As temperatures begin to drop and driving conditions worsen, winter can be a perilous time of year for motorists. Fewer hours of daylight combined with ice and snow means that accidents and breakdowns are much more likely to happen during the colder months. Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do which will help you minimise the risk of getting into a dangerous situation over the winter season.
get your car serviced
You should be getting your car serviced on a regular basis anyway, but getting one right before winter comes around is wise. Low temperatures can cause all sorts of problems for cars so a full service will ensure that any existing issues are fixed in advance.
check car battery
Darker days and colder temperatures mean that a lot of your cars battery energy will be directed towards your headlights and heater so avoid putting any extra strain on it by getting it checked and serviced first.
check tyres
Check the overall condition; tread depth and pressure of your tyres, as this will affect the steering and braking power of your car. Depending on where you live, it might be worth changing your tyres from regular ones to winter ones which have a greater grip to keep you from skidding over icy roads.
top up engine coolant with antifreeze
Ordinarily, engine coolant should be a half and half mix of plain water and antifreeze. The reason being is that in the summer, the water in your cars radiator system won’t boil or evaporate and in the winter, it won’t freeze. Often, people will top up their engine coolant with plain water during the rest of the year meaning that the antifreeze agent will become diluted and less effective, so topping it up is a simple yet important step.
give your car an overall clean
Your windscreen, wiper blades and all lights should be given a good clean. Rain and snow can often leave mineral deposits and general dirt sitting on your car, which may impair your vision or brightness of your headlamps if not cleaned properly. At the same time, check for dead bulbs or any chips in your windscreen, as these can significantly worsen in colder weather. If necessary, fill up your screen wash dispenser as well.
carry a winter breakdown kit inside your car at all times
Just in case you ever break down or get stuck in snow and ice, it’s a sensible idea to keep items such as a small shovel, a torch, spare warm clothes, a hi-vis jacket, non-perishable food and drink, a windscreen scraper and de-icer fluid inside your boot at all times. You may also want to keep a spare phone charger in your car as well so in any event that you are stuck, you can contact someone.
other things to consider
It may sound obvious but make sure that your fuel tank is always filled up to at least a quarter of its capacity, there’s no worse time of year to be getting stranded.
If you are unsure how to check your tyres, oil, water, engine coolant levels or anything else yourself, then most garages will offer full winter services that specifically check whether your vehicle is suitable for winter driving.
Lastly, a bit of planning ahead and common sense will go a long way. Safe driving!
To help ease the financial impact of coronavirus, car finance payment holiday plans have been introduced. Three month car payment holidays are available. Find out if you are eligible and how to apply.
The Finance Conduct Authority (FCA) has put this in place for leasing, personal contract purchase (PCP) and hire purchase vehicles (HP). It’s not just restricted to cars, these options are also available on bike and van finance as well. So if you’d like to apply for a payment holiday on your vehicle, then we’ll help you find out how.
what to do
To apply for a three month payment holiday plan we recommend that you contact your finance provider directly and as soon as possible. If your finances have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, then you should approach your lender and explain your situation.
Many lenders have specific areas of their website where you can put in a payment gap request. Otherwise, you can give them a call. Each lender website may give you a specific telephone number to contact. You may experience difficulty getting through on the phone due to increased demand, but do persevere, especially if an online request is unavailable.
Whilst many people’s ability to make payments has been impacted, if you can still make your payments then this would be ideal. However, do not hesitate to ask for help. Lenders are not currently able to repossess vehicles due to coronavirus related financial difficulty. It is important to know that your interest will still apply throughout the payment holiday.
Your lender should be able to help you in other ways, if the payment holiday isn’t right for you. The best course of action is to contact your lender and see how they can help you in a way that suits you.
For more information, take a look at this helpful article from Which?.
The UK government has announced car showrooms will reopen on 1st June 2020. Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed that customers are allowed back on to forecourts at the beginning of next month.
The official Downing Street briefing on Monday 25th May also stated that non-essential shops can reopen from 15th June onwards. Of course, this means shops and dealerships will have to comply with strict social distancing guidelines. Additional hygiene measures must be in place so they can be deemed covid secure.
what does this mean?
We expect the new situation in dealerships to be very different to what we are all traditionally used to. But rest assured safety measures are being put in place to protect both staff and customers. Be sensible, take all the recommended steps you can to protect yourself and those around you. We advise taking hand sanitiser with you and wearing a face covering.
We are anticipating one-way systems to be put in place throughout car showrooms in the UK, with designated entrances and exits. Along with solo test drives and plastic screens in operation for added protection. Waiting areas will also be split up, to ensure safe social distancing is adhered to.
Car viewings may need to be booked, so thorough cleaning and disinfecting can take place. Special care will be taken by dealerships when cleaning steering wheels, gear sticks, doors and buttons. Additional precautions such as sanitising stations should be set up by businesses.
Not all dealerships will be opening, this is the decision of the site. Do check before you travel to avoid disappointment. It is possible that larger forecourts will open slowly to stagger the return of staff members. There will be a focus on outdoor forecourts and open spaces, as this is considered safer for all.
