9 Reasons to Install NAPA Brakes

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BOOK YOUR FREE VEHICLE HEALTH CHECK

Book your free vehicle health check today with D&G Motors.

Top reasons for booking a vehicle health check

• Vehicle health checks are often offered free by garages.
• It’s a quick and convenient way to get your car checked out.
• A simple VHC can bring any small problems to light before they become bigger.
• A VHC is a good primary indicator that your car is safe.

What Happens?

On a test drive, D&G Motors will check the:

• Starting system, general performance and behaviour of the vehicle.
• Clutch, transmission, steering, suspension and brakes including A.B.S.
• Gauges operate properly.
• Battery and starter motor start engine with ease.
• Cruise Control (if applicable).
• Efficiency of parking brake.
• Evidence of abnormal noises.
• Visual fluid leaks after driving.
• Excessive visual emissions from exhaust.
• Engine management lights are working as they should.
• Engine cooling fans operate at appropriate temperatures.

An inspection of the outside of the vehicle to confirm that:

• There aren’t any dents larger than 50mm in diameter, or dents which have cracked paint.
• The windscreen is free from any damage that would exclude the vehicle from an MOT test.
• There are no signs of bodywork corrosion.
• The exterior mirrors are intact and working properly.
• The fuel filler system (including petrol caps and lever release system) is working correctly.
• The bonnet catch, safety catch, hinges, and tailgate supports are in good condition.
• All the exterior trim (bumpers, window and door seals, wheel wells, and headlights) fit correctly and securely.

Vehicle interior

D&G Motors will check that everything inside of the car is in good condition and working correctly, including:

• Wipers and washers.
• Visual and audible driver warning systems.
• Rear-view mirror and sun visors.
• Parking assistance systems.
• Navigation system.
• Interior lights.
• Instruments, gauges and controls.
• Door windows (manual or electric).
• Convertible roof mechanism (if applicable).
• Audio and alarm systems.
• All internal equipment (e.g. cigarette lighters, sun visors, arms rests, etc).
• All exterior lighting equipment and respective control lights and cluster illumination.
• Air-conditioning, heating and demist systems.
• Sunroof mechanism.
• Parcel shelf or tonneau cover (if fitted).
• Seatbelts and mountings.

We will also check that:

• There’s no evidence of water ingress.
• The interior trim and dashboard are free from tears, holes, burns or excessive soiling.
• All warning lights work correctly.
• All drive pedals work correctly.
• All seat mountings, head rests and seat adjustment mechanisms are secure.
• The SRS warning light works correctly.

Road wheels & tyres

This check is to make sure that:

• All tyres (including the spare) have a minimum tread depth of 3mm.
• There’s no evidence of uneven tyre wear or casing damage.
• Tyres have no bulges or cuts through to the casing, and there’s no evidence of temporary repairs.
• All wheels are free from distortion, gouges or visible cracks.

Engine compartment

This check is to make sure that:

• The battery is in working order, and terminals are secure and free from corrosion.
• The engine oil is at the correct level & dipstick oil sample is free from contamination.
• The coolant system is free of visual contamination and that it’s using the correct antifreeze.
• The charging system meets the minimum output.
• Gearbox fluid levels (manual or automatic) are correct.
• All other fluid levels (brake, clutch, power steering, washer & battery) are correct.
• Auxiliary drive belts and in working condition and have the right tension.
• Engine mountings are secure and in working condition.
• Wiring, pipes, hoses, oil & fuel feed lines are correctly routed and free from damage, chafing and leaks (where visible).
• There are no fluid leaks.
• The cooling system radiator and engine oil cooler or intercooler are free from damage or excessive corrosion.
• There’s no undue engine noise.

For hybrid vehicles only, they’ll also check the:

• Hybrid cooling system.
• Hybrid power-train mount.
• Hybrid entertainment & information display.

Underbody

We will go underneath the car and inspect the:

• Exhaust, mountings and clamps.
• Catalytic converter.
• Steering.
• Tie rod ends, CV joints, drive shafts & steering rack including books/covers.
• Front and rear springs, shock absorbers & mounting points.

We will also make sure that:

• There’s no evidence of exhaust gas leaks.
• There are no fluid leaks from the engine, drive train, or fuel systems.
• There’s no visual evidence of faults to braking components.
• The brake pads have a minimum of 50% material remaining.
• The underbody doesn’t have excess corrosion and the chassis is free from extensive structural repairs.
• The transmission and driveshaft is secure & free from excessive play.

