What oil should I use for my car?

Using the correct oil for your car has never been more crucial. It can have a significant impact on the performance, emissions and long-term wear on your vehicle engine and may even cause component failure. Incorrect oil can cause blocking of EGR valves, DPFs and other emission control systems, turbo failure, engine bearing wear to name but a few possibilities - in more extreme cases these may not be too long before the fault occurs.

It is no longer relevant to use the viscosity rating (for example 10W40 or 5W30), because there can be many variations of the same viscosity oil. It also used to be the case that "some oil is better than no oil," but it's no longer true as the wrong oil can cause you problems.

If you speak to your local garage they will be able to help you identify the correct oil for your vehicle. At Oldfields Garage Services Ltd, Leominster, we use the vehicle registration number to check and ensure the specification supplied meets the manufacturers requirements. We only use premium quality oils when servicing vehicles and our preferred supplier is Millers Oils.

Why did we choose Millers to be our main oil supplier?
We've chosen Millers Oils because they blend the oils themselves in the UK, carry out extensive research and provide technical support to ensure the oils are correct for our customers vehicle. Their automotive range is specially formulated using the latest additives to maximise performance and minimise emissions.

What should I do to top up my oil?
Next time you go to top the oil up on your car or van it might not be sensible to pick one up from the local supermarket (unless it exactly matches your vehicles required specification). I'd recommend you go to your local reputable service or repair garage to ask them to supply you with the correct oil to top it up if required - they might even top it up for you!

Millers Oils provide a useful "which oil" checker here. Other oil manufacturers also provide similar systems.

 

What is the difference between a Service & MOT?

We are sometimes asked what's the difference between a Service and MOT? I'm going to try to explain this as succinctly as possible. In the simplest of terms, the MOT is a legal requirement and must be carried out on Cars and Vans at least once per year to ensure the vehicle is safe for the road. Without a valid MOT, your vehicle will not be able to be legally driven on the road, with the exception of taking it to and from an MOT test centre. 

Servicing on the other hand is aimed at maintaining your vehicle, helping to ensure it operates at its optimum level. Vehicle manufacturers recommend servicing after a certain amount of miles (usually around 10,000) or after a certain period of time (usually 12 months). Timescales and mileage recommendations vary depending on the vehicle and manufacture. Servicing is increasingly important with modern vehicles to ensure miles per gallon efficiency remains strong and components of the vehicle don't wear or damage prematurely - causing  unnecessary expensive repair bills. Items that have a recommended service life can include engine oil & filter, air filter, cabin filter, fuel filter, spark plugs (on petrols), cambelts/timing belts, air conditioning systems, brake fluid and so on. Whilst the vehicle is still in its warranty period it is important to carry out servicing to the schedule set by the manufacturer using parts and oils that meet manufacturer's specification. You don't however have to take your vehicle to a main dealer to keep the warranty valid due to the European Block Exemption Laws. 

With quality servicing there will inevitably be some crossover with the requirements of an MOT and this will vary depending on the level of Service that is carried out. 

For an example on a major service, like our Silver Service we would pre-flush the engine, cleaning the inside of the engine ready for fresh oil and renewing the oil filter. We also change the cabin filter, fuel filter, air filter and spark plugs as necessary, check the vehicle underbonnet levels, tyre condition and pressures along with inspecting safety items, such as brakes, brake pipes and other safety/maintenance checks.

Oldfields Garage Services Ltd in Leominster carry out MOT testing for cars and light vans and provide a variety of servicing options, which can be found by visiting our website.

www.oldfieldsgarage.co.uk/services/servicing

How to choose the best MOT station for your needs?

Here at Oldfields Garage Leominster, we don't believe in rushing an MOT or heavy discounting to entice customers to come to us. 

We aim to provide a fair MOT that ensures our customers and their families are safe in their cars or vans, making you aware of advisory items that may require consideration/attention in the future. We allow 45 minutes to an hour for every vehicle (and if it requires more time to inspect fully we are happy to do that). 

The MOT test is designed to ensure all road using vehicles meet a minimum standard. The standard is set by the DVSA and all MOT testers have to attend an MOT testers course to be able to carry out the test. It is the responsibility of the Testing Station to manage and monitor the quality of the MOT. 

Our MOT testers are experienced and trained technicians who not only carry out MOT tests, but also routine maintenance - giving them a better understanding of assessing vehicle safety.

What vehicles can Oldfields Garage Test?
Oldfields Garages can test Class 4 vehicles. Vehicles are tested based on their Class rating, with cars and vans under 3 tonne being rated as Class 4. Motor Caravans, Dual Purpose Vehicles (such as twin cab pickups), vehicles up to 8 seats and Private passenger vehicles and ambulances 9-12 seats are also class 4. 

For full details on vehicle MOT classes visit https://www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot/mot-test-fees. 

Petrol V Deisel - which is best?

