Canterbury Motoring World Blogiversary!

It’s a year ago today since we first began the Canterbury Motoring World blog here on WordPress and as first time bloggers, as a company we are very happy with its progress during 2016! Following its success, we have even set up an additional separa
te blog page directly on the Canterbury Motoring World website which you can in fact view HERE!

Our WordPress blog site has 24 published posts but this number is set to grow in 2017!

So, what was our best blog post of 2016? – the blog which received the most views over the past year is the one that we think all would agree offers the Canterbury Motoring World customers some invaluable information… “Canterbury Motoring World’s Top Tips on Buying a Second Hand Car!”.

On the contrary, our worst performing blog of the past year goes to “Canterbury Motoring World: All You Need to Know about Hybrid Cars” which was posted back in October 2016! You can click HERE if you fancy a quick read and you’ll even boost the poor posts number of views haha!!

We would like to take this opportunity on behalf of everyone at both Canterbury Motoring World Prestige and Canterbury Motoring World Family to thank you for your ongoing support and loyalty! 2017 is set to be an exciting year, our number of stock has grown over the year and we are holding more different makes of car than ever before so we are quite confident in saying that there really is a car to suit every lifestyle at Canterbury Motoring World! Please click HERE to view our whole used car stock list where you will see some amazing cars and some even more amazing prices!

On a final note, please find below the links to our other social media pages:

• Twitter:  CMWCARS
• Facebook: canterburymotoringworld

Author: Rebecca McGinty

Canterbury Motoring World Celebrates Christmas 2016!

It’s a yearly tradition in the majority of companies and here at Canterbury Motoring World we are no exception!

The annual Christmas Party is a chance for all members of staff to let their hair down and celebrate the end of another successful year. 2016 has been a great 
year for all at Canterbury Motoring World and we all deserved a treat (if I do so say myself)! So, we got glammed up, the workshop got suited and booted, the reception girls dug out their heels and we headed to the gorgeous venue of Leeds Castle.

 

Within our Christmas party celebrations, we held a mini awards ceremony to allow certain members of the Canterbury Motoring World team to be congratulated and praised for their continued hard work – it really doesn’t go unnoticed guys! All the work that goes on behind the scenes within a car dealership can be easily overshadowed by the sales side of the business so a special shout out to all our lovely admin girls!

It was a great evening and we took full advantage of the opportunity for the whole team to get together, we ate a lovely dinner and danced the night away (there were a few tired bodies in work on Wednesday morning).

Our main thank you must go to the customers of Canterbury Motoring World though, without you all we wouldn’t of have such a successful year and we really wouldn’t have much to celebrate at all! I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and we hope you all enjoy your Christmas parties as much as we did throughout the festive period!

Here is to 2017! Hopefully another successful year for Canterbury Motoring World!

Please see Canterbury Motoring World‘s Christmas and New Year Opening Hours for over the festive period:

Canterbury Motoring World are open for business as usual everyday other the festive period expect Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. We have mince pies for all customers – unless the boss eats them all that is!!

Author: Rebecca McGinty

Canterbury Motoring World: How to Change a Flat Tyre

Changing a car tyre can be a daunting to task but it is one that every driver should ought to know. Knowing how to change a flat tyre could not only save you money as you wouldn’t have to call out a breakdown company but it would also prevent you from being stranded for any long periods of time. Imagine, if you get a flat tyre and instead of waiting for hours for the recovery service you would be able to sort it yourself and be on your way in no time without ruining too much of your day.

What you need to change your tyre:

1. A spare tyre – this may sound obvious but there is a percentage of drivers that either don’t carry a spare tyre in their car or they do but they are unsure whereabouts in their car it is located.
2. A car jack – this is necessary to lift the car of the ground allowing you to switch tyres
3. A tyre wench – this is the tool you will need to use to remove the nuts and bolts from the wheel
4. A locking wheel nut – each wheel has one nut which requires this tool to remove it

The above 2 things are vital for any tyre change but other things you may want to consider having on you would be: a towel, gloves, reflective safety gear and a torch.

