FAQs

In order to investigate this further we would require your vehicle to be booked in with us for a health check. The heater not working can be down to the possibility of a number of things; heater switch, heater fan motor or the coolant level.

A smell in the vehicle from the air vents could be down to a number of issues; pollen filter needing replacing, the air conditioning due to be regassed. As a first point of call we would advise on booking in with our technicians to investigate the issue further.

This could be down to the gas running out of the air conditioning tank or a wider issue. At Bsmart Autocentre we offer an air conditioner regas service. If you would like to book in with us please give us a call on 0113 242 6338

A diagnostic test would be required if you have a warning light on your dashboard. Please note that there are several lights which may appear on your dashboard. One of more warning lights can appear randomly on your dashboard. You may notice performance issues with your vehicle when a warning light is displayed. For example, your vehicle moving with limited power and feeling sluggish.

Your service warning light is an indicator to prompt you that your service is due. Your service history book will provide you with more information on when your last service was completed. If you are unsure you can either book in for a health check or alternatively we can book in an interim service for you which is our cheapest service package and take a look at the other areas which are covered under a major service to see if other areas require a service. Please note that this would be quoted before proceeding with the work. Please see our services section for a full breakdown of what’s included in the three service options.

As a first point of action we would advise on a diagnostic test on your vehicle where we plug a device into your vehicle which will provide a result and diagnosis for the warning light. Please note that engine management warning light could be down to something minor or major so driving the vehicle would be at your own risk. Please click here to view more information on our diagnostic test.

There are a number of reasons why you may have a light on your dashboard. We offer a diagnostic service where we plug a device onto your vehicle which will allow our technician to advise on a resolution for the issue. If you would like to book in for a diagnostic test please give us a call on 0113 242 6338.

Some newer vehicles have a teacup warning light to advise you to take a break if you have been driving for too long. Safety comes first when driving.

New engine oil from a container will always be a clear golden colour a bit like syrup. Once the engine has been run, oil within the engine will quickly change to a dark brown colour which is also normal. Oil for a diesel vehicle will turn a black colour.

If your vehicle is still driveable we would advise on getting in touch with us first so that we can look into a quote for a replacement battery and then booking in for our technicians to replace and test your vehicle. For more information can be found here.

You should be given any service history at the time of purchasing the vehicle. At Bsmart Autocentre we offer a health check where we can take a look at your new vehicle and advise you if there are any areas of concern. You can also view the vehicle last MOT details by clicking on the following link: https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-status

You should be given any service history at the time of purchasing the vehicle. In the book there will be a date, the type of service completed, the mileage at the time of the service and a business stamp from the garage it was completed by last. If you’re in doubt and don’t have this information we can offer a vehicle health check which involves taking a look at the key safety areas of the vehicle.

There are a number of steps you must complete in order to check your vehicle engine oil. First of all you need to make sure your vehicle is cool and parked on a level ground. Checking your vehicle oil on a hill won’t give you a clear guide of how much oil is required for top up or the amount of oil in the tank. The next step is to find the dipstick, you will need to pull this out and clean off with a cloth. After completing this step you will notice two marks on the dipstick which will indicate the maximum and minimum levels required for the oil. When you have cleaned this place the dipstick back into the tank till this has fully submerged and then pull back out again. This will show if your oil needs topping up. If the oil is below the halfway mark between the minimum and maximum level we would advise on topping up the oil. Please do this a little at a time just to ensure you don’t add more than you need to. We would advise on checking the oil everytime you top up by completing the dipstick check process mentioned previously. Please make sure you have correctly closed the cap and bonnet when completing the checks and top up. At Bsmart Autocentre we offer an oil top up and check. If you would like more information or would like to book in please call us on 0113 242 6338.

Common signs of wipers which need replacing are streaking on the glass, screeching sound, wiper blades bouncing when they are in use. If you would like a quote on replacement wipers and fitting please give us a call on 0113 242 6338 or complete our online form.

You can look at your vehicle’s service book to view the last service date, alternatively we advise on having an interim service every 6,000 miles or 6 months. If your car service light was reset when you last had your service completed the warning light should appear again on your dashboard to advise you when this is due again.

