UK road trips are a great option for a holiday this year, that’s why we’ve put together some of our top tips for how to prepare for you summer road trip. UK road trips are a fantastic option for a holiday this year, allowing you to explore large parts of the UK and see multiple destinations on the same trip. As with any holiday, it’s a good idea to do a fair amount of planning beforehand to ensure that the trip is a success. That’s why we’ve put together some of our top tips for how best to prepare for you summer road trip. Plan Your Route It goes without saying that the most important part of a road trip is route planning. You may know your starting point and final destination but do you know what stops you’ll take along the way, or what route you’ll take between each location? Make sure you take some time to plan how you’re going to get from A to B, researching any particular sites you’d like to visit on the way, and where you’ll be staying the night. This should all be prepared in advance of the road trip, but it’s equally important to be ready to adapt if your primary route becomes blocked due to unforeseen circumstances. For this reason, you’ll want to utilise sat nav, whether this is built into your car, or you use your phone. This will allow you to avoid any delays or obstacles along the way. Clean Your Car You’ll obviously be spending a large amount of time in your car on a road trip, so it makes sense to ensure that your car is clean and a pleasant place to be. Whilst it’s not essential to clean the exterior of the car, it is advisable. However, you’ll really want to make sure that you’re not going to be sat in your car for hours with unpleasant smells and rubbish around your feet. For this reason, you could remove all rubbish, and valet the interior of your car using a vacuum cleaner. Our top tip is to pay particular attention to the footwells, boot and seats where crumbs can congregate. You could also pick up some handy interior wipes, which will allow you to clean up any mess during the journey. Perform Maintenance Tasks The last thing you want on a road trip is to suffer an avoidable breakdown that could have been prevented through a few simple maintenance tasks before setting off. We recommend checking your tyre pressure before your journey to make sure your tyres aren’t flat, or that you don’t have a potential puncture. It is also worthwhile investing in an emergency tyre repair kit in case you experience a puncture on the road. You’ll also want to make sure that your car fluids are topped up, including engine Oils and your washer fluid. This will mean that you won’t need to worry about stopping mid journey to refill your empty fluids. Consider Storage Solutions Depending on your car and the nature of your trip, you may want to think about optimising your storage spaces, or increasing the amount of storage available to you, so you can take everything you need and still travel in comfort. For example, a roof rack will allow you to add a roof box for extra luggage or camping equipment, and a cycle rack will allow you to take your bikes with you. Prepare Journey Entertainment If you’ll be travelling with children, it’s a good idea to make sure they’re able to keep themselves entertained on the journey, for both your sanity and theirs! Bring along some of their favourite toys, entertainment devices and games to keep them occupied during the journey, as well as snacks and refreshments. Whilst it’s a good idea to avoid items which can be messy or can get lost in the car, you can invest in a travel table to allow them to play board games, draw, or make a jigsaw puzzle. Invest In a Dashcam Dashcams are a great way to protect yourself whilst driving, allowing you to provide evidence in the event that you’re involved in an accident that wasn’t your fault, and they can also be used on a road trip to save your memories of the holiday. If you’re driving through some particularly spectacular scenery, or happen to see something special on your journey, you can use the footage from the dashcam in a holiday photo or video montage. For all your summer motoring essentials, visit CarParts4Less. There are lots of ways to clean your car and revive its sparkling finish after the long winter months. We're going to cover the basics of a good clean. There are lots of ways to clean your car and revive its sparkling finish after the long winter months. Here we’re going to cover the basics of a good clean for a vehicle that spends its life outside. It is important to note that you should avoid washing your car in direct sunlight as this will heat up the paintwork and allow both water and chemicals to evaporate, leaving streaks. Items You’ll Need To Clean Your Car At least 2 buckets & a grit guard Hose or jet spray Car wash/shampoo Car wax Wheel cleaner + soft bristle brush Clay bar Microfibre wash mitt Microfibre drying towel/chamois leather Things To Note If at any point your drop your microfibre mitt, cloth or applicator pad on the floor leave it there. Once a cloth hits the floor it will pick up grit and the last thing you want to do is spread that grit over your paintwork as this will leave scratches. Cleaning Your Wheels The first step to clean your car should always be the wheels. This is especially true if you have alloy wheels that you’d like to bring back to their former glory. If your alloys are particularly dirty you may want to remove them from the vehicle in order to remove all the dirt. To remove all the dirt; you want to use a good rim cleaner and possibly a soft bristled brush to help lift all the caked on dirt. Then rinse off the rims and replace on the vehicle. Work Top To Bottom Whether you’re using a powerful jet spray or a simple garden hose; you should always clean your car, both rinse and wash, from top to bottom. This is because the dirt will always be tougher the lower down the car you go. Once you’ve foamed up the car, the suds will work their way down helping to release any stubborn dirt towards the bottom of the car. Cleaning With The Two Bucket Method The two bucket method is very simple, get two buckets (make sure they are clean by rinsing them to remove any dirt), fill one with clean water and the other bucket with your preferred car washing solution. Once you’ve dipped your microfibre wash mitt in the washing bucket proceed to clean your car one section at a time (remember to work top to bottom). Before dunking the wash mitt back into the soapy bucket give it a good