When is the right time to get your MOT done?

All new cars that are over three years old require a valid MOT certificate. This MOT needs to be renewed each year if you wish to drive the car on the road. The MOT can be carried out up to one month prior to the expiry date whilst still honouring the anniversary, so for example if you have your MOT done one month prior to it expiring then you will actually have 13 months until it is required to be done again.

The best time to get an MOT done ideally is at least a few weeks prior to the expiry. This then allows you plenty of time to either get repairs done or to decide if you want to get rid of the car / scrap it before you go ahead with any repair work. If you leave it until the day or so before the expiry date then you are often rushed in to having to get the work done without being able to shop around for the best price. If the car still has a valid MOT then you can still drive it even if it fails (up until the expiry date) as long as the reason it failed is not considered serious.

Make sure that you check your car is ok to drive

Most of us go out and hop into our cars to drive off without really considering if everything is ok with the vehicle. It is extremely important to give the car a good once over every so often and do some basic checks before you set off on any journey. Simply just looking at the tyres every morning may be enough to avoid an accident happening or finding that you have a flat when you have left your home.

All cars over the age of three years have to undergo an MOT examination to check certain components on the vehicle but this is only done every 12 months and therefore issues could arise in between MOT’s. You should always carry out checks on your car yourself ideally on a daily or weekly basis to ensure that optimum safety is met.

Checking your fluid levels again is an easy check to do and may help look after your engine and ensure you have screen wash to clear the screen should you need to. This doesn’t need to be checked every journey but ideally every couple of weeks. Lights are another item to check. You may find it hard to check some lights on your own so you will either need to get someone to help you or reverse right up to a garage door for example so you can see in your mirrors if your brake lights and indicators are working.

Gear box problems

Although luckily not many of us have to experience gear box issues it is one of those repairs that we all dread. You may not realise that there is a problem with your gearbox until it is too late or you may of noticed that it struggles to get in to gear a little bit but put it down to the clutch instead. Gearbox problems can be hard to diagnose yourself so you may need to take it to a specialist garage for them to have a look for you. You should not really have to replace a gearbox on a vehicle unless it has done a large number of mile but like any component on a vehicle, things can go wrong well before their time. A gearbox needs oil to run and if there is a slow leak you may not even realise until its to late. If the gearbox runs out of oil it will often be damaged beyond repair and will either need to be refurbished or replaced for a new one.

If you are considering buying a second hand gear box you should try and get at least a 12 months warranty with it as you do not want to have to be forking out for the same thing again a few months down the line. Gearbox replacements or repairs often cost in excess of £1000 so you want to try and avoid it at all costs.

The Ford Transit Connect – Built for Business

There are many vans over the year that have made a name as a reliable vehicle, but the Ford Transit is one that continues to exceed many peoples’ expectations, especially contractor businesses owners.

The transit connect is not your type of van for large scale projects, and many will use it as a van to deliver products and goods quickly. You also get the advantage of ample seating, which is not always the case for many vans, and this model will comfortable seat 7.

The car is designed to be customizable, and if you merely want to use it for deliveries then seating will not be necessary, but the car can be finished in different colours, depending a business’s needs. The exterior has been thoughtfully designed, making it easier to incorporate graphics on the side, while van performs like all transits. It can be handled easily; it’s smooth and it nippy when it needs to be.

Acquiring a Van

For most people vans are unnecessary, but for a lot of businesse, they are. This is the case for a number of reasons, and for a number of different business models. Transporting goods and products is an integral part of business, but transporting in bulk, like with a truck or lorry, isn’t very applicable for most business requirements, and they don’t operate as efficiently within an urban environment. It is for this reason why businesses rely upon vans for their transportation requirements.

There are two different ways for you to acquire a van for your business. Leasing or renting a van is great option for those whom only need it for a short period of time. This can help to reduce the costs involved, while also acquiring a high quality vehicle. The other option is to buy a used or new vehicle. If you buy a new one, then you can expect to get a good quality vehicle, but also pay a lot of money. With a used van, the quality will be lower, but so will the price. It is largely unnecessary for most businesses to own a van, so renting would be ideal for most businesses.