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C
H E C K
A C A R
Check a Car
Check
History:
For officially held information on a car showing outstanging
finance, Number of previous owners, write off checks and other
details a HPI
or Autocheck
should be your first port of call. This with our
useful list of items to check before you buy, will help avoid
some of the pitfalls. Look at the different options of buying
from a dealer, privately, at auction and over the internet.
Check
Specifications:
If you're interested in a particular make and/or
model of car and want to know what specifications you can expect
to find. This search tool lets you search by car type (small
family through to M.P.V.s)
Check
Tyres:
A vital part of safe driving, is a legal set of tyres. If you
have your car regularly serviced, the garage should tell you
when it's time to change your tyres. For your own peace of mind,
our 'Check Tyres' section gives you the correct tyre pressures
for each make of car. There are also useful tips about tyre
maintenance to prolong the life of yours. Tyres are expensive,
but the fine for getting caught with a faulty one is £2500 per
tyre
Check
Brake Fluid:
Find
out how Brake Fluid works and how they are rated.
Check
Brakes:
Good brakes are vital - any loss in effectiveness or response
time should be investigated immediately. Getting them checked
at each service will help minimise any risk of faults developing.
This useful section discusses some of the symptoms of brake
problems and specifications.
Check
Suspension:
How to do an easy suspension check or further examination.
Check
Bodywork:
There's nothing more ageing on a car than signs of rust or paintwork
that's become dull and scratched. Our tips will help preserve
your car's bodywork and keep it looking good for longer. Also,
we highlight the vulnerable areas, were damage can occur and
may have been retouched.
Check
Oil:
The purpose engine oil serves in the smooth running or your
vehicle: lubricating, sealing, cooling and cleaning. See what
type of oil you should use for your car.
Check
Engine:
Understanding those things under the bonnet! Checking the engine
oil level and other top ups that may be required. Identifying
problems early, if your car develops any unusual knocking or
rattling noises.
Check
Security:
Basic precautions to keep your car safe and deter thieves from
targeting your pride and joy. There's a lot that can be done
to reduce the risks and our list of do's and don't's can help.
Check
Safety:
Lots of good advice about safe stopping distances for day and
night driving. Mobile phone hazards and results from car tests
- has your car been tested? How safe would it be if you had
a crash.
Check
Battery:
The biggest single cause for the dreaded non starting engine!
Especially in colder weather! Keep an eye on yours, with our
helpful tips. If you have to resort to a jump lead start, it's
time to get a new battery or find out why it isn't charging
- the problem won't just go away.
Check
Transmission Fluids:
Something many people never think about, until a fault develops.
The automatic transmission fluid and filter should be changed
every two to three years or 24,000 to 36,000 miles. Find out
about the important function of the ATF.
Check
Transmission:
Automatic transmissions fail in as many ways as there are car
models. In contrast, there are only a few reasons why anyone
needs automatic transmission repair. I break it down into four
major categories: neglect, abuse, design flaws, and normal wear
and tear.
Check
Coolant:
The most commonly overlooked job in car maintainance is failing
to top up the coolant and add antifreeze. Don't wait until the
weather has turned really cold, before preparing properly for
the winter freeze. Find out how to flush your system and add
antifreeze.
Check
Steering:
If your steering isn't responding the way you think it should
- have look at our diagnostic chart and see what the possible
cause could be.
Check
Registration:
All you need to know about car number plates, giving the years
of registration and the letters that show where it was first
registered.
Check
Emissions:
Reduce your emissions and do your bit for the environment. This
section has hints for keeping your CO2 emissions and fuel consumption
down. Check your car's rating here.
Before
you buy:
Click for our guide to buying a used car. Search under the make
and model you're interested in and see how it's been rated for
reliability, problems etc.
Check
MOT:
Find your nearest UK MOT Test Centre - just enter the town or
post code. If you are a garage or MOT Station, make sure you're
listed, if not apply now.
Live
Traffic Info:
Planning a trip? Don't get caught in long delays - check out
our Live Traffic Information - updated in real-time and avoid
the trouble spots.
Check
Weather:
Fancy a day out or a short break? Pick the best day to travel
with the 5-day forecaster.
Check
Directions:
Sat Nav isn't everyone's favourite toy - if you prefer to map
our your route in advance and need to know how to get from A
to B, just enter your starting town or post code and your destination,
then you will see full directions and a map view.
Check
Fuel Costs:
Buying your next car is an ideal opportunity to save on fuel
costs, by putting some research into which cars are the most
economical/ fuel efficient. It follows that the larger the car
the more fuel it will use - check a car for fuel consumption
with our handy selector. Work out your m.p.g (miles per gallon).
C
H E C K
A C A R
you'll
be glad you did...
Everything
you need to know about cars, to help you steer clear of
problems and keep your vehicle on the road.There's lots
of information to guide you through the technical jargon
and sign post the way to saving money.
You can dip in and out of the topics that interest you or get
a bit of background information, so you know when a garage is
talking sense or trying to reinvent the wheel!
In today's tough economic climate and 'yo-yo' fuel prices, our
top ten tips on saving fuel are a great place to start your
journey round the site. For example; did you know that the air
conditioning in your car can increase fuel consumption by up
to 20%?
New v Used
More and more people are saving money by buying a used car.
The resale value of a new car drops by just by driving it off
the car forecourt and heading down the road! At the end of the
first year an average new car will have lost up to 40% of it
value (depending on make/ model). By the end of the third year,
it could have lost around 60% of its value. Many new cars carry
a 3-year parts and labour or mileage warranty, after this, faults
can develop, and wear and tear mean parts will need replacing
from time to time.
So now, more than ever when you're considering buying a used
car, the importance of running checks can save you unnecessary
headaches and extra expense later on.
Avoid buying blind
A letter from a customer Mr R. who wished he'd found 'Check
That Car' sooner, bought an 8-year old diesel car at auction
and by the next day a cloud of choking grey/white smoke left
a vapour trail the Red Arrows would have been proud of! He put
it straight back into auction and lost money on the transaction.
Someone else further down the food chain probably bought it
next, and eventually the car could cause an accident or be scrapped
for spare parts.
Another customer Mr C. emailed us, who had bought a car at auction
and it was such a dud it didn't even make the trip home. He
called out his breakdown service, who took it to his garage
for the bad news! It needed a new engine, costing the best part
of £800. He picked himself up off the floor and asked us to
help. He was one of the lucky ones - on the photos he sent us,
we could just make out the auction notice on the windscreen
that stated the car was in working order and all parts were
of a serviceable condition. As this clearly wasn't the case,
we advised him to take it up with the Lease Hire Company that
had been selling their fleet through the auction. It took a
while, but eventually they agreed to pay for the engine as a
'gesture of goodwill' and 'no admission of liability'.
So, all things considered, the more information you can glean
about the car you've got your eye on, the better. We're sure
'Check That Car' will get you geared up to make the right decision.
Whether you're looking for information about checking your tyres,
registration, car history, fuel costs or directions, it's all
here for you.