Here at Canterbury Motoring World we think that changing a tyre is actually easy than most think so we have put together a step by step guide to help you through it!

First things first, find the safest place to change your tyre. This should b
e as far away from any passing traffic as possible, so the side of
the road or the hard shoulder of a motorway should be avoided. Switch of the engine of your car and put on the hazard lights ensuring that the handbrake is securely in place and for extra safety the car is either in first gear or in “park/p” if it is an automatic vehicle. You should make sure that all passengers are out of the vehicle and grab all the necessary equipment you will need throughout before getting started (including the spare wheel itself).

Now you want to begin the removal of the flat tyre!

Loosen all the regular wheel nuts using your tyre wench and then use your locking wheel nut to loosen off the final bolt. Before you remove the nuts and bolts completely you want to lift the car from the ground by placing the car jack under your car at the recommended point. Raise the jack until the wheel is totally clear of the ground but be wary that the jack could collapse so don’t place anything underneath your vehicle. Remove all the loosened wheel nuts (TOP TIP: leave the top one until last so you can use both hands to lift and remove the damaged tyre).

So, that’s it you have the damaged tyre off! But wait, that is only half the task! Now you need to put your spare tyre on…

Line up the spare tyre using the wheel nut holes and push the spare tyre forcefully onto the wheel base. Replace all the nuts back into their place and use your hand to tighten them as much as you can. Lower the car jack back down to ground level and finish of securing the wheel nuts in place using the wench. Ensure you don’t leave anything on the ground and that you have disposed of the damaged tyre appropriately.

You have done it! You can now carry on your day as planned but at your nearest convenience you will need to take your car to your local mechanic and have the pressure of the spare tyre checked over and the wheel nuts checked to make sure they are fully tightened. (Remember: if the tyre you changed your flat to is just a “temporary” or “skinny” one then you must check what speed restrictions apply and get this changed as soon as you can. As a general rule, it is advised to not go above 50mph when driving on a temporary tyre.)

Author: Rebecca McGinty

Canterbury Motoring World: Advice for Driving in Foggy Conditions

As we are now fully into the autumnal season and rapidly approaching winter, there is an increasing chance of facing foggy conditions when using UK roads. As most are already aware, driving in fog can be extremely dangerous, that is why Canterbury Motoring World have put together some useful information and advice to help us all this winter.

According to the MET Office, foggy conditions occur when tiny water droplets are suspended in the air, their website states that the official definition of fog is “a visibility of less than 1000 meters” but severe disruption to transport occurs mainly when the visibility levels fall below 50 meters.

Rules 234-236 of the Highway Code apply to how to drive in foggy conditions, they include the following:

• Watch your speed – slow down in adverse weather conditions
• Check your mirrors – use all of them as regularly as possible
• Look out for warning signs on the road – especially on the motorway there will be signs if there is a risk of fog
• Use your fog lights as required – if the road that you are driving on has street lights then you most probably don’t need to have your vehicle’s fog lights on rule 236 of the Highway Code specifically states that you “must not use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced as they dazzle other road users and can obscure your brake lights” – it is a legal requirement for all cars in the UK to be fitted with rear fog lights
• Keep your distance between you and the car in front of you
• Beware of other vehicles that may not be driving appropriately in foggy conditions – for example if they are not using their fog lights when needed

In addition to these highway code regulations, here at Canterbury Motoring World we also advise:

• Make sure you know how to use your fog lights as it is easy to confuse them on some vehicles with headlights or full beam setting
• Don’t rely on the automatic lights setting in your vehicle
• Don’t stop in inappropriate places, ensure you find a safe place to pull over where you are as visible as possible to other motorists and completely out of their way
• Use your other senses, for example at junctions where visibility is severely reduced then try to listen for oncoming traffic
• Use the white line painted to the right hand side of the road next to the pavement as a guide to where you are sitting in the road

Author: Rebecca McGinty

Canterbury Motoring World: What To Do If You Make A Fuel Faux Par!

