car

I like Driving in My Car

April 16, 2019 by Anne Sweet 9 Comments

Driving

Yesterday I drove my car. That’s not huge news, but I haven’t driven since before the accident last October. I wasn’t driving then, and hadn’t driven more than once or twice in the preceding months, but that seems a pivotal point.

I have never really felt comfortable driving with my hands, but I’ve always enjoyed driving and the freedom it brings. Getting from A to Z is so much easier by car. But I don’t drive alone since my illness. I can’t lift my wheelchair out of the boot, and if anything happened where I became unable to continue driving I’d be stuck.

It was a sudden decision to drive yesterday. I wanted to go to visit my brother who lives about two miles away. A quick and easy drive. And I did it.

Dilemma

This made me think even more about our car dilemma. We get a car on Motability. This means that in return for the disability benefit I get for being unable to walk can be used in exchange for the three year lease of a new car with insurance and breakdown recovery included. We are due a new car this year.

I know I don’t always talk about everyone but we are actually a family of seven living together. Sometimes, we want to go out with more than five of us in the car. This means either a taxi to help or Graham has to make two journeys. It would be nice to go out more as an extended family without this issue so we have made the decision to get a bigger car, one with seven seats.

This decision comes with drawbacks. Seven seat cars require a deposit and with limited funds it means we are limited to which we can choose. (I’m talking thousands of pounds here.) There are actually only two cars we can afford and we have been weighing up the pros and cons. The one we finally decided on we have discovered that we cannot have it as an automatic car. The implications of this means that we cannot have hand controls fitted and I won’t be able to drive it.

The other car is still an option and we will take a look at it before making a final decision. The main issue is that it won’t have enough room for my wheelchair if we all use the car. So, we can all go out together but I won’t be able to get very far when we get to wherever we are going. We may find that the wheelchair can be fitted in somehow, or maybe my manual chair will fit. That’s why we are going to view it.

So, here is my dilemma. We get a car that is most useful for us as a family but I won’t be able to drive it. It’s only for three years, and so many things can happen in that time. So maybe we won’t need seven seats by then and I can go back to driving. Do, I sacrifice driving for three years?

The answer is there really. Why should we not get the type of car we really need, just because I will miss driving. I can’t even go anywhere alone, I need another driver with me.

Still, it’s another thing that I must give up because of this stupid rare condition.

Reasons To Buy New Tyres and Quit Worn out Tyres

March 7, 2019 by Anne Sweet 2 Comments

This week started out with a shock. Just as we were about to do the school run we discovered our car had a completely flat tyre. We couldn’t blow it up so we had to wait for someone to come out and replace it. We could have saved the hassle just by looking after our tyres properly.

How Long do Car Tyres Last?

The average life span of a tyre is three to five years, but this varies on how much mileage you do. If you travel 30,000 miles a year then you will probably need to have new tyres yearly. If you travel much less, maybe only on weekends they they will last five years or longer. If your tyres are more than five years old you run the risk of running your car on aged tyres.

When to Get New Tyres

You should regularly perform these checks on your tyres, and if you notice any problems when checking then it’s time to consider getting new tyres.

Pressure -check your tyre pressure monthly and before long trips
Tyre tread depths – these should also be checked monthly with a gauge
Sidewall damage – you should also check the rest of the tyre for damage or irregular wear
check for punctures if your tyre seems to be deflated

If you don’t know how to do any of these checks then take them to get advice from a trained tyre expert.

Why You Should Look After Your Tyres

This is obvious, it’s dangerous not to!

Worn tyre threads compromises the cars grip on the road, this can be much worse in wet weather. Without this grip you could be prone to skidding and accidents.

Worn tyres are also likely to overheat which can cause a blowout. Again a dangerous accident risk.

Under-inflated tyres also compromises the grip on the road, another accident risk.

Over inflating tyres can cause them to wear out prematurely.

Not only is it dangerous to have neglected tyres it’s also more expensive. Good tyres will reduce your fuel consumption.

Buying New Tyres

You can get tyres online from Point S. Tyres can be fitted at garages convenient to you. But what do you need to know before buying tyres?

Size – your car tyre size is printed on the sidewall of the tyre
Tyre speed rating – also on the sidewall of the tyre
Tyre labels – give you the cars fuel economy, wet grip and noise

All car tyre size is standardised so it’s the same for all tyres.

An example is a tyre carrying the size lettering: 205/55 R16 91W.

205: the tyre’s width, in mm

55: the tyre’s side profile, as a percentage of the width (a smaller number here indicates a ‘low profile’ tyre)

R16: the diameter of wheel the tyre will fit, in inches

91: the tyre’s load index – the load capacity of the tyre (91 = 615kg)

W: the speed rating of the tyre – so you can match the ability of the tyre to the top speed of the car (W = 168mph)

Do you know how old your tyres are? When did you last check them?

collaborative post

Looking After Your Car with a Service

February 14, 2019 by Anne Sweet Leave a Comment

I’ve recently received my car back after a 3 month visit to the repair garage. We were involved in a crash, which was not our fault and neither was the damage to our car. But, what if your car ends up in the repair garage with a costly bill just because it’s broken down?

I’ve been a driver for over 20 years, and I know the importance of car services. You need to keep your car in good condition to prevent costly repairs and to keep the value if you decide you want to sell it on later.

