How Minor Car Repairs Can Help Thame Motorists Avoid Breakdown

Flat or Faulty Battery

Batteries can be easily worn down by multiple short journeys or by hard use of facilities such as the radio, air conditioning and mobile phone or GPS navigation system charging. If you bring your vehicle in for car repairs or car servicing at our garage near Thame, we can ensure that battery connections are secure, and that the terminals are clean and rust-free. This nips the problem in the bud before it becomes a failing point on MOTs. While the charge of the battery isn’t covered by the inspection, MOT testing does check to see if the battery is securely fitted and that there are no signs of leakage.

Damaged Tyres and Wheels

Check the tread depth of the tyres regularly, which should be no less than 1.6mm. Check using the outer rim of a 20p piece if you don’t have a tyre gauge, working from the edge of the coin to the sequence of dots as a measurement. MOTs are failed automatically if the tread runs below this level. If tyre wear is uneven, your wheels could be misaligned; many garages in the Thame area offer wheel alignment, but few provide it as well as MOTEC! And, if you need replacement tyres, we can help with that too. As part of our commitment to affordable car repairs, we fit premium and discounted tyres suited to your budget.

Alternator Faults

If you have dim headlights when your engine is idling, your alternator could be at fault. Fortunately, this is one of many car repairs that we can provide for Thame motorists. The fitting of a new alternator can be difficult based on the type of car you drive but, like all good garages, we can work on any vehicle make and model. All alternators fitted are OEM compliant and we can supply you with a choice of new or reconditioned components based around what you’d like to spend.

Starter Motor

Although these parts are generally robust, starter motors can falter in much the same way as other components. With regular car servicing from MOTEC, potential faults can be picked up before they start to cause problems for customers in the Thame area. The need for car repairs to a starter motor is usually noticed when the engine doesn’t turn over properly. As with our alternators, all starter motors fitted by our technicians comply with original manufacturer specifications and can be purchased new or reconditioned.

Clutch Cables

The clutch is under almost constant stress on manual cars and, if the cable snaps, it can cause serious issues. We recommend that Thame drivers get their clutch components and cables checked out if things feels noticeably slack or tight when the pedal is pressed, or if there is a noticeable grinding noise or indications of ‘slipping’ while trying to change gear. It is particularly crucial that you seek help from professional garages in the form of car repairs for a worn clutch because it isn’t something checked on annual MOTs. MOTEC will offer you a full and honest appraisal of your entire transmission system.

Spark Plugs and Leads

As with most parts on a vehicle, spark plugs can wear out. As long as you use MOTEC for regular car servicing and car repairs, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue. Spark plugs are changed on every full service undertaken for motorists in Thame, as are the oil, air and fuel filters. Again, trade-leading OEM replacements are used for our car servicing work. Leads carry high voltage to the spark plugs and can deteriorate over time. Lubricating with WD40 can help but, as with most issues on this page, it’s better to have them checked over by the professional mechanics here at MOTEC. With over thirty years of experience in car repairs and car servicing, we know our stuff better than most garages in the Thame area!