It’s that time of the year again, the clocks have gone forward, lighter nights are here and we’re all looking forward to getting out on the open road and enjoying what spring has to offer.

At Fitch Autos we’re keen to keep you on the road and free from motoring hassle, which is why we thought it’d be a good idea to let you know the common breakdowns we see, and what you can do to avoid them.

Does your car suddenly not start? Or is there is a strange noise coming from the engine? The last thing you need is your car breaking down. In today’s fast-paced world, everyone needs a vehicle to get around, whether it’s to go to the shops or to get to work on time. So, the last thing you need is to discover your car won’t start or isn’t safe to drive.

But the good news is that often there are signs of vehicle breakdown before they happen. This is often spotted by a garage or dealt with during services.

Let’s look at the reasons why your vehicle may have broken down and how Fitch Autos can help.

Filling Up with the Wrong Fuel

Have you ever accidentally filled up with normal petrol when you’ve got a diesel car? You’re definitely not alone. But the problem is, this kind of mistake can damage your engine. The best course of action is to seek immediate attention from a technician to fix the problem. Your system has to be flushed before damage to your engine occurs. Whatever you do, do not start your engine.

Bald or Damaged Tyres

Is the tread thin on your tyres? When was the last time you checked them? A lot of drivers neglect their tyres and this can lead to problems. It’s important to always check the tread so that they’re the legal depth and safe enough for the road.

In addition, you should also check the tyre pressure regularly. It may be the case that your tyres need to be replaced.

The best way you can avoid flat tyres is to book your vehicle in for a vehicle health check. We’ll be able to advise you when you need to replace your tyres as well as spot any other immediate issue that might cause a breakdown.

A Dead Battery

When you’re in a hurry to get places, the worst thing that can happen is that your engine doesn’t start. Well this could be because your battery is flat and all the energy has been drained. In this case, you’ll need some jump cables to help you get started. Alternatively, you may need to replace your battery.

Once you’ve got your vehicle started, give Fitch Autos a call to ensure you don’t have an ongoing fault that’ll leave you stranded again.

An Alternator Fault

The alternator has the responsibility of charging the battery in your car. So, this means that when there’s a fault your battery could go flat and you won’t be able to start your engine. How can you prevent this from happening? Well, if you notice your headlights are dimmer than they usually are this could be a sign that something’s not right. If this is the case, give us a call and one of our mechanics can take a look.

A Problem with the Starter Motor

Just as the name suggests the starter motor helps turn over the engine to get your car started. This means that when there’s a problem, your vehicle won’t start. You’ll need to have a diagnostic evaluation completed by a mechanic to find out what the root of the fault is.

Usually, you can avoid problems by having your car serviced regularly as we check the starting and charging system on even the smallest service.

Clutch Cable Issues

If your gears have started to grind all of a sudden, you could have a problem with the clutch linkage on your car. Using your gears all the time while you’re driving means wear and tear is possible. If you notice changes, then it’s be prudent to ensure this is nothing serious. Prevention is always preferable to cure and normally more cost effective as well.

Brake Troubles

If there’s one thing you need to always ensure is working in your car, it’s your brakes. If you suddenly discover that your brakes are acting up, it’s essential that your car is inspected by a technician.

Your brake pads might be worn or you may just need your brake fluid changed.

Overheating Engine

It’s not safe to drive a car with an overheating engine. This can be caused by a leak or perhaps something wrong with the water pump. Either way you don’t want to be driving your car. If you see the signals on the temperature gauge move into the read, call us immediately.

It could be something as simple as filling up the coolant. But if not, our skilled technician can find out what is going on.

Issue with the Ignition System

Did you know that faulty ignition coils are often the cause of misfires? The ignition system is essential for your vehicle but this coil can wear down over time. This means that the ignition spark won’t be able to ignite the mixture in the cylinder. The best thing that you can do is take your car to the garage and have it looked at by one of the diagnostic technicians. We’ll be able to tell you exactly what’s going on.