We are often asked whether Diesel Cars are more Economical than Petrol and with the help of Unipart we have put together this article which we hope you will find useful. Years ago when it came to choosing the fuel type for your car the choice was easy. However, these days it is not so simple. With the cost of fuel constantly rising many people are debating whether they should have a car that runs on petrol or a car that runs on diesel. This blog explains the differences between petrol and diesel.

Once upon a time people were very reluctant to buy a diesel car for one reason - they had noisy engines and people often referred to them as trucks. It wasn't long before car manufacturers realised they could refine the diesel engine to make it cleaner, efficient, more powerful and with developments in Dual mass clutch and flywheel technology vibration was taken out from the vehicle cabin. With diesel costing less than petrol at the petrol pumps it was suddenly becoming a more viable option for consumers. However, today the economy is slightly different and diesel is no longer cheaper than petrol which means no longer is it clear cut when choosing which fuel you should opt for.

Consumers often opt for diesel cars because of the reputation they have of 'saving money' However, research has shown that this is not the case and more often than not diesel cars are more expensive to run than petrol cars. A diesel engine may give you more miles per gallon but it could be a number of years before you see any savings because diesel cars cost more to fill than an unleaded car. Not only that, when purchasing a diesel car you are paying a premium for the privilege. If it is a new car then this premium can be as much as £2,000.

With petrol being priced cheaper at the pumps and new advances in petrol engine efficiency it means you are getting more value for money from a petrol engine.

If you drive less than 10,000 miles per year then petrol will always be the best choice for you. The magazine "Which" conducted a study and found it would take an automatic BMW 530d SE diesel – costing £40,945 and doing 40.9mpg – more than 14 years of average motoring to be as cost effective as the petrol-powered 528i SE Step Auto, costing £37,300 and doing 34mpg. While company car drivers who do lots of miles might do well with the more expensive diesel with a £3,645 premium, the report says private buyers should stick to petrol, adding: ‘The premium for the diesel means it will almost never pay back in terms of fuel savings.’

It seems the message is pretty clear at the moment. Town dwellers who do low mileage would benefit from petrol. Anyone who drives lots of miles, particularly if you don't do a good amount of longer journeys (to allow the Diesel Particulate Filter to regenerate properly), would be better suited with a car that uses diesel as fuel.

Return to www.oldfieldsgarage.co.uk

Oldfields Garage Passed the AA Motorcodes Inspection with 100%

We are delighted to announce that we have just been passed as 100% compliant with the Motor Industry Code of Practice Service and Repair Code!

The inspection carried out by The AA found that we had "Excellent customer service and technical knowledge throughout repairer location. Repairer adheres to all the requirements set out by MCL."

Paul Benson said "We are pleased that the AA have recognised the effort the whole team puts in. We try hard to make sure we provide a quality service."

Return to www.oldfieldsgarage.co.uk

Oldfields to Feature on TV

When local couple Tim Benson of Oldfields Garage & Fliss Albert a Hairdresser from Renaissance started planning to build their own home in Kingsland, just outside Leominster; they wouldn't have believed that in just 11 months they would be moving in and it would be featured on a TV programme on More4 called "Building the Dream."

The build was filmed by True North Productions for Channel 4 and they followed the build from start to finish, including spending some time filming at Oldfields Garage and Renaissance to get a bit of background to Tim and Fliss and also at Grange Court in Leominster, where the couple were getting married in September 2014.

The couple who used locally based businesses and trades wherever possible to build the house managed to project manage the build themselves and combined the build with working at Oldfields Garage and Renaissance respectively. Tim said "it was a great experience to be part of the programme and we really enjoyed the process. It helped to make some great improvements to our home. Whilst it was hard work, it was very rewarding and we are really pleased with what we have managed to achieve."

The programme will feature local areas and businesses, including Kingsland village, Border Oak in Kingsland, The Corners Inn in Kingsland, Leominster Town, Grange Court in Leominster, Kingspan in Pembridge, Oldfields Garage Services in Leominster, Renaissance Hair & Beauty in Leominster & Holly Cottage in New Radnor.

The programme is to be aired tomorrow on More4 at 9pm on Tuesday 21st October.

Return to www.oldfieldsgarage.co.uk 

Oldfields Garage carries out MOT test, Servicing, Repairs, Air conditioning, diagnostics, cambelt tracking, 4-wheel alignment, clutch, repairs for cars, 4x4 and light commercials / vans

Oldfields becomes an RAC Approved Garage

We are delighted to announce that we have been selected to become an RAC approved garage!

The RAC scheme is slightly different to others, because nominations have to come from their patrols on the ground. Being recommended is just the start of the process, we had to pass their stringent selection criteria before being fully approved - we are now able to carry out work for RAC customers - where their patrol is unable to fix the vehicle at roadside and as part of their service and repair scheme.  

Paul Benson said "it is great to be associated with such recognised and trusted brands such as the RAC. Passing the selection process can only support our own reputation within the local community."

Return to www.oldfieldsgarage.co.uk