Today’s cars are full of electronics which in turn operate a series of sensors which monitor all sorts of parts of your vehicle to ensure everything is working as it should be. Read More
Every so often when you are an exhaust fitter you work on the sort of car you dream about owning.
This happened recently at Powell’s garage at Redruth when a classic car enthusiast arrived with a beautiful 1960 Jaguar XK 150 3.8 Coupe.
Head of tyres and exhausts at Powell’s Paul Richards explains what happened next :
We’ve put together ten top tips for buying a second hand car. Not only will these simple tips help you avoid buying a dud, they will also help you to negotiate a better price!
1) Do your research
Find out as much as you can about the vehicle. How much will you have to pay in insurance? Tax? Fuel? Are there any common faults with this vehicle that should be checked? Of course, in the age of the Internet, these facts are easier to find than they used to be.
Read More
Antifreeze – check coolant level regularly and, if required, top-up with a mixture of the correct type of antifreeze. We can check the concentration to ensure adequate cold temperature protection.
Battery – the most common cause of winter breakdowns. A battery more than five years old may struggle in the cold – get it checked and replaced if necessary to avoid the inconvenience of an unplanned failure.
Read More
A quick and easy way to see if your tyre tread exceeds the minimum legal tread depth is to take the 20p test.
Simply place a 20p coin into the main tread grooves of your tyre. If the outer band of the 20p coin is obscured when it is inserted, then your tread is above the legal limit.
If the outer band of the coin is visible, then your tyres may be illegal and unsafe and should be checked immediately by a qualified tyre professional.
When taking the test, remember to check at least three locations around each tyre. As the test is so quick and easy, stay safe by checking your tyres at least once a month.
Carry out a few routine checks to ensure your car is up to the tests of Winter driving. Spending a bit of time on this now could save you the hassle and financial burden of a breakdown or accident further down the line.
Read More
Now that the weather is starting to turn, we recommend you gather a few items to keep in your car, especially for those longer journeys over the holidays – just in case.
Below are items that should be in your emergency kit:
Ice scraper and de-icer
Torch and spare batteries – or a wind-up torch
Warm clothes and blankets – for you and all passengers
Boots
First aid kit
Read More