Don’t panic! You are not the first and certainly won’t be the last person to put the wrong type of fuel in your car! According to RAC statistics, on average someone puts the wrong fuel in their tank every 3 minutes in the UK – that’s roughly 150,000 motorists making the mistake every year!

So, no you don’t feel as daft knowing you aren’t alone in making this faux par…what’s the next steps you should take to resolve the issue

First things first…do not start the engine! Don’t even turn the key in the ignition if you can avoid doing so. If you are lucky enough to notice your mishap straight away, then by not starting your engine you could save yourself a great deal of money in repairs to your fuel system. Most breakdown service companies will have a special number to call where they can send someone out straight away to drain your fuel tank of the wrong fuel – you want this to be carried out as soon as possible so second step is too call the fuel assist service as soon as you can. If you happen to drive away from the fuel station before noticing you have put the wrong fuel in your car, you won’t get too far before your car comes to a halt and you’ll soon notice the mistake you have made. Make sure you try and pull up in a safe spot before calling the specialist fuel assist department of your breakdown company and they will send you some road side assistance.

How much damage you actually cause to your vehicle will be dependent on a number of factors:

1. Whether you’ve put diesel into a petrol car or vice versa
2. How much of the wrong fuel you’ve put in
3. Whether the incorrect fuel has reached your car’s bloodstream

Petrol in Diesel Car versus Putting Diesel in Petrol Car…

You may be surprised to hear that putting petrol in a diesel car is the more common mistake to make as the diesel pump nozzle is actually physically bigger then the neck of the petrol tank on most cars, where on the other hand petrol pump nozzles rarely have difficulty fitting into the neck of a diesel tank.

To conclude, putting the wrong type of fuel in your tank isn’t the end of the world, it is just a bit of a bother and can be a costly mistake but remember these three steps and you should be back on the road in no time..

Step 1: Don’t panic

Step 2: Don’t turn your key in the ignition or turn on the car’s engine

Step 3: Call your breakdown company’s fuel assist department to get them to drain your tank as quick as possible.

Author: Rebecca McGinty

Canterbury Motoring World: All You Need to Know About Hybrid Cars!!

First things first! What is a hybrid car? You may have heard the term being thrown around in the media and by those campaigning for a “greener” planet! But like many others, do you feel slightly in the dark about what a hybrid vehicle is? Personally, I think it sounds like some kind of transformer!

In simple terms, a hybrid car is a car that uses two or more engines. For example, in most cases they have an electric motor working alongside the conventional petrol or diesel engine. You may be surprised to hear that the technology behind hybrid/electric cars has been around since the 1900s, but it has only been in recent years that the vehicles themselves have become more affordable and therefore more accessible to the average driver like you and I.  In fact, the very first commercially available hybrid car was the Toyota Prius in 1997 over in Japan.

According to new figures, the demand for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in the UK is soaring and with the increasing number of car manufactures offering hybrid/electric models along with the increasing number of charging points in the UK, this figure is only set to continue to rise. However, here at Canterbury Motoring World we feel like there is still a real lack of knowledge surrounding hybrid and electric powered vehicles so we have outlined some of the advantages and disadvantages of them.

Advantages:

• They are “environmentally friendly” – hybrids emit less pollution that gas-only vehicles as they are a considerable amount less dependent on fossil fuels. Due to this, going through an emissions test is not a requirement.
• They are very efficient vehicles – due to them being lighter in weight they are much more fuel efficient and beat EPA mileage estimates.
• They come with financial incentives – hybrids are will supported by the government due to their environmentally friendliness, so to encourage more of us to buy them they have put incentives in place such as making hybrid vehicles exempt from congestion charges as well as making the cost of their annual tax a lot lower than that of a normal car.
• Hybrid cars require less servicing and maintenance as there is less “wear and tear” on certain mechanical features.
• They are very quiet – electric engines are practically noiseless.

