If you’re a vehicle owner, then you’ll understand the pain and hassle of something going wrong with it - not to mention the associated costs! Prevention is the way to go when it comes to managing vehicle health, with issues being much simpler (and cheaper!) to resolve the earlier they are detected.
As such, it’s important that you find a garage that you can trust to offer you the essential services you need to keep your vehicle in running order. But, what exactly are the services a garage can offer you, and how can these benefit you in the long-run? Keep reading to find out.
What Does a Garage Do?
If you run into an issue with your vehicle, then there are often two options available to you:
Take it to a chain car dealership
Take it to a local garage
Unless you’re required to take it to a dealership (i.e. under the conditions of a lease), the majority of motorists prefer to take theirs to a garage.
Garages, as we affectionately refer to them, act as your one-stop shop for automotive repairs. They can offer a range of services from servicing and preventative maintenance to repairs and the replacements of faulty parts.
At a garage, your car will be in the care of a fully-trained and knowledgeable mechanic - assuming the garage in question is a reliable one, of course. A large majority of mechanics will not only have the necessary knowledge required to oversee your vehicle, but will have extensive hands-on experience working with vehicles of all kinds, offering you peace of mind that your vehicle is in safe hands.
Garage Services: From Car Wheel Alignment to Vehicle Servicing
The services that may be offered to you can differ from garage to garage, but you can expect to see the services below from our garages here at Euroroute Recovery.
Wheel Alignment
There are certain factors that can occur whilst driving that can subsequently have an impact on your car’s wheel alignment. This relates to how the wheels connect to your vehicle, which is otherwise known as suspension. Alignment then, is simply adjusting the angles of suspension to ensure optimal tyre contact with the road.
One of the most common issues that can impact alignment is if your wheel experiences some kind of impact whilst driving. For example, if you’re driving and hit a pothole, go too fast over a speed bump or bump into the kerb, this can be enough disturbance to misalign your wheels - even slightly.
If you find that your vehicle keeps pulling to one side, your tyres are wearing down rapidly or your steering wheel is crooked when you’re driving straight or feels unresponsive, these are all signs that you could have poor wheel alignment.
A garage will be able to assess any issues with your steering and suspension, realigning your wheels so that your vehicle steers properly again.
Tyre Changes
Tyres, of course, are essential components of your vehicle - if something is wrong with them, then it’s essential to have them checked out for peace of mind that you can continue to drive safely on the road.
There are various reasons why you may require a tyre change. One common issue is that they have worn down over time. The legal limit for the tread depth your tyres can have is 1.6mm, any less than this and you may be at more risk of skidding, which could cause a road accident. If your tyres have worn below this depth, then they will need to be replaced.
Punctures are another common issue that require a tyre change. Sometimes a puncture is obvious and instant, however other times you may have what’s known as a slow puncture. This is when a sharp object causes a tiny hole in your tyre, resulting in air escaping gradually from it over time.
If you notice uneven tyre wear and a change in comfort when driving, this could indicate that you may have a slow puncture. It’s important to take your vehicle into a garage to be seen in such an instance, where they can repair or replace the damaged tyre. The longer you continue to drive on a slow puncture, the more damage that can occur to your vehicle - compromising your safety on the road.
Vehicle Servicing & Diagnostics
Whilst a vehicle service is not a legal requirement, it’s highly recommended to get between MOTs. It's recommended to have an interim service every six months and a full service every year.
This is where a mechanic will carry out a vehicle inspection based on the guidelines provided by your vehicle manufacturer. There are various checks that are carried out during a vehicle service, including but not limited to:
Oil check and change
Oil filter check and replacement
Coolant check and top-up
Windscreen wash check and top-up
Windscreen wipers check
Brake check
Exhaust check
Battery check
Tyre tread and pressure check
Steering check
Suspension check
Light check
During a service, the mechanic will also have the opportunity to perform diagnostics. This is where they can identify any issues that are wrong with your vehicle that you otherwise did not know about or where there were no obvious signs of damage, advising you on the next steps to take in order to rectify any identified issues.
MOT Testing
An MOT test is a legal requirement that all vehicles must undertake every year (other than brand new vehicles, which don’t require their first MOT test until three years after their registration). As a vehicle owner, we’re sure you know this (at least we hope so!).
The purpose of an MOT test is to determine whether your vehicle is road safe, or whether it requires work/repairs in order to make it so. An MOT test will look at the following areas of your vehicle:
Lights
Horn
Steering and suspension
Windscreen
Wipers/washers
Brakes
Tyres, wheels and TPMS
Bonnet
Body / vehicle structure
Battery and electrical wiring
Seats
Seat belts / SRS
Fuel system
Exhaust system and emissions
Registration plates
When booking your vehicle in for its MOT, it’s important that you do so with an approved provider. All garages that are approved to conduct MOT tests will have the ‘three triangles’ symbol displayed at their stations.
There are also different classes of MOT tests, with not all garages being able to provide testing services for every class. Here at Euroroute Recovery, we are equipped to provide class 4, 5 and 7 MOTs, which covers most vehicles under 3,500kg in weight.
Benefits of Regular Vehicle Maintenance Checks
Enhanced Long-Term Savings
Now that you know all the services that a garage could offer you, you may be wondering what the actual benefits are of undertaking such regular vehicle maintenance checks. Well, for one, you’ll save yourself more money in the long run.
The worse any issues or damage to your vehicle get, the more expensive they will be to repair. As such, by paying for regular services and maintenance, any issues will be identified and rectified early on, before they get too costly. As such, you will ultimately be saving more money down the line than if you were to avoid regular maintenance and have to pay for costly repairs.
By booking your car in with a local garage for said maintenance, there is potential to save even more money; independent garages are known for having better deals on their services compared to the prices offered by dealerships. You can rest assured that, with a reputable garage, you’ll be paying a reasonable price that covers the exact repairs your vehicle needs, rather than being charged for any unnecessary services on top of this.
Legal Compliance
As well as having your vehicle registered with the DVLA and having a valid MOT certificate, it’s a legal requirement for your vehicle to be roadworthy - if you’re pulled over and it isn’t deemed road worthy, then you could find yourself being faced with a fine and/or points on your licence.
This includes (but isn’t limited to) having:
Clean mirrors and number plates
Working lights
Working brakes
Enough engine oil
Correct tyre depth
Booking your vehicle in for regular servicing and maintenance and being proactive when you notice any issues with your vehicle helps ensure each of these factors, keeping you on the right side of the law.
Extended Vehicle Lifetime
By regularly maintaining your vehicle’s health through the use of garage services, you will be extending your vehicle's lifetime. Regularly changing fluids and filters and checking key components to keep it in smooth and safe running order ultimately helps to keep it running for longer and reduce the likelihood of breakdowns.
Maintenance & MOT Booking with Euroroute Recovery
Are you looking for a reliable garage that can offer you comprehensive services for your vehicle? If so, then look no further than us here at Euroroute Recovery.
Whether you require our garage services and MOT testing or require vehicle recovery, we’ve got you covered. With bases in Dumfries and St. Boswells, we’re a local and friendly garage you can rely on.
Get in touch with us today to book your vehicle in to be looked at.
Comments