Life’s a Beach

Sun, sea and Sangria..... and hopefully sunglasses are the theme in the Good Garage Scheme offices this week.  Coventry is the last place you would expect to see any sand, and you would be right.  But it doesn’t stop the guys and girls at the Good Garage Scheme getting into the swing of things to raise money for a good cause. 

BEN is the UK’s only charity which helps those who work or have worked in the automotive industries.  This week is National BEN Week (18-24 July) and celebrates the charity’s 106th birthday. 

We are encouraging our 3,000 plus Good Garage Scheme members to join the party to win a summer hamper full of goodies.  All you have to do is send us a photograph of your beach-themed garage scene. The entrance fee for this is £1 payable directly to BEN at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/goodgaragescheme. 

Here in the office, we will be enjoying our beach day by putting beach towels on our chairs, wearing summery clothes, and enjoying a picnic lunch.  Hopefully, the sun will shine.

You can find more information about BEN at www.ben.org.uk.

We will post some of the best photos received next Monday on our Facebook page and in the blog. 

Happy Holiday.......

More motorists gear up to avoid holiday havoc

More and more motorists are gearing up to avoid the potential holiday horror of vehicle breakdowns, according to industry experts.

A recent poll by the UK-wide Good Garage Scheme at www.goodgaragescheme.co.uk has revealed that 58 per cent of drivers do not have their cars checked at a garage before setting off on a motoring holiday.

And with ‘austerity’ prompting many to look at holidaying at home this year, experts at the Good Garage Scheme said the importance of checking vehicles before setting off is more vital than ever.

Phil Dugmore, technical manager at the Good Garage Scheme, said: “The results of our poll show that motorists appear to be taking risks by not checking their vehicles before going on holiday. Of course checking your vehicle is important at any time, but none more so than when you are using it to take family and friends on an anticipated holiday. After all, nobody wants the aggravation and stress of having to deal with vehicle repairs during what should be a well-earned relaxing break.”

A comprehensive 21-point Holiday Check has been launched by the Good Garage Scheme to its 3,000 plus members to give motorists more peace of mind about the state of their vehicles ahead of taking to the UK’s roads on their holidays.

The 21-point Holiday Check includes:

•    Air conditioning operation and cabin comfort
•    Fluid levels
•    Lights and wipers
•    Tyres and exhaust

Phil added: “Our 21-point Holiday Check covers all of the areas that can help ensure motorists’ vehicles are in the best possible condition before heading off to the UK’s holiday hotspots. Taking preventative measures to avoid potential problems before they happen is certainly the best approach. Our member garages and workshops carry out work of the highest standard, giving motorists peace of mind for trouble free motoring.”  

Good Garage Scheme’s iPhone app appears in Sunday Times article and is downloaded over 700 times!

The Sunday Times newspaper on 10th July contained a two-page article in its Ingear section about how families are being required to economise on their motoring costs and are giving up the luxury of a second car.

The article highlighted a typical two-car family that reassessed their finances and realised they could make do with one car and thus eliminated half the costs of tax, insurance and fuel in one go.

As a further benefit to consumers looking to save money on motoring costs, the article listed four money saving “apps” under a section entitled, “Money-Saving Apps for Motorists”. The Good Garage Scheme’s iPhone app was highlighted as the first of four recommended choices.

The free Good Garage Scheme iPhone app was recommended for motorists hoping to locate an independent local garage and offering a significant saving to that of a main dealer. The Good Garage Scheme member will follow a Code of Conduct and also offers a complaints procedure.

The app, launched by the Good Garage Scheme in January 2011, is a useful tool for motorists that incur car problems while out and about with their vehicle.

It enables the user to access either a map or a list of the nearest Good Garage Scheme members plus contact details, feedback and star ratings for each of those garages shown. Car care tips such as how to check the oil are also available within the app.

Please click here to find out more and download the app.

 

 

Continuous Insurance Enforcement affecting all UK motorists is now in force.

As many as around 160 fatalities and 23,000 injuries are estimated to arise as the result of the actions of either uninsured or untraced motorists annually. Premiums of law-abiding motorists currently include an additional £30 annually to cover these actions of the irresponsible.  

Continuous Insurance Enforcement was introduced on 20th June 2011 to tackle this problem and was enforced throughout Great Britain.