Trouble Free Motoring

At Fitch Autos, our aim is to keep you on the road in a car you can trust without breaking down. This is why we have a maintenance plan that offers great value and peace of mind. So whether you need a quick vehicle health check, a service or major overhaul, give us a call as we’re here to help.

At Fitch Autos our focus is on keeping you safe whilst offering great value. We are asked a lot of motoring questions, a common one of those being “which tyres should I buy for my car?”

The range of tyres that Fitch Autos can offer is extensive so we thought it would be a good idea to let you know our thoughts on what’s hot and what’s not.

Unless you are a car enthusiast, you probably don’t think about what new tyres you choose for your vehicle. After all, they all do the same thing, right? While this is mostly true, there are going to be some tyres that do a better job than others when it comes to safety, durability and fuel efficiency.

There are two types of tyres out there, you’ve got the budget tyres and the premium tyres. The big brands that you know, like Continental and Michelin, are the premium tyres and they tend to cost more. Budget tyres are going to be brands that you’re less familiar with and they’ve got a lower price tag.  

This guide is going to look at the main differences between budget and premium tyres so that you can make the best choice for your car.

Safety in Bad Weather

If you live in the UK, you know just how bad the weather can be. This is especially true in the winter months when there can be heavy rain, snow and ice. This means that you need the best tyres that are going to be able to cope with poor road conditions. It’s probably not a surprise to hear that premium tyres can deal with bad weather better than budget tyres. Testing has shown that when you apply the brakes in bad weather, they could help your car stop faster than it would with budget tyres.

The Durability Aspect

Nobody wants to pay out a lot of money for new tyres and have to replace them within a short time. So, this means looking at the materials and compounds tyres are made from to see if they’re going to last. Well, we’ve done that hard work for you. Generally, premium tyres are going to last longer than budget tyres. This is down the quality of the materials that are used and they’re going to be able to deal with all kinds of terrain too. While you have to pay more money at first, they’ll last longer, which could save you money later down the line.

However, if you don’t drive a lot, budget tyres may still be a good choice for you. You won’t have to pay out a lot of money and you probably won’t notice the difference if you don’t drive very often. If you do drive a lot of miles every day, you could see the difference with premium tyres and your wallet or purse will definitely feel it too.

Overall Fuel Efficiency

If you’re a driver and there is an opportunity to save on fuel, you’ll want to take it. Well, the good news is that premium tyres may offer you some yearly savings when it comes to fuel. This is due to having low rolling resistance and while you pay out more money at first, it may save you money at the petrol station. So, if you think that budget tyres are going to be cheaper, then this may only apply when you first purchase them.

Budget v Premium Tyres – Who Wins?

Looking at what the industry experts have to say, it looks like premium tyres are the clear winner here. When it comes to safety, premium tyres are going to be able to cope with rain, snow and ice a lot better than budget tyres. It’s all down to the higher quality materials used and that is what you pay for. In terms of durability, premium tyres are also going to last longer and this means you won’t have the hassle or price of having to get them replaced any time soon. There are even savings to be made at the petrol station when you choose premium tyres.

For some drivers, budget tyres may still be a good option. For example, if you live somewhere that doesn’t experience a lot of rain or snow, budget tyres will be safe for your vehicle. In addition, if you don’t drive very often or long distances, you probably won’t benefit from the durability and fuel efficiency of premium tyres. You will most likely want to choose the most affordable tyres at the time you need them.

We’re keen to help you make the right tyre choice for your vehicle. So if you’re looking for the right mix of durability, performance and value then give our team at Fitch Autos a call today.

At Fitch Autos we are very keen to keep you on the road in a car you can trust. The Fitch Autos technical team specialise in technical diagnosis so we’ve put together this quick 3 minute read to answer that all important question.

So, one of your dashboards’ warning lights is showing. What are you supposed to do?

