Here's the 2nd in our brand new  'How To'  series of videos, Rob from MicksGarage shows you how to replace the battery in your car. After a long wait we are finally able to offer our range of Premium Exide car batteries with FREE nationwide courier delivery. 

Changing the battery in your car is a really simple job that most people can attempt and you only need the most basic of tools. Check out our video explaining exactly how to do it:

Its that time of year where the weather is only going to get worse, and the view from the office here is not pleasant. So since we're coming into the rainy season in the UK & Ireland, it's probably worth checking your wiper blades to ensure that they are operating well.  If your windscreen is not clear after using the windscreen washer, there are some tell-tale signs of worn out wiper blades. Good visibility is absolutely essential when driving - especially during wet weather when vision may be obscured by water, road splash, sleet or snow on the windscreen. But good visibility requires wipers that are in good condition. If the wipers are chattering, streaking or otherwise failing to wipe cleanly and consistently, you may need new blades. Here are some of the main tell tale signs:

• Lines appearing on windscreen - A wiper blade's rubber can harden or become damaged with age, leaving fine beads of water on the windscreen.
• Bands appearing on windscreen - Hardened or aging wiper rubber can cause thicker bands of water on the screen.
• Chattering - A deformed wiper element can cause blades to judder across the screen, leaving radial streaks.
• Unwashed Margins - A deterioration in the wiper blades or decreased wiper pressure can leave parts of the windscreen unclear.
• Noise - Noisy wipers may be a sign that the wiper element is deformed or hardened, so that the wiper blade structure is worn.
• Judder - A deformed wiper element, wrong adaptor or blade aging can result in jerky and noisy wiper arm movement
• Wind Lift - If high speeds persistently cause the wiper to miss parts of the screen, either the wiper blade or wiper arm may need to be replaced.

To rectify the issues start by cleaning the outside of the windscreen with a mild detergent. Your windscreen is clean if beads do not form when rinsing with clear water. Clean the blade by wiping it with a cloth soaked in a washer solution. Rinse the blade with clear water. If the windscreen is still not clear after cleaning the blades and using the wiper, replace the blades. In the UK & Ireland where we get a good bit of use out of our wiper blades, wipers should probably be changed every six months. Don't forget that we also offer a free windscreen washer fluid with all Bosch wiper blades orders.

Check out the below wiper blade fitting demonstration with Rob from MicksGarage:

We really did not think we would be writing an article about winter products this early in the year! However based on the front page of today's Irish Daily Mirror and the report on IrishCentral.com on Tuesday, September 6th that certain parts of the UK and Ireland could get snow as early as October, we thought we would take it a bit more seriously. James Madden from ExactaWeather has claimed that "as we head towards winter, I expect to see the first signs of some moderate to heavy snowfalls as early as October or November". He continues by stating that he expects the heaviest snowfalls to occur between November and January.

The most important thing is to be prepared for the winter months as there is nothing worse than being stuck at home, unprepared and unable to carry out your daily routine. Undoubtedly this is what happened to many people last year. Below we outline some of the products we feel everyone should have in their boot for the next couple of months:

Snow Socks:

The essential product for driving in snow - MicksGarage stock a full range of Bottari and Weissenfels Snow Socks which are probably the most important product to have this year. They are very compact, easy to store & fit and after the havoc of last winter in the UK and Ireland, having a set in the boot could prove a life saver on the roads. To find out more click here for the Irish site and here for the UK site. 

  

At The Filter we reckon we know a thing or two about buying a decent used car, so we've put together our top ten tips so that you can benefit from our experience (and mistakes!) 

1.  Do your homework: Decide on a make and model you want then find out everything you can about that car. Find out what parts give trouble, what are the service intervals, what are the known faults? http://www.carsurvey.org/ is a great website with owners reviews and complaints of nearly every make and model of car. Also search the internet forums and see what people are saying about the car you have your heart set on.

2. History check: If you're serious about a particular car then spend a few quid and get a history check, they can be done over the phone and generally cost about £30.00/€35.00. They will tell you if there is any outstanding finance, registered crash damage, if it has been stolen and the number of previous owners.

