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#tipthursday Book your service

Maitland Motors’ #tipthursday for this week: Book your service.

We recommend serving your car at least once a year depending on mileage, age and driving conditions. After the past few years, most of our vehicles have probably been stuck parked up or on driveways and, understandably, booking in for a service just hasn’t been a priority. With restrictions lifting and life getting “back to normal” a service will prepare your vehicle for the roads again, helping keep you safe, prolong the lifespan of your vehicle, and prevent further more costly repairs that lack of maintenance often cause. Pop on over to a recent post about the importance of servicing your vehicle here for more details. Having a full-service history also makes your vehicle more desirable and sellable if/when it comes to reselling.

If you have any questions or would like to know more, leave a comment below, email or call the office.

April Training

Its been a busy month for the team with lots of training & learning.

During April, thanks to restrictions easing again, the team have been able to get back into the classroom. Both Ross and Dale have been working hard expanding their vehicle knowledge, and what with the industry rapidly changing all the time, this will only be of benefit to your vehicle. We’re especially keen to learn about new electric and hybrid cars, which is where the industry is headed. Courses have included:

Petrol Direct Injection System: System Diagnosis. The guys now have a good understanding of manifold fuel injection systems, looking at system variants, the components used, the operating modes and system diagnostics.

Advanced Braking . This course focused on more advanced arears of braking systems inc the Antilock Braking System, Electronic Stability Protection and Electronic Parking Brake.

Automotive Air Conditioning System Diagnosis.  The guys now have essential knowledge to service vehicle air conditioning systems. EU legislation requires all technicians who service, recharge and repair vehicle air conditioning to be certified to carry out this work.

Level 2 & 3 Award in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Routine Maintenance Activities & System Repair and Replacement. This course is specifically designed for Electrically propelled/ Hybrid vehicles, giving the guys an understanding of the construction, function and layout of these types of vehicles along with methods to ensure the systems are safe to work.

Dale also undertook Engine Management Diagnosis of Universal Components, giving Dale the skills and knowledge to test and diagnoses engine management systems more confidently.

We are making the most of being able to train again and are signed up for lots more training over the coming months. Well done guys on all your hard work which is already being implemented here in the workshop. Training will have an impact on our opening hours, so thanks to our customers for understanding in advance.

If you have any questions or would like to know more, please leave a comment below or email the office.

Why book in with Maitland Motors?

Not just any old back street garage.

Here at Maitland Motors we understand why a new customer may be weary about bringing their vehicle to us, the trade has such a poor reputation which is ingrained by bad or unsatisfactory past experiences. We are dedicated to fight against this view of the trade by offering a great service at good prices by technicians you can trust. Here are a few examples of how we are actively putting you and your car first.

Approved by The Good Garage Scheme. The Good Garage Scheme aims to improve the standards of of the automotive industry with garages associated adhering to a 10 point code of conduct. We are very proud to have been in the top 5 of garages of the week three times and of the brilliant feedback our customers leave us through their feedback forms.

Ross proudly showing off out most recent Top 5 Feedback of the Week certificate from The Good Garage Scheme.

Pagid IMI Professionally Accredited Break Specialist. We are recognised by industry leaders in brakes as a specialist. Pagid brakes are OE quality, come with a 25 months/25Thousand mile guarantee and are great value for money. We only use good quality parts for all repairs.

Maitland Motors: Pagid/ IMI Professionally Accredited Brake Specialists.
Proud to fit the best for our customers.

Continual Training and Development. The industry is rapidly changing with new and exciting innovation. Our team is dedicated to keep up to date with these changes and implement them in our workshop and office, so training and development is a big part of this. Ross and Dale have been on a number of courses and are signed up for more. Christine has also been studying part time for her PDA in book-keeping and also has industry course to look forward shortly. Our apprentice, Saun is continuing to work hard towards becoming a fully qualified technician. This is defiantly a team effort that will mean that our customer experience is always improving with our growing knowledge base.

