Falken all weather and winter tyres

Car Winter Preparation-Wheels: Preparing your car for winter | Metro Newspaper UK

Car Winter Preparation

Car Winter Preparation

Of course, I write about this subject on a regular basis! Especially as winter time approaches. Although winters have been very mid in recent times! Then I can still remind drivers that it was not too long ago that we indeed had some bad snow falls.

Including the so called “Beast from the East” phenomena. So, many millions of drivers were caught out by the cold blast of air coming out of Russia. Vehicle drivers were in fact caught out with all sorts of easily rectified problems.

Screen bottles frozen?

So, apart from drivers being caught out with trying to drive through snow with summer tyres fitted. Another main problem was cars with frozen wind screen washer  bottles and their associated plastic pipes. To prevent this all that was needed was to fill the washer bottles with the correct strength of washer solution? I must confess that our total commitment for advising drivers about fitting General wintertyres is now starting to pay off.

November is the start for many of our customers to fit winter tyres on their vehicle. Drivers are now aware of the vast safety features that winter tyres offer the motorist. Our advice is that all winter tyres are better that driving on summer tyres. Significantly, in winter driving conditions. However we do recommend that you consider looking at the award winning Nokian Winter Tyre range.

In recent times we also recommend the fitting of all-weather tyres for all year round safer driving. Much more winter car protection advice is given in the attached article from the Metro Newspaper.

Finally, Pellon tyres are still Nokian tyre dealers for the Calderdale area of Yorkshire UK.

IF YOUR car has any developing faults, winter is the time when they’ll be exposed. Snow and ice generates cold and damp, which can be very bad news for cars. Road salt and grime can also cause problems, and can quicken the appearance of rust if left unchecked for long periods of time. Fortunately, there… View Article

Source: Wheels: Preparing your car for winter | Metro Newspaper UK

mot testing and car servicing

Car Servicing Advice-Do I Have To Service My New Car At The Dealership? Look for quality and Standards

Car Servicing Advice

An answer to the popular question “do I have to service my new car at the dealership?” straight from the horses mouth, Guelph Hyundai’s very own Service Adviser.

Car Servicing Advice-If you require  car servicing or car repairs. The answer is NO?

“If you are a garage  with a good reputation then the answer is In order to keep a warranty valid. So, the customer must perform all of the maintenance that is required. Of course and specified, in the owner’s manual to maintain the vehicle’s warranty”

This applies in the USA and also here in the European Union. Including here in Halifax Yorkshire, UK.

We are all covered by a right to repair law. Allowing us to repair cars that are still under warranty. Thus  as long as the service parts fitted are up to the same standard. Hence, as the ones fitted as original equipment, by the car manufacturers.

This also applies to any new equipment that the car makers may bring out. Of course, they must release the patents for the aftercare garages . Or be able to repair and service the cars.

This prevents a closed shop scenario from being created. Consequently, with the new cars going to the main dealers only.

Toyota are having to release many patents to do with the EV cars. So that your regular garage can have a chance of repairing them.

https://www.pellonautocentre.com/do-you-have-to-have-your-car-servicing-done-by-the-main-dealer/

Car servicing your new car Do you have to use the main dealer?

The straight forward answer to this is NO! You do not have to take your car back to the franchise car dealer from where you bought the car. The problem that we get at my garage here in Halifax Yorkshire, UK, is that many of the public think that you have to return back to the garage from where you purchased the vehicle  to have a car service.

The franchise dealer will not of course tell you this when you buy the car, because they obviously want your business. But in many cases this could be inconvenient for the new car owner. We have many very satisfied customers who do not want to take their cars anywhere else, for repairs or for car servicing.

There are a few rules that you should follow, if you do go to your independent garage, they must adhere to a few rules. These rules were set out by the EU when the right to repair ruling first came out, and I think that this is something similar in the USA, with their “right to repair bill”.

Firstly they would like the garage to be of good standing and probably affiliated to a trade organization that gives the garage some credibility. Another way to check if your local garage has good standing is if they are an MOT testing station, here in the UK.

These accreditation’s will ensure that your car will have car servicing and repairs carried out to the right standards.

Another consideration to take into account is that you should check to see if your local garage uses car service parts that are as good as the manufacturer’s original equipment standards. Most quality garages will do this as a second nature, and use either OE parts (oil filters etc.) We use a top quality make called “Blue Print”, which are guaranteed to be just as good as the OE parts supplied by the main dealer garage.

