If there’s one thing I know nothing about it’s car mechanics. My boyfriend calls me a “raging feminist” and a “beautiful bra-burner” (incredibly offensive labels that I’m well-practised in not rising to), but if there’s one area I remain stereotypically ignorant in it’s cars.
I don’t care what they look like, I’m not interested in how fast they can go, whether they have this fancy thing or that gadget. All that matters to me is whether it can get me from A to B efficiently (now fuel consumption IS something I’m bothered about!).
However, I am heavily reliant on my car, and being without it can be a major pain in the rear end. My cam belt snapped last year (we can put a man on the moon but still have cars with cam belts that snap? Really?) and, besides the huge amount of money it cost to get my little Peugeot back on the road it caused massive upheaval. When you’re a working mum living in a small village without great transport links you’re pretty much screwed if something happens to your vehicle. Imagine a bird with no wings, to be poetic/cliched.
Which is why, despite my lazy ignorance when it comes to car mechanics, I do make a big effort to maintain my car and keep it in as good a condition as possible. I get it serviced yearly at a reputable garage, and check the oil and water levels as often as I remember (let’s skip over the story of me putting oil in the water tank the first time – my only saving grace here is that I realised as I was screwing the cap back on and so didn’t turn the engine on!).
MOTs: It Pays to Know Your Stuff!
In all honesty, MOTs used to scare me. There’s nothing worse than putting your trust in someone who, from countless TV exposes, have gained a bad rep for ripping people off. Like dentists and vets, mechanics can tell you anything and you’d be none the wiser.
Thankfully, I use a garage now that I trust completely not to take advantage of my ignorance, but not everyone is quite as lucky, and so I’ve stolen, courtesy of Motor Parks, a handy infographic detailing exactly what is checked in an MOT, so if any garage starts harping on about anything outside what is required by law to be checked you’re well within your right to start asking questions!
If you complete any of the checks below and you know there’s a problem and your car’s likely to fail, it’s worth spending a little time calling around a few garages to get some quotes on the work your car needs doing. It’s all well and good getting a great deal on the initial MOT, but if you know your car will need some repairs, it could save you money pricing this up in advance.
This article is provided by http://www.macnewbie.co.uk