Looking after your car has many benefits and booking it in for a service is easy. It may be an extra expense at the time, but it will save you money in the long term.

a driver sitting behind the wheel of a car — Photo by Hareez Hussaini on Unsplash

What is a Car Service?

A car service will check the parts that suffer the most wear and tear and degrade over time. If you don’t look after these parts then the car will not run as efficiently and could end up costing more in repairs.

There are different types of service that depend on your mileage. A car that does more than 2000 miles per month will need an interim service every six months. But generally, a car needs a service every twelve months.

You can book Book car servicing online at KAP Motor’s Brighton Branch where you can choose what type of service your car requires. The service carried out may vary from place to place but as an overview the kind of things you can expect include;

Check of the lights, horn, washers, wipers and condition of windscreen.
Change of engine oil and engine oil filter, check of brake pads, wheels and tyres.
Check of antifreeze, cooling system and screen wash.
Check clutch and condition of battery.
Road test of brakes, steering, suspension, engine, gearbox and heating system.

A Full, or Major service may also include;

the fitting of new spark plugs, air filter and fuel filter
recommend Cambelt change date
check and adjust emissions
check and adjust ignition timing
check and adjust idle speed.

Why You Should Service your Car Regularly

Here are some real good reasons why you should regularly service your car.

Safety – A service will identify those problems that may be the cause of an accident, for example worn brakes or tyres, or exhaust leaks.

Keeping Clean – A regularly serviced vehicle will reduce the emissions that it releases into the air. Also, under-inflated tyres will burn more fuel

Cost – The cost of a regular service may reduce a much bigger cost of any repairs needed later through lack of maintenance.

Resale Value – A car that has been looked after will obviously attract a higher price when you come to sell it.

Fewer Breakdowns – No-one likes breaking down and a service can help detect those little problems that may develop into big ones while on the road.

Do you service your car regularly?

Collaborative post

Welcome Home Bernard

January 22, 2019 by Anne Sweet 15 Comments

Welcome Home Bernard!

It took 4 months and nearly two weeks, but Bernard is now back home. I’ve not driven him yet, but I may give it a go soon. I’m really nervous, I used to love driving so much, but I’ve never really got used to driving with my hands.

We only have Bernard until September, then our lease is up and we can choose a new car. Graham has his eye on a Volvo. I thought it would be cool to get a WAV so I could just drive my wheelchair on, that was until I saw the cost…eeek! I think I’ll just stick to getting a new wheelchair and a hoist in the boot of the new car.

In Other News

I think getting Bernard back was the big news of the last week, nothing much else has happened.

I was glad to give my heart monitor back. As I suspected I had a good week with no problems, so they’ll probably give me the all clear. I am 99% sure it was my medication causing the issues, and I’ve stopped it now.

The monitor gave me some lovely sores, I think I’m a bit allergic to those sticky pads they use, I always get a rash whenever I have an ECG.

Wool Addict

My hooks have been busy this week. I’ve almost completed a dragon hooded scarf from a pattern from the lovely Tracey at Hooks and Dragon I can’t wait to show it off.

I’m also in the process of piecing together the CAL (crochet along) blanket that I started last February. I really don’t like the sewing part, but I will finish it after all my hard work, I have to.

I’ve also got the wool for a toy zebra, and the girls fell in love with a pattern for an axolotyl which they want me to make.

I’m going to be a little bit busy.

Preparing Your Car for Winter Journeys

December 17, 2018 by Anne Sweet 1 Comment

I hate driving in snow and ice, it scares me and I’ve had a couple of near mishaps. Once, I was coming out of an icy car park, approaching a busy road, when the car just wouldn’t stop. I was skidding towards the moving traffic sideways on. Eventually the car stopped just inches from the road, just as a bus went passed.

I avoid driving in snow and ice whenever I can, but sometimes it’s not possible. The weather stays bad for months and the car needs to be used so I’ve put together some tips for making sure the car is ready for winter journeys.

Do Your Checks

Make sure your tyres are in good condition, you may even consider changing to winter tyres. The legal limit for tyre tread is 1.6mm but 3mm is recommended for a better grip in bad weather.

Car batteries have a life of around 5 years so it’s worth checking how old yours is, it’s going to take a lot of pressure over the winter months.

Check the amount of anti-freeze in your water and top it up if necessary. In winter it should be fifty percent water, fifty percent anti-freeze.

Clean your lights, windowscreen and wipers. Being able to see properly is a priority on darker days and nights. Check for chips in the windowscreen too as these can grow when it’s cold.

Always make sure you have a decent amount of petrol in the tank in case of delays in your journey.

Emergency Supplies

It’s always best to be prepared for an breakdown or being stuck in traffic in cold weather. We all see it on the news, rows of cars stuck for hours in the snow, but we never know when it could happen to us. So it’s wise just to be prepared. A simple breakdown kit could contain, a shovel, torch, blanket, scraper, de-icer and a few food and drink supplies. That should help until you get moving again, or rescued. It’s always good to have a fully charged phone too.

Last but Not Least

Do make sure that your car is up to date with it’s service checks and MOT. According to the AA a lot of car problems in the cold weather could be avoided by regular servicing and maintenance checks. So, get yours done before it’s too late. No one does better VOSA approved MOT in Northampton than Calmac Tyres Autocentres. Get your car checked today!

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post

Subscribe to blog via Email

car