Happy 5th birthday Maitland Motors
Ross and the team here at Maitland Motors.

Brilliant Feedback across different platforms. You can read our feedback across Google, Facebook and The Good Garage Scheme. It always makes our day to hear that our customers have had a good experience with us.

Over 20 years of experience in the trade. Ross has been in the automotive trade since starting his apprenticeship back in 1999 and with that a whole wealth of experience and knowledge with many different makes and models of vehicles. He finished top of his class winning apprentice of the year and from there has worked in all shapes and sizes of garages, using his expertise to go on and open his own garage. Our mechanic Dale also has a vast knowledge of the industry, and like Ross is keen to keep moving with the times.

In our previous post, we share a few of the processes we have in place to help make booking in with us as stress and hassle free as possible. Such as a Free Vehicle Health Check and Payment Assist, click here for more details. We would love to welcome you and see for yourself just how dedicated we are to providing a great and trustworthy service.

If you have any questions or would like to know more about how we can help you and your vehicle, call our office, email us or leave a comment below.

#tipthursday Follow Our Basic Vehicle Maintenance Schedule

Follow our basic vehicle maintenance to help get the best from your car.

Here at Maitland Motors, we believe that maintaining your car is the most effective way to get the most from it. Following our basic maintenance schedule will help keep your car performing at its best and more importantly, safe on the roads.

Your Basic Car Maintenance Schedule by Maitland Motors

Full Service – 6 months prior MOT (This will depend on when you last had a full service, it may just need an interim. We can check beforehand and advise on the appropriate service required.)

Free Vehicle Health Check – 3 months prior to MOT

Pre-MOT 1 month before MOT

MOT (sign up for our reminder text service)

We recommend following this as a minimum depending on your mileage and how you drive. Most car manuals will have details of your make/model’s service schedule as per the manufacturer’s recommendations.

If you have any questions or would like to book in for a Service, Free Vehicle Health Check, Pre-MOT or MOT then call us in the office, email us or leave a comment below.

#tipthursday Get knocks, bangs and squeaks checked

With restrictions easing, cars that have mostly been stuck on the driveways or parked up will be driven more again. However, being stationary for long periods of time can also cause issues for your car. If you’ve started using your car more and hear any unusual knocks, bangs, grinding or squeaks get booked into before a small issue grows into a much bigger, expensive ones.
Christine has been on furlough most of this year so wasn’t using the car much. Once she was back on school runs and in & out of Burntisland she noticed a banging noise (like a water bottle rolling around in the boot) which after inspection ended up being the rear axle bushes. Leaving that any longer, excessive movement in the bush would cause wayward movement in the axle and potentially losing grip especially when cornering. With 2 young kids in the back every day, its defiantly not worth the risk of ignoring.

If you do hear any unusual noises while driving we offer a Free Vehicle Health Check where we get your car up on the ramp and visually inspect the condition of your car. Once we’ve had a good look we’ll give you a brake down of any issues or causes for the noises including an estimate of the costs involved for repairing. From here you can make an informed decision as to what work you’d like carried out and be fully aware of the current condition of your car.

For more information call our office, email us or leave a comment below.

Maitland Motors, Here to Help

How we can help making maintaining your car easier

We understand here at Maitland Motors, that looking after your car can be an added hassle and stress. That’s why we’ve put in place a few processes to help make maintaining your car that little bit easier.

Payment Assist. Payment Assist is a easy way to spread the cost for your vehicle repair & maintenance bill. Payment is split over 4 monthly payments interest and fee free making any larger or unexpected repair bills a bit more manageable. For more details we have a recent post here. (T&Cs apply. Please let us know in advance of any works being carried out that you plan to pay via Payment Assist so we can get the process in place in time for collecting your car.)

Payment Assist with Maitland Motors
Spread the cost of your repair and maintenance bills with Payment Assist .

