Spring Clean Your Car

The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is sharing advice with drivers to ensure their cars are well-prepared for the spring. Here are seven important tips from the IAM’s chief examiner, Peter Rodger, to see you through the season.

1. Now is a good time to give your car a complete spring clean inside and out. Give the outside of your car specific attention as patches of grime and dirt collected over the winter can cause corrosion. Wash your car thoroughly and take it to a car wash that specialises in under-side cleaning.
2. Check your car lights and windscreen wiper blades are working properly and make sure the tyres are not damaged or worn – if any of these need replacing do it before you start your journey. Keeping a spare pack of car bulbs in your boot is also a good idea.
3. Top up your brake fluid as you may have used more of it during the winter months. The same applies to your washer screen fluid and coolant levels. If you’re unsure about topping these up consult your handbook or take it to a mechanic.
4. If you’re allergic to pollen, the onset of hay fever can affect your driving during the spring. Use a pollen filter or switch the air-conditioning on to help purify the air.
5. Tree sap can be hard to remove once it hardens so don’t forget to give your car a regular wash-over using some hot water and a clean sponge – this should help the sap to dissolve.
6. If you find the sap has hardened and difficult to remove use a colour restorer and an electric polisher. Use specialist cleaning pads to buff the car paint into the metal, but don’t ever use household cleaning pads as these will ruin the car’s paintwork.
7. Always keep a pair of sunglasses with you; these will come in handy when dealing with glare from early morning and evening low sun.

Peter said: “Many annoying problems can be prevented by simple checks and regular maintenance. Keeping your windows and mirrors clear of dirt and blemishes can prevent accidents and save lives.”

The Good Garage Scheme would like to thank the IAM for this week's helpful blog and advises motorists to visit their local member garage for a Spring Check.

BBC Radio Oxford Interviews Good Garage Scheme member

photo courtesy of NMV Services Ltd

Kat Orman of BBC Radio Oxford called on her family mechanic at NMV Services in Faringdon,
Oxfordshire and interviewed owner and mechanic, Mike Nash, live on the morning programme on Wednesday, 11th March 2015.

She asked some great questions including, "How do customers react when you have to give bad news?" He answered that he is good at it because he understands what it is like as he has a family and is sympathetic to their reaction.

Kat also asked Mike to imagine if he weren't a mechanic and then asked how he would find a trustworthy garage. Without missing a beat he answered, "Good Garage Scheme."
He went on to say he had been a member of the scheme since 2010 and he enjoyed being a member and working with the Good Garage Scheme.

When asked what guarantees a customer had with a Good Garage Scheme member garage, Mike answered, "Customers can see all reviews that previous customers leave with cards or online. It is an opportunity to see bad press as well as good and helps everyone."

Kat Orman then asked Mike how the garage is regulated. He answered, "We are regulated by the cards (feedback) received and if bad reports are received, the Good Garage Scheme can strike you off the list."

The BBC presenter then went on to interview marketing manager, Anndi Sheppard, to find out more about the Good Garage Scheme.

The link is available to hear on iPlayer for a limited period here.

For more information about NMV Services Ltd in Faringdon, click here.

Avoid a Bumpy Ride This Spring

Spring is on its way - which can only mean lighter evenings, warmer days and of course the launch of our Good Garage Scheme Spring Check. However, whilst we are keen to ensure your vehicles have survived the winter and are in good shape for spring, there is one thing you will be lucky to avoid - potholes.

Estimated to cause as many as one in ten mechanical failures and costing motorists over £730 million every year, potholes are at the root of much motoring misery.

Although this winter has been relatively mild, the condition of the roads appears to have worsened - and a bumpy journey is an all-too-frequent occurrence.

How are potholes created?
Potholes occur when the asphalt road surface becomes brittle and starts to absorb more rain water, causing cracks to develop. The pressure of car tyres driving over the surface will weaken it and as frost and ice thaw, this deterioration process is sped up, causing chunks of road surface material to become loosened. Once formed, a pothole will generally increase in size as more and more cars drive over the weakened area.

