Our Services
Our Services
Servicing & MOT
Steering & Suspension
4 Wheel Alignment
Diagnostics
Exhaust Repairs
Tyres
Engine / Gearbox
Batteries
Air Conditioning & Heating
Clutch & Gearbox Repairs
Brake Repairs
Servicing & MOT
When does my car need an MOT?
It is your responsibility to ensure that your vehicle is examined every 12 months. Without an MOT certificate, you will be unable to renew your road tax. Having a current MOT certificate is also a legal requirement in the UK
You can book a MOT up to 28 days in advance of its due date. In fact it is not widely known that the expiry date on your new MOT is in 12 months from the expiry of your old one. This means you could have a MOT that last 13 months.
What do I need to take with me?
Once you have booked your vehicle in for its MOT, remember to take your Registration Document, if it is your vehicle’s first MOT and a means of paying the current fee.
What should I do if the car fails its MOT?
If the vehicle fails its MOT and it does not meet legal requirements, the vehicle must be repaired to comply with MOT Test standards. The report your Nominated Tester gives you will help you.
If you think the Nomianted Tester has been unfair you can appeal against the decision. Ask for a VT17 form that explains what to do.
MOT Repairs
We undertake any type of MOT failure repair and will get you back on the road as quickly and as cost effectively as possible
- Brakes
- Exhausts
- Shock Absorbers
- Coil Springs
- Steering and Suspension
- Bushes
- Bearings
- CV Joints
- Linkages
Why should you have your car services?
- Servicing proactively maintains your car
- Reduces the risk of breakdowns
- Helps keep your car road worthy
- Helps maintain your car’s value
Many car owners fully service their car every year or every 12,000 miles, whichever comes earliest.
Essential Care
Oil change and filter replacement
Essential vehicle maintenance checks… all an affordable price
Interim Servicing
Ideal for vehicles used for short, mainly urban driving or for those who do very high mileage, an Interim Service every 6,000 miles or 6 months helps keep your car safe and roadworthy between full services.
Full Service
Ideal for an annual maintenance programme for your car and recommended every 12,000 miles or 12 months whichever is sooner. Some manufacturers may recommend more frequent checks to.help keep your car safe and roadworthy and maintain its value.
Diagnostics
Diagnostics Technology
All modern cars contain on-board computers to monitor and control things like emissions levels, engine temperature and electronic issues. When things go wrong, the computers produce error codes which can only be read with vehicle diagnostics equipment. You may see a warning light on your dashboard, but these only give a small part of the full picture.
We use Snap-on Diagnostics (VERSUS PRO)
Our car diagnostic check picks up these errors and identifies what they mean, so component failures can be prevented before they lead to further damage or expensive repairs!
Engine & Gearbox Repairs
- Oil Pumps
- Radiators
- Water Pumps
- Oil Seals
- Gaskets
- Oil Coolers
- Air Con’s
- Timing Belts & Chains
- Chain Tensioners
- Camshafts
- Pistons & Rings
- Bearings
- Crankshaft
- Cylinder Heads
Clutch & Gearbox Repairs
If your Clutch is starting to fail it could be for one of the reason below it needs attention and the sooner the better call us today.
Judder (Severe Low Frequency Vibration)
Possible Cause: Loose or worn engine mountings, misalignment of engine to gearbox, uneven operation of clutch arm, oil contaminated facings, defective pressure plate, defective driven plate, scored or glazed flywheel, worn spigot bearing.
Slip (Engine accelerates without giving much increase in vehicle speed, burning smell, vehicle will not drive up steep hills)
Possible Cause: Incorrect clutch adjustments, partial seizure of linkage or fouling of pedal preventing the full return of the linkage, worn clutch facings, oil contaminated facings, defective pressure plate and/or broken springs, partially seized mechanism.
Drag (Difficulty in engaging first gear from neutral without making noise, jolt when changing gear with the vehicle in motion, vehicle moves when pedal is fully depressed)
Possible Cause: Incorrect clutch adjustments or lack of fluid in the hydraulic operating system, worn hydraulic system, oil contaminated facings, defective driven plate, buckled plate or seizure on spines, seized spigot bearing or worn spigot.
Fierceness (Sudden move of the vehicle though the pedal is being gradually released)
Possible Cause: Partial seizure of linkage or fouling of pedal preventing the full return of the linkage, uneven operation of the clutch arm, worn hydraulic system, oil contaminated driven plate, misalignment of engine to gearbox, worn spigot bearing.
Brake Repairs
It go without saying brakes are an important part of car safety and regular brake checks are important to identify a problem before it begins to impact your braking efficiency, and give an opportunity to restore the effectiveness of your vehicle’s braking system to its intended operating performance there are many things that could reduce brake effectiveness:
- Seized Caliper
- Seized Drums
- Worn Disc’s
- Worn Drums
- Worn Brake Pads
- Worn Brake Shoes
- Low Brake Fluid
- Fluid Leaks
- Brake Pipes & Hoses
The effects of a sudden brake failure could be devastating and in the event of an accident due to faulty brakes, the consequences of not maintaining an effective braking system could result in prosecution. Your vehicle will also fail its MOT test if braking efficiency is below specification.
