Our Services

MOT procedures and checks are set down by the DVSA and is a process that should be carried out by all MOT stations. The primary point of the test is to check the safety aspects of the vehicle; including lighting, suspension, tyres, visibility and cabin safety.

Visit our MOT Testing Welwyn Garden City page for more information and to how to book your vehicle in.

Servicing and Repairs

At