With the cost of fuel, insurance and tax on the rise, more and more people are trying to find ways to drive more economically and to reduce the cost of being on the road. Here are some helpful tips:

• Check Tyres
  Ensure your tyres are correctly inflated, under-inflated tyres create more resistance which makes your engine work harder. Check and adjust your tyres regularly, especially before long journeys and you could use less fuel and also increase the life of your tyres.
• Remove Excess Weight
  Remove items from your car that don’t need to be there, and take off the roof rack.
• Direct Route
  plan your journey in advance to work out the most direct route – getting lost is not only frustrating but it wastes fuel as well!
• Routine Service
  Ensuring your vehicle is serviced regularly and is kept in good condition will ensure it runs more smoothly and efficiently.
• Sensible Speeds
  You can improve your fuel economy by up to 25% just by driving at 50mph instead of 70mph.
• Changing Gears
  By changing gears a bit earlier than you normally would you can reduce your fuel usage by reducing the rpm (revs per minute). Try changing up a gear when the rev counter shows 2,500 rpm for petrol cars or 2,000 rpm for diesel.
• Turn it off
  Don’t leave your engine idling unnecessarily, if you think you are going to stop for more than a couple of minutes, turn it off.
• Smooth acceleration
  Every time you have to bring your car to a stop and accelerate away you are using more fuel. Slow down earlier when you spot traffic, giving it time to start moving again before you reach it, then you can smoothly accelerate again without stopping at all.
• Open the window
  Using air conditioning, in car chargers and other electronics uses extra fuel, wind down the window and charge your devices at home.
• Get Set & Go
  Don’t switch on your car’s engine until you are ready to drive away.

It is something that will undoubtedly happen to everyone at some point when you are driving.

You are driving along minding your own business when you either spot an animal in the road ahead or one runs out in the path of your vehicle. What should you do?

• Be aware – dawn and dusk are common times to spot animals on the road so be vigilant during these times. Also pay attention to road signs such as deer warnings.
• Use your lights – When there are no other vehicles on the road ensure you use your full beam lights, these will often reflect the eyes of any animals ahead giving you an early warning that they are there. If you spot an animal in the road you should dip your lights straight away as if you don’t they may become to0 startled to move out of the road.
• Brake – Be prepared to stop, try not to swerve out of the way as often the damage done to both vehicles and occupants is much worse when they avoid hitting the animal than if they had just braked and hit it. There are often trees, ditches and hedges where animals are found and these are potentially very hazardous if you hit them.
• Mirrors – Check your mirrors before braking sharply to try and ensure that you do not risk road users behind you.
• One or many – Remember you cannot be sure that there is only one animal, more may follow the one you see, be prepared.
• Warning Lights – If you do hit an animal or damage your vehicle ensure you put your hazard lights on immediately to warn other motorists that you have stopped in the road.
• Phone the police – if you hit a deer on the road, report it to the police, they will arrange for someone to come out and collect the animal as it could be a hazard to other vehicles.

We all need to take a little extra time to carry out some basic checks before we set out on our journey’s this winter, here is a guide on what you should do:

• Antifreeze – It is vital to your cars engine as it prevents both freezing and corrosion. Most modern cars have long life antifreeze which needs to be replaced every 2-5 years. Check your hand book to see how often yours should be replaced and make sure that if you do it yourself you use the correct concentration of anti freeze to water.
• Clear Vision – Before you set off on any journey ensure that your vision is clear. Ensure that your windows are fully demisted, that ice and snow has been completely removed from all of the windows, and make sure that all snow has been removed from the roof of the vehicle to avoid it falling onto your windscreen or someone else’s.
• Wiper Blades – At the end of each journey make sure that you turn off your wipers before turning off the ignition, if you don’t and the blades freeze to the screen you risk damaging them when you start your car. Before setting out on a journey make sure your wiper blades are in good working order.
• Screen Wash – Ensure that your screen washer bottle is full with liquid of the correct concentration so that it does not freeze. Test your washer jets before your journey to ensure that they are working and positioned correctly.
• Lights – During the long winter days visibility is often reduced so make sure that all your lights including fog lights are working correctly before setting out.
• Tyres – Ensure that your tyres have at least 3mm of tread in winter weather for adequate grip.
• Battery Power – When starting up your car ensure that you do not have any non essential electrics on (such as heaters, lights etc), once you are on your way make sure that you turn off your electrics when you can to avoid draining too much power from the battery – this is particularly important if your car is normally driven in dark rush hour trips. Make sure that your battery is replaced when it is near the end of its life – normally every 5 years.

The winters in the UK have been getting more and more severe so its time to think ahead and make sure you are prepared for the winter weather.

Things you should always keep in your car during periods of bad weather are:

• A warm blanket
• A spare warm coat
• Non perishable food & drink – some cereal bars, crisps and a bottle of water
• A torch and spare batteries
• Jump leads
• Tow rope
• A shovel for snowy conditions
• An ice scraper
• De-icer
• Basic first aid kit
• Warning triangle
• A pair of wellingtons (in case you need to get out and dig yourself out)
• A piece of old sack or rug (to put under wheels if get stuck)
• A spare bottle of diluted screen wash
• Spare nappies, food and drink for children

Even for the most prepared drivers, snow and ice present challenging and hazardous driving conditions. Read our list of information that you really need to know when driving in winter weather.

• Early Alarm Call – Set your alarm half an hour earlier than normal to allow 15 minutes to fully de-ice and de-mist your car and then also allow extra time for your journey.

• Clear Windows – Make sure you have completely cleared your windows inside and out and that the rest of the car is free from snow and ice that could potentially slide onto your windows.

• Frozen Locks – If your lock is frozen use a lighter to warm the key as this will help thaw the lock from the inside. Don’t breath on the lock as this will only allow the moisture from your breath to freeze as well.