Tyres Available

Checking your legal tyre tread depth is one of the most important checks you can make on your car.

Having worn tyres means the only contact patch between you and the road is past its best.

You could almost call it an accident waiting to happen. 

If the safety risks don’t hit home, maybe the risk of a £2,500 fine and three penalty points for a worn tyre will?

That’s per tyre, too. If all four tyres are worn below the legal limit, you could potentially lose your licence and face a £10,000 fine.

What is the legal tyre tread depth?

The legal tyre tread depth for cars in the UK and Europe is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre, according to law.

The tread must meet this minimum requirement across its complete circumference. 

Why do tyres have a legal limit?

Tyre and safety experts believe the 1.6mm legal minimum is insufficient to guarantee safety – most recommend a minimum tread depth of 3mm for tyre replacement.

Tests by UK technical organisations such as MIRA found that, once tyres are below 3mm, stopping distances increase dramatically.

The difference in wet braking distance between a tyre worn to 3mm and one worn to 1.6mm can be as much as 44%. 

Worn tyres are particularly dangerous in the wet because a tyre’s tread helps disperse water away from the contact patch between tyre and road.

If there’s less tread depth, less water can be shifted, increasing the risk of aquaplaning and losing grip.

In heavy rain, each tyre can shift one gallon of water every second, illustrating just how hard tyres work.

Simply put, deeper tread means they can work better, improving grip. 

Checking your tyres.

There are a few different ways to check your tyres for tread so we will start with the one that everybody can do at home.

How to check tyre tread depth (The 20p test)

The 20p test is a simple, quick and easy way of checking the tyre tread of your car’s wheels. 

Just take a 20p coin and insert it into the tread grooves on the tyre.

If you can’t see the outer band on the coin, your tyres are above the legal limit.

However, if you can see the band and that section of the coin is still visible, your tyres could be unsafe and require professional inspection by a mechanic.

We suggest drivers conduct the 20p test around every two weeks and before long journeys.

Checking tyre tread with tyre tread wear indicators

Some tyres will have indicators embossed on the tyre wall itself, usually with a line or arrow which is positioned somewhere below the outer tread.

If the tyre is flush with these, it is below the legal limit and needs replacing.

Checking tyre tread with a tyre tread depth gauge

These are purpose made tools that quickly measure the depth of an individual tyre groove.

What happens if you have an accident on illegal/bald tyres?

Driving with tyres that have a tread below the legal limit – or even worse, are bald – is dangerous.

It can put you and other motorists at risk.

If you are involved in an accident and the car you are driving has illegal or bald tyres, you should be aware of the consequences.

Any insurance claim as a result of an accident could be invalidated, so potentially your insurer won’t pay out any money any repairs needed to your vehicle.

However, driving with dangerous or defective tyres also puts drivers at risk of a fine of up to £2,500 and three points on their license.

That is per tyre, so four illegal tyres could mean a fine of £10,000 and 12 penalty points.

You can buy tyre tread gauges that help you assess the tread depth of the tyre, plus you can also get more basic colour-coded tools that let you know if a tyre is legal or not at a glance.

NEED TYRES?

Clicking the button below will take to tou our tyre quotation form.

You can follow the steps on this page to fill the form out and a member of our team will contact you with prices within 48hrs.

Battery Condition

Flat batteries are the most common cause of vehicle breakdowns, possibly because there are simply so many things that impact battery health. Luckily, many of these things are avoidable.

Battery testers used by the staff here at D&G Motors are top of the range testers giving us the ability to test all types of batteries in depth, not only can we test for voltage readings we can test for cold cranking amps (CCA) and provide you with a start capacity percentage for your vehicle, we can also test the condition of the starter motor and condition of your alternator all for FREE.

• Car batteries naturally lose charge over time – The longer you leave your car without driving it, the more likely the battery is going to go flat and not have enough charge to start the car.
• Leaving something electrical on – like your headlights or an internal cabin light – can drain your battery.
• Cold weather – Batteries do not like the cold and on chilly mornings, your car battery has less charge available than normal to start the car. The older your battery is, the more susceptible it is to the cold!
• Short journeys – If your car never gets a good run, the battery will never receive a full charge, reducing its ability to hold charge and shortening its lifespan.
• Dirty & grimy battery terminals – These can prevent your battery from transferring power to the vehicle.
• A faulty component such as the alternator – This crucial component recharges your battery when the engine is running.
• Car batteries have a lifespan of about 5-7 years – Older batteries can’t recharge as effectively.

