Auto service deals in Reading near me: Regular checkups: Some routine car care tasks can be done at home, but others require trained technicians. Take your car to a technician if the check engine light comes on. Trained technicians can diagnose the problem through the car’s on-board diagnostics (OBD-II) port. A qualified repair shop will also be able to inspect and replace other core components like the alternator and the wheel bearings. Scheduling regular tune-ups will help ensure that your car gets other maintenance items repaired as well. See even more information on cheap car service Reading.

Once you’ve done that, you can visit your local tyre outlet, or choose one of the plethora of online tyre retailers. Our current test favourite is Black Circles, although there is a range of other sites out there, allowing you to pick the tyre you want at prices we’ve found to be competitive. You buy the product online, and select a local fitter to have the work carried out. The tyre is shipped directly to the fitter you choose, so all you need to do is drive there, and wait while your replacement is fitted.

Visit a place you know is reputed and if it’s not an authorized garage for your car brand, ensure the technicians use the approved materials, for instance the exact grade of oil, or replacement parts bearing the exact numbers approved by the car manufacturer. This not only ensures the best results and reliability, but will also comply with any warranty the car may be under, Also make sure you retain all the bills and service receipts that bear the above details. Whoever you entrust your car with, make sure they are careful workers. If they pay attention to the little details, you’ll know your car is in good hands.

Is the technician trained on your specific vehicle make? Cars and trucks today are extremely complex machines, and their unique characteristics vary heavily from brand to brand. Making certain that your technician has obtained the proper training for your specific vehicle is crucial since special tools and procedures — many of which are not easily available to the “average” auto mechanic — are required to correctly service your auto.

Stickers on the windscreen blocking the driver’s view. Make sure anything stuck to the windscreen like parking permits is outside the wipers’ sweep area. Lit-up warning light on the dashboard. The MOT has included lit-up warning lights since 2012. So make sure you know what lit-up car warning lights mean and, if you have, any sort out the underlying problem before the MOT. The steering and suspension; The steering and suspension on your vehicle will be rigorously tested including your steering oil level and your vehicles steering pipes/hoses for corrosion and loss of power. If your vehicle has power steering this will also be checked.

Have you ever collected your car after an MOT, and then been left open mouthed at the cost? Some MOT centres advertise one price and then add on hidden charges. There are no hidden charges with Tilehurst Service & MOT Centre. The price you see is the price you pay. We have an outstanding reputation for great customer service, high quality repairs and low prices. Call us today for a quote, and find out why. Great value MOT testing, at times to suit you.

If your radiator builds up deposits, it can mess with the cooling system in your car. To keep the radiator in top shape, a radiator flush will do the trick. How often you need to replace the radiator fluid will depend on your vehicle. Start by consulting the owner’s manual to get an idea. For the most part, you can get away with flushing the radiator every couple of years. Now that you know about these basic car repairs, you can keep your car in top shape for many years to come. Remember to rotate your tires, change the oil, replace the brake pads, and more. See extra details on carservice-centre.co.uk.

If you use a regular garage or test centre, they may keep a record of your MoT due date, and can send out MoT reminders if necessary. However most people have a rough idea of their vehicle’s MoT expiry date, as it’s become such an intrinsic part of car ownership. The most recent major change to the way MoTs work came in May 2018, when a new fault grading system was introduced. Faults are now categorised as Minor, Major and Dangerous – with the latter two equating to an automatic test fail. Cars with Minor faults will pass the test, but their MoT certificates will clearly show that the car passed the test “with defects”, urging owners to effect a “repair as soon as possible”.

Checking the tires before hitting the road is always a good practice. And this practice can prove to be helpful during the summer months too. Visually inspect if your tire threads are showing signs of wear or not. It is dangerous to drive with worn tires as those can lead to uneven handling of your car both during driving and while using the brake. And they may also blow out if not replaced timely. Next, it’s time to examine tire pressure. Depending on the build and type of your tire, the pressure should be between 30 and 35 PSI. Make sure that the tires are not over or under-inflated, as those may lead to a flat tire on hot days. Don’t forget to do the same with the spare tire as well. Do check out these top tips on how to inspect your tires before getting started.

How frequently should I service my car? You should have your car serviced annually or before it reaches a certain mileage outlined by the manufacturer (typically 12,000 miles) – whichever comes first. It’s best to check the service intervals in your car’s handbook, because they vary depending on the model, fuel type and engine. What work is carried out during a service? This depends on the service interval your car has reached. Most first services for new cars will involve only an oil and filter change, then the second service will also include the replacement of components with a 24-month lifespan – such as the spark plugs (petrol cars only), glow plugs (diesel cars only) and the brake fluid. There will be a larger, full service the following year, and after that the same cycle continues throughout the car’s life. However, if you own an older car and don’t cover many miles, you can opt for smaller services more often.

MOTs are a necessary expense by law, but you can save money here, too. Some dealers incentivise customer loyalty by offering free MoTs for life, as long as the car is serviced at the dealer it was bought from. But another route you can go down is to get your car inspected by a council-run test centre. Council-run MoT centres do not carry out any repairs, which means the mechanics doing the inspection have less incentive to fail your car in order to make some extra money. So you can guarantee that any MoT failure is a genuine one.