Disadvantages:

• The quietness of hybrid cars can also be seen as a negative as the fact they are almost silent is a potential cause of accidents with pedestrians and other motorists.
• Although they are cheaper to run and maintain, the initial cost of a hybrid car is more expensive to buy compared with your standard petrol/diesel car.
• Some have complained that the battery packs that run the electric engine takes up significant space, leaving less cabin/boot space for personal items.
• Although the maintenance and servicing doesn’t have to be carried out as often, when it is required it can only been done at a main dealer by specialist technicians which can be inconvenient and timely.
• These hybrid/electric cars are built for economy, not speed! Due to their lower power output, if you love fast cars these aren’t for you!
• The lightness of the hybrid cars can make them harder to handle when on the road and also mean that they are unlikely to withstand a high impact collision.

In conclusion, although there are a number of disadvantages, here at Canterbury Motoring World we think that the future is looking electric and in years to come more and more of us will be going green and having to remember to charge our cars as well as our phones!

Author: Rebecca McGinty

Canterbury Motoring World: Beware of Cyclists!

Over 100 cyclists die on our roads every single year! With the forever encouragement to hang up our car keys and get more active and healthy, this number is only sure to rise, unless both cyclists and drivers learn to co-exist on our roads together in a safe manner.

Here at Canterbury Motoring World, we think that it is the responsibility of both the cyclists and the drivers of our roads to ensure that the above statistic doesn’t increase!

Firstly, we shall start with what the cyclists must do:

• Wear the appropriate clothing! By law, you should wear a cycle helmet that conforms to current regulations, wear reflective clothing when cycling in the dark and avoid wearing any types of clothing that can get tangled in the bike
• Make yourself visible at night! By law, your bicycle must be fitted with white front and rear red lights if you will be cycling at night. Your bike must also be fitted with all necessary reflectors.
• Use cycling routes and facilities! Although not compulsory, it is strongly advised that where possible use cycle routes, cycle boxes, toucan crossings, cycle tracks and cycle lanes.
• Do not cycle on the pavement!
• Ride sensibly and carefully! Keep both hands on the handlebars and both feet on the pedals, don’t ride too close behind other vehicles and never ride more than two abreast. Always look and signal before all turns and manoeuvers, be aware of your surroundings and other road users so you can spot any oncoming hazards. Do not ride under the influence of drink or drugs, do not hold onto any moving vehicles and don’t carry passengers unless you bicycle has been specifically designed to do so.
• Obey all road traffic signs and signals.

Now, let’s see what the drivers can do:

• Know the cyclist’s rights!
• Think of the benefits! One more cyclist means one less car on the road causing congestion.
• Appreciate their vulnerability! Weighing in at approximately 2 tonnes compared with bikes at approximately just 20 pounds, cars are more likely going to come out on top in a collision.
• Beware when turning left and right!
• Look before opening your car door! One of the biggest things that cyclists fear is being “doored”. The impact of a car door flinging open and hitting a moving cyclist can send them flying.
• Always give cyclists 3 feet of clearance! When passing cyclists, do it slowly, smoothly and with lots of room!

Most of the above are either laws we must abide by anyway or common sense, at the end of the day we just all have to be more careful and aware that we do have to all share the roads together!

Author: Rebecca McGinty

Canterbury Motoring World: Your Number Plate explained!

Ever looked at your car’s number plate and thought to yourself…what does it all actually mean? Well, here is a quick guide made by us here at Canterbury Motoring World to help you get a better understanding as knowing how a number plate is made up is a useful bit of knowledge to have particularly if you are looking to buy a used car.

