Motoring Guides & Advice

An overhead view of a small car taking a left-hand bend, with red sound waves coming from one front wheel. Dotted lines link that wheel to a tyre under a magnifying glass, to a wheel bearing, and to an MOT clipboard with a tick. The labels ask: tyre or bearing? Which corner? MOT check.

Wheel Bearing Noise or Tyre Noise? How to Tell, Which Corner It Is, and What the MOT Actually Checks

A hum that rises with speed could be a wheel bearing, or just your tyres. Here's how to tell, which corner it is, what fails the MOT and what it costs.

October 20, 2026 · 13 min read

A small hatchback seen from behind, sitting lower on one side. Cutaway windows over the rear wheels show a sound coil spring on the left and a broken one on the right, with a price tag hanging between them asking whether the quote is for one spring or both, and an MOT sheet on a clipboard beside the car.

Coil Spring Replacement Cost: What One Spring or the Pair Should Cost, and What Your MOT Sheet Is Really Telling You

One coil spring fitted costs about £110 to £280, the pair about £175 to £400. Here's how to read your quote, and what your MOT sheet really means.

October 16, 2026 · 15 min read

A long paper quote slip labelled SERVICE PRICE runs diagonally from the upper left towards the lower right, with an amber engine oil bottle, a teal oil filter and a red panel air filter standing on it and a small spanner beside the filter. At the lower left, a blue tray with a dotted outline, labelled EXTRAS, holds a spark plug and a gear cog, joined to the slip by a dotted line, with a small coin beside it. At the lower right, a person in a blue jumper holds the end of the slip and studies it through a magnifying glass, with a closed book labelled HANDBOOK lying at their feet.

How Much Is a Car Service in the UK? What the Chains Charge, and What the Price Leaves Out

What an interim, full or major service costs at the big UK chains, which parts each price covers, and the extras like spark plugs and VAT that reach the bill.

October 13, 2026 · 13 min read

A driver's view over the steering wheel of a diesel on a frosty morning. On the dashboard one amber coil-shaped lamp is lit and flashing. Beside the dashboard, two badges compare the light that comes on steady then goes off, which is normal, with the light that flashes, which means a fault.

Glow Plug Light On or Flashing? What It Means, Whether It Fails an MOT, and What Glow Plugs Cost

A steady coil light at start-up is normal. A flashing one isn't. Here's what it means, when it fails an MOT, and what new glow plugs should cost.

October 9, 2026 · 14 min read

A shop shelf unit seen straight on, with three shelves. The top shelf, labelled GRADE, holds a row of seven plain oil bottles in different shapes and colours. On the middle shelf, labelled APPROVAL, one green bottle is lifted clear of the row and turned to show a back label of ruled lines with one line picked out in amber, a magnifying glass beside it and a tick and a cross to its right. A dotted line runs down from that bottle to an open handbook standing on the bottom shelf, labelled HANDBOOK.

What Oil Does My Car Need? Why Two Bottles of 5W-30 Are Not the Same Oil

Two bottles can both say 5W-30 and not be the same oil. Here is the second thing your car asks for, and the three places it writes it down.

October 6, 2026 · 15 min read

Looking down into an open engine bay under a raised bonnet on a frosty morning. Two hands hold a meter and its probe leads against the two terminals of a car battery, taking a resting reading. A label on the battery reads battery type, a snowflake is marked cold start, and a small clock hints at waiting before you measure.

How to Test a Car Battery: What Your Reading Means, and Why 12.6 Volts Can Still Mean Trouble

Put a meter on it and you'll get a number. Here's what that number means at rest, while the engine cranks and with it running, and what to ask before paying for a new battery.

October 2, 2026 · 12 min read

A workbench seen from directly above. An open car handbook lies in the centre with one line on its right page highlighted and labelled approval code. Four coolant bottles sit at the corners, seen from above as four plain caps in pink, orange, blue and green, none of them labelled. A dotted line runs from the highlighted line to just one of the four caps. A tester tube lies below the handbook, and two hands rest on the open page.

What Coolant Does My Car Need? Forget the Colour, Find the Code, and Test What's Already In There

The colour on the bottle won't tell you. Your car asks for a code, and you can check the strength of what's already in there in about two minutes.

September 29, 2026 · 13 min read

A flat illustration of a workbench. In the centre stands the front end of an engine with its timing cover hinged open like a door, showing a toothed cambelt running around a large pulley and a small one, labelled CAMBELT. Dotted lines run from the belt across to a squared calendar block labelled MONTHS and a rounded odometer drum labelled MILES, both standing on the same bench. An oil drop and a curled offcut of toothed belt lie on the bench, and a pair of hands rests on the edge of the open cover.

Does My Car Have a Cambelt or a Chain? How to Tell, and Why the Years Can Matter More Than the Miles

Your car has a cambelt, a chain or a wet belt, and each one needs something different from you. How to tell which, when it's due, and what the job should cost.

September 25, 2026 · 17 min read

Flat illustration of a car wheel seen face on, with a cut-away window between two spokes revealing the brake disc, the caliper clamped over its top edge and the outer and inner pads, while a kneeling person shines a torch into the opening.

How to Check Your Brake Pads at Home: What You Can See Through the Wheel, and the Number That Fails an MOT

Look at your brake pads through the wheel. What 3mm, 1.5mm and the MIN TH on your disc mean, and why passing an MOT doesn't settle their condition.

September 22, 2026 · 12 min read

A wall rack of seven tyres above a forecourt floor, where a kneeling customer holds a tread gauge against the shoulder of a propped tyre, with the labels PART-WORN, TREAD GAUGE and CHECK SHOULDERS.

Are Part Worn Tyres Legal in the UK? What the Law Makes the Seller Do, and What to Check Before You Pay

Part worn tyres are legal to sell, but only under strict conditions. Here is the 2 mm rule, the markings to look for, and how to check one before you pay.

September 15, 2026 · 14 min read

Flat vector illustration of an oversized MOT emissions result sheet standing upright like a column, with a small driver at its foot shielding their eyes to look up at it and a technician crouching beside a hatchback with a probe in its tailpipe.

Failed the MOT on Emissions? How to Read Your Printout, and What Each Fix Costs

Petrol and diesel are judged on different numbers, and both are on your printout. Here is how to read it, what each fix costs, and the repair to avoid.

September 11, 2026 · 16 min read

Flat vector illustration of a car drawn as two separated shells. A heavy dark inner frame of posts, sills and rails sits on a ground line, labelled STRUCTURE, while a bonnet, front wing, door and bumper float away from it, labelled BOLT ON, each linked back by a dotted line. A person holding a blank document card looks towards the inner frame, with a magnifying glass hovering over it and the labels CAT S and CAT N nearby.

Should You Buy a Cat S or Cat N Car? What the Letters Really Mean, and Why an MOT Isn't a Repair Audit

Cat S and Cat N tell you where a car was damaged, not how badly. Here is what the insurers' own code says, what the log book hides, and why a fresh MOT proves less than you think.

September 8, 2026 · 17 min read