3.  General Condition: Does the general condition of the car match the mileage on the clocks? Look for excessive wear on all the contact points such as driver’s seat, steering wheel, gearlever and most commonly used buttons such as electric windows. Excessive stone chips on the bonnet can often be a sign of high motorway mileage possibly indicating it was a Reps car. Are there bumps and scrapes on the bodywork? Are there cigarette burns on the Drivers A pillar or in the seats? Is the ashtray clean?  Does the car have its hand book or owner’s manual? Are the tool kit, jack and spare wheel all there? All these things can help to tell you if the car been cared for and looked after or has it been abused and neglected.

4. Paint & Crash Damage: Look for any obvious signs of panel damage, check for overspray, look inside the door jams and check for visible signs of areas that have been masked off, check under the carpet in the boot and look at the spare wheel as well to make sure there are no creases in the metal, if possible try and look at the front chassis legs for damage too.   

5. Paperwork: Read the cars paperwork properly. Make sure the chassis and engine numbers match the ones on the car, check the reg plate matches and make sure the car wasn't a taxi, also double check the number of owners. 

6. Electrics: Turn on the ignition, make sure the ABS and Airbag lights come on, start the car and make sure the lights go out. Check every single button, switch and lever in the car and make sure everything works. 

7.  Engine: Try to view the car when the engine is cold.  Take off the oil filler cap and expansion tank cap and look for creamy sludge. Check the dipstick and see if there's any oil in the engine, if there's barely any, how well has this car been looked after? Does the car start easily from cold? Check for smoke on start-up. White smoke on turbocharged engines can indicate a turbo on its way out. Listen to the engine, is it excessively noisy or 'tappety'? Check for any signs of oil or fluid leaks and lastly find out what the timing belt interval is and when it was last changed. Does the engine idle smoothly?

8. Suspension, Steering & Drive: If the tracking is way out then something is wrong,  excessively worn tyres on the inner or outer edges can be a sign of this. Drive the car on a rough road and make sure there are no knocks, rattles, clunks or squeaks from the suspension. Turn the steering to full lock in both directions and drive forwards, loud clunks or clicking indicate worn CV joints. Listen for a drone or whine that increases with speed, this would indicate wheel bearing issues. 

9. The seller: If at all possible meet the seller at their house. If it is a private sale and the seller is genuine they should have absolutely no problem with this. Deals done in pub car parks are a big no no! 

10. History: A car with a full, documented service history is a huge selling point. I would rather buy a car with 100,000 miles on it that has been properly maintained than one with 50,000 miles that has been neglected. Look for main dealer stamps at the correct service intervals, receipts for parts and labour.      

The new '61' UK car registrations for Great Britain were released yesterday (01/09/2011). According to the article 'Car registrations plummet as drivers hold on to their vehicles' from moneyexpert.com, around 330,000 new cars will be registered in September with the new '61' plate. As car dealers and show rooms try to shift "old" 51 registrations, and you're looking for a new car there will be a few good deals to be had out there for those willing to live with a '51' registered car. 

GB Car Registation Explanation

The first two letters are the area code of the local registration office. This gives a rough idea of where the car was first registered.

The two numbers indicate when the car was registered. For example:

March 2005 - '05', September 2005 - '55'
March 2006 - '06', September 2006 - '56'
March 2007 - '07', September 2007 - '57'
March 2008 - '08', September 2008 - '58'
March 2009 - '09', September 2009 - '59'
March 2010 - '10', September 2010 - '60'
March 2011 - '11', September 2011 - '61'

The last three letters are random, and exclude certain characters (e.g. I, Q). The letters distinguish each registration that has the same area code and age identifier.

More information about the GB car registration system can be found at 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_registration_plates_of_the_United_Kingdom. 

In part 3 of our Transport Solutions mini series we’re going to take a look at bike racks, (also known as cycle carriers). Bringing the bikes on holiday with you is a great way to explore the local area, keep the kids entertained and get a bit of fresh air and exercise. The added benefit of course is that a bike ride doesn’t cost anything!

There are two main ways to transport bikes, either on the roof or on the rear of the car. 
 - Roof mounted carriers all mount to Roof Racks, so you will need one of these first.
 - Rear mounted carriers can either attach to the boot or rear door, the towbar or even the spare wheel on 4x4’s.