Some signs and symptoms can be a poor brake response, vibrating and grinding brakes. If you’re in doubt please book in for a vehicle health check and our experienced technicians will investigate this further.

It is extremely important that you check what engine oil your vehicle requires before topping up in your vehicle. This can be confirmed by checking your handbook, contacting the manufacturer or getting in touch and speaking to one of our experienced members of staff who will be able to advise. Contact us

Usually when coolant needs topping up you may get a dashboard warning light depending on how new/old your vehicle is. We advise on checking your vehicle handbook to find the location of the coolant filler cap. The coolant level should be between the min/max marks which appear on the side of the tank. If there is evidence of wet or white staining on the hoses this could be a sign of potential issues. If the coolant does require topping up we advise on doing this when the engine is cold as you could be scalded by pressurised hot water when releasing the coolant cap. If the level has dropped vastly we would recommend bringing your vehicle to the garage for a technician to investigate the issue further.

A vehicle MOT is required on a yearly basis. The reasons for this being a requirement is to ensure that the vehicle you are driving is safe and roadworthy. It is a government legal requirement to have an MOT completed for your vehicle. If you drive your vehicle with an invalid MOT you will be prosecuted and further action will be taken.

The new MOT rules specify that any warning lights in the dashboard will be classed as a failed MOT. A full breakdown of the latest MOT rules can be found by clicking on the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mot-changes-20-may-2018

To complete an MOT test for your vehicle you must book in with us. At the time of your booking you will be asked if you will be waiting for your vehicle whilst the test is being completed or simply dropping off and picking up. The MOT tester will check the following areas of the vehicle; brakes, bodywork, door/openings, exhaust and emissions, horn, lights, seats and seatbelts, steering, tow bar, vehicle identification, wheels and tyres, windows and mirrors. The test will take approximately 45 – 60 minutes. Once the MOT test has been completed you will be given a call advising whether your vehicle has passed or failed with a detailed breakdown. A member of staff will provide a full breakdown of quote if further work is required on your vehicle in order to pass the MOT test.

If your MOT has failed we would advise on speaking to the MOT technician or a member of staff in further detail about the failures on the certificate. You will be given a VT30 which is a refusal MOT test certificate. An MOT test is to check the safety of your vehicle on a yearly basis and if there are failures on your test we would advise on getting these fixed. Please note without a valid MOT certificate you are unable to drive the vehicle.

If your vehicle MOT has expired please give us a call immediately on 0113 242 6338 and we can book you into the next available slot. In the meantime we would advise on not driving your vehicle as this is a driving offence. Please note that the only time you can drive your vehicle without a valid MOT is when you are driving to a pre-booked MOT appointment. Your vehicle must also be insured, if you do not have insurance we can arrange a vehicle recovery service (additional cost).

If your vehicle has failed it’s MOT you have a few options to choose from. You can leave it with us to be fixed. Please note that the repairs must be fixed within 10 working days. If you choose to have the repairs fixed elsewhere you may bring it back to Bsmart Autocentre for a free partial retest within 10 working days. If you bring your vehicle back after 10 working days you will be charged for a full MOT test.

You are able to book in your MOT test 30 days before the expiry date of your current MOT without it affecting the expiry date.

Class 4 vehicles are cars and smaller vans. Class 7 vehicles are heavier vehicles for example, commercial vehicles carrying a capacity of 3,000kg to 3,500kg. If you are unsure what class your vehicle falls under please give us a call on 0113 242 6338.

If you’re not sure when your MOT is due you can either call us on 0113 242 6338 or alternatively click on the following link: https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-status

We can offer you a MOT precheck of the vehicle which would be £25. At the end of the check we would present to you our findings from the inspection and any major or minor issues. We would advise on booking in for a precheck if you don’t consistently maintain your vehicle on a regular basis.

If you have your MOT repairs completed at another garage you may bring it back to Bsmart Autocentre for a retest for a fee of £25/£30 within 10 working days from when the initial test was carried out. Please get in touch for more information.

