Do Basic Car Maintenance Yourself

The blog this week is about how you can reduce the cost of car ownership. This week we are looking at performing basic car maintenance yourself in-between servicing. Everyone wants to save money on a monthly basis, maybe for that annual holiday or your children’s university fund or for home improvements. Maybe it is to counteract the constant increases in your weekly food shops or increased utility bills. Read on to find out more:

Running a car has become a major expense, especially with the ever increasing fuel prices. Drivers can use certain methods to not only decrease fuel consumption but to also reduce other costs when running a car throughout the year. We have written many blogs over the years on ways to reduce the costs of car ownership. The expense of running a car is no joke and can take a huge chunk out of the monthly household budget. UK drivers need to be able to find more economical ways to run their cars. Please read our blogs to find ways that you too can save costs throughout the year whilst owning a car!

This tactic will not be for everyone, but a driver who has the basic car mechanic skills can save a lot of money. Let’s face it, some people would actually have trouble changing a car wheel and will pay a garage or roadside recovery to do this. It doesn’t cost much or take long to learn the basics of car mechanics and there are usually classes available at local colleges. Minor repairs can usually be undertaken once the knowledge has been gained. Learning the basics can be a big money saver especially for families that run two cars. At the very least learn how to check the oil and coolant levels and keep the fluids topped up. We have written many blogs on these basic items that you can use as reference. Checking the tyre pressures regularly will also help to save money as correctly inflated tyres will last longer as there will be even wear across the tyre. You can do this at home if you buy a tyre pressure kit from say amazon – you can plug it into your lighter socket and check from there. You wouldn’t believe how many tyres we change on cars because of uneven wear! Half the tyre has enough tread for several thousand more miles but the other half is totally worn because of a basic thing – under-inflated tyres! Regular servicing of your vehicle will help to maintain the longevity of your vehicle whilst at the same time help to avoid breakdowns – ALWAYS shop around for quotes when it comes to your cars annual servicing and repairs that are required - it is normally a lot cheaper to take your car to an independent garage rather than a dealership. You can save so much money using a reputable independent garage over a dealership – it doesn’t mean a lack of skills – here at ACC UK Ltd we have Volvo Master technician’s! We simply do not have the overheads of a dealership so we can be more competitive with our pricing. Don’t be fooled by the cheap MOT offers - garages offering MOT's for silly prices will need to make up the money in sometimes unnecessary repairs. It really is not possible for a garage to perform an MOT for £20 or so - they would be losing money! Find yourself a good reputable local independent garage such as ACC UK Ltd and stick with them! Having a fully serviced and maintained car will save you money in the long run by being more reliable and less likely to breakdown not to mention the fact that the resale value of a car that has been well maintained will be far greater than one that has not. Happy Safe Motoring Folks!

ACC UK Limited
Farnborough, Hampshire
Serving surrounding areas across North Hampshire and Surrey

Call us today to book in your MOT, service or repair

Here at ACC UK Ltd, Winners of The Motor Trader Independent Garage of The Year 2015, 2019 & 2020, GRA – Outstanding Automotive Service Excellence 2025, Motor Trader Indies Garage of the Year Award 2025, The IGA Big Awards 2022, The Inspire Customer Service Excellence 2016 Award, The Eagle Radio Customer Focus 2017 Business Award, The Workshop Magazine Workshop Manager of the Year 2017 Award, The LiveWire Excellence In Vehicle Servicing 2019 Award and The Aftermarket Excellence Award for Best Website 2019, The Eagle Radio Biz Award – Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 & the SME News Magazine Most Trusted Car Servicing Provider 2020, we pride ourselves on offering an outstanding customer experience for a fraction of the cost of a dealership. Give us a call and let us quote you for your next service or repair on your Volvo or Toyota. We service all areas around Farnborough, Fleet, Aldershot, Farnham, Guildford, Frimley, Camberley, Hook, Sandhurst, Crowthorne, Yateley, Hampshire and Surrey. We offer free collection and drop off services. We also have a fleet of courtesy cars to allow you to get on with your schedule whilst your Volvo or Toyota is with us. Happy Motoring from all at ACC UK Ltd – Independent Volvo & Toyota servicing, repair and MOT specialists based in the heart of Farnborough, Hampshire