If you stick to the rules and make sure that the car servicing booklet that is provided in every car is kept up to date, then you will have no problems if you have any warranty issues. By the way, if you do have a warranty problem then you should return the car back to the franchise dealer from where the car came.

new vans

Cars To My Employees-What Are The Pros & Cons Of Offering Company Cars To My Employees?

Cars To My Employees

Cars To My Employees

Plucked straight out of the ’80s and perhaps at odds with today’s modern city/commuter lifestyle, company cars still have something to offer as an effective employee perk across a number of industries.
Despite this continued popularity, many companies are caught between two minds regarding whether or not they should offer cars to their staff. The benefits and pitfalls are numerous, with poor handling of the situation potentially costing business owners significant amounts of cash every year. In this article, we’ll outline the pros and cons of offering a company car to your employees and what key challenges to look out for as part of your scheme to do so.

Pros

First, let’s look at the benefits of handing out keys to company cars. Cuts out transport issues Whether it’s significant commuting time or a lack of company vehicles making it difficult to reach important meetings in time and in style, transport creates a number of issues for businesses of all shapes and sizes.

Fledgling start-up or established enterprise, it doesn’t matter. You need to make sure your team is getting around comfortably, efficiently and in a state of mind that encourages them to give their all. While we’re all very familiar with video chats now, actually meeting associates, clients and potential partners in person is invaluable.

With so many businesses operating on a strict time and financial budget, they can’t afford to blow it all sitting on a crowded, overpriced train. A company car ensures that all-important members of your team have an effective and efficient way of getting to crucial meetings — and impressing as they do so.

An accepted part of a benefits package

Benefits are a huge part of what attracts the very best candidates to specific positions these days. While everyone wants a great salary and the office culture to match, many younger professionals are interested in what companies can offer on top of the typical working experience, such as gym memberships, mental health support and the opportunity to experience training courses.

Company cars remain a popular example of this, and something many professionals may accept in place of a pay rise. While the initial costs of a company car may set you back further than a slight pay bump, over time that cost will even out and you’ll be saving on wages by the end of the year. Likewise, such an offering can help you balance the books by satisfying key members of the team. It makes them feel important to the business, encourages a greater level of professionalism and makes them less likely to enquire about other potential perks.

Money-saving options

A company car isn’t just a money sink — they actually provide a number of ways to save on travel.  Public transport and overnight accommodation can be         extremely costly for a business, especially when you’re sending more than one member of staff. However, if they have a company car they can travel more freely and get home without relying on train timetables.

This cuts out a significant amount of overhead you’ll never get back. Smart driving also makes a car less of a financial burden. By coupling a company car with fuel cards, advanced route planning apps and training in how to drive more economically, you can turn your company car into something that costs a fraction of what it does for other businesses. Fuel cards will give you unique discounts on fuel, apps will make sure you pick the most economic route and a more efficient driving brain will ensure you don’t burn through that petrol in an instant.

Cons

Now, let’s delve  into the issues that may arise when offering company cars.

Extra taxes

If you’re operating in the UK paying tax on a company car rests on the employee who drives it. This may be off putting to some employees. Especially those who had previously had no need for a vehicle and can’t afford the additional cost. However, this cost can be mitigated depending on the make of the car and the type of fuel it uses. If you offer a ‘greener’ model as your company car. Then this may entice a certain type of employee, regardless of the tax costs.

Cars require significant maintenance

A company car is for life, not just a motivational tactic. If you’re committing to handing out company cars. So, you need to be ready to swallow the maintenance costs. Especially new tyres  and servicing costs.
While responsibility of the vehicle and making sure it is in working and legal order may fall on the driver. hence, criticism can quickly come back to you. Many  companies prefer to keep documentation themselves. Of course, and manage the car in-house. Rather than giving full responsibility to an employee. This can cause conflict and downplay some of the trust and reward a company car offers.

Likewise, you need to consider the fact that many of your staff. Subsequently, won’t have the capabilities to store or drive a company car. A significant number of workers in major cities these days cannot drive or live in accommodation without parking spots. This would either render the benefit. Of course, useless or put it in a situation where it could get damaged.

A company car isn’t for everyone. There are many workers it won’t appeal to and keeping track of how it’s being used can add another layer of stress to your busy schedule. However, they remain a great gift for your top members of staff that can actually be quite economically effective in the long run.