From time to time we either need or want to change our vehicle. It may be that you need to because you need a bigger car, you now require more back space and therefore require a van or that you cannot afford to run your current one. If this is the case then research is vital before making your next purchase. Make a quick list of points on a vehicle that are a must such as number of seats and then make another list of items that would be nice to have.
When arranging to view cars, go through both lists and ensure that the musts are all ticked and ideally a number of the nice to have’s too. One of the main factors that comes in to play when buying any vehicle is your budget as well. Make sure that you have an idea of a figure in mind before viewing any cars to avoid falling in love with one you simply cannot afford.
If you are thinking of buying a second hand car then you may look at sites such as Gum Tree, Auto Trader and Ebay to find what you are looking for.
Many of these sites list the technical information in a table format allowing you to quickly glance at it and find out the engine size, mileage, make and model etc but there is also an area for a personalised description. Always make sure that you read any description in detail and ideally a few times as it can be easy to scan over something that states the car needs work etc without really taking it in.
If when reading the description you find that there are problems listed but the owner has stated “very cheap to fix” then I would be very dubious. Often if it really is very cheap to fix, they would fix it making the car more saleable. Never buy a second hand car without seeing it and ideally driving it as only then will you start to get a true picture.
Coming out of your house to a flat tyre is something we all dread and very often it will happen for no apparent reason and with very little warning. If the tyre has developed a slow puncture you may have had to fill it with air more often that you should have but it may have all of a sudden got worse.
The first thing to do is to pump the tyre back up, ideally this should be in situ as if you drive on a totally flat tyre it is likely you will not only damage the tyre but also even the wheel trim or alloy.
Once pumped up inspect the tyre for any visual damage such as nails. If you do not find anything you can chose to spray a solution made from one part soap to four parts water all around the rim and over the surface of the tyre to see if you can see any bubbles coming up from where the air is escaping. If not then you will probably need to take it to a garage for a further inspection.
If you need some repairs carrying out to your vehicle then you may want to price up the cost of obtaining the parts yourself.
Car parts can be expensive especially if you get them from the main dealer when often non genuine parts will do the job just as well. You can chose to buy car parts second hand but there is a he element of risk if buying something that you cannot see working. You also need to know exactly what you are looking for as many garages will not advise you on parts when buying from a third party.
Once you have a few quotes go back to the garage carrying out the repairs and ask them if they would be willing for you to buy the part yourself. Lots of smaller independent garages will do this but will not put any kind of warranty on the part they have fitted for you.
A MOT is a check that has to be done on your car to check that it is safe and road worthy. There is a strict criteria that the garage uses to access whether your car can pass the Mot inspection. All cars over three years old need to have a MOT carried out every 12 months and if it fails it is not allow to be driven on the road again (unless taking it to the Mot centre) until it has passed.
Unlike road tax, you do not get a reminder of when your Mot is due from the government unless the garage you bought the vehicle off or previously did the MOT sends you one off their own back.
If you are caught driving a car without an Mot not only can you get points on your license but it can also invalidate your insurance meaning that your car may be taken off the road an you have to pay recovery and storage charges to get it back.