dunk in the clean water bucket. This helps to remove any grit that may have been captured in the mitt and helps to avoid scratching the cars paintwork. Try to avoid dipping the mitt right down to the bottom of the bucket as this is where all the grit will be, ideally you should have a grit guard to prevent you from reaching the bottom. Wash Wheel Arches Ideally you should use a separate bucket and cloth to clean inside the wheel arches and underneath the car. This is because these areas will have the most amount of grit and you don’t want to spread this any further than you need to. Once you’ve washed the car, give it a final rinse with the hose and then you’re ready for drying. Drying Your Car To dry your car you should use a fresh, clean microfibre drying towel or chamois leather. Gently move the towel along the body of the car and ring out the water when you feel it getting too wet. As with all other processes in cleaning your car you should work from the top to the bottom. When you get to drying the door sills you should use a different drying towel. Clay Bar Now you’ve dried the car it’s time to reach for the clay bar. Clay bars are designed to remove any remaining wax, sap, tar, grit and road grime that hasn’t been removed during the wash. When using a clay bar it is important to not press to hard, otherwise you risk pressing any remaining grit into the surface of the paint. If you’re using a traditional clay bar remember to fold in the surface so you constantly have a fresh section of clay to remove the surface dirt. Once you’ve finished using the clay bar you should be able to clearly see all the dirt that has been removed and trapped within. Now it’s time to give the car another rinse and dry. Wax On Wax Off There are a wide variety of car waxes available for this stage, however the process is pretty much the same for all of them. Apply a small amount of wax to the applicator (if one was provided, if not a clean microfibre cloth), and work it into the surface of the car using small circular motions. Most waxes take about 5-10 minutes to dry. Once dried use a fresh microfibre cloth to buff off the wax, remember to turn the cloth regularly. Ideally you should use a second microfibre cloth for the final buff. At this point you can stand back and admire how much better your car looks. With FREE standard delivery and next day delivery available on many of our products, you can get your car parts in no time. For more maintenance and repairs advice continue to come back to the Car Parts 4 Less blog and browse our full collection of car parts on our website. Learn exactly what’s checked during your MOT with our expert guide, so you can be sure that you’ll pass yours with flying colours. It is a legal requirement that all vehicles over three years old must take an annual MOT (Ministry of Transport) test. Its purpose is to determine whether your vehicle is roadworthy, as well as ensuring they comply with environmental requirements. Below we explain exactly what’s get checked during an MOT and how your car can benefit too. To get your car ready for its MOT, take a look at our wide range of car accessories, which we are sure will lead your car to pass its MOT. What Do They Check On An MOT? Vehicle Body and Speedometer During your MOT test, your car will be inspected for any corrosion to the body, seats, doors, engine mountings, and the chassis. Plus, anything that could cause injury, like sharp edges, is also checked. The mechanic also examines the speedometer by checking it illuminates correctly, and that the speed can be read clearly while you’re driving. This ensures that the speed you’re reading matches the speed of your car, keeping you safe. Exhaust and Emissions During your MOT test, the mechanic checks that your exhaust is operating correctly and isn’t showing any signs of leaking. Your car’s emission levels are also monitored to make sure that they fall within the legal limit. This is done by using a gas analyser probe which measures the smoke coming from the exhaust. If excessive or coloured smoke is being emitted this is a sign that your car may fail an MOT. Seatbelts All seatbelts, including child seat restraints, are inspected during an MOT to ensure they’re the correct length and working properly. The structural integrity is also assessed, and this is done by the mechanic lifting up folded seats. Tyres When a mechanic inspects the tyres during your car’s MOT, they’ll first check that the tread depth is at least 1.6mm. They will then examine if there’s any tears, cuts, exposure, or damage to the tyres too. Before your MOT test, it’s a good idea to check your tyres for any signs of wear and tear, to ensure your vehicle passes its MOT first time. Brakes If you notice your car pulls to one side when you apply the brakes, you may have a problem. As part of the MOT, the mechanic will conduct checks on your brakes, the levers, and the pedals, as well as the warning lights. Leaking brake fluid is a frequent problem. So, this is another issue that’s checked during an MOT. Suspension and Steering The mechanic will examine the condition of your car’s steering wheel, to make sure it’s secure. They do this by checking for any wear and tear, as well as manoeuvring it in a range of directions. If your car has power steering, then there must be an adequate level of power steering fluid within your car. Plus, the suspension system and shock absorbers are also checked for any corrosion or damage, as part of the MOT. To do this, the tester will jack up the wheels and inspect the system from below the car. Bulbs and Electric Wiring Another vital area of your car that’s inspected during its MOT are the lights and bulbs. Front and rear lights, as well as the indicators, must be in good working order, along with being positioned correctly and securely. For instance, the main beam and dip beam should be at a certain height to avoid dazzling other drivers. Horn Your car horn must be examined to test it produces a note that’s loud enough to be heard by other drivers, but also that it isn’t too loud too. The note must be continuous and sound the same every time it’s pressed. Any other sounds other than a horn, like a siren, are illegal and will fail your car’s MOT. Knowing what is checked on an MOT makes it much easier to notice problems with your car. Our handy guide as to what each of the car warning lights mean on your dashboard, will also help you quickly spot any major issues while you’re driving.
