British Motor Museum announces STEAM fortnight for Schools in March 2020. The British Motor Museum is pleased to announce a fortnight of STEAM based educational activities (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Maths) for Key Stages 2 & 3 from March 2 – 13 2020. Designed to coincide with National Science Week, the Museum will be offering a new range of interactive activities to enhance … [Read more...]
Need to Know 5 – Vehicle Batteries (for cars and commercials – classic and modern)
Regardless of age and type, your vehicle relies on electrical power in order to function properly, and the battery is vital in storing/providing it. Dave Moss explains how to look after your battery and keep you on the road. (Photographs by Dave Moss and Kim Henson, as individually attributed). This feature was prompted by the ten year old battery in the author's 19 year old diesel Fiesta van … [Read more...]
Tyresome Lack of Maintenance Awareness Facts
HALF OF UK DRIVERS DON’T KNOW HOW TO CHANGE A TYRE: GREEN FLAG RELEASES BASIC CAR CARE TIPS FOR CAR CARE WEEK In this Car Care week, Green Flag has released basic car care advice to motorists Research* revealed over half (51 per cent) of drivers can’t change a tyre Over a quarter (28 per cent) of motorists don’t know how to check oil and fuel levels Over half (51 per cent)** of … [Read more...]
Halfords Autocentres 2019 Roadworthiness Report – an in-depth analysis of motoring in Britain
Halfords Autocentres 2019 Roadworthiness Report... ...Kim Henson has studied with interest this enlightening document. A very comprehensive new report from Halfords Autocentres (https://www.halfordsautocentres.com/advice/blog/roadworthiness-report) highlights and explains a multitude of facts and figures relating to many aspects of motoring in the UK today. Notably they include accidents, … [Read more...]
Need more luggage space for holiday trips? A roof box might help…
Choosing a roof box for my car (and fitting it)... Gerald Morgan tells all. Disclaimer This article should NOT be read as giving full advice on using a roof box. It is up to the individual to check the weight limit that can be safely used on their vehicle, and to ensure that the roof bars are correctly and safely attached to the roof of the car, and that the box is attached and packed in … [Read more...]
‘New’ MoT test failure rate…
Green Flag has uncovered the pass and fail rates of motorists under the new MOT tests; Robin Roberts reports... The new tests were brought in a year ago in May 2018 and the research by the breakdown assistance company has established where the most dangerous vehicles are in the UK. Under new MOT regulations, there are new failure and fault categories, as well as stricter limits for … [Read more...]
Bridgestone aims high – for The Moon!
Bridgestone to Join International Space Exploration Mission with JAXA and Toyota. Company supporting research on tyres for manned, pressurized rovers required for lunar surface mobility... Bridgestone Corporation today announced that it will take part in an international space exploration mission together with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Toyota Motor Corporation … [Read more...]
Wheels-Alive Weekend Workshop Job – Bodywork Minor Tidying
Some aspects can be tackled at home... Kim Henson explains. If you are prepared to invest a little time and cash (but not much of that needed!) it is not difficult to smarten up your car by dealing with unsightly minor bodywork damage, and at the same time helping to protect against future deterioration… Earlier this week I was approached by a colleague (we’ll call him Richard, as that’s his … [Read more...]
Lack of basic vehicle maintenance (and legal) knowledge can be especially costly to young drivers…
Information gap... better understanding of car servicing and repairs, plus legal aspects, can help to save a lot of cash... Recent data has revealed that 53% of people aged 22 to 29 have no savings at all. That’s a significant 12% increase from 41% 10 years ago. While household bills and other living costs take priority, your car can quickly become a ticking timebomb of expenses if the correct … [Read more...]
Bringing a vehicle (or caravan or trailer…) out of hibernation? For safety’s sake check those tyres!
TyreSafe’s warning for all vehicles coming out of storage: Perform essential tyre safety checks before taking to the road. Bringing vehicles out of storage in the spring months should prompt owners to perform essential tyre checks, urges UK charity TyreSafe. Tyres of vehicles parked or stored for any extended period of time may suffer more rapid deterioration when not in use, especially … [Read more...]