With more people going back into work as lockdown measures are slowly eased in the coming weeks, the demand for cars is rising. The car industry is eager to get back up and running.
If you are looking for your next vehicle, simply use our online drag and drop calculator below to estimate your payment plan. Alternatively, you can apply here. Let’s help get you back on the road.
The UK government has extended car, van and motorcycle MOTs by 6 months. This means if your MOT expiry date is due between 30th March 2020 and 31st July 2020, the vehicle will have an additional 6 months added. The extension has been put in place to help prevent the spread of covid-19.
Your MOT will automatically be extended if your renewal falls between these dates. This will be put into place 7 days before the intended expiry date. You won’t receive a paper certificate, the vehicle record will show the extension.
Gov.uk advise to check your MOT extension 3 days before it is due to expire here
example
Your MOT was due on 3rd May 2020
Your new MOT date will be extended to 3rd November 2020
It is very important to keep your vehicle safe to drive. If there are any issues please do contact local garages to help fix any urgent or dangerous problems.
Check the rules of how to keep your vehicle roadworthy here
If your MOT is due on or after the 1st August 2020, you should book an MOT as normal. MOT centres are now open so drivers are able to do this. We are aware they may be a backlog of bookings, so try to organise your appointment in advance.
Although MOTs are being extended, please do remember to tax your vehicle. The department of transport has confirmed it is working together with insurers and police to ensure that individuals are not unfairly penalised if they are unable to get an MOT in place. Alternatively, you can register your car as off the road (SORN) if you are unable to have an MOT test carried out and your tax is due to expire.
However, you should not take your vehicle for its MOT if either of the following points are relevant to you:
You are self-isolating, or someone in your home has suspected symptoms of coronavirus
You are shielding and considered to be at high risk or vulnerable
It is possible that some MOT providers are able to collect vehicles, complete an MOT and return the vehicle to you if you are shielding. You will need to contact your local centre to see if this can be arranged. We recommend calling several centres in the hope that one may be available to provide this service for you.
There have been so many changes to day-to-day life recently, and we’ve all had to adapt quickly. Similarly, as we’ve had to adapt as individuals, so have global industries. The car industry is ever changing and evolving during the current situation that we all find ourselves in.
adapting
With many car forecourts now closed across the world, dealerships are relying heavily on video communications to keep in touch with their clients. Customers are still able to view cars through virtual tours delivered via email. Brochures are particularly useful at the moment too. With customers being able to view models both in print and online, all from the comfort of their own home.
MOTs due from 30th March have been granted a 6 month exemption period by the government. It is important that all vehicles are road safe, and any major issues resolved. Garages are open for emergencies, contactable by phone and willing to help as best as they can. In many instances there are special discounts being offered to NHS staff and key workers.
manufacturing
Many car factories have closed down temporarily across the world. Nissan being one of them, who have haulted production in their Sunderland factory throughout the month of April 2020. Alongside Mini who released the following statement, “We have taken the difficult decision to cease production at our UK, European, South African and North American plants until 30 April”.
Ferrari’s legendary Maranello factory is working to help battle the coronavirus in a different way. The department that would normally be developing new car prototypes is producing respirator valves and fittings for masks. It is inspiring to see this innovation and adaptability within the car industry. Find out more about this from Formula 1.
However, Volvo are resuming production in a number of their European factories as of Monday 20th April 2020. So as you can see, things are changing everyday in many ways throughout the car industry.
It is important to make sure that your car is protected if it breaks down at home from a lack of use. Or, if you are out to pick up food shopping for the family and are unlucky enough to get stuck along the way. Our breakdown cover also makes sure that key workers can get to and from their essential roles in the community. We provide a range of insurance and maintenance services to keep your vehicles safe and protected.
At motorly we are commited to providing the highest level of service to our customers at all times. We strive to continue providing that service during this difficult period. Rest assured that any application for car, bike, van or caravan finance will be processed. Plus, any questions that you may have will be answered. Thank you to you all.
Stay home & stay safe. #wearemotorly
When you’re scouring the market for car finance, you’ll often find your credit report mentioned. But why is it important? The better your score, better deals will be available to you. Check yours for free with UK Credit Ratings today.
Checking your credit file allows you to easily view your credit score. This lets you see how likely you are to be accepted, when you do decide to go ahead and apply for finance. By simply registering with UK Credit Ratings for free, you can see your score with zero charge.
Seeing where your score lies lets you decide when is the right time for you to apply for car finance. You may find your credit report is excellent – great stuff! And so you’re happy to go ahead. Or your score could be poor to fair. This may lead you to wait a few weeks until you build your score back up again before applying.
Not only can you check your score for free with UK Credit Ratings, but they’ll also give you tips on how to improve it. Helping you to increase your chances of being accepted. Win win!
Don’t apply for car finance blindly. Let UK Credit Ratings help you view, increase and grow your score today. Find more tips & tricks on how to improve your chances of being approved for car finance on the motorly blog.
