Start the New Year well without car battery problems

This cold weather is certain to strike our cars at the weakest link: the battery.If your car won’t start, it will always be inconvenient. It may even lose you business, or make you late to pick-up a loved-one.

It’s easy to be blasé about your car’s battery. For years it works fine and then suddenly one frosty morning your car won’t start. Of course, you can call a breakdown service but with the RAC and AA reporting 40,000 calls in just one day this week, how long will you have to wait to be rescued? Battery failure is the number one reason motorists call a breakdown service. And it is just one of many common faults that are caused by a lack of basic maintenance.

The good people at Haynes Publishing say: “With the help of a Haynes Owners Workshop Manual you can avoid being stranded and save yourself money. For example, often the first sign of battery trouble is that the engine is reluctant to start when cold, with the starter motor turning more slowly than usual. That’s the time to get the battery checked and replace it if necessary – a Haynes Owners Manual gives you step-by-step instructions.

“There are many other simple DIY maintenance tasks detailed in Haynes Manuals – replacing wiper blades and bulbs, checking the tyres, monitoring engine oil and coolant levels and so on. With the average labour rate at a UK dealer now £85 per hour, a Haynes Manual costing under £20 could save you a fortune – a good deal in these financially challenging times!

“Of course, having your vehicle serviced regularly is important but it does not stop there. Over the years manufacturers have greatly increased the service intervals, therefore there is an even greater need to carry out safety and maintenance checks in between these long periods. Carrying out such checks will help avoid unwelcome bills and minimise the expense or the inconvenience of a breakdown.

“Although many car owners believe that modern cars are too complicated for them to work on, this is not so. Routine tasks can be done by anybody - if they know what they are doing.
This cold weather is certain to strike our cars at the weakest link: the battery.”

Haynes, the world-leading publisher of automotive repair manuals, is renowned for teaching millions of car owners how to carry out routine maintenance and repairs. The manuals provide authoritative and accurate step-by-step information for both basic and more complex tasks. Over the next few months, our mission is to give you a greater understanding of your car and provide you with essential tips, advice and tasks that will aid trouble-free motoring. For example: how to check tyres and engine fluids, replace wiper blades, light bulbs and spark plugs, how to conduct a pre-MOT test check and what to do before taking your car on holiday or abroad.

Visit the Haynes site for valuable tips to help take care of your car ,so that you can travel with care.Click here for Haynes Publishing