Our cars are complex pieces of engineering, that nowadays have a lot in common with airline jets than a car of just a few years back. They all have dozens of computers keeping our vehicle’s systems operating as smoothly as possible.

But how do you know when one of these systems requires attention? This is where the dashboard warning system comes into its own.

Every time we start our cars and switch on the engine the dashboard lights up. A few seconds later, the lights should all go off again. But what if any one of them doesn’t?

The ones to be most aware of are the Stop-the-Car warning lights. These are the most serious because they warn that something important on the needs you to stop as safely as possible to possibly stop serious damage being caused.

This list of the most common dashboard lights that lead to people calling us includes:

The Engine Management Light

Usually in the shape of an engine that’s been lit up this lamp highlights that the engine has s a mechanical or electrical fault. It comes if and when one of the engine’s systems is outside its normal parameters and indicates that attention is needed.

Any failure to heed this warning could lead to more damage occurring or even the car breaking down. A simple diagnostic evaluation by the garage should identify the cause and indicate whether it’s a quick fix or something more substantial that needs to be done.

The Braking System Light and ABS Warning Light

The brake related lights on the dashboard show when there are faults with the car’s braking systems. These faults could have very dangerous consequences so the lights cannot be ignored.

The ABS lamp

This relates to the car’s Anti Lock Braking System and may be warning that your braking distance may be affected, there is a bigger likelihood of you skidding and your ability to steer whilst braking could be impaired.

The Power Steering Failure Lamp

A power-steering fault usually coincides with a car becoming extremely heavy to steer and difficult to control. Manoeuvering the vehicle at slow speeds may still be possible, but driving at anything approaching normal speed would be extremely dangerous.

The Airbag Warning Light

Indicating faults with the airbag system this light is not telling you anything about the way your car will handle or drive. What it does say is that airbag malfunction is likely and this can’t be ignored because the consequences could be extremely serious, especially if there is an accident. Airbags are integral to a modern car’s safety system and cannot be treated as optional extras.

The Oil Pressure Light

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Warning of low oil levels or significant loss of oil pressure, this light is likely to come on when there is insufficient oil or because of a serious mechanical failure. You should pull over as safely as possible because continuing to drive could lead to complete engine failure and even more serious damage.

The Cooling System Light

Coolant stops the engine from overheating. This warning says that by carrying on driving may cause the vehicle to seize up or it will suffer from impaired performance with serious engine damage highly likely.

So, now you hopefully know the most important lights of which to take heed. Failing to act on their warnings could lead to a lot of unnecessary expense, which we are keen to help you to avoid.

At Fitch Autos, we are experts in this field and can fix even the most complex systems in your car. Our skilled technicians guarantee that they will always give you peace of mind and great value when we maintain your car.

Call us today. We’re here to help!

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If you drive in and around Walsall then you’ll be as aware as I am that we seem to have our fair share of potholes on our roads. You may have even hit one recently.

When you realise you’ve gone over a pothole, it’s the worst feeling in the world. This is especially true when you discover your car has been damaged by the incident – often your tyres or wheels. We all know how expensive this can be and it can annoying when you had to go over the pothole on a busy road, it’s difficult to avoid so it feels like it wasn’t your fault.

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But, there is some good news. You may be due compensation for the outlay to repair your vehicle. The compensation is only available for the damage from the pothole, but a lot of people don’t know they can claim for this and lose out.

So, what is the process of claiming for damage? Let’s take a look.

Collect All the Evidence

Evidence is always needed to be successful in a compensation claim. This is going to show the relevant authority that it was their pothole that caused damage to your vehicle. So, while you may be annoyed when it first happens, take photographs as soon as possible. This should be of the pothole and what street it is on, as well as the damage to your vehicle. The relevant authority will need the whole story in order to award you compensation.

Don’t forget to make some notes about the incident too. This can include the size, location and depth of the pothole. All of this may help you to win your compensation claim and potentially receive money for the incident. The more evidence you have the better and the more chance you have of being successful.