Here’s a video giving a brief overview of some of the different carriers available:

for a more detailed look at the most popular rear door and towbar mounted carriers, click on the videos below: 

Rear Door Mounted:

Towbar Mounted:

Hapro Atlas:

Roof Boxes 

In part 2 of our Transport Solutions mini series we’re going to take a look at Roof Boxes.  Fitting a Roof Box transforms the load carrying capacity of your car, freeing up space inside the cabin and making for a more pleasant and safer trip.
They're ideal if you have bulky stuff to carry such as pushchairs, golf clubs or camping gear. They're also dead handy if you're bringing dogs with you - not that we're suggesting the dogs should go in the Roof Box of course! Roof boxes come in a range of shapes, styles, sizes and are available to suit a wide range of budgets.

If you're purchasing a Roof Box there are a number of factors you should consider in order to pick the best model for you.

Size: What do you intend to carrying in the roofbox? check their dimensions then check the Roof Box dimensions to make sure it will fit

Opening: Some Roof Boxes only open at the rear, some open on one side and some open on both sides. Rear opening boxes are best suited to cars with hatch backs so that you can get access to the box from the back of the car. For saloons and estates side opening boxes would be preferable. If you intend driving overseas then a box that opens on both sides would be best so that you can always access the box from the pavement no matter what side of the road you are driving on.

Price: Roof Boxes can vary greatly in price and also in quality. Some boxes have a 12 month warranty and some have a 5 year warranty. How frequently you intend using the Roof Box may influence the amount you spend.

In addition to these important points, we’ve also put together a video answering the most frequently asked questions we get asked here at Micksgarage. Click below to watch the Roof Box FAQ video:

Roof Racks 

In this, the first part of our Transport Solutions mini series we’re going to take a look at the different types of Roof Rack, the basis for carrying anything at all on the roof of your car.

There are a number of different types and styles of Roof Rack but they all perform the same function. They mount to the cars roof transversly and are designed for carrying all manner of things such as Roof Boxes, Cycle Carriers, Ladders, Canoes and Surfboards. They are not to be confused with Roof Rails which are a factory fitted item and run longitudinally on the cars roof. See pic (left) of a Roof Rack fitted to Roof Rails.   

So what are the different types of roof rack available and which one do you need for your car?

Railing Roof Racks are designed for cars that have Roof Rails which run from front to back (As seen in the picture above). There are two types of Roof Rail, raised and solid. The raised type you can get your hand under and the solid type you cant. Generally, Railing Roof Racks are available with square section steel bars that are coated with a protective plastic sleeve or Aerodynamic aluminium oval section bars which perform exactly the same function but perhaps look a bit more attractive and are slightly more aerodynamic.

Click below to watch our Roof Rack fitting video for cars with railings:

Fix-point Roof Racks as the name suggests fix on to a ‘Fix-point’ in a channel in the roof of your car. Often covered by 2 long black strips running the length of the roof. These Roof Racks are all car specific and the mounting brackets are designed to fit exactly to the shape of the cars roof.  

Click below to watch our Fixpoint  Roof Rack fitting video:

  

Door Jam Roof Racks are designed for cars where no fix-points or rails are fitted and generally speaking they mount to the car in between the roof and the door. As with the fix-point kits they are all car specific and the mounting brackets are designed to fit exactly to the shape of the cars roof.

Here's a few of the most frequently asked questions we get about Roof Racks:

Q: How much weight can the Roof Rack Carry?
A: Well, the weight limit on each kit is different but on average it would be about 60kgs 
Q: Will my Roof Box/Cycle Carrier/ Surfboard Carrier fit onto these bars? 
A: Yes, most accessories use simple U clamps to attach to the Roof Racks and the cross section of our Roof Racks is the industry standard. 
Q: How does the Roof Rack fit to my car? 
A: All the Roof Racks supplied by MicksGarage are car specific and we have detailed fitting instructions for all of them which can be emailed to you if you wish. 
Q: How long does it take to fit them? 
A: Well this does depend on the type of kit and your skill level. As a rule fitting takes 10-20 mins. The kits are all pretty simple and anybody should be able to fit them. No special tools (that aren't supplied)  are required.

Welcome to the very first MicksGarage Mini Series: Transport Solutions

These days we are relying on our cars more than ever as the chosen mode of transport for our holidays at home or abroad. The rise in popularity of the people carrier, SUV and MPV has given us the freedom to load the car up with the whole family and head off in comfort and safety to our destination of choice. The only problem is that once all the family is on board there is often very little room for anything else!

With that in mind we have put together this mini series of articles looking at potential solutions for transporting; extra luggage, buggies, bikes, canoes, kayaks and surfboards. The series starts tomorrow with a look at roof racks which are the basis for carrying any object on the roof of your car.