How can potholes damage your vehicle?
Driving over a pothole, or in some cases into and back out of one, can cause damage to a vehicle’s axle and suspension. Potholes are at their most dangerous at night, and in wet weather when the extent of the hole may not be evident, due to it being filled with rain water. 


How can we help you?
Our Spring Check launches on 1st March, which means that by visiting one of our participating member garages you can have your car checked over, to ensure it has not been damaged by the unavoidable winter potholes or cold weather motoring. Your local garage will test your vehicle against a stringent 21-point checklist to ensure that tyres, brakes, power steering and other vital elements are in good working condition, ready for spring motoring.

If you believe your vehicle has been damaged by a particular pothole, there are steps you can take to report the issue, namely:

· Collect evidence – location, timing and photographs

· Report the pothole to your local council or Highways Agency

Presenting your case as if you are trying to help other motorists avoid such damage may help to support your claim.

If you are worried by the impact of potholes on your vehicle, simply ask your local Good Garage Scheme member garage to check.

Get Ready for Your MOT Test

An MOT test is required by law to check that a vehicle is roadworthy and safe for the environment. It is due once your car is three years old and then annually.

According to the Drivers and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) the top three items to fail an MOT are:

1. Headlight Aim

2. Tyre Tread Depth

3. Windscreen wipers

Headlight aim might have been off if you replaced a headlight since your last MOT and it is higher or lower than the other. Check your lights before your test. All lights will be tested so ask a friend or neighbour to help you check your lights are working and replace any if possible beforehand.

Tyre tread depth is easy to check with a 20p coin. If you can see the outer rim of the coin when you insert into the tyre grooves, they may need changing. Visit any Good Garage Scheme member garage to check if you are unsure.

Windscreen wipers do a tremendous amount of work and may need changing. This is something you can easily check and replace should they look worn. You can probably tell if they are not clearing the screen as smoothly as possible in bad weather but best to run your hand along to edge to check for cracks or wear.

Other items you can check before your test are seat belts, fluids in the car and bodywork.

Remember, an MOT is not a service. If you are looking to buy a car that has recently passed an MOT, ensure you also check when it was last serviced.

For more information about MOTs visit www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot/the-mot-test

Three Time Winners on Way to 5000 Feedbacks

The Good Garage Scheme would like to congratulate member garage Lockwood & Greenwood in Ashton-under-Lyne for once again winning the national prize for top number of feedback received in a year.

The team at Lockwood & Greenwood celebrate highest number of feedback in 2014.

The garage received over 900 customer feedbacks in 2014 with a phenomenal star rating of over 98% with over 99% of their customers ready to recommend them to a friend or use them again. Lockwood & Greenwood have also picked up the regional prize for Top Feedback in 2014 as well.

Bryan Langton who runs the service reception ensures every customer receives a feedback card and lets them know how important their response is to the garage's membership of the Good Garage Scheme. He also ensures they receive a thank you in the post for using the garage for the service, repair or MOT. The email addresses collected with the feedback helps the garage remind their customers when the MOT or service is due on the vehicle.

Lockwood & Greenwood are currently on 4820 feedbacks and well on the way to reaching the next milestone of 5000, which will make them the second Good Garage Scheme member to do so. We look forward to celebrating later this year.

Congratulations to all of our Regional Winners for Top Feedback in 2014:

R M Services in Hathern, Loughborough
Surecar in Bristol
G & J Starkey in Stourbridge
Budget Autocentre in Stirling
Car Care of Kensington in London

Motorist Wins in Feedback Prizedraw

Kate Lawlor receives £200 cheque at Mimram Service Centre

Lucky motorist Kate Lawlor has won £200 towards the cost of her recent car service at Good Garage
Scheme member garage, Mimram Service Centre in Hertford.

