Most Recent News

Brussels breaks car dealers’ grip on parts

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:11:18 +0100

The deals on spare parts and warranty repairs that bind franchised dealers and car manufacturers are to be broken up. From June 1 2010 new laws mean that car manufacturers will no longer be able to refuse to supply independent repair shops with technical information or spare parts.

According to the European Commission, repair and maintenance accounts for 40 per cent of the cost of owning a car. Joaquín Almunia, the Competition Commissioner, said the new antitrust regulation would provide consumers with tangible benefits. “[It will] bring down the cost of repairs and maintenance that represent an excessive share of the total cost of a car over its lifetime,” he said.

The Commission wants to open up the repair market to greater competition and stop manufacturers from stipulating in warranties that work must be done in its dealer network.

“Car manufacturers will no longer be able to make the warranty conditional on having the oil changed or other car services only in authorised garages,” the Commission said. However, service agreements struck with individual dealers will still be valid where specific work is provided free under the warranty, the Commission said.

The AA said that the ties between manufacturers and dealers had been a big obstacle in extending the scope of roadside repair operations. “Getting access to the repair codes allows the AA to repair at the roadside rather than sending the car to the dealer’s workshop,” an spokesman said. “It allows independents to have access to the same data and offer a competing service.”

Manufacturers will no longer be able to control the provision and distribution of spare parts. In the past, some manufacturers have resisted supplying parts to independents, although that is now rare, motor dealers say. Of more concern are restrictions that prevent the supply of parts direct from component manufacturers rather than from the carmaker.

The Commission said that it was targeting three practices imposed by manufacturers: restrictions on the sale of parts by authorised dealers to independents; the ability of independent manufacturers to supply parts directly to repair shops; and spare-part manufacturers’ ability to put their trademark on the parts.

The motor industry has long recognised that more money is made repairing and servicing old cars and selling parts than in selling new cars. In hard times, dealers may see new car sales as a loss leader for the more profitable business of annual servicing and repairs.

So lucrative is the repair business that car manufacturers are beginning to venture into the market directly with their own chains of repair shops. In Germany, Volkswagen has launched a chain focusing on the low-cost end of the repair market.

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

MOT blowouts

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 19:51:22 +0100

The main causes for a vehicle to fail an MOT in the UK are wiper blades smearing the screen, blown driving lamp bulbs and worn tyres. Check before you book it in and save yourself the hassle of a retest.

Speed Bumps = Damaged Tyres

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 11:01:07 +0100

Some speed bumps increase the wear to the inner edges of the tyres . Speed bumps also increase the chances of the tracking of the vehicle being disturbed. If the tracking has been disturbed then one tyres will often be heavily worn on one side.

If the tyres are under the recommended tyre pressure then two major factors will come into affect 1) the tyre will wear quicker on both the inner and outer edges 2) The road resistance will increase making more work for the car to turn the wheel resulting in lowering the overall fuel economy of the vehicle. The car will also pull to one side whilst driving if the tyre pressures are not even.

If the tyre is over the recommended tyre pressure then they will wear quicker on the centre line of the tyre.

You should always try to have the same make and size of tyres on the front, or rear axle set. For vehicles with four wheel drive it is advised that all four tyres are the same.

Slow and steady saves the fuel

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:27:40 +0100

One of the best ways to improve your fuel economy is to change the way you drive. Speeding, accelerating and braking hard can deplete efficiency by 33 percent, according to the Environmental Protection Agency . How come? Well when you stop, start or accelerate, your car has to overcome inertia, which is the resistance an object has to a change in its state of motion. Overcoming inertia requires energy. When you're talking cars and energy, you're talking about fuel. You can use less energy to overcome inertia if you do it slowly:

You should accelerate slowly from stops, allowing the car's momentum to help it accelerate. What would make you more tired: pulling a heavy load slowly from a stop to an all-out run, or pulling the same load immediately to a sprint? In your car, you should accelerate slowly from stops, allowing the car's momentum to help it accelerate.
Say you're driving down the road and see a light up ahead turn from amber to red. Rather than keep your foot on the accelerator and brake at the last second, you should take your foot off the gas and slowly approach the light. Not only will coasting save gas, but you might not even have to come to a full stop before the light turns green again, meaning that your car will have to overcome much less inertia to get going.
The speed at which you drive on the motorway, where stopping and starting aren't likely to be a problem, also impacts your fuel efficiency. The EPA says that most cars run at maximum efficiency at 60 miles per hour, and every five mph over 60 decreases efficiency by 6 percent. So, on your next long trip, slow down.

The Junk in Your Trunk

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:26:10 +0100

Your car burns fuel for energy. Its food for the engine, which in turn is what makes the car run. The more work the car has to do, the more energy it needs. No matter what kind of car you drive, eliminating unnecessary weight can go a long way toward increasing your car's fuel efficiency. Have you got a bike rack on your car? That unused rack adds weight and wind resistance. And if you're like most people, you probably have some junk in your trunk. Clean it out. Sports equipment, pushchairs and just plain junk are all hurting your fuel economy.