The horrible feeling of turning the ignition in your car or van and having nothing happen has probably happened to everyone at least once, and in cold weather, this is even more likely to happen.

Why are batteries affected by cold weather

There is a reason why batteries are affected by cold weather and freezing temperatures. Most vehicle batteries use a liquid electrolyte solution to hold their charge, and this solution is affected by temperature changes.

Cold weather can negatively affect the electrolyte solution’s ability to transfer full power, and in extreme freezing conditions, batteries can even freeze completely.

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We’ve all seen those pricier fuel pumps next to the regular unleaded and diesel nozzles named something along the lines of Premium, Momentum or Super, but what is premium fuel and should you be buying it?

What is premium fuel?

Premium fuel comes in two forms: diesel and petrol. The main difference between premium and regular fuel is the octane levels, with premium fuel containing a significantly higher level. Octane is a chemical component of petrol, and the amount found in a fuel determines how well it works in higher compression engines, such as performance cars.

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When lockdown was introduced in March, the government announced that vehicle owners would be granted temporary exemptions on MOTs falling due between 30 March to 30 August. This was later changed to include only MOTs falling due up until 31 July. Confused? You are not alone, the MOT extension, changes of due dates, and extension dates have resulted in many people having no idea when their MOT is due for renewal, or indeed if it may have already expired!

If you are stopped by the police without a valid MOT, you risk a large fine of up £1,000 for a car and up to £2,500 for a van. You may also be given 3 points on your driving license, which will drive up car insurance and could lead to a driving ban if you already have points on your driving license. You can also be banned if the car you are driving is considered ‘dangerous’.

All reasons why it is incredibly important not to be caught out by the changed due dates of your MOT.

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Winter driving can take a toll on your car, so it is essential to make sure it’s working at its best before the darker nights and the colder months approach. If a vehicle service is not yet due or is skipped, important winter check items can be missed, putting you in danger and leaving you at risk of breaking down.

Annual winter checks can often save you money in the long run as you can avoid costly breakdowns and accidents, leaving you confident that your vehicle is safe and reliable for the season.

The vehicle checks concentrate on five main areas: tyres and windscreen wiper inspection, battery testing, coolant and antifreeze check and a light assessment.Read more→

There is a lot of worry right now about making sure that you can pay the bills and make ends meet. The worry of new local lockdowns and the possible loss of your job, or lower month income is undoubtably causing great stress and worry in your life. At this time, it is understandable that you focus on making payments for your regular monthly bills: your mortgage or rent payment, energy bills, insurance, and water. However, the one thing that can get easily forgotten about is the car maintenance and the costs associated with that.Read more→

Did you know MOT test demand is set to soar over the next three months?

The need for vehicles to go through the DVLA MOT inspection will be over 60% higher in September, October and November because more than half of the nation’s vehicle owners deferred having an MOT’s during lockdown. This increase will see requests for MOT appointments soar as these new expiry dates will be added to the usual number of cars already due an MOT during these months.

With this in mind, we are urging all drivers to get their car MOT booked as soon as they can, to ensure you are not left unable to secure a test prior to your MOT expiry date. Driving your car with an expired MOT will cost you in the form of a fine and also points added to your licence!Read more→

On the 23rd of March the UK government introduced an extension period for MOTs, to protect drivers from Covid-19. If your vehicle was due a MOT between 30th of March 2020 and 31st of July 2020 you were automatically granted a 6-month extension on the due date of your MOT.

What happens if my mot is due after 31st July?

MOT centres are legally and safely open for business. MOT centres like Trostre Tyres are taking precautions to keep staff and customers safe: such as strict enforcement of social distancing and provision of PPE for members of staff. As a result, the government has deemed MOTs safe; therefore, the extension will not be available after the 31st of July 2020.Read more→

DPF cleaning is an innovative new method of cleaning soot from your “diesel particulate filter” (or DPF) and removing blockages. The stop-start driving technology of many new vehicles creates a higher build-up of soot and carbon in the filter, and DPF flash cleaning is the fastest and easiest method of cleaning the filter, ensuring the removal of any potential blockages. Left unchecked these blockages will eventually lead to an engine fault and the vehicle will go into ‘limp mode’. Our specialised DPF cleaning equipment, designed to effectively clean the DPF whilst on-board the vehicle (no need to remove the DPF from its position) will surge liquid through your filter, cutting away all diesel particulates, soot, carbon, wax, ash and tar.

So aside from how simple the process is, what other benefits does it bring?Read more→

Our normal way of life seems to have gone right out of the window these past few months, and many of the standard procedures we are accustomed to doing have done the same!

General car maintenance is certainly one of these, for example when is the last time you drove your car, or had it washed? We’ve certainly saved a lot of money on petrol, but letting your car sit stationary for this long could cost you money in the long run. Hopefully you’ve remembered to start it occasionally (if not a call to roadside assistance or a pair of jump leads might be needed!) Maybe you’ve had to go to work (Thank You!) and have been driving your car, but have delayed getting it serviced as normal, this can be an expensive omission as well.Read more→

Whether you are on the morning commute, heading to the supermarket, or taking the kids on the school run, tyres are an important element of your everyday driving. You would, however, be forgiven for not giving a second thought to your old tyres after you’ve had them replaced. But, did you know that old tyres cannot be disposed of in landfill? So with an estimated 50 million tyres (approx. 480,000 tonnes) coming to the end of their lives each year, it is essential that we recycle these waste tyres in as an environmentally friendly a way, as possible. And at Trostre Tyres we have invested in our very own tyre recycling equipment to ensure that the waste tyre goes directly from your rims to the recycling plant – you can be assured that any tyres removed by us makes their way to a new life in an eco-friendly fashion and is not shipped elsewhere to cause pollution in another area of the planet.Read more→