Remember Car Service As Well As Carol Service This Christmas

Dec. 1, 2009 - PRLog -- Booking your car in for its regular service, particularly at this time of year, will not only improve its reliability, safety and environmental performance but also significantly protect its re-sale or trade-in value. According to Graeme Joslin, Branch Manager for Brayley Honda in Gray's, Essex:

“A vehicle’s service history is important not only for the reliability and safety aspects but also its potential trade-in or resale value. The absence of a service history may reduce this by £500 or more or, even worse, put off potential buyers completely. Drivers should not rely purely on the annual MOT either when it comes to maintenance, as this is both a false economy and potentially dangerous.”

Brayley Honda is also offering a free winter check to all those who test drive a new car during December at its four dealerships in Hertfordshire in Essex. It employs members of the Automotive Technician Accreditation (ATA) scheme, the UK’s only national voluntary assessment system for technicians. Governed by the Institute of the Motor Industry, ATA is the national benchmark of competence for car technicians - www.okwithata.com

To give motorists peace of mind, Brayley Honda has created a list of tips for a safer, trouble-free winter motoring.

Brayley Honda’s tips for winter – remember ‘BESTFEB’

BATTERY
As good as modern car batteries are, they do suffer at this time of year, particularly in cars that do short journeys on cold mornings. Conserve power by switching off auxiliaries such as lights, wipers, radio and air-con/heater before turning your engine off. This allows extra charge to run into the battery. Use a car battery charger to check your battery's condition.

ENGINE
Depress the clutch when starting a cold engine, as this disconnects the engine from the gearbox so there's less drag.
Check the coolant reservoir under the bonnet once a week or before long journeys. If the level is below the minimum mark, top up with a 50/50 mixture of water and anti-freeze to prevent freezing, which could crack your car’s engine block.

SCREEN wash and glass
Always use a proper additive at the right concentration. Never use washing up liquid as it clogs the jets and freezes almost as fast as water.
An unclear windscreen could mean a fine of up to £1,000 for driving with restricted vision, so first turn on the engine and switch the defroster to the highest setting. Spray de-icer onto the windscreen and gently lift the wipers off the glass to ensure they’re not stuck. Use a scraper to remove any hard ice.
If your car has air-conditioning, use this to clear the screen too, it’s not just for the summer.
Don't use a kettle to defrost the windows. Hot water can crack the screen and will just refreeze as it cools, either on the screen or on the ground where you're standing.
To keep the windscreen from misting up, soak a cloth in pure washing up liquid then let it dry. Now wipe this cloth on the inside of the windows and it will stop them misting up.
Remember not to leave your car while it’s warming up as you’ll leave it exposed to theft.

TYRES
Check tyres regularly, as they determine your car’s grip on the road. The minimum legal tread depth is 1.6mm, but at least 3mm will provide better grip in wet and icy conditions. Make sure your tyres are inflated to the recommended pressure for the vehicle. Details can be found in the handbook. Also check for any bulges, splits, cracks and objects stuck in the tyres.

FUEL
Try not to run your fuel tank right down in the cold months as you never know when you might get caught up in difficult driving conditions and traffic jams. At least you'll be able to run the engine and keep warm.

EQUIPMENT
Carrying a few items in your car could come in handy in the event of a breakdown. These include:
Scraper and de-icer
Warning triangle
First aid kit
Reflective hi-visibility jacket
Coat and gloves
Boots
Jump leads
Chocolate and a bottle of water
Mobile phone with breakdown firm contact details
Tow rope and shovel
Blanket

BODYWORK
Wash the car frequently to get rid of the salt and dirt that builds up over the winter. Check for stone chips too as rust forms very quickly in the cold, damp weather.
A squirt of WD40 in the door locks will stop them freezing.

Commented Martin Mellor, Technician at Brayley Honda Grays, who is an ATA registered member:

"Most of us rely on a car every day so it’s vital that it is maintained properly and at the manufacturer’s recommended intervals. When it comes to a service, communication with our customers is vitally important so we can be sure that their vehicle is kept in prime condition.”
                                    
Ends

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Established in 2003, Brayley Honda operates four franchised Honda dealerships in Enfield, Grays, Hemel Hempstead and St Albans, employing 120 staff. The group is owned and managed by Paul Brayley, Managing Director. As part of its commitment to promoting the automotive sector as a desirable career choice for young people, Brayley Honda employs apprentices at all its sites and offers work experience opportunities in response to requests from local schools.
www.brayley-honda.co.uk