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• SMART REPAIRS: Who repairs minor damage to my car, its trim and wheels? (FAQs)
  www.smartpaintbracknell.co.uk Mobile Car Body Repairs service covering Bracknell & Reading. www.bumpersbodyshop.co.uk Car Body Shop Repairs Garage based in Burgess Hill, West Sussex.
• CAR HIRE INSURANCE: What do I need to know about insuring hire cars? (FAQs)
  CDW is also the coverage that is often included in higher-tier credit cards if the card is used to rent the car. Much to the annoyance of the car rental companies of course. Because they can't sell it for $20+ per day.  US rental car companies also sell more 3rd party cover. Absent any other way to mitigate that risk, it would be a better purchase in addition to or in lieu of CDW.
• WARRANTY SERVICING: What happens to my new car warranty if I have my car serviced outside the franchised dealer chain? (FAQs)
  As does Mercedes Benz 30 year Mobilo cover on some parts of the car. There are three other potential pitfallls for owners who service outside the franchises during the warranty period. An ordinary garage may not have the electronic equipment or software to carry out electronic parts of the service via the OBDII port, and may not even be able to reset the service indicator.
• STORING A CAR: How should I prepare my car for long term storage? (FAQs)
  Leave one window open a crack to keep the interior ventilated, but not open enough to allow mice to get in. Cover with a cotton sheet. Do not start the car and run it up to temperature. That causes more condensationm problems than it solves. If storing outside, Dupont Tyvek car covers from Halfords allow some breathing, but condensation will also occur under them.
• MISFUELLING A CAR: What should you do if you accidentally put the wrong fuel in your car?  (FAQs)
  Many insurers now include misfuelling cover as standard, or as a paid extra. Some of them will fix the car free of charge as a part of your cover, while others will just charge you your excess or a call-out fee – but check if it will count as a claim against you and affect your no-claims bonus.
• WHEEL TRACKING AND ALIGNMENT: Where can I have my car's suspension properly laser aligned?  (FAQs)
  
• GAP INSURANCE: What is GAP insurance and do I really need it? (FAQs)
  Gap insurance covers the difference between the initial purchase price of your car and what you may get as an insurance payout. Many insurance companies offer policies that include ‘new car replacement’ during the first year of ownership, but after this date you may find that if your car is stolen or written off, you will be left with a bill for the difference between what the insurance company pays (which is usually below the full retail value) and what you originally paid for the car or what you may still owe in finance.
• CONTINUOUS INSURANCE: What is it and how does it affect me? (FAQs)
  Continuous Insurance becomes compulsory from June 2011. It compels the owner to insure his car continuously even if it is temporarily unused. The new vehicle insurance law means that the registered keeper of a vehicle must keep it insured unless they've made a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification).
• BATTERIES: How do I extend the life of my battery and prevent it going flat?  (FAQs)
  We see cases where thebattery has failed after only two to three years rather than the usual five to six,as a result of only doing short journeys. "Batteries are made to workharder than ever before as a modern car draws around three times as much electrical current than a Morris Minor. A Morris Minor in the 1970s needed around 21A, a modern mid-sizecar uses as much as 65A" To help prevent problems, Paul says: "Regular long runs in the car could double yourbattery's life but if this isn't possible, a battery trickle charger will keep it ingood condition, extend its life and give you the reassurance that your car willstart.
• CONSUMER RIGHTS: How do I reject a vehicle or get compensation for problems with a car? (FAQs)
  This first section attempts to simplify and clarify the various pieces of legislation and case law that protect you when you buy a new car.  Some of the law also covers any high-cost consumer durable for the first 6 years after purchase. The more complicated nitty gritty concerning both new and used cars follows.
• ENGINE ECU: Where can I have the Engine Control Unit (ECU) of my car re-mapped? (FAQs)
  The VAG reprogramming is particularly effective because it not only gives the engine 185bhp, it boosts the torque at low revs and makes it more flexible, so you can accelerate uphill in 3rd gear from just 1,200rpm. When you first receive your Bluefin you use it to interrogate the car's ECU for its individual code which you then send back to Superchips online or by mail so your Bluefin can be activated for your particular car and no other. Bluefin costs £445 from www.mybluefin.co.uk , tel: 01280 816781.
• CREDIT HIRE: What is it and how can it affect me if I am involved in a crash? (FAQs)
  Always declare any entitlement to a "courtesy car" to the credit hire company - even if you were not at fault in the accident and the car on offer as a courtesy car is not "like for like". I was in an accident which was not my fault.
• ELECTRIC CARS: Is an EV right for me? (FAQs)
  The improved G-Wiz AC had an introductory price of £7,999 for all orders received by 31st October 2006. Deliveries of the new G-Wiz AC cars will commence in October. GoinGreen introduced the emission free DC drive G-Wiz to London in 2004; there are now over 500 G-Wiz cars on London’s roads, making London the electric car capital of the world.
• INSURANCE WRITE OFFS: What do different insurance write off categories mean? (FAQs)
  This meant that although it was uneconomical for the insurer to repair the car, the car was repairable. We said that the insurer had clearly acted incorrectly. Mr G was still the owner of the car at the time the insurer disposed of it. And he had asked the insurer to return the car to him, so that he could arrange a repair.
• WINTER TYRES: Should I use different tyres for the winter? (FAQs)
  Honest John's general advice is as follows: Fitting winter tyres to two wheels of a modern car can seriously destabilise the car, particularly on a descent, so is not to be contemplated. We are not in the 1960s any longer when cars and tyres were comparatively unsophisticated and when this was a viable option.
• GARAGE SERVICING: How can I find a reputable garage  to service or repair my car? (FAQs)
  The Over-the-Top Oil Earner Even though the workshop's engine oil comes from a bulk tank at a huge discount, still charge for it per litre as if it has been supplied in individual litre bottles. The Warranty Maintenance Muckaround If the customer has a used car warranty requiring the car to be regularly serviced at a franchised dealer's, this can be a real goldmine. Be careful to find a long list of repairs and replacements, none of which are covered by the warranty, but all of which must be made for the warranty to remain intact.
• HIRING A CAR: Where can I hire a car in the UK and abroad? (FAQs)
  In, fact Europcar's fuel-efficient and low emissions cars use 33% less petrol than the average car on the road.  For those looking for fixed rates throughout the year on all types of cars and vans – from compact cars to the ultimate prestige vehicles, Europcar Club ‘Premium’ is £60 a month.
• AIR-CONDITIONING: How do I know if my air conditioning needs servicing? (FAQs)
  Basically a/c takes 5 - 10bhp from the engine. So while it will affect the fuel economy of a car with 50bhp, the driver of a car with 500bhp won't notice it. And in fact, cruising at 70mph in a car with a relatively normal 110bhp, any increase in fuel consumed is insignificant. Opening the windows will have a far more detrimental effect because of the increased resistance the engine is forced to work against.
• PARKING FINES. What are my rights regarding parking penalties for parking in private carparks? (FAQs)
  The seven Law Lords were being asked to rule on: Whether a charge of £85 for exceeding a maximum car parking period is an unenforceable penalty? Whether a charge of £85 for exceeding a maximum car parking period is unfair under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999/2003?
• SPEEDING DEFENCES 1. Is inadequate posting of a speed limit a valid defence to a speeding NIP? (FAQs)
  On site it provides free legal information, advice and guidance to the general public on their rights and the law, covering basic legal issues including employment, family, wills, motoring, property and accidents, as well as providing a free email legal question service. It is also a gateway to other legal information and services, with an extensive directory of solicitors, links to legal document producers and other useful legal sites, and even a legal fun section.