Latest news with #car maintenance
BBC News
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Derby student goes from stables to start-up garage
When the Covid pandemic shuttered her studies in horse care, Storm Rogers-Davies said discovering a new path was a "sliding doors" in 2020, the "very practical course" was swapped for online lessons due to the outbreak, making her want to ditch it Rogers-Davies then got work on the assembly line of Toyota's factory in South Derbyshire - after getting a taste for working on cars from her 24-year-old, who now runs a business servicing cars from her home, said: "When an engine light comes up on my car I now know what I'm doing, compared to five years ago when I knew nothing." Reminiscing how it all started, Ms Rogers-Davies said as a child she used to sit by the living room window, watching her dad work on cars."In particular his Renault 5 Turbo, that was one of my favourites," she dad, Simon, worked as an electrician on the London Underground but would also help friends fix their cars.A few years went by and he let his daughter help with his Rogers-Davies, from Mackworth, Derby, said: "I would say I was fascinated with how parts of a car are put together and to me it looked like a jigsaw puzzle."Let's say putting brakes on a car, you have to follow certain steps the same as you would a jigsaw."When I left Toyota I thought I want to learn more and see how far I can take this." Ms Rogers-Davies then enrolled on a level two light vehicle maintenance and repair course at Derby completing the next level of the course, she went on to setting up her own business - Platinum Garage - where she is servicing cars from her training also came into play when her uncle Donald called her after he got a puncture on the A38, that she went out to and fixed."I still watch horse racing and I see the big change I have made, but I am proud of the change because it is going to help people in the future," she Rogers-Davies said her dad would be surprised and also "more than proud" of her career change."I feel like my future is much much clearer now compared to when I left school," she said. Ms Rogers-Davies's tutor at Derby College, Paul Etherington, said her passion for automotives has "certainly helped" her get through the course following the career change."Its always a big step to make a career change," said Mr Etherington."I was a mechanic for 20 years and it was very nerve-wracking for me to go into teaching because I didn't know if I would enjoy it, but I've never looked back."I think as long as you change careers for something you enjoy, you won't look back either."
Daily Mail
13-07-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Mechanic reveals the car mistakes every driver makes – and why they could cost you thousands
A mechanic has revealed why it's dangerous to play 'fuel roulette', on top of the common mistakes most vehicle owners make. Talal Almasri, 42, is a Sydney-based mobile mechanic who has been in the game for 15 years. Mr Almasri said he has seen the same mistakes repeated by hundreds of motorists - including letting their fuel tanks run low. ALL ABOUT FUEL 'It's recommended you don't let your fuel tank get to less than a quarter full,' Mr Almasri told Daily Mail. 'All the dirt at the bottom of the fuel tank will go through the system and cause damage to the fuel pump. 'Every car will always have that bit of dirt sitting at the bottom of the tank - mostly from low-quality fuel. 'Also, if you have a quarter of fuel in the tank, the pump will not overheat. It works harder when there's not enough fuel.' Those low-quality fuels include E10 and Unleaded 91. 'If you fill up with 91, for example, it's cheaper but you will not get the kilometres you would usually get out of a 98 fuel tank,' Mr Almasri said. 'There's no harm in switching fuels, it's better for your car. If you are using the low-quality stuff, you can put Unleaded 98 in once in a while and it'll clean out the system a bit better.' If you are guilty of letting your fuel run low, Mr Almasri warned against trusting the estimated kilometres left in a tank. 'Your dashboard might say you've got 50km left but you'll probably break down before then,' he said. 'It's not accurate, it's an estimate. 'I've been to Airtasker jobs for people who've broken down on the freeway or street and needed someone to bring them some fuel.' KEEPING UP WITH SERVICES Mr Almasri said drivers should ensure their car is being serviced on time. 'It's the number one important thing to keep your car long-term. Maintenance is the key,' he said. 'People are leaving servicing too late. It's supposed to be every six months or 10,000km, whichever comes first. 'If you do a long distance drive around Australia and you do 10,000km in a week, you need to change the oil in the week because you've done the 10,000km. 'If your car sits and you only use it once a week, you need to get it serviced in six months, even if it hasn't done 10,000km, because the oil gets old.' As for how long owners can leave a service after it's due, the mechanic warned there's no 'safe' amount. 'There's no guarantee because each engine is different. The more you leave it, the more at risk you run of getting a failure in the engine,' Mr Almasri said. 'All that old oil will sludge up. Repairs are very expensive.' COLD STARTS Mr Almasri's next tip was aimed at those guilty of driving off in a hurry, particularly in winter. 'You should let your engine warm up in the cold months because the oil needs to lubricate the motor,' he said. 'It's not good to jump in and quickly accelerate. That will just wear the pistons inside the motor. You've got to give it a bit of a warm up before you drive.' MAINTAINING TYRES Another essential maintenance step often overlooked is tyre care. 'Driving with underinflated or overinflated tyres reduces fuel efficiency and causes uneven wear,' Mr Almasri said. 'Many drivers rely on the number printed on the tyre that may be outdated instead of the manufacturer's recommended pressure. 'Failing to rotate tires and check alignment can also affect handling and suspension.' CLEANING YOUR CAR Mr Almasri's final warning was to motorists who don't clean their cars for long periods of time. 'Dirt, road salt and grime buildup can cause rust, especially in the undercarriage and wheel wells,' he said. 'Long-term corrosion compromises structural integrity as well as parts like brake lines or the exhaust system.'