Ask for Repair Costs

In order to claim compensation, you need to know how much the repairs costs are for your vehicle. At Fitch Autos we can carry out a vehicle health check and see if repairs are required. Be sure to keep the quotes and bills somewhere safe so that when they are needed to support your claim, you have them to hand as evidence.

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Contact The Authority Responsible for the Pothole

Of course, an important stage of the process is contacting the local authority or the organisation that is in charge of the road. This is going to let them know that there is a pothole and it caused damage to your car. Send over all your evidence so they can review it.

If there is a pothole that caused damage and it’s on a local street near your home or on the way to work, contact the local council in that area. But if the incident happened on an A-road or motorway, you are going to have to contact the authority in the country that takes care of it.

In England it is Highways England, Scotland has Transport Scotland, Wales use Traffic Wales and Northern Ireland have Department for Infrastructure. You can find their contact details on their website to submit your claim. Make sure to send your evidence and say that you would like a response for your compensation claim.

Patience Is A Virtue

The next stage is to wait and see what the result of your compensation claim is. It can take a while to hear back about your compensation. If the process is straight forward, this may only take a few weeks, but it is not uncommon for claims to take several months.

It is important to remember that there is the possibility that your claim will be rejected. You should be prepared for this.

Escalate Your Claim

Again, not all compensation claims are going to be successful. But if you would still like to try and get your money back from car repairs, you can try bringing your case to the Small Claims Court. But we’d say that you really have to have a strong case to consider this option. You’ll need to seek legal advice and there are fees for bringing your claim here.

At Fitch Autos, our primary focus is to ensure your vehicle is safe and in a roadworthy condition. It’s not uncommon for wheel alignment to be affected after hitting a pothole. Even if your tyre and wheel appear to be undamaged it’ll be worth popping in so that we can check your wheel alignment and carry out a quick health check.

This will not only ensure your safety, but check that your tyres will not have their service life reduced by bad alignment.

Give us as a call today to book your appointment.

Fitch Autos has over 30 years experience offering great customer service, affordable pricing and a high level of service and expertise for your vehicle.

We want to keep the motorists in and around the Brownhills and Burntwood areas safe, and so we’re keen to share useful tips on how you can save money and maintain your vehicle to a high roadworthy standard. With this in mind, I thought I’d fill you in as to why it’s worth dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s when it comes to making sure your wheel alignment is spot on.

The majority of us only think about checking our vehicle’s wheel alignment when we have a serious issue with our steering. Not regularly checking that your wheels are aligned could be costing you in both the short and the long term.  

The cost of a vehicle’s wheel alignment is a small price to pay when you compare it to the wealth of benefits it provides.

Save on Fuel

For a start, proper wheel alignment makes sure your tyres don’t wear out unevenly and earlier than they should. It also ensures you consume less fuel.

Both of these have a direct impact on your pocket. Take fuel consumption. It is estimated vehicles with incorrect wheel alignment suffer a fall in fuel efficiency of as much as 7%.

If you are a motorist who drives 15,000 miles a year, and your car is giving you on average 51 miles per gallon, when a gallon costs £5.27, by getting your wheel alignment sorted properly you will save almost £110 on the annual cost of the fuel you buy.

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Save On Tyres

If your wheel alignment is incorrectly set, the result can be rapid and irregular tyre wear that can also affect the safety and handling of the vehicle. When tyres are incorrectly aligned, you will wear the rubber more quickly which could create handling errors. When tyres are misaligned, they will also wear out unevenly relative to each other.

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If you also factor in the savings you will be making on not having to replace tyres before time, you will be saving many times what it would cost to pop to the garage to have your wheel alignment checked.

Interestingly, wheel alignment is in the top three causes of tyres wearing unevenly. The others are incorrect tyre pressures and mechanical part failures.

Wheel alignment can be knocked out of true by any impact on your wheels. This can be caused by simply driving over potholes, clipping kerbs, going over sleeping policemen and other speed slowing humps too quickly.