Steering & Suspension
Most manufacturers recommend a steering and suspension system check every 50,000 miles. However, if you notice any of the following warning signs, you might want to let one of our experienced technicians inspect it for you.
We will asses for:
- Excessive noise when driving over bumps
- A harsh, bumpy, or shaky ride
- Extreme bouncing and wandering
- Crooked steering wheel
- Your tyres are wearing unevenly
On today’s road your car steering and suspension take a real strain!
- Bearing
- CV Joints
- Linkages
- Shock Absorbers
- Coil Springs
- Power Steering
- Bushes
Exhaust Repairs
- Direct exhaust fumes away from passengers
- Control noise output
- Improve the performance of your engine
- Improve fuel consumption
An exhaust is a series of pipes that links the engine to a silencer and a catalytic converter.
Batteries
Merseyside Car Repairs offers high quality affordable car batteries across Merseyside we get you back on the road when your battery fails. All of our car batteries are fitted free-of-charge whilst you wait and come with a full manufacturers’ warranty.
Car Battery Supply & Testing Service
Merseyside Car Repairs won’t just sell you a battery! Instead we have invested in battery testing equipment to help identify potential electrical problems ensuring that your old battery was actually the issue and not another fault elsewhere in the charging system. Our battery testing equipment will hopefully save you time and money.
Battery testing is in line with our commitment to offer free testing (clutch and brakes too) when possible, to give you the best service available.
Car Battery Maintenance
Merseyside Car Repairs carries out tests on your car battery when you have your car serviced, though it isn’t part of the MOT, you should check your battery regularly. However, in most modern cars, there is little you can do to maintain your car battery yourself, so you are likely to be unaware of a problem until it’s too late. New batteries often have performance indicators and protective covers, so there isn’t much you can check other than the connections. However, to preserve battery life you can make sure that you take your car out on a longer journey once in a while and you avoid leaving your lights on!
4 Wheel Alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment becomes obvious when either the inner or the outer edge of the tyres become unevenly worn or a feathering effect becomes noticeable.
If you suspect your alignment has been disturbed / ask to have it checked by us. In any case, you should get it checked every 6,000 miles or when tyres or steering components have been changed.
Reduced Tyre Wear
Improper wheel alignment is a major cause of premature tyre wear. Over the years, a properly aligned vehicle can add thousands of miles to tyre life.
Better MPG
MPG increases as rolling resistance decreases. Total alignment sets all four wheel parallel which, along with proper inflation, minimizes rolling resistance.
Improved Handling
- Does your car pull to one side?
- Does the steering wheel vibrate?
- Do you constantly have to move the steering wheel to keep your car travelling straight ahead?
Many handling problems can be corrected by total alignment. With all the system components aligned properly, road shock is more efficiently absorbed for a smoother ride.
Tyres
When a motorist has a problem with a tyre they want a quality service, value for money, expert advice and the convenience of a local expert. we use a leverless tyre machine that cannot damage your wheel rims when removing or fitting a tyre. All our prices quoted are fully inclusive of new valve, balancing of wheel, diposal of your old tyre and VAT, no unexpected add ons.
In recognition that the range of tyre types and brands available today can be quite mystifying; your tyre experts are on hand to guide you through your tyre choices to make sure you get the right tyre for you and your car from the extensive range of tyre brands.
Why you need a Replacement Tyre
Not only will replacing your worn tyres improve your fuel efficiency and avoid penalty points on your license, it will keep you safe whilst on the road:
- If the tyre is less than 1.6mm across the central 75% of the tread, you could receive 3 penalty points and a fine of up to £2500 (per tyre).
- Driving with an under-inflated tyre increases the chances of having a serious accident. You may also spend up to £300 extra on fuel and a reduced tyre lifespan.
- Your breaking distance will increase to around 150% of your distance with a new tyre with over 2mm of tread.
- Up to 10 deaths on UK roads per day could be related to tyre failure.
Air Conditioning & Heating
A regular car service will check for obvious faults which may be associated with the air conditioning system, such as drive belt tension, visible signs of refrigerant leaks and loose or faulty compressor or equipment mounting brackets, but it is good practice to have a comprehensive air con service.
Car air conditioners not only keep you cool during those hot summer days, but can also remove humidity from the cabin, this can be handy in the winter to counteract a foggy windscreen.
Running your AC during winter also helps to maintain the system in good working order. Air conditioning systems contain many hoses and seals that can dry out or crack, which could lead to coolant leaks and poor performance.