Number plates on vehicles have been used since 1903 in the UK. However, interestingly within the UK there are two different numbering systems used as Northern Ireland use a slightly different format to the rest of the United Kingdom. Additionally, it is also common to see personalised number plates on vehicles in the UK, however these do not follow the same format or rules as the current system in which we are explaining below.

Since 1999, Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) get a new registration released twice a year, with this current format first being introduced in September 2001 and should be sufficient to use up until the year 2051. It is compulsory to have a registration plate on your vehicle that adheres to the Road Vehicles Regulations 2001 laws, the main rule being that they must all look the same, having one white plate at the front and one yellow one of the back and all seven characters must be black. These regulations ensure that due to their colour, size and shape, number plates aren’t only easily read by the human eye but also by cameras and computers when using Automatic Number Plate Recognition.

There are 3 different parts to the current number plate, all have their own purpose and meaning:

1. Local Memory Tag – these first 2 letters are an indication as the where the vehicle was first registered. The first letter represents the region, with the second letter representing the local DVLA office.
2. Age Identifier – these two numbers do exactly what the label suggests, shows you the age of the vehicle. This is the part of the registration plate that changes twice a year, on the 1^st March and then again on the 1^st
3. Random Element – these 3 letters at the end of your registration have no specific meaning, it is just the element of the number plate that gives your cars its unique identity. (fun fact: these last 3 letters are genera
   ted at random by a computer but are then double checked by actual people to ensure the results don’t spell out anything offensive!)

There are a number of advantages of using the current number plate format:

• Buyers of second-hand vehicles can easily know the age of the car without looking into its paperwork
• In cases of accidents or vehicle related crimes the current system makes it easier for the police to identify and narrow down suspects.

We hope you know have a better understanding of the current number plate system that we use but don’t panic if you come into Canterbury Motoring World looking for a used car and still are a bit unsure, our staff are there to help and answer any questions!

Author: Rebecca McGinty

 

Canterbury Motoring World: What are your options in the case of missing car keys?

Lost your car keys or had them stolen? And don’t have a spare one? This is a sticky situation that no one wants to find themselves in! However, surveys suggest that 26% of drivers have experienced losing their car keys and as modern car keys are getting more and more technical, it is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive to have them replaced.

The good news is though, here at Canterbury Motoring World we have looked into a few different options that you have when needing to get your hands on a replacement car key, and you’ll be pleased to know that some don’t have to cost the earth!

Losing or having your car keys stolen is not just an extremely inconvenient situation but also a highly stressful one. On top of the stress that you don’t have access to your car, you also have the added worry that your keys have potentially fallen into the hands of someone else and they have access to your vehicle instead.

First things first! Don’t Panic!! Many people realise after turning their house and its contents upside down and their pockets inside out in a mad search that yes their keys are definitely lost and then they make the rash decision to try and break into their cars themselves. In most cases this is going to work out more expensive in the long run! So, just take a moment, let the realisation sink it, read the following information and come up with a well thought out plan of how to resolve the issue.

Surprisingly there are a few options available to you if you are in need of a replacement car key:

1. Claim on your insurance – check your insurance policy as on a lot of policies now car keys are a standard item. However, the excess in which you have to pay may actually end up costing more than a different key replacement option, as well as jeopardising your no claims bonus. Therefore, it is always best to explore other options beforehand.
2. Claim on a ‘key cover’ policy – for an annual fee there are policies in which you can sign up too to help with lost or stolen keys
3. Call your breakdown service – many popular recovery companies can also help you in situation such as this
4. Buy a new set from the car manufacturer – this maybe the easiest option but can be a costly one so you may want to research a cheaper alternative
5. Get a spare cut on the high street – the older your car the most available this option will be to you.

Please Note: Whichever option you go for, you will require the following information about your car: The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), the year, make and model of the car.