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So, to run through the benefits of having your wheels aligned properly, you will find:

• The chances of having to buy tyre replacements are greatly diminished. The life of any tyre is limited, but with the help of wheel alignment, you can greatly increase a tyre’s life. It’s friction between the road and the rubber along with braking that wears a tyre out over time. Alignment keeps your tyres straight for longer periods, which enhances their overall life.
• There is less wear and tear on tyres, wheels and other connected components. Wheel alignment reduces the risks of wear and tear, saving money in the long term because you won’t need to visit the repair shop often.
• You will save on the cost of fuel because the efficiency of your car increases giving you better mileage.
• There will be a decreased chance of accidents, most of which are not caused by drivers, and are too often down to a faulty vehicle. Driving without wheel alignment automatically increases the chance of an accident, which can cost a lot of money to put right.

It’s worth keeping in mind that the cost of keeping your wheels correctly aligned is bound to be far less than the cost of replacing four tyres that wear out too soon. In our book, prevention is always a better option than a cure 🙂 At Fitch Autos we have the very latest training and technology to ensure that your wheel alignment is correct. This not only saves you money but ensures your safety.

Call today to get your alignment checked

Fitch Autos have been looking after motorists in and around Walsall for years. We’re very keen to give great value to the local community and always listen to your comments and questions. With this in mind, I thought it’d be a good idea to share our ,knowledge on the benefits of regular car servicing and how using the right repairer will save you both time and money.

The value in having your car regularly maintained should not be underestimated – especially as it can save money and prevent inconvenient breakdowns. The RAC, who assist more than 2.5 million roadside breakdown calls each year, says that a high number of these breakdowns are caused by the owner neglecting to have routine maintenance performed.

Having your car serviced will spot potential issues before they become a big problem. Many drivers perceive the cost of a vehicle service as being something they’d rather not have to find the funds for. In reality, though regular servicing will save you money.

A good example of this would be brake repairs. Finding that your vehicle requires the brake pads replacing as they reach the end of their service life is a natural occurrence.

Leave this too long though and worn out pads will also damage the brake discs. In such instances, the discs may have had an additional service life of many 1000’s of miles. Depending on the vehicle you could save £100’s of pounds by having these checked on a regular basis and avoid unnecessary replacement.

Regular car servicing can also reduce your fuel bill. Modern cars (and vans) are finely tuned machines and even something simple such as not changing your oil and filter can have a detrimental effect on fuel consumption.

There are one or two items as a driver that can be inspected regularly to save money. Checking tyre pressures, engine oil level and even topping up your washer fluid weekly can be done at home.

That being said modern vehicles are a feat of engineering which means there are many elements of car service that require a trained technician, with the right information and tooling to complete effectively.

Attempts to carry out many maintenance tasks by your average motorist could lead to a more expensive repair if the inner workings of the vehicle are not fully understood.

Independent garage v Franchised dealership

Who should you select to service your car or van? There are a number of reasons why selecting a quality independent to maintain your vehicle is preferable to picking a franchised dealer.

For a franchised dealer the scale of business tends to be much larger than that of the quality independent repairer. The high costs to run such a business often mean that repairs can be more expensive than that of a comparable quality independent garage.

One recent survey found that franchised dealers’ quotes can be as much as 18% higher than those provided by independent garages.

As well as the cost consideration, reputable independent garages usually offer a more personalised service with a high level of attention on customer satisfaction. Franchised dealers often have large marketing budgets whereas your independent garage will rely on recommendation and word of mouth.

But…. Does and independent have the necessary skill set to repair your car? Many quality independents are operated by highly skilled and dedicated technicians. Repairing cars is more often a passion than just a job. These guys attend many training courses and stay current with the latest vehicle technology to become officially certified.

When visiting an independent garage for your car service, you are also more likely to speak directly to the mechanic that has been repairing your vehicle. He or she will be able to share their expertise and let you know exactly what’s been going on under the bonnet should you wish to know.

