to come up with ideas that will protect and preserve your car. Getting the right insurance and making sure you are safe on the roads is a good place to star, but you also need to think about keeping it in good condition as much as you can.

 

  1. Sell Your Old Car

 

When you bring in a new car, you are probably going to want to get rid of your old vehicle, and this is something important to keep in mind moving forward. There are a lot of factors that play a role in this, but you need to be able to sell it in the best way you can and make the most money you can. This is something that you need to think about for the future right now and come up with ideas to help you sell your old car.

 

If you can look at these 4 different elements of buying a new car, this is going to help you a lot. There are so many things that play a part in finding the ideal car for you, and you must make the right choice here. Assess these 4 points, and use them to enhance and improve your decisions, and come up with the best possible car for you.