Don't suffer from Bank Holiday Blues

If you plan to drive this bank holiday weekend, the Good Garage Scheme recommends you carry out a few simple safety checks on your vehicle before setting off.

• Make sure you have enough fuel
• Check the oil
• Check your lights
• Check your coolant level 
• Check your windscreen wash and refill if necessary
• Make sure your windscreen is clean and clear
• Check your tyres

If you are in doubt about how to check any of the above, or if something seems worryingly low, simply contact your local Good Garage Scheme member garage and ask if they could check it for you.

As well as making all of the necessary checks, don't forget to download the free Good Garage Scheme app before you set off. If you have any motoring worries while you are travelling or visiting family and friends away from home, you can locate a reliable garage using the app no matter where you are.

Over 13,500 motorists have already downloaded the app and The Sunday Times listed it as one of the Top 500 Apps in their App List two years in a row.

Here are some of the comments received from those who have already downloaded the App:


"Can't believe it's free!"

"A genuinely useful app, simple to use and the kind of app that gets you out of a hole when you need it."

"Very helpful"

"It’s a great application I found especially when you are on the move and you don’t know where you can get your car fixed. It’s so easy to use. I don’t remember if I have found something as useful as this recently."

‘This is a very useful App especially when you’re on the road a lot, off on holiday around the UK or just on the move’

Running out of Fuel - Guest Blog by Maria McCarthy

This is an astonishingly common problem. Sometimes it's just the result of pure carelessness and forgetting to check the fuel gauge. Other times it's because the fuel gauge itself is faulty and
was reading full when it was actually empty. Alternatively there could be a fuel leak.

How to avoid it
If you suspect that the fuel gauge is playing up, or that you've 
got a leak of any description, get it checked out by a garage as
soon as possible. And don't procrastinate when it comes to filling
up.

What to do if it happens to you
If you suspect a fuel leak then you should be able to smell
the petrol or diesel. Don't even think of trying to start the
car under these circumstances - call the breakdown service
for help.

Don't keep attempting to start the engine in the hope of
squeezing the last drops of fuel out as this can suck air and dirt
into the fuel system and make things even worse.

If you've got a can of fuel with you or can get one from a
nearby petrol station then switch off the ignition, empty it into
the tank and drive to the nearest garage to fill up properly.

If you're stuck on the hard shoulder or a long way from the
nearest petrol station then your best bet is to call your breakdown
service.

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The Good Garage Scheme would like to thank Maria McCarthy for permission to publish an excerpt from her book,  "The Girls' Car Handbook - Everything You Need to Know about Life on the Road”, published by Simon and Schuster.  Maria is a member of The Guild of Motoring Writers.

Are you driving less because of fuel prices?

Fuel prices are a hot topic of debate these days. With the welcome news that the Chancellor will scrap the planned fuel duty in January as well as the inflation increase in August 2012, we would like to share the results of a recent consumer poll.

The Good Garage Scheme has surveyed over 1300 motorists up and down the country in the last two months and found that 78% are driving less because of higher fuel prices.

The results of our poll are not surprising as consumers are trying to cut corners wherever possible. Walking and cycling are great alternatives, but if there is no other option but to use the car, the Good Garage Scheme offers handy tips on saving fuel.

•    Choose gears wisely – Over revving uses more fuel. Changing up a gear slightly earlier can reduce the number of revs.

•    Prevent idling – Being at a standstill for a long time consumes fuel unnecessarily. If you think you will be at a standstill for more than 3 minutes, simply turn off your engine.

•    De-clutter – A heavy load puts more pressure on the engine resulting in more fuel being used. Unload any necessary clutter, especially from the boot.

•    Abide by speed limits – We all know how tempting it is to exceed the limit on an open road, but higher speeds mean more fuel.

For more fuel saving tips, please visit http://www.goodgaragescheme.co.uk/driving