What to expect from a car service

The duration between one service and the next can vary greatly depending on the car and your driving style. However, there are certain items that tend to be inspected by most workshops on each service. These tend to be:

· Front and Rear Lights: All front, rear, side, lights are inspected for correct operation. Hazard lights and indicators are also checked, as are the registration lights, fog lights and brake lights.

· Fluids: The washer fluid bottle is topped up, the engine coolant and power steering fluid are checked and topped up if required. The oil and filter may also be changed.

· Brakes: The front and rear brakes are measured to ensure serviceability. The brake fluid is checked and topped up if required. Your brake pipes will also be inspected.

· Wheels and tyres: Your wheels and tyres will be inspected for damage. Tyre tread depth will be checked and reported upon to ensure they are above the legal limit and serviceable. Tyre pressure are also adjusted if required.

· Electrics: Your battery will be tested for serviceability, as will your charging system and starting system.

· Instruments: Your dashboard display will be checked to ensure all gauges and warning lights operate correctly, as will your horn.

· Windscreens: A clear view of the road is important so your windscreen will be inspected for damage, along with the wiper blades and washer nozzles.

· Engine: Components are tested and checked including the radiator, clutch, air and fuel filters, coolant hoses, auxiliary drive belt, spark plugs (if fitted), fuel lines, and the exhaust system.

· Interior: Seat belts will be checked along with all mirrors, seats, interior lights, doors and locks and finally the handbrake.

One last thing… It’s worth mentioning that there are other financial benefits to having your vehicle serviced regularly.

Having a full-service history when you come to sell your car will reassure prospective buyers that you’ve cared for the car and increase its value and saleability.

So there you go. Servicing your car just makes sense, but which independent should you choose?

We’re obviously a little biased, but having been established in Brownhills for so long we’d like to think the many recommendations we receive from existing customers will guarantee you quality workmanship, outstanding customer service and great value.

So if you live in and around Walsall then Fitch Autos are your obvious choice.

Call us today to see how we can help you!

We recently had a Nissan Qashquai in with us with a severe lack of power and multiple lights on the dashboard.

A code scan revealed the codes listed above.

Carrying out an in-depth assessment before any DPF cleaning took place, we were able to establish the causes of the DPF blocking, meaning that these could be repaired before cleaning, which would stop the DPF from blocking up again.

The vehicle was returned to our customer in full working order, with all issues resolved and the DPF completely clean after verifying the vehicle would regenerate on the road.

An assessment is massively important and we find that only half of all the vehicles we see need a clean – a lot are other issues on the vehicle causing the engine management to think the DPF is blocked.

Our assessment is £90 including VAT and could save you hundreds on unnecessary repairs.

To book yours, call us on 01543 452630 today.

We’ve had a Peugeot 308 2015 in today for an increasingly common issue…. the alarm keeps going off when locked up after having a flat battery.

The newer Peugeot’s seem to lose some settings in the body control module that even a classic BSI reset won’t rectify.

Luckily, we have the genuine Diagbox software and interface, so we can download the original config files and re-upload them to the vehicle and resynchronize the keys so the vehicle alarm stops going off.

For any specialist diagnosis or software issues on new Peugeot or Citroen vehicles, give us a call on 01543 452630.

Another day, another Adblue issue on a vehicle…..

A Mercedes C200 came in to us with a warning on the dash saying “Adblue Dosing Fault – No Restart in — miles”

Using our Mercedes genuine software, we were able to check the operation of all related Adblue system components and ensure they were all functioning as normal.

From there we then carried out a check on all available software for the vehicle.

This vehicle had a software update for the SCR system available.

We were able to update the software to the latest release, carry out all the necessary resets and have the vehicle back on the road.

We invest in training and the right tools to ensure we can carry out specialist work on many brands.

If you have an Adblue issue or a complicated fault that needs diagnosing, give us a call on 01543 452630.