Hi, I have a problem with a 1995 Mercedes C class. All the electric windows don't work. Have checked the fuse and that is OK.

Any suggestions what to check next?... Read more

ABS light has just come up on Almera. I've heard that you can test (without a meter), but, I cannot seem to find instructions online. I presume it may be a sensor. Both rear brakes are slightly binding - an easy fix, but if abs prob is expensive the car may not be worth fixing.

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I have the practice of wearing sunglasses while driving in strong light, and find that it rests my eyes. Often I’ve seen drivers peering into the sun in the afternoon and not seeming to know what the visors are for. That seems to me to be quite hazardous.... Read more

The 9 Best Kept Secrets your Insurer would not like you to Know.

1. The Courtesy Car. Many insurers offer a courtesy car if you use their “Approved Repair Centre” this would reasonably appear to something they pay for.  NOT TRUE. The cost is borne by the repairer with no additional revenue or supplement, so even before the repairer lays a hammer on your bent motor he has to recoup the cost of that car somehow.

2. The Insurer Approved Repairer. This is a garage who has agreed with an insurer in exchange for a supply of their policy holders damaged vehicles, to a stringent service level agreement which includes a range of free services and at a discounted rate, typically 30%  below normal high street rates. So every time you visit one, they will be paying back to your insurer a hefty chunk of your repair bill in discounts and rebates. Ask yourself who benefits from that? Also remember that you are not obliged to use them, as a policy holder its your choice who repairs your own vehicle, there are however a few exceptions to this rule, where its written in the small print. Approved Repairers will always try to the best they can but their hands are tied and they have split loyalties when it comes making decisions about how your car is repaired.

3. Repair Methods. Each time you visit an “Approved Repairer” the method of repair to your damaged vehicle will be strictly controlled by that insurer and every decision taken in that process will only be driven by one criteria and I’m sure you know by now what that will be. Exactly.. COST. Example:- Someone  has bumped into the back of your brand new car and now its at your insurer “Approved Repairer”. The bumper has a nasty crack in it and as we know all bumpers are designed to take a 5mph impact without sustaining damage so to protect you and your passengers it should be changed. But your “Approved Repairer” will be made to repair it so it looks good as new but obviously won’t be. Silly, as chances are, your insurer will get all the money back form the other insurer as it wasn’t your fault. But you’ll never know this.

4. New Parts.  A large number of insurers will instruct their “Approved Repairers” to fit NON-GENUINE parts to your vehicle and some of them do it without telling you. If you look closely in the small print you may see they reserve the right to fit “Equivalent  Parts” or parts of an equivalent quality. Reason being, obviously COST. When your car sustains damage you would want it put back to pre-accident condition and if FAKE parts are used that’s never going to happen. No one will guarantee that those parts will perform or deform in a subsequent accident exactly as the original equipment would. But you’ll never know this.

5. Insurer Paint Deal.  A large number of insurers have agreements with vehicle paint manufactures and insist that their “Approved Repairer” takes on that paint type and uses it to paint their policy holders vehicles in and yes you’ve guessed, every time one gets painted the insurer gets paid a rebate by the paint company. So in effect every time you crash they get paid. How does that benefit you?  

6. Total Losses.  You may find yourself in the situation where your vehicle, after an accident becomes beyond economical repair and deemed Total Loss. Hopefully your insurers will agree a reasonable settlement with you and you can buy a new car, but what happens to your old one. One would hope that your insurers dispose of it ethically but do they? Typically it will be sold to a major salvage company who will then sell in an online auction to the highest bidder and vehicles categorised C or D can be bought and repaired by anyone to any standard including cutting two cars in half and welding them together which is perfectly legal and put back on the road with no real checking or testing apart from a ‘Vehicle Identity Check’ done by VOSA which only confirms the chassis number matches the V5. Vehicles bought by eastern European countries can be taken away and repaired to be re imported with a new identity. Some insurers will even dispose of their CAT D total losses into various outlets and decide not to actually categorise them first. So when they are repaired and sold they appear “Clean”. So if you buy a second hand car be sure to get it checked thoroughly first.

7. Insurers & Accident Management Company’s.  Insurers are now increasingly referring their own policy holders, for a referral fee, to accident management companies on discovering they have been involved in a non fault accident. This then results in the accident management company hiring the policy holder a like for like vehicle and arranging repairs and advising them of their rights to claim compensation for any personal injuries sustained in the accident. The cost of all this then goes to the “at fault” insurer resulting in a much higher bill for them and a commission coming to the clients own insurer who in turn will charge their own policy holder extra on their premium next year because they have been involved in an accident.

8. Claims & Underwriting Exchange.   This is a secret list compiled and kept updated by all UK insurers with details of every motor claim including policy holders name and vehicle registration and date of incident and if there is any personal injury involved. So when you come to renew your motor policy and forget to mention that last incident you were involved in even though it wasn’t your fault, your new insurer will still put you on cover and take your money but should you make a claim they may throw it out when they check the CUE.

9. Insurer’s Penalty Excess.   Some insurers will charge you an additional insurance excess if you exercise your right to use your own repair centre to repair your vehicle. They should however point this out to you at the inception of the policy as it is NOT a normal caveat and as such should be brought to your attention when you buy the policy, If it is not that could be MIS-SELLING. So be extra careful when buying on-line and check that you are able to use your own repairer, otherwise you could be faced with an extra unwanted bill. Insurers that do this include Aviva Direct, Esure, Sheila’s Wheels and Swift Cover. Read more

Be very careful if thinking about a motability car as it may not be as good a deal as you think for the following

You don't get a NCD and may loose your insurance claims discount if you have a motability car over 3 years [I found out the hard way]... Read more