Checking Your Battery At Home

1. Voltage Test

You can buy a voltmeter for less than £20 these days, so it’s worth investing in one to regularly check your battery’s voltage. To test, make sure you first turn off any car accessories that could drain the battery, including the ignition, air conditioning, headlights, and the car radio.

Carefully remove the covers on the battery terminals and connect the positive side of the voltmeter to the positive (red) terminal first. Then connect the negative side of the voltmeter to the negative (black) terminal.

Now, check your reading. A healthy battery should read between 12.4V and 12.7V.

A reading of just under such as 12.3V can indicate your battery is only 75% charged.

2. Headlight Test

Checking your car’s headlights can give you an indication of your battery health. Turn your car’s headlights on and check whether they look darker than they should be — if that’s the case, your battery may be low.

If you put your foot on the accelerator slightly and find that your headlights get brighter, that can indicate a faulty alternator which isn’t supplying enough current to your battery. Your headlights should stay at a stable brightness when revving.

3. Health Indicator

Many modern cars come with batteries that have an in-built battery health indicator.

The indicator will have an arrow that turns either red or green depending on the state of the battery (red indicating low voltage and green indicating a good condition). When the battery is completely flat, nothing will show.

4. Physical Check

You can tell surprisingly many things about your car battery’s health just from looking at it.

While it’s still in the engine bay, check for any corrosion using a good torch. Battery acid is corrosive so, should you notice a sulphuric smell or any bubbling or dried liquid, it’s best to take your car to D&G Motors.

If there are no cracks or liquid to be seen, you can remove your battery from the engine bay for a thorough inspection. Ensure you carefully remove the negative (black) terminal first, and the positive (red) terminal last to keep yourself safe.

Check for any bulges, which can sometimes suggest overcharging. If there are any cracks, you need to get your battery replaced as soon as possible.

How to keep your car battery from dying!

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways you can keep your battery from dying in the first place.

• Keep your battery terminals clean.
• Ensure that the connectors are tight.
• Regularly carry out inspections.
• Start your engine up regularly and leave your car running for a little while.
• Avoid driving at night or early in the morning when the weather is coldest.
• Purchase a battery cover to protect it from the cold.
• Clean away any corrosion from the terminals using a toothbrush and a solution of baking soda and water.
• Buy a trickle charger to keep your car battery topped up.

We also recommend checking the age of your battery to provide a good indication of whether it will need to be replaced soon. All car batteries are stamped with a code indicating the date that it was manufactured. The majority of car batteries are designed to last for 5 to 7 years; any longer than this and the battery will be more likely to fail, especially when cold.

A/C NOT WORKING?

IS YOUR A/C NOT BLOWING COLD?

Vehicle air-conditioning systems need re-gassing every two years.

Maintaining your vehicle’s air-conditioning system is actually very reasonable:

Air-conditioning temp test – FREE

Air-conditioning Anti-bacterial clean – £12.99

Air-conditioning re-gas – £49 – £165 (Depending on gas type and required ammounts.)

Air-conditioning service – £89 – £185 (Depending on gas type and required ammounts.)

HOW IT WORKS

Your car’s air-conditioning system includes six integral parts:

• Refrigerant (the gas)
• Compressor (which contains the refrigerant)
• Condenser
• Receiver
• Thermal expansion valve
• Evaporation coils

When the air-conditioning system is activated, the refrigerant (gas) travels to the condenser. Fresh air from the atmosphere passes over the condenser, which causes the gas to drop in temperature and become a liquid.

That liquid passes through a receiver, which removes impurities, before reaching a thermal expansion valve. The valve allows you to control the temperature by adjusting the flow of the liquid. The liquid is then turned into a vapour as it passes through the evaporation coils, which subsequently gets blown into the cabin as cool air. The refrigerant has become a gas again by this point, and returns to the compressor ready for the process to start all over again.

HOW OFTERN SHOUD MY A/C BE SERVICED?

The general rule of thumb is that your vehicle’s air-conditioning needs re-gassing every two years. The reason for this is because it’s estimated that your car permeates between 10 – 15% of gas from the system every year; and that’s before you’ve even used it!

An air-con service also presents a good time to get the system de-bugged, which essentially decontaminates the whole system. This is recommended because aspects of the air-conditioning system are a breeding ground for bacteria, which in turn leads to bad odours.

Note: Ignoring a bacteria build up in your air-conditioning system can potentially have an adverse affect on allergies.