This law applies to all motor vehicles on British roads, regardless of their frequency of use, with two exceptions.

1)    A Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) has been made for the vehicle by contacting the DVLA.
2)    Vehicles owned that have been kept off the road longer than the SORN has been in existence (since 31st January 1998) and remain off the road. Vehicles that were off the road at that time and at some point since have been reinstated to use on the road, need to be insured.

Vehicles cannot be taken off-road temporarily to avoid insurance unless you make a SORN simultaneously. At the point when you wish to return the vehicle to use on public roads, the vehicle must be re-insured.

The UK’s Motor Insurance Database (MID) is compared with the DVLA’s records to ascertain if your insurance details are correct and valid. Some insurance brokers are able to amend or update this for their customers so please check to see if yours do as some pass the responsibility of this to their client.

Alternatively you can check your MID details by clicking here.

Good Garage Scheme provides some basic advice on the use of oil in the modern motor car.

One of the key ingredients in a car’s continued smooth running is oil. Cars need oil to lubricate the engine and prevent premature wear of its components. Numerous additives found within the oil can help lessen friction of moving parts and keep the engine cooler, while also being able to clean the interior of the engine of contaminants.

Have you ever wondered about the combinations of numbers and letters on oil containers, for example, 5W30? This is part of a standardised scale created. These numbers and letters help indicate the viscosity levels of that oil grade. 

Viscosity indicates oil’s ability to flow. For example, if a spilt bottle flowed out quickly, it would be less viscous than if it flowed out slowly. There are eleven grades of oil, six of which have a W (winter) grading. This means these grades are good at cold temperatures.

Low viscosity at cool temperatures is needed to help oil travel quickly to the top of the engine to start lubricating its parts as it trickles down. A higher viscosity is favourable once engines have warmed up in order to keep the oil thick enough to keep parts separated and lubricated.

For more basic advice from the Good Garage Scheme, please click here.

Important: always check the right grade of oil for your car by referring to your owner’s manual.

Good Garage Scheme member’s Ladies Day proves a great success

Last Saturday saw Good Garage Scheme member AMK Gatwick run a Ladies Day aimed at demonstrating basic car maintenance to ladies in their area. This is the latest Good Garage Scheme garage to see the benefit of running these events in their communities.

The Ladies Day was run in two sessions which included on-car demonstrations being carried out by technicians Mark and Richard. Among the topics demonstrated were water and oil checks. There was plenty of interaction with lots of questions being asked during the checks.

Later during the session the ladies were shown the procedure for changing a wheel and this resulted in one lady volunteering to take part and fit one herself. The sessions were concluded with a small prize draw and everyone leaving with a goody bag and a certificate of attendance.

Sarah Brown commented: ‘Mum and I had a brilliant time at AMK Ladies Day yesterday, very informative. If you get the opportunity ladies, do go.’

Fiona Buchanan added: ‘Sorry so late a reply but been meaning to write in and say thank you for the very informative and fun morning - I really learnt a lot and it was lovely having a behind the scenes look. Please let me know if you have any more informative mornings!’

The owner of AMK Gatwick, Justine Lawson, has said she intends to run another event in the future. For more information about AMK Gatwick, please click here.

Fuel Saving Tips from the Good Garage Scheme

With petrol prices at such a high, the Good Garage Scheme offers some sound advice on best ways of getting the most of your fuel.

Pump up to cut down
Check and adjust your tyre pressures regularly and also before long journeys. Under-inflated tyres increase CO2 but over-inflated tyres can be unsafe. Check your car manual for the correct tyre pressures.

Less clutter in your car means less CO2
Removing extra weight could reduce your engine's workload. Burn less fuel and cut your CO2 emissions by unloading any items you won't need before your journey.

Driving at an appropriate speed reduces CO2
Staying at or within the speed limit not only increases driver safety but also reduces CO2 emissions and saves money on your petrol costs. At 70mph you could be using up to 9% more fuel than at 60mph and up to 15% more fuel than at 50mph.

A clean engine works more efficiently and uses less fuel
Having your car regularly serviced and ensuring that the fuel and oil system is cleaned will make the engine work more efficiently, use less fuel and produce less CO2.

For more tips visit http://www.goodgaragescheme.co.uk/driving or look for a Good Garage Scheme member near you who can give you further advice.