Servicing – Ignore at your peril!
Kim Henson advises looking after your car if you want it to look after you… With so many cars these days having ‘extended’ recommended service intervals, it can be easy to assume that a vehicle’s maintenance requirements can safely be ignored, yet expect it to still carry on functioning regardless… Well this is not the case, as highlighted by a cautionary tale sent to me by diagnostic … [Read more...]
John H. Haynes OBE, creator of Haynes Manuals and founder of Haynes Publishing Group, passes away…
Legendary creator and publisher of technical motoring books, John H. Haynes OBE, will be sadly missed by countless do-it-yourself enthusiasts and mechanics he has helped over many decades... Kim Henson pays tribute... I was extremely sad to hear this evening (11th February) of the news of the passing of John H. Haynes OBE. Countless car owners (including me, on many occasions) and … [Read more...]
Technical – Diagnostic Diversions…
When carrying out diagnostic checks, it is essential to go back to basics – and it pays NOT to assume... Kim Henson reports on another expensive mis-diagnosis... Recently I wrote on this website about the necessity for taking great care when assessing what 'stored' automotive fault codes (i.e. those saved in the memory of the Electronic Control Unit or ECU) are telling the technician or vehicle … [Read more...]
Buying a used car – A few words of advice
Thinking of replacing your car? Robin Roberts passes on some words of wisdom... The new year is finally here and for a lot of us that means a fresh start; a new job, an expensive gym membership or the tempting thought of buying a new or used car. However, today’s high-tech cars can be concealing unknown wallet-crunching problems. Fortunately, you don’t need a degree in electronics or a mobile … [Read more...]
Technical – Diagnostic fault codes can be misleading…
Running problems with your car? Accurate diagnostic assessment is vital... Kim Henson reports. A modern motor car is a complex machine, and in every case, like it or not, it relies on a computer-controlled electronic management system in order to keep running. That's usually fine when the vehicle is new-ish and everything is working as it should. However, as we know computer systems are not … [Read more...]
MoT failure repair costs are high; minimise by checking your car!
MOT failures are costing British drivers hundreds of pounds to fix – and get their cars back on the road. Motorists in the UK say they pay an average of £272 to correct faults that have been discovered on their cars during an MOT. With the price of an MOT capped at £54.85, this means motorists whose cars fail the first time round are hit in the pocket for an extra £326.85 A survey for the … [Read more...]
Headlamp bulbs – How much?!
Do you know how much it would cost to renew a headlamp bulb on your car? Robin Roberts tells all… A blown headlight bulb can cost up to £846 to replace on some of Britain’s best-selling small cars, new research reveals. A study into 13 popular models on sale today by What Car? found headlight repair bills vary by several hundred pounds depending on whether the models have halogen or HID or LED … [Read more...]
Mercedes-Benz classic sports car restoration by Hemmels of Cardiff
A Welsh car business is turning out new for old gold. Robin Roberts tells all... Hemmels of Cardiff is probably one of the least known success stories in the Welsh automotive sector but it is rapidly gaining recognition around the world. It specialises in nut and bold regeneration of classic Mercedes-Benz sports cars, and prices for their year-long rebuilt models begin at £225,000. For … [Read more...]
Full stop… Goodbye to the traditional handbrake lever?
Apparently just 37 per cent of new cars are now fitted with a conventional handbrake lever/manual parking brake... CarGurus research reveals that just over a third of new cars have a traditional handbrake. Only two mainstream manufacturers offer a manually-operated parking brake on their entire model ranges Premium makers such as Audi, Jaguar and Land Rover have ditched handbrakes in … [Read more...]
Taking your car abroad? Let there be light – but ensure that your headlamps are legal and don’t dazzle others…
Venturing overseas with your vehicle? If your headlamp beams are not properly converted for driving in other countries, this can have serious and expensive consequences… Kim Henson reports. As with so many things in automotive life, things have become more complex in terms of modern headlamp design and operation, compared with the units of a few years ago. In turn this impacts on what you can do … [Read more...]
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