Your exhaust can be rattling for a number of reasons and the different sounds or rattling can be down to a blockage in the exhaust system, the exhaust system becoming misaligned, something touching the exhaust pipe or maybe a broken support bracket on the exhaust. As a safety measure we would advise on booking your vehicle in for a mechanic to investigate further.

An engine ticking noise can be down to a number of issues whether your vehicle is stationary or moving. A number of issues could be a low amount of engine oil, an issue with the fuel injectors, valves. The best approach would be to bring the vehicle into us for a full investigation to try and identify the root of the issue.

There can be many reasons why your vehicle will be making a noise. At Bsmart Autocentre we offer a vehicle health check for £25. See vehicle health check page.

Your vehicle should not make any strange noises when driving, especially a knocking noise. This could be down to a number of issues including brakes, steering or suspension. In order to get to the root of the issue we would need one of our mechanic technicians to take a look at the vehicle to investigate this further.

A screeching noise can be down to a number of issues with the vehicle one of them being your brake pads being worn. If your vehicle is still driveable you are able to book in for a health check for £25 for us to investigate the issue and also view other areas of the vehicle. Another option would be to view your car service history and see when the brake pads were last changed or if there were any work completed on your brake pads and discs.

There are certain parts that we will / will not fit. Please contact us for more information. Please note that there is no guarantee on the parts fitted which have been supplied by the customer.

If you have a vehicle booked in with us for any repairs you will receive a 12 month warranty on any replacement parts supplied by Bsmart Autocentre Ltd.

A timing belt is also known as a cam belt and is a part of the vehicle’s engine. It’s main purpose is to control the engines camshaft/s, ensuring that this is also aligned with the crankshaft, controls the opening/closing of the vehicles intake and exhaust valves. A timing belt can lose it’s tension after a period of time (depending on the age of the vehicle). More information can be found here

At Bsmart Autocentre we accept the following payment types: BACS, Maestro, Mastercard Debit, Visa Debit and cash. Unfortunately we do not accept credit cards.

Yes, you can. Prior to bringing this down to the garage we would require full details; name, car registration plate, address, contact information, third party recovery company, potential cause of the breakdown. We would also require notice on when the vehicle would reach our location. More information can be found here

All quotes provided by Bsmart Autocentre are valid for 30 days from the day the quote was given.

Yes, we do. You are able to book in your vehicle with us if you have a warranty package/cover with a third party company. If you would like further information on the process for this please get in touch with your third party warranty company for the process before booking in with us.

At Bsmart Autocentre we are able to provide a service for any non UK registered vehicles. Please note that delivery timescales for part/s replacements can vary depending on supplier and if we need to purchase the parts from another country. In order to book your vehicle in we would also require the chassis number as this will give us an accurate overview of the vehicle make.

At Bsmart Autocentre we provide three different service types: Interim, full and major service. Full details can be found by clicking here. If you are unsure what service to go ahead with please give us a call on 0113 242 6338 and we will advise.

We provide three types of services at Bsmart Autocentre to give our customers the option to choose the most appropriate service. Please visit our Services page for more information and what each service includes or alternatively give us a call on 0113 242 6338

There are a number of reasons for smoke coming out of your exhaust. Usually it can simply be a build up of normal condensation inside the system which will disappear quickly. However, if this isn’t the case it could be down to a blown head gasket, a damaged cylinder head, cracked engine block, damaged turbo, over fueling or possibly an exhaust requiring replacement due to wear and tear. If you’re in doubt please give us a call to book your vehicle in for a health check on 0113 242 6338.

We would advise on avoiding continuing to drive your vehicle as this can put a strain on the running of your vehicle and other functioning areas. The sluggish mode is most commonly down to the DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) issue. At Bsmart Autocentre we offer a DPF cleaning service where we take the DPF off the vehicle and thoroughly clean this using air, water and a non flammable detergent. As a first step we would advise on booking your vehicle in with a vehicle technician to investigate the issue further and find the root of the problem

Sometimes drivers can experience issues with the gearbox sticking and not moving smoothly into gear when pressing down on the clutch. This can be down to a low transmission fluid, thickness of fluid, worn clutch, internal gearbox issue or simply that the shift cables or clutch linkages require adjusting. (please note that we are only specialised in repairing manual gearboxes)

This could be down to a number of issues. One of them could be your vehicle battery needing replacing. We would advise on booking your vehicle in with us to complete a full vehicle check to establish the issue. This costs £25, please call us if you would like to book in.