Courtesy Car. Sometimes its just not possible to be without your car what with work or school run commitments, especially if your car is in for a few days on big or unexpected repairs. Hiring our courtesy car can help at just £10 a day. (T&Cs apply, please ask for more details.)

Free Vehicle Health Check. Been a while since your car last saw a mechanic? Book in for a Free Vehicle Health Check where we’ll visually inspect the condition of your car, giving you peace of mind that its safe or making you aware of any repairs or issues.

A Free Vehicle Health Check will give you a no obligation overview of your car.

Pick Up & Drop Off Service. We offer a limited Pick Up and Drop Off Service where we come collect your vehicle from your home or place of work in the morning for repairs or services in the workshop, then drop it back with you the evening works have been completed. Saving you having to arrange getting your car to us and getting home again. (Due to the pandemic we unfortunately don’t have a waiting area for customers.)

Good Quality OE Parts and Oil. We believe prevention is better that cure here at Maitland Motors, and a big part of that is using good quality parts and oil. They will last you longer, perform better and often come with good guarantees, giving you better value for money. After years or experience in the trade, we use trusted brands such as Mann Filters, Pagid brakes, Varta Batteries and Forte engine treatments. Not to forget we are Pagid/IMI Professional Braking Specialist.

Proud to fit Pagid here at Maitland Motors
Pagid brakes come with a 25 months/ 25 thousand mile guarantee which many other manufactures don’t.

MOTs can be easy to forget, especially since the DVLA stopped sending reminders. Sign up to our text reminder service where we’ll remind you to get booked in and avoid missing your due date. We only need your reg and mobile number to set this up.

We hope that your experience here at Maitland Motors is as smooth and hassle free as possible but if there is anything further you feel we could put in place, then please just let us know. Customer feedback is really useful in helping us grow and improve our service. If you’d like to book in and use any of the services above, call our office, email us or leave a message below.

#tipthursday Check your MOT due date

A year after the MOT lockdown extension be sure to double check if yours is due

Its been a year since MOTs due between 30th March 2020 and 31st July 2020 were given a 6 month extension due to the Covid pandemic. The automatic 6 months extension was put in place to help limit the need to leave your home.

With everything else the last year has thrown at us, forgetting your MOT date can be very easily done however, due to the extension, there could cars on the roads with extremely lapsed MOTs. Be sure double check yours and booking in asap if due. Other than hefty fines and breaches to your insurance policy you could be driving an unsafe, un-road worthy car. Checking is easy by visiting the gov website and entering your reg or we’d be happy to check for you here in the office.

If you have any questions about when your MOT is due or would like to book in, call our office, send us an email or leave a comment below.

The importance of servicing your vehicle

The benefits of servicing your car regularly from Maitland Motors.

Servicing your car can seem like an unnecessary expense sometimes, it passed its MOT, and it’s fine… However, here at Maitland Motors we always say prevention is better than cure and sticking to your service schedule as much as possible will really benefit you and your car in the long run.

What happens if you don’t service your car?

Over time preventable repairs will sooner or later be needed if the bare minimum you do is MOT your vehicle. Many of which may cost you more than servicing and general maintenance would have in the first place.

Congealed oil in an oil sump.

We recently had a 5-year-old car in the workshop that hadn’t been serviced in a while. Upon inspection, this is the condition we found the oil sump, completely congealed with oil. The repair for this is an expensive one; a whole new engine. At service, the old oil would have been drained out, and replaced with new oil and an engine flush would have removed a lot of contaminants within the oil filtration system. The oil has congealed like this due to dirt, contaminants and carbon build-up.

Benefits of Regular Services

  • Helps your car run effectively and efficiently, saving on fuel and maintenance costs.
  • Prolongs the lifespan of your car.
  • Prevention of parts failing and further, more costly repairs.
  • Helps keep you safe and legal on the roads.
  • Less likely to break down saving on the costs of recovery & repairs.
  • A well maintained and cared for car will hold more of its value if you ever decide to sell.