Kate’s feedback card was picked at random from over 25,000 customer satisfaction surveys submitted by member garages throughout the UK since September 2014.

Good Garage Scheme customers are encouraged to provide their feedback to help drivers visiting www.goodgaragescheme.com make an informed decision when choosing a local garage to service or repair their vehicle.

Ms Lawlor awarded Mimram Service Centre five stars for the helpfulness and attitude of the staff and the quality of their contact about the work being carried out on her car. Five stars were also awarded for their standard of work and her overall satisfaction with the Good Garage Scheme member.

Kate Lawlor commented: “I would definitely recommend John and his team at the Mimram Service Centre. Customer service is exceptional and before any work is commenced, it is always discussed with you before proceeding. I’m always satisfied with the work carried out and will only use this garage in Hertford.”

John Souidhou, owner of Mimram Service Centre, added: “We are delighted that one of our valued customers has won the Good Garage Scheme’s feedback prize and were equally pleased to have received such a glowing review. This positive report shows the importance that everyone at Mimram Service Centre places on providing our customers with an excellent service, as well as the hard work and dedication that’s needed to make this happen.”

The Good Garage Scheme awards two lucky motorists each year with a prize for filling in a feedback card after a service or repair. For your chance to Win Back the Cost of Your Service*, simply leave feedback on your next service or repair at a Good Garage Scheme member garage.

Visit www.goodgaragescheme.com and enter your postcode to find your local Good Garage Scheme workshop and view customer feedback. 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.

Don't Lose Your Grip on Salty Roads

As the Met Office issues yellow weather warnings of ice and snow for much of the country, roads are expected to be gritted to prevent snow from settling. The IAM’s chief examiner, Peter Rodger, is offering advice to motorists to cope better with driving on road surfaces that have been recently treated.

If weather conditions are severe in your area, you should take notice of police advice and simply not travel. However, in the exceptional circumstances where this is unavoidable, make sure you drive safely and with extra caution on icy roads.

Salt will often make the windscreen, headlights, number plate and rear parts of your car very dirty. Cars without headlamp washers, for example, will lose an estimated 40% of luminosity, and possibly all their focus in about 20 miles on a damp, gritted motorway. When travelling long distances it is advised that you stop regularly at service stations to clean your windscreen and headlights with a clean cloth. Or keep a filled litre or two of water in the car boot to give your lights, windows and mirrors a quick wash over – a handy investment to top-up your windscreen washer reservoir when needed too.

When driving on a busy road, avoid overtaking a gritting lorry as the road ahead may not be treated yet. If you have any doubt, don’t risk it. Never overtake a snow plough in heavy snow conditions.
While roads may be gritted to give you better traction some areas may not be completely treated, leaving ice patches exposed. You should therefore drive at a steady pace – ensuring the safety of you and your passengers.

It’s important that you keep your car clean throughout the winter as the salt in grit can cause external damage such as corrosion to any exposed suspension parts. Ensure that you thoroughly wash the underside of your car when you can to stop salt from settling.

Don’t forget to wash/rinse alloy wheels too; the smallest scratch can quickly become a large rust patch.

Rodger said: “Preparation is the key to avoiding a dangerous situation whilst driving in snowy or icy conditions. Don’t rely on the performance of your car systems to get you out of trouble – allow time, make sure you have good visibility all round and carry the right equipment.”

Peter Rodger is the IAM’s chief examiner
The IAM is the UK’s largest independent road safety charity, dedicated to improving standards and safety in driving and motorcycling. The commercial division of the IAM operates through its occupational driver training company IAM Drive & Survive. The IAM has more than 200 local volunteer groups and over 100,000 members in the UK and Ireland. It is best known for the advanced driving test and the advanced driving and motorcycling courses. Its policy and research division offers advice and expertise on road safety.
  

The Good Garage Scheme would like to thank the IAM for this week's welcome advice and would also like to add that motorists can download the Free Good Garage Scheme App before setting off in case they do run into any trouble.