#tipthursday Save money in the long run by servicing your vehicle

The benifits of serving your vehicle reguarly and how it can help save you money.

Booking your service can often seem like an unnecessary expense, especially at the moment with the rising costs of living. However, by following your service schedule as much as possible, you will help to reduce future vehicle repairs and maintenance costs.

Benefits of servicing your vehicle regularly inc,

  • It 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.
  • It 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 decide to sell.
Service your vehcile
Prevention is better (more cost-effective) than cure, especially when it comes to vehicles.

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

#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 Stay Cool and Book your AirCon Service

Be cool like this customer and book your aircon service.

With the warmer weather on the way, we’ve just had our first aircon service of the year. This is a great time to get your vehicle’s air condition check over to ensure it’s optimally working and keeping you cool, before the rush of summer holidays and stay-cations.

The guys are fully qualified having undertaken the Automotive Air Conditioning System Diagnosis course, so have the 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. So you can be assured your car is in safe hands with us. You can find out more about the benefits of booking an Air Con service with Maitland Motors here.

If you have any questions or would like to book in, call or email the office.

#tipthursday Book your service with Maitland Motors

Why you should keep up with your vehicle’s service schedule with Maitland Motors

Booking in for a service may feel like an expense that’s just not worth the time or money, however as we say here at Maitland Motors, prevention is always better than cure. By keeping up with your service schedule, you are effectively prolonging your vehicle’s lifespan, efficiency, economy and re-sell value.

Skipping on services can affect how well the vehicle performs, resulting in very costly repairs. We had a 5-year-old car in the workshop that had never been serviced. Upon inspection, below is the condition we found the oil sump in; 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 alongside a Forte engine flush that 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.

The oil sump of a 5-year-old vehicle, is completely congealed with oil.

Not forgetting all our services include OE quality and highly reputable parts from Mann Filters and Miller Oils. Also, we take the time to check over the rest of the vehicle for any possible safety issues/ concerns so, you are fully aware of the current condition of your vehicle.

#tipthursday Maitland Motors
New Mann oil filter ready to replace the old one for a Ford Fiesta

For more info on the Importance of Servicing your Vehicle, check this previous post on our blog.

To book your service with Maitland Motors please just call the office or email us.

#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

Ever since paper MOT reminders in the post stopped, your MOT due date can be easy to forget. Here at Maitland Motors, we have a text MOT reminder service that reminders our customers of their due date however, you don’t need to wait for this date to get the test done.


You can have a test carried out a month minus a day in advance, and your test date won’t be affected.

For example, if your MOT due date was the 12th of March, you could have your test carried out any time from the 13th of February. Giving you more time to plan ahead and book in for a day that suits your schedule. We’d defo recommend making use of this extra time.


To sign up to our MOT reminder service we just need your name, reg and mobile number and at the end of the month prior to your MOT date, we’ll ping you a reminder with our contact details.


For more details, please call our office or send us an email.

#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.

What is a DPF?

You may have noticed that Maitland Motors have become a part of The DPF Doctor network, but what does this mean for you? (If you drive a petrol vehicle then nothing. (Petrol vehicles are not fitted with a DPF, so you don’t need to worry.)  

Our diesel customers may have heard or have had issues with their DPF, so how can we help you? 

What is a DPF? 

Your DPF (diesel particulate filter)  helps limit the amount of pollution (soot) emitted from diesel vehicles entering our atmosphere, improving emissions. New Euro 5 exhaust emissions legislation made it mandatory for all diesel to be fitted with a DPF from 2009 onwards.  

The DPF works by carrying out a process called DPF Regeneration. DPF regeneration is when the excess soot, which has been trapped and collected by the DPF, is burnt off at a very high temperature. Burning is activated in 1 of 2 ways, Passive or Active

Passive DPF Regeneration is activated when the exhaust temperature is high enough so that the DPF can do its job of burning off the soot. These high temperatures only take place at speeds of at least 40 mph driven for at least 15 minutes. In other words, a nice long drive on the motorway should activate your DPFs passive regeneration without you having to do anything special. You could have issues with this if you tend to take short, slow, stop-start journeys when the vehicle doesn’t have the chance to get to a high enough temperature to activate the process. Factors that could also cause issues inc, lack of maintenance, wrong oil or driving on empty.  

Active DPF Regeneration is activated when the filter reaches 45% capacity (soot collected) and fuel is injected automatically. This increase in fuel makes the exhaust temperature rise so that it can then burn off the soot. Regeneration is activated on longer journeys, so again, if you tend to do low, slow miles, the DPF won’t have the chance to do its job. 

Looking after your DPF will save you costly repairs and help your diesel run safely and efficiently, new DPFs can cost at least £1000! So if you notice the DPF warning light is on, then taking your vehicle for a nice long drive may be all that’s needed to start the regeneration process (especially if you’ve been working from home or not travelling much). If your light is still on or it’s stating a full DPF it may be time for an expert in DPF care to inspect and diagnose the issues. 

Alongside the leading industry knowledge and products from our friends at The DPF Doctor, we can help keep your DPF running and doing its job. Firstly, we would be to carry out a DPF Assessment, which includes specific tests and measurements using our extensive training. This costs £75 + vat and you will be given a full report on the condition of your DPF and what the next steps (if needed) are to get your DPF running smoothly and efficiently again.  (All works advised are under no obligation.)

Please call or email our office with any questions or if you would like to book a DPF assessment.