#tipthursday from Maitland Motors – Check your lights regularly.

With the weather creating poor diving conditions recently, carrying out your basic car checks is more vital than normal to help keep you safe on the road. Lights are especially important, not just so you can see the road ahead but so that other drivers can see you too.

Get a friend or family member to watch from behind and in front of your car as you turn on the lights. Include your fog lights, indicators, and pressing on the brakes. This way you’ll know for sure if any need replacing as it can be difficult to tell properly from sitting in the driver’s seat. Lights being out are also an MOT fail and can result in stops from the police, so it’s well worth taking a few minutes a few times a month just to check all your lights are working.

If this is something you’re unsure of or would like a professional 2nd opinion pop down to the garage and we’ll check for you. Or you can book in for a Free Vehicle Health Check where we check your lights alongside other safety components of your car.

Behind the scenes at Maitland Motors: Meet the team, Ross.

This week we thought we’d take you behind the scenes of life here at Maitland Motors and introduce to you our garage owner and top mechanic, Ross.

What is your background? I’ve been in the motor trade for over 20 years now and starting off with an apprenticeship back in 1999. I graduated from college top of the class winning apprentice of the year, which I’m still really proud of. From there I’ve worked in all shapes of sizes of garages; from small, independent family ran garages, to large brand name dealerships and everything in-between. This has given me the chance to work on a vast range of vehicles and experience different garage environments. I’ve been able to take all my experience in the motor trade world and build my own garage, ran to my high standards.

What do you do at Maitland Motors? I always strive to give my customers the best service possible by proving honest, reliable advice, use my knowledge to repair and maintain cars to a high standard with quality parts and work in back of house making sure the garage runs smoothly, phoning suppliers and keeping customers updated. Even after all this time in the trade, I’m still very keen to keep learning as much as I can, especially as the industry is constantly changing with new innovations and in-car technology. So, I’m often on courses where I can learn as much as I can to bring back to the garage which has a positive knock-on effect on the service we provide our customers.

Ross and the mini Maitland’s…. Future mechanics in the making?

What drives you? Giving my customers the best I can while fighting the poor reputation the trade has. Yes, there are cowboys out there but not all we mechanics are out to rip our customers off. We want customers to leave with a full understanding of what work has been carried out, why it was done and how it helps them. We are always upfront and honest when it comes to price and always keep our customers posted when additional work/parts are needed. We only go ahead with repairs once we’ve had the green light. I have big plans for Maitland Motors and thanks to our brilliant customers and supports have had a great start to life as a business owner over the past 4 years we’ve been open. From a one ramp unit with just me on my own, we’ve grown to a 3 ramped garage and have been able to take on Dale our mechanic and Chrissie (Mrs Maitland Motors) in the office. It’s also great being able to set a good example of hard work and determination to my young sons. I’d love, if they’d be happy to, to pass it all on to them.

Do you have any questions for Ross? Leave them in the comments below and we’ll get back to you asap. We always love hearing from you. Likewise if you’d like to book your car in with Maitland Motors, call the office or drop us an email.

#tipthursday Book in for a Pre-MOT?

#tipthursday Why you should book a Pre-MOT with Maitland Motors.

This week’s tip is all about why you should book a Pre-Mot and how it can benefit you and your car.

A Pre- Mot gives us the chance to spot any possible MOT fails before it goes the test, by visually checking the areas of your car that an MOT covers. This will give you a heads up on what, if any, repairs your car may need to pass its MOT. If big repairs are needed, we can also give you an idea of the costs/ time scales involved so you can make plans to suit your budget and the time you can expect to be without your car for work to be carried out. (We do offer a courtesy car, T& Cs apply.)

We’d suggest a Pre-MOT a week before your MOT is actually due and don’t forget you can book your test 1 month minus 1 day before your MOT is due. Prevention is always better than cure when it comes to cars and being prepared for MOT day will save time, and money, the worry/stress of your car passing or not, and having to wait on re-tests. Just because it passed last year means nothing in the world of MOTs and a lot of wear and tear can happen over 12 months, esp if your car is due a service. Not to forget, a Pre-MOT with Maitland Motors is free!

If you have any questions about MOTs and your car or would like to book in, then please get in touch by phone, or email. We’re always happy to hear from you.

Maitland Motors: Proud to Fit Pagid Garage.

