How to correctly defrost your windscreen

We’re now in the thick of winter and to avoid costly accidents, it’s worth knowing how to safely defrost your windscreen. Making this part of your morning routine through the colder months will ensure you stay safe on the road, even when you’re up against the icy side of mother nature. Here’s our top tips on how to correctly defrost your windscreen. Use lukewarm water If you’re using water to defrost your windscreen, never use boiling water. This is because the temperature differences are too extreme and will cause the windscreen to expand too quickly, leading to a crack. You’ll…

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Staying Cool This Summer: Important Air Con Checks

Year on year the highest temperatures of summer increase and this can be frustrating for motorists who haven’t had their air conditioning properly maintained. Fortunately, ‘recharging’, ‘refilling’ or ‘regassing’ your auto’s air con is simple for a qualified mechanic to perform and is well worth it for summer and winter driving. Let’s take a look at why your air con is probably due for a tune up. Why Air Con Stops Working Air conditioning uses refrigerant, otherwise known as ‘gas’, to cool your car effectively. When in use, the gas shifts in state from gas to liquid and back to…

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Universal Tyres’ Branches Become Certified Michelin Centres

Here at Universal Tyres, we constantly strive to improve our services in order to provide you, our valued customers, with the best service imaginable. That’s why we’re extremely proud to announce that a number of our branches are now Michelin Certified Centres. But what exactly does that mean for our customers? And how did some of our branches become Michelin Certified Centres? What Being a Michelin Certified Centre Means Michelin are known worldwide not only for their iconic Michelin Man mascot – they’re perhaps even more famous for their durable, high performance, high quality tyres. But to get the most…

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Car Batteries: Everything You Need to Know

With how reliable modern cars are, there are many people out there who have never had to deal with the inner workings of their vehicle, simply getting it serviced and paying the garage before heading on their way. But knowing where the water, oil and fuel goes isn’t all there is to know about running a car, and it’s well worth your time to familiarise yourself with other aspects of the vehicle, too. The battery is an essential component of a car, and so in the first of this month’s articles we’ll be looking at just that.   How Does…

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Common Exhaust Problems

Exhausts are an indispensable facet of a car’s mechanical structure, being the means by which the byproduct waste gases of combustion are expelled from the engine. When problems arise with your exhaust, these waste products can prove dangerous for your car, you and your passengers, and the environment. Consequently, it is of the utmost importance that you keep your exhaust in good nick, so in our second article of the month we’ll be looking at the most common exhaust problems you should be mindful of. Rust The likeliest reason that your exhaust will suffer failure will be that rust has…

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Most common brake problems

Arguably the most important safety aspect of a car is its brakes, and that’s why ensuring that your brakes are in perfect condition is essential. In the first of this month’s articles we’ll be discussing the most common brake problems that you’re likely to fall victim to and that you’ll need to rectify as soon as possible, should they occur, so your vehicle can be used safely on the road. Soft brake pedals Brake pedals that feel soft underfoot are a common sign of problems with brakes that must be addressed. A good way of testing your brakes is, while…

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Advantages of getting your Car Serviced at a Local Garage

When the time comes that you need to service your car, choosing a suitable garage to take it to can make you feel a little uneasy, as essentially, you are putting a rather expensive possession into the hands of a total stranger! Since October 2003, you are no longer obliged to have your car serviced by a franchise dealer i.e the manufacturers garage. So how do you choose where to take your car to? The two obvious choices is to use either a national, main dealer or a local, independent garage. There are many advantages to using a local company…

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How to Successfully Pass your MOT

Around £1.5million vehicles fail their annual MOT. However, what’s even more shocking is the fact that they fail on the littlest things that more often than not, the motor owner can sort out themselves if they just pay a little more time and attention to their vehicles. To avoid falling into this statistic, we’re going to run through some easy checks you can do to make sure you stand the best chance possible of getting the green light and passing your MOT! The five minute challenge Save yourself time and money by carrying out a few checks that should take…

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Essential Items Every Driver Should Carry in their Car This Winter

With us now fully immersed into the British winter time, we need to make sure we are fully prepared for all eventualities when the weather take a turn for the worse at any time, as you can guarantee that when it does, something will go wrong with your car! – check our blog on winter checks for your car. Head Torch Daylight hours are minimal in the winter, but with a head torch, regardless of what time it is, you will still be able to clearly see the problem area i.e under the bonnet and assess the situation. Shovel Should…

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Part Worn Tyres Hidden Dangers

It’s extremely hard to resist a bargain, and with cheaper, second-hand belongings that look just as good as the latest and newest version, it can be even harder to turn them down. But when it comes to our car’s tyres, should we really be choosing second-hand as an option…? With a set of four brand new tyres costing anything up to £1,000, it’s no surprise that people are turning to part-worn tyres, as a cheaper alternative. However, an investigation with Auto Express and TyreSafe into the sale and state of these part-worn tyres revealed some devastatingly shocking results. The test…

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