Is your car ready for summer driving?

With the UK basking in a heatwave and summer holidays only just around the corner, research from the Good Garage Scheme has revealed that as a nation of motorists we are unprepared for long car journeys. A survey of 1000 drivers also found a lack of awareness of basic car maintenance needed to stay safe on the road.

Over four in ten (41%) drivers said they had no plans to get their car checked before their next long journey, while almost half (47%) admitted to not knowing their tyre tread depth and just 39% were found to have checked the condition of their spare tyre in the last year.  Furthermore, almost a third (31%) said they had never had their car’s oil system cleaned, while just over a fifth (21%) said they are prepared to deal with a tyre blow out if it happened to them.  A car health check before a long journey is essential to ensure you arrive safely and have a trouble-free and comfortable journey.

Good Garage Scheme workshops across the UK are offering a Holiday Check to give motorists peace of mind before the summer holidays.  The 21-point check provides an expert assessment of a vehicle’s health including the condition of the tyres, wiper blades, windscreen and lights, as well as the level of the coolant and engine oil.  The Holiday Check also includes checking operation of the air conditioning system and, if required, a sterilising and deodorising service, to ensure comfortable summer motoring.

Now widely accepted as a mark of quality for independent garages across the UK, Good Garage Scheme workshops are recognised as providing exceptional service to their customers based on a rigorously monitored mandatory code of practice and regular independent audits. 

Visit www.GoodGarageScheme.com and enter your postcode to find a local Good Garage Scheme workshop offering the Holiday Check.  Smartphone users can also download a free iPhone or Android app to help them locate a nearby Good Garage Scheme member anywhere in the UK. This is great to have saved on your phone so that you can contact a garage when you need it, no matter where you are. Once you download it, you can search for a garage even if you don’t have WIFI.

The Good Garage Scheme – it’s like having a friend in the know.

School Days at Empire Garages

photo courtesy of Empire Garages

The team at Empire Garages in Enfield hosted over 90 four year old children from a local school over a week in January and we are not sure who enjoyed it more, owner, Ajay Gokani and his team or the children!

The teacher’s aim for the visit was for the children to see the tools a mechanic uses, a car engine, ask questions and learn about fuel. 

They were able to view basic car maintenance, a tyre change and a ramp in operation before going home with a goody bag from Empire Garage which included colouring in pages featuring the Good Garage Scheme’s Miles Better. 

All of the children were also awarded with a Good Garage Scheme Trainee sticker.

Well done to the team at Empire for their initiative and for supporting their local community.

Empire Garages have been a member of the Good Garage Scheme since 2007 and are an award winning garage. 

Spread the Costs of your Car Maintenance

We all know that prevention is better than cure, but we don't always prepare for the cost of an annual car service.

No matter what the age, mileage and condition of your vehicle, it will require repairs at some point as a result of everyday wear and tear. Regular servicing can alleviate the long-term impact of this wear and tear by identifying any potential issues and correcting them before they escalate to a costly item to repair.

Monthly payments via direct debit are the most common method to keep up with the demands of most household bills, enabling people to spread the burden of large costs.

However, how many people can say they budget monthly for their car servicing?

Whilst many of us know that planning in advance and putting aside money for car servicing and repairs is the sensible option, budgeting for this important item is not always straightforward unless you are following a plan.

Thanks to a new service from the Good Garage Scheme, motorists can now budget for their car servicing and take some of that worry away.

The Good Garage Scheme Service Plan is now available to help motorists keep their cars on the road and in good condition.

Participating Good Garage Scheme member garages will offer their customers the option to pay a small monthly amount into a Service Plan so that when their annual car service is due, the money is ready and the service can take place.

Not only does this allow motorists to budget for their car maintenance, but it can also save them money in the future as a regularly-serviced vehicle is less likely to require repairs than one which has not been serviced for some time.  Another bonus of a well-maintained vehicle is that when you come to sell the car, it will maintain more of the value with a fully stamped service book.

For more information, visit the website.