The smell of cigarette smoke is unmistakable, and it permeates fabric and coats hard surfaces with a brown film that retains the scent. The smell is offensive to many nonsmokers, and this is one of the main reasons why many nonsmokers do not allow smoking in their vehicles. Unfortunately, used vehicles sometimes come equipped with the odour of cigarette smoke, and it can be difficult to know how to get rid of the smell. 

It is possible to get rid of the smell of cigarette smoke in a car and some of the most effective ways are completely natural. If these dont work you may want to move on to the chemicals!

Ground Coffee: For decades, truck drivers have used ground coffee to get rid of strong odors in their trailers, and others have discovered that it works like magic to get rid of the odor of cigarette smoke in vehicles. Set shallow open bowls of ground aromatic coffee on the floorboards and on the seats with the windows and doors closed. Allow the ground coffee to absorb the smell of cigarette smoke in the car for at least 48 hours. If the odor is not completely gone, stash a couple of open bowls of ground coffee under the seats. In time the smell of cigarette smoke will dissipate. In the meantime your friends will wonder why your car smells like Starbucks!

Charcoal Briquettes: Ordinary charcoal is a fantastic odor absorber, and placing charcoal briquettes in a car is a great way to get rid of the smell of cigarette smoke. Place a large bowl of charcoal briquettes on the car seat, and allow the car to remain closed for at least 48 hours. The charcoal should absorb the scent of cigarette smoke, and the vehicle should smell fresh and clean.

Ordinary White Vinegar: White vinegar is also a fantastic natural product to get rid of odors, and although it can be messier, it is very effective. (and your car will smel of vinegar instead of cigarettes!!) Pour about 8 ounces of ordinary white vinegar into the bottom of a deep bowl or clean bucket, and set it on the floorboard of the car. Allow it to remain undisturbed for at least 2 full days. The car should smell significantly better, and the scent of cigarette smoke should be undetectable.

Newspapers: Newsprint also works well to get rid of the smell of cigarette smoke in a car. Wad up several sheets of ordinary black and white newsprint, and place it under the seats. It will continue to work to absorb odors, and within days the car should be free from the smell of cigarette smoke. Periodically change the newspapers and they will continue to keep the car smelling fresh and clean

Commercial products: All of the car care manufacturers such as Turtle Wax, Autoglym, Einszett & Meguiars have extensive ranges of products for cleaning and conditioning your cars' fabrics, seats and carpets. You can browse the range of products we offer here: Carpet & upholstery Cleaners All of these products will help to get rid of the smell of cigarette smoke. Also Febreze could be well worth a try and can be bought in your local supermarket.

If you want a good multi-purpose disinfectant to kill germs and get rid of odours then Simoniz Interior Disinfectant is a good, value for money product.

Air Fresheners: Air fresheners wont get rid of the smell, they will just mask it, but untill the smell is gone you may well want to mask it! You can find our range of air fresheners here

The weather in this part of the world is always a given and because of that 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 and weather, leaving fine beads of water on the windscreen.
• Bands appearing on windscreen - Hardened or aging wiper rubber can cause thicker, longer 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, as a result, the wiper blade structure will then wear.
• 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. Here at MicksGarage we have a huge range of Bosch wiper blades to suit pretty much every make and model of car. 

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

Driving economically can save you over 10% on your fuel consumption, as well as being friendlier for the environment and your bank balance.

There are a number of ways of decreasing your fuel consumption and helping the environment and your wallet. The main factors which are liable to effect and increase fuel consumption include:

• Rapid acceleration and braking
• Over-revving of the engine
• Aggressive driving style
• Driving at high speeds
• Incorrect tyre pressures
• Carrying unnecessary items in the car
• Open windows and sunroofs
• Bike racks and roof boxes that aren't in use

Further information about efficient and sustainable motoring can be found at the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland's (SEAI) website, http://www.seai.ie

• http://www.seai.ie/Power_of_One/Getting_Around/HCIYC/Motoring_Tips/ 

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:

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: