#tipthursday 3 tips to get your vehicle summer-ready

Our 3 top tips for summer vehicle care

As summer approaches and (fingers crossed) warmer, sunnier weather is on the way, it’s a great time to make sure your vehicle is good to go to make the most of it. Here are our top 3 tips that’ll help keep your vehicle in top condition for summer driving,

  • Book an air-con check/ service. AC services help to keep your air conditioning system working at its best. Over time the system won’t blow as cold air as it should, getting it serviced will help keep it efficient and maintained. A must for any staycation or travel plans during the warm summer months.
  • Book a FREE vehicle health check. A vehicle health check gives our mechanics the chance to give your car a really good overall inspection up on the ramp, and most importantly, all the safety components. Booking before any road trips or staycations will mean we can make sure your vehicle is safe for long drives.
  • Make sure your service schedule is up to date. By keeping up with your service schedule, you are effectively prolonging your vehicle’s lifespan, efficiency, economy and re-sell value. Making driving a lot more comfortable and lessening the likelihood of breakdowns or parts failing.

If you have any questions about how we can help get your vehicle summer-ready, just get in touch.

#tipthursday Book a free brake check

We all know how important having healthy and fully working breaks are. You really want to drive your vehicle feeling 100% confident that if the worst was to happen, it’s going to keep you safe. If your brakes have started to feel different, make noises or have already started to fail, then we’d definitely recommend booking in for a brake check.

Maitland Motors: Pagid/ IMI Brake Specialists
Maitland Motors is proud to be Pagid/ IMI Brake Specialists, so you can be assured that we know about fitting good quality breaks.

Driving conditions, mileage, driving style and general wear and tear of such a used part of a vehicle can cause your brakes to deteriorate. So, getting them checked by a professional every so often will help to ensure your vehicle is well maintained and more importantly, safe to drive.

Checking the brakes is involved during our Free Vehicle Health Check where we visually check the suspension, levels, tyres, exhaust, battery health and lights. Our techs can then give you an overview of your vehicle’s health and a no-obligation quote of any works they recommend be carried out.

To make a booking, call our office on 01592 328848 between 9 am – 5 pm or email maitlandmotors@gamil.com.

#tipthursday Book a Free Battery Health Check

This time of year the extremely cold and changeable weather can really affect your vehicle, especially its battery. You may even find yourself with a non-starter overnight just because the weather has taken a turn for the worse. 42% of all car breakdowns are caused by a failing battery, (battery failure is possible at any time of year,) if charging power is drained. Batteries naturally lose their charging capacity over time so, making sure your battery is in good condition is essential to keep your vehicle running effectively and efficiently.

Here at Maitland Motors, we check all batteries as part of our Free Vehicle Helth Check, Pre MOTs and Interim & Full Services.

We are proud to only fit industry-leading Varta batteries, who you can rely on all year round, being produced to OE spec, with 9 out of 10 manufacture’s fitting them.

If your battery is starting to let you down, book in for a Free Battery Health Check where we can use our up to date equipment to test and diagnose your battery issues.

#tipthursday Help your vehicle pass its MOT

We believe prevention is better than cure here at Maitland Motors, which is especially true when it comes to your vehicle passing its MOT first time or not.

Here are a few easy checks you can do at home before dropping your vehicle in for MOT that could help achieve a first-time pass, avoiding waiting on re-tests and repairs.

Checks can include,

  • Is there water for your window screens?
  • Are your levels inc oil topped up to the correct level?
  • Do your wipers work correctly and keep the windows clean and clear?
  • Do all your bulbs work? (Inc indicators and fog light?)
  • How are your tyres looking? When was the last time you had them replaced? Are they inflated to the correct pressure?
  • Are all your seatbelts working and assessable?
  • Are there any warning lights illuminated on the dash?
  • Check your mirrors. Is there a clear view of the roads behind and around you?
  • How do your brakes feel? Do you hear any noises while braking? Are they less reactive than they once were?

If you do spot or feel that something might contribute to your vehicle failing, getting it booked in or making us aware of it before testing means our techs can address it quickly and efficiently. Also, you are without your vehicle for as short a time as possible and have a better idea of any costs involved beforehand.

If you’re unsure about doing this at home, we’d advise booking in for a Free Pre-MOT. Our trained and qualified techs can do it for you. Call or leave a comment below for more info or to book in here at Maitland Motors.

#tipthursday Book a winter battery check with Maitland Motors

Did you know, the latest ADAC roadside assistance statistics show nearly 40% of all car breakdowns are a result of battery issues. Our technicians can give you an insight into the health of your battery with a FREE winter battery check, giving you peace of mind that you can rely on your battery this winter or if its time to replace it.

Your battery can be affected by age, only being used for short, irregular trips and a change of weather temperatures. Not forgetting the demands from modern vehicles, such as phone charging, seat heating and GPS.

Here at Maitland Motors, we can quickly check the health of your battery. We start by checking for corrosion on the terminals as well as the voltage output. Then we check the charging rate of your battery, providing a clear indication as to its condition or health. It also gives us the chance to spot any underlying battery faults before they become an issue. Our battery testers can check all batteries including those with stop/ start technology.

Maitland Motors are proud to fit Varta batteries who have over 130 years of experience in the industry. Along with a 3-year guarantee, we find them to be a great choice for your vehicle. (We are in no way endorsed or a partner with Varta, we just find they are the best choice on the market for our customers.)

To book a battery check, which is also part of our Free Vehicle Health Check, call our office or drop us an email.

#tipthursday Check your Discs & Pads

It’s essential to keep your brakes well maintained and in good working order to help ensure your vehicle is safe to dive. Discs and Pads are integral parts of your vehicle’s braking system and can last anywhere between 25,000 – 60,000 miles depending on driving style and the vehicle. (More info for your make & model can be found in your owner manual.)

New vs old brake pads, showing just how worn out they can get.

If you hear any noises while braking such as squealing, your vehicle is pulling to one side or any dash warnings come on, it may be time to get your Discs & Pads changed.

The good news is that Maitland Motors are a Pagid/IMI Professionally Accredited Brake Specialist and checking the condition of your brakes is something we do for FREE during our Vehicle Health Checks.

We are proud to work with industry experts, Pagid and only fit their brake Pads and Discs that come with a 25-month/25-thousand-mile guarantee.

If you have any questions about your breaks, call or email the office and we’d be happy to chat you through any solutions.

#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 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.