What’s the difference between an Interim and Full Service?

We mostly carry out 2 types of services; an Interim Service and a Full Service. Depending on mileage/ age/ budget/time since the last service, an Interim Service may be all your car needs to keep it ticking over. If it’s been a while, or your car hits a particular mileage/ age, then it may be time for a Full Service. Your owner’s manual will have a service schedule designed to get the most out of your own particular make/model of car. Also, most modern vehicles will remind you it’s time for a service with a service dashboard warning light.

Interim Service from Maitland Motors
All oil and filters we use at services are OE spec and won’t affect any warranties.
Full Service from Maitland Motors
We also have a limited pickup and drop off service, ask for more details. T&Cs apply.

Estimated prices for your particular make and model of vehicle are available upon request as each and every car is so different (amount of oil required, parts needed, etc, can all affect price), we don’t advertise fixed prices. If you have any questions about servicing or would like to book your car in, call the office, email us or leave a comment below.

#tipthursday Book in for a Free Vehicle Health Check

With restrictions easing again, hopefully we’ll all be able to get out and about a bit more soon. Make sure your car is ready for venturing further a field by booking in for a Free Vehicle Health Chick.

Most cars probably haven’t moved much over the past few months/year which can mean seized parts, dead batteries or flat tyres. At a Vehicle Health Check we’ll get your car up on the ramp to visually check all areas of your car, giving you a better of its condition. Areas inc,

brakes,
levels,
tyres,
horn,
wipers & washers,
seat belts,
lights,
power steering,
battery,
antifreeze,
cooling system,
condition of the exhaust,
suspension,
& all safety components of your car.

After checks have been carried out we can advise you of the condition of your car and if there’s anything that is a cause concern. There is no obligation to have any further works carried out but its always good to be aware of any possible repairs that may need addressing sooner rather than later. Especially if your MOT is due or more importantly, they cause any safety concerns. We can arrange a quote for any works and take it from there.

Give yourself piece of mind that your car is ready for the roads again. For more information or to book in, call the office, send us an email or leave a comment below.

Happy 5th Birthday Maitland Motors

We celebrate 5 years after we first we opened our workshop doors.

With lockdowns, a worldwide pandemic and a busy workshop we unfortunately let our 5th birthday pass us by without any celebration, so this post is very much long over due. Maitland Motors has been in business for 5 years! Going from just Ross, his tools and a ramp, to a small team behind him, a bigger premises and still growing all the time.

Happy 5th birthday Maitland Motors
Becoming apart of the Good Garage Scheme, just one of our achievements over the past 5 years.

Ross started the business on a mission to deliver a great service at affordable prices while being an open, honest and reliable mechanic. (Something in an industry with a poor reputation, is already an uphill battle.) After years of working for others, from independent garages to the big dealerships, Ross was able to take what he learnt and focus on what he felt made a good garage. Such as always using good, quality parts and processes which make the time with your car efficient and productive. Likewise, being your own boss means that aspects you don’t like or agree with, you can leave behind.

Maitland Motors’ 1st home and where it all started 5 years ago.

Of course, no business would be a business without its customers, so we would like to say a massive thank you to all our customers and supporters who have helped us grow and get to our 5th birthday. A lot of whom have been bringing their cars to us since the early days and for that we are very grateful. Especially over this past year which has been full of so much uncertainty for all small and independent business we have still been able to keep our doors open and fill our diary thanks to you guys.

Our current 3 ramped premises on Manse Lane, Burntisland.

Maitland Motors has come such a long way over the past 5 years and we have lots of exciting plans in pipeline to help make your experience with us even better.

To book in for all your car care needs and repairs, call the office on 01592 328848, email us at maitlandmotors@gmail.co.uk or leave a comment below and we’ll get back to you asap.