• Pre Journey Car Check – Check your car over before you start your journey to try and avoid breakdowns or things that could prove hazardous such as running out of washer fluid.

• Winter Survival Kit – Ensure your car has an appropriate winter survival kit and that it is checked regularly.

• Gritted Routes – Plan your journey to use main roads that are gritted and avoid country lanes where possible.

• Pulling Away – When pulling away use second gear, and release the clutch gently to avoid spinning the wheels.

• Leave a Big Gap – Stopping distances are up to 10 time longer in ice and snow so make sure you leave plenty of space between you and the vehicle in front.

• Clean Shoes – Ensure that your shoes are free from snow and ice and have suitable grip on the pedals.

• Dealing with Hills – When going uphill try and ensure that the slope is clear so that you do not need to stop, choose a suitable gear before you start to climb and try to maintain a constant speed. When coming back downhill make sure you leave plenty of space between you and the vehicle in front, select a low gear and avoid using the brakes.

• Gentle Braking – It is important to apply and release the brakes gently.

• Lights On – Make sure you have your lights on in low visibility conditions such as a snow shower.

Sat Nav’s are becoming increasingly popular and so are the driver errors associated with them. Follow our tips to make sure you are not fooled.

• Updates – New roads are being built and road layouts changed all the time – update your sat nav regularly to make sure you will receive correct directions.

• Check Your Destination – You enter your destination, press ok a couple of times and you are on your way, but did you check it? There are thousands of duplicate town names in our country make sure you select the correct one and don’t end up making a very long detor!

• Don’t Touch Whilst Driving – Always programme your sat nav before you start your journey and if you need to make an adjustment  – pull over and stop to do so.

• Trust Your Instinct – People have driven into rivers and onto railway tracks ‘because the sat nav told me so’, if your instinct says the sat nav is wrong, trust it and find an alternative route.

• Read the Road Signs – Always read road signs to ensure you are on the right route and remember, the signs have been placed there with specific local information which the sat nav might not be aware of (even if it is updated!)

• Don’t Switch Off – If you have an accident due to following the instructions of a sat nav over paying due care and attention to driving your vehicle – it will be your fault. Stay switched on and focused.

• Prize Possession – Your sat nav may be your prized possession but remember it will only take a few minutes for it to be stolen. Never leave your sat nav in your vehicle, certainly never leave it on display and remember to clean off the ‘ring’ left on the windscreen – thieves aren’t stupid.

• Clear Ahead – Make sure your sat nav is well positioned and is not blocking your view of the road.

• Listen Don’t Look – When you are at busy roundabouts or junctions, listen to the instructions given by the sat nav so you can look at the road markings, signs and other road users and not be distracted by looking at the screen.

• Trusty Paper – Always keep a recent map in the car for those times when either your sat nav is out of battery or when you just want to go back to basics.

With heavy fog being something that many of us only encounter a few times a year, it is important that we know how to drive safely in it when it happens.

• Make sure your headlights are dipped

• Use your windscreen wipers

• Know how to turn your front and rear fog lights on and off and use them

• Be vigilant of other vehicles especially those without their headlights on

• Do not follow someones rear lights, ensure you allow adequate space and only travel as fast as conditions allow

• Always check your mirrors before you slow down

• Turn off your radio and wind your window down to listen for vehicles when pulling out at a junction

• Only travel at a speed that you feel comfortable, don’t allow a car behind you to pressure you into driving faster

The top ten causes of vehicle breakdown in the UK and how to avoid them:

1. Unable to start the vehicle due to flat or faulty battery. – Ensure that clamps and connections are secure. At each service check that the terminals have been cleaned and ensure they are protected from corrosion with a good layer of petroleum jelly or grease. If you regularly use your car for short journeys only then a regular recharge is recommended
2. Flat tyres and/or damaged wheels. – Ensure tyres are kept properly inflated, check the tread depth regularly and check tyres and wheel rims for damage after any contact with kerbs. To be prepared in case you get a flat tyre, ensure that your spare tyre is suitable for use, that the jack and wheel removal tools are all present and correct and finally make sure your locking wheel nut key is kept in the car.
3. Empty fuel tank or wrong fuel in tank. – This can be a very expensive mistake to make, particularly if you drive multiple cars make sure you’re sure which car takes petrol and which takes diesel!  Draining the tank of the wrong fuel isn’t cheap and can actual cause damage which would add even more expense!
4. Faulty alternator – Be vigilant and get your car to a garage at the first sign of dim lights and constant battery problems so that it can be fixed before it causes a lot of damage.
5. Keys stolen, lost or locked in car – Whilst most breakdown companies will be able to retrieve keys locked in your car make sure you have a spare set of keys available should yours go missing as otherwise you may have to wait for up to 2 or 3 days until you main dealer can replace them.
6. Starter motor – Ensure this is checked at your garage during regular service and maintenance and replace if necessary.
7. Distributer cap – Replace the cap at manufacturers recommended intervals.
8. Spark plugs – Make sure that the spark plugs are replaced at the recommended service intervals.
9. High tension (HT) leads and connections – Ensure these are checked at your garage during regular services and replace them if necessary.
10. Clutch cables – Keep this in good condition, replace when there are the first signs of wear.

When taking apart an engine you need to wrap parts of it to save them getting dusty or just because you don’t want to put them on the floor, one thing you might have to hand is an old Newspaper.

It might seem like a brilliant idea to wrap your pistons and crankshaft in old newspaper, but it may actually cause damage!

The newspaper absorbs moisture in the air around which when wrapped around your metal engine parts can cause rust if left for too long, which you definitely don’t want!

Also the inks and print of the paper could rub off and depending which engine parts you wrap in the paper, that could cause you more problems.