Here at Canterbury Motoring World we think that the best option for you if you do find yourself in this position is to call a local automotive locksmith. The older your vehicle, the more chance there is that they will be able to not only gain entry to your car but sort you out with a replacement key whilst they are there. The benefit of this option is that local automotive locksmiths tend to charge a significantly lower rate for these types of jobs than a manufacturer or dealer would. However, be aware that not all can be so trustworthy so make sure you choose a reputable one as unfortunately there are many out there that will take advantage and use your vulnerable and desperate situation to their benefit to make more money.

Author: Rebecca McGinty

Canterbury Motoring World helps you make that “Tyresome” decision:

Hang on! There are different types of tyres? Well they do say you learn something new every day!

To many, tyres are just black rubber circular shaped things covering your wheel – if you are one of these people then I’m afraid you are very wrong and definitely not giving them enough credit. Tyres are in fact a very complex item of your vehicle and can be bought with many different features and characteristics.

There are three main different types of tyre in which you can purchase;

      

  winter tyres     –        summer tyres        –        all-season tyres.

But which is best? Which should I buy? I hear you scream!!

Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to this but here at Canterbury Motoring World we have put together a few pointers to hopefully help make the decision a little easier for you.

Firstly, we shall start we the reasons one may want to purchase winter tyres:

• In some colder European countries, it is actually within the Law to use winter tyres between certain dates of the year
• Winter tyres have certain characteristics which make them more effective on icy/snowy roads. They are manufactured using a special rubber, they have extra cuts in them and they have a wider tread which makes them have a stronger traction.
• You have a reduced braking distance when using winter tyres – in fact tests show they halve your breaking distance on snow by as much as 33 metres.
• Many drivers say that using winter tyres gives them more confidence when on the road as you feel as though you have a lot more control of the car
• Most would disagree and say that having to pay out for a different set of tyres for the winter months of the year is not cost effective. However, by using two different sets for the different weather periods of the year means that both sets are less likely to wear out as quick.

Secondly, let’s have a quick look at the reasons one may want to purchase summer tyres:

• They have a better responsiveness on dry roads due to them having active breaking technology
• Their 3D bubble blade interlocking system allows for them to have a better handling than winter tyres

And thirdly, before we make any final conclusions, here are some reasons why one may want to purchase all-season tyres:

• If the country that you live in has mild winters where the temperature tends to remain above 7 degrees Celsius or you don’t have the storage facilities to accommodate a second set of tyresthen all-season tyres would be an ideal option
• They are designed to offer a combination of the benefits offered from the specific winter and summer tyres.

Here in the UK using  is not compulsory as many parts of the country rarely experience weather conditions that would justify them and actually many drivers would generally choose to avoid driving when experiencing extreme wintery weather conditions outside.

For this above reason, here at Canterbury Motoring World we believe that all-season tyres are more than suitable enough for the majority of our customers. If you are looking to buy a new set, then please feel free to give us a call so we can assist you in this and please bear in mind these three points of advice:

1. Always buy a full matching set as tyres can have different tread patterns and their performance features can vary
2. If you are after winter tyres you can be sure that you are in fact purchasing a winter set as they will have the 3PMSF Mountain Snowflake symbol on their sidewall
3. And although the EU Tyre label gives you all the necessary basic safety information, it is always recommended that you speak to your local tyre dealer regarding the specific characteristics that the set of tyres you are buying hold. In addition to this, we suggest carrying out independent tyre tests where possible.

To conclude, whichever type of tyre you choose to purchase is ultimately down to a personal preference and what would give you the most sense of security when driving. Just remember if you do choose to use two different sets of tyres throughout the year that you should switch to your winter tyres when the temperature outside starts to regularly drop below 7 degrees Celsius and not swap back to your summer/all-season tyres until the outside temperature starts to regularly be above 10 degrees Celsius.

Author: Rebecca McGinty

 

Related past Canterbury Motoring World blogs:

• The Canterbury Motoring World Winter Checklist
• Canterbury Motoring World: Why You need to Check your Tyre Pressure