We advise on the following:

INTERIM SERVICE (recommended every 6 months or 6,000 miles)
FULL SERVICE (recommended every 12 months or 12,000 miles)
MAJOR SERVICE (recommended every 24 months or 24,000 miles)

If in doubt, please give our team a call on 0113 242 6338

In all cases, when your vehicle is booked in for a service with Bsmart Autocentre, we will use high quality parts and oil which are recommended by your manufacturer – we will not use cheap servicing parts under no circumstances as we know that these parts compromise safety and undermine our care and workmanship.

At Bsmart Autocentre we offer a third party vehicle recovery service. Please give us a call on 0113 242 6338 for a free quote.

When we complete any repairs or services you will receive a 12 month guarantee on the parts (only) provided from Bsmart Autocentre. Please note that the 12 month applies from the day your vehicle is booked in. If an issue arises within 12 months which is related to a previous repair or service completed by Bsmart Autocentre then please get in touch and we will happily investigate further.

There are many reasons why your vehicle might be pulling to one side. It could be anything from the wheels being misaligned or something which would require investigation first. We offer a health check for £25 or we can offer a wheel alignment service to see if this resolves the issue as a starting point.

A steering wheel vibration could be down to a number of issues but the most common cause can be your wheels being out of balance. We offer a wheel balancing service or alternatively can offer a health check for £25 to investigate the issue and check your vehicle.

Wheel balancing and wheel alignment are two separate services we provide at Bsmart Autocentre. Wheel balancing addresses the distribution of weight around each wheel. Wheel weights are applied to the wheel to counterbalance any heavy spots in the wheel. If a wheel is out of balance it may cause a vibration which will be noticeable in the steering wheel when driving. We advise on checking your wheel balancing every 5,000 miles or every 2 years, or once a year if you drive your vehicle on rough roads. Also, if you do get a flat tyre, new tyre or repair we would advise on balancing your wheels.

Wheel alignment involves adjusting the angles of the wheels so that they are perfectly parallel. Wheels which are not perfectly aligned can cause excessive wear on your tyres, increased fuel consumption. Sometimes wheel alignment can be referred to as tracking or geometry. Two of the possible symptoms of wheels being misaligned is your vehicle pulling or drifting to one side or steering at an angle when you are driving the vehicle on a straight road.

A locking nut is required to remove your alloy from your vehicle. If you do not have this we can provide a locking wheel nut removal service using our specialist tools which would be an additional cost, alternatively a locking wheel nut can be ordered from your local dealership.

The first digits is the nominal width of your tyre in mm. For example, 195. The second digits is the aspect ratio, the height of the tyre sidewall as the percentage of the nominal width. R is the radial construction. The final digits 16 is the diameter of the wheel in inches.

A tyre pressure warning light could be down to a number of issues; low pressure, leaking valves, slow puncture or a puncture. We have a team of tyre experts who will be able to take a look at this for you.

On newer vehicles the tyre pressure recommendations are listed on a sticker on the inside of your drivers door or fuel cap. If you don’t have this on your vehicle you can have a look at your car manual which will list this information. Alternatively you can give us a call on 0113 242 6338.

Tyre sizes can be viewed by looking at the sidewall of your tyre. For example 195 / 55/ R 16. If you are not sure you can send and email us a picture of your tyre so we can take a look or alternatively you can drive in for us to check.

Tyre depth can be easily measured using a 20p coin. All you need to do is insert the 20p coin into the lowest tread depth. If you’re unable to see the outer rim around the edge of the coin then your tyre is classed as being safe. Please note a tyre would require a minimum of 3mm of depth to be safe. If in doubt please give us a call to book in on 0113 242 6338 so we can take a look at your tyres and advise.

Various tyre brands will differ in price. We advise on a range of tyres to choose, from budget, mid range to premium brands.If you drive a performance car we would advise on choosing a premium brand. Please ensure you provide the correct tyre size when shopping for a quote.