*Free 14 day trial. If you wish you continue using the service, the monthly subscription is only £19.95. Cancel anytime during the trial with no charge.
When applying for car finance you will often come across the terms soft search and hard search. But what do they mean? And do you know the difference? We are here to clarify this, separating fact from jargon.
what is a soft search?
A soft search checks how likely you are to be accepted for finance, without affecting your credit score. This means a search cannot be seen by lenders. Only you are able to view soft checks on your credit file. So this will not affect a lenders decision.
Think of a soft search as a preliminary check, which calculates the probability of being accepted without performing a full search on your credit report. With this in mind, consumers are able to shop around to find the best deal for them. Comforted by the fact that these searches will not be seen by financial lenders. In theory, this means it doesn’t matter how many searches you have, as they are invisible. Spooky, we know.
However, a soft check is an indication of how likely you are to be accepted for finance. Meaning, the outcome is not always guaranteed when a full hard search is then later carried out.
what is a hard search?
In contrast to a soft search, a hard search can be viewed by lenders when deciding if you are a good candidate for finance. A hard search will check your credit file and leave a mark of this check. Most hard searches will stay on your credit report for 12 months.
Here at motorly we never perform a hard search. Our partners’ only complete a soft search when checking the affordability of finance for our customers. A hard search is only ever done with an individual’s permission when you want to go ahead with a full application.
Obviously, once a complete finance application is submitted by a lender, this will incur a hard check. But at this point, the customer is happy with their proposed financial plan and are simply completing the final stage. You will now have finance in place and be ready to receive your new vehicle. This is the fun part.
apply today
Rest assured when you complete an online finance application with motorly that we only ever perform a soft check. So, whether you are looking for your next car, van, bike or caravan we can help. We are an independent broker that searches the market for you, with zero impact on your credit score. Walk into a garage with your finance approved. What are you waiting for?
Our easy to use online calculator makes this process easier than ever. Simply drag & drop the buttons up or down to suit your needs and reveal your estimated loan and repayment amounts. Fill out our quick quote form and let us find the right vehicle for you. It’s that easy.
The team at motorly are well prepared for the unforeseen circumstances caused by coronavirus, as all of our services are online-based. Meaning that during the outbreak of covid-19, we are able to carry on working hard behind the scenes. Providing our customers with a range of motoring services from car finance to breakdown cover.
We can confirm that our team are now predominantly working from home. Staff members who live in walking distance of our main office will be popping in only when appropriate and essential.
Our database and CRM systems run on Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud system. Therefore, this is not impacted by a local emergency or disaster resulting in office closure. All staff are laptop-based or have a home office setup. We are able to work as normal, without any interruption to daily tasks.
Internal office telephones run on a cloud-hosted VoIP system. Phones can be operated in any location with internet connectivity, through laptops, or mobile devices. Accessibility of staff is not impacted by temporary office closure.
Furthermore, documented processes, procedures and controls are in place to ensure business continuity in the event of such an adverse situation. As a result of our measures and controls as outlined above, we are confident that we can continue to provide our partners and customers with a high level of service in the event of a disaster or emergency.
how to contact us
If you would like to speak with the team, we kindly ask that the preferred method of contact at this time would be online. Please find the relevant links below:
Alternatively, you can contact us by phone on 0161 519 1550.
motorly is committed to protecting staff and customers by following government guidelines. We acknowledge that these are difficult and unprecedented times and we wish you and your family well.
motorly has been an official stadium sponsor of Altrincham FC since the start of the 2019/2020 season. We are very proud of our pitchside board.
motorly is an Altrincham based business, and we are glad to be part of this thriving northern town. Altrincham was recently named one of the happiest places to live in the UK – we couldn’t agree more. Alty also won The UK’s Best High Street back in 2018. This award was a celebration of the bustling town centre and boost that Altrincham Market brought to the town, which our office is just opposite. Since winning this award Altrincham has done nothing but prosper as a community, and we love being a part of it.
“There has definitely been an increase in the town in footfall. It’s definitely been a highlight of reputation and advertisement for the businesses, so it’s brought new people and new faces into the town.”
We felt that sponsoring Altrincham FC was a fantastic way to support both the local area and grassroots football. Plus, we are all football fans here at motorly. We’ve had team days where we have gone to games. Justin, the motorly founder managed to snap this picture of the Alty FC mascot. C’mon you robins!
Sponsoring the J Davidson Stadium on Moss Lane has given motorly visibility in the public space in Altrincham. Helping put us on the map locally, whilst demonstrating our support for the area. It’s great for us to get this exposure to over 20,000 people, how many individuals watched football at Moss Lane last season. Altrincham FC currently sits fifth in the National League North table. The club are performing well and enjoying a great season with 57 points behind them so far. Finally, Altrincham FC is more than a Football Club – they are an integral part of the community and we are very happy to support them.
Catch Altrincham FC live in action at Moss Lane or away. Simply check the club’s fixtures here. You can also keep up with the robins on Facebook and Twitter.