Over the past 20 years, we’ve been in the trade, we’ve worked with many part brands; some good….some not so good. And when it comes to brakes, we take the parts we fit and supply very, very seriously. This is why we only use and are proud to fit Pagid brakes on your car.

So, what make Pagid Brakes so good?

Pagid brake pads and discs.
  • Pagid brakes are OE quality. (Meaning their parts match or exceed the quality of original parts fitted to a car when new.)
  • Pagid brake pads and discs are guaranteed for 25 months.
  • 60 years of knowledge in brake development, innovation and manufacturing.
  • Excellent value for money, being a very reliable and durable product. You’ll get better brake efficiency and they should lass longer compared to cheaper products on the market.
  • Pagid is used throughout the supercars and motorsports worlds. Only the best for our customers.
Brake disc change work in progress here at Maitland Motors.

If you have any questions or would like to know more, then please just get in touch by using the comments box below, phone the office or drop us an email. We always love hearing from you. Likewise, if you’re worried about your brakes, then why not book in for a Free Vehicle Health Check where we can inspect them for you and advise accordingly.

#tipthursday Take advantage of Payment Assist with Maitland Motors

Payment Assist is a great way to spread the cost of your bill, helps you budget for larger bills and is fee & interest free. Win, win!

Did you know we offer Payment Assist here at Maitland Motors? This is a great way to split the cost of large/ unexpected bills over 4 payments with no fees or interest. You pay a 25% deposit of your total bill when you pick your car up after the works have been carried out, then the remaining balance in 3 payments over the next three months. It’s a great way to budget your garage bill and makes looking after your car a lot less stressful without the worry of being able to afford it or not. So, if you’ve been putting off work such as a service, due to affordability, then this is something we can arrange for you meaning your car is maintained and as safe as it can be.

Find out more from Payment Assist, call our office on 01592 328848 or send us an email to maitlandmotors@gmail.com

Another reason to use Maitland Motors; Proud to be a Pagid/ IMI Professionally Accredited Brake Specialists

We take brakes very seriously here at Maitland Motors. Along with your tyres, your brakes are what keeps you safe on the road, so when Ross got the chance to become a Pagid/ IMI Professionally Accredited Brake Specialists, he couldn’t say no. Its not worth thinking about how badly things can go wrong if your brakes are in poor condition and not working properly.

On his course, Ross learnt a few new things that he’s been able to bring back to the workshop to give you an even better service. It just shows that even after 20 years in the motor trade, you never stop learning. A few interesting points he’s passed on the rest of the team were; the boiling point of Dot 4 brake fluid is 155 degrees. Important to know when checking for moisture, which could, in worst-case scenarios, means a loss of brake action. How to get more out of a tool we use for measuring pads and discs, making adjustments more accurate. The maximum run out for a disc is just 0.07mm, after this, you’ll start to feel judders. A hub is .03mm before you’ll start to feel vibrations. Depending on how many miles you do, this could happen sooner than you think.

Things to look out for that’ll mean its time to get your brakes checked include:

  • Your car is juddering when braking
  • There is a squealing noise when braking
  • Uneven brake pad wear
  • Surface looks discoloured
A nice, new shiny brake disc compared to an old one.
New vs Old Brake Discs. On the right, you can see just how worn they can get, which will affect their efficiency.

If you have any doubts or concerns about your brakes then why not pop in for a Free Vehicle Health Check, where we can visually inspect your brakes. You can find out more about our FVH here. To book in, call us on 01592 328848 or email maitlandmotors@gmail.com, we’d only be too happy to help.

#tipthursday Get the most out of your Engine Coolant

Engine coolant helps to stop your engine from overheating while in use. It also ensures the water in your radiator system doesn’t freeze in winter, especially important this time of year.

Even if there is a slight leak from the coolant system, it can end in costly repairs or the engine overheating. So, we recommend checking your manufacturer’s guidelines (found in your handy car manual, usually in the glovebox) to find out when/ how often your car needs a coolant change. In some cases, this can be every 30,000 miles so well worth a wee check and keeping on top of.

If you have any doubts or concerns about your coolant levels, we’d only be too happy to check and test it here in the workshop and make sure it’s doing its job properly. Call the office or send us an email to get booked in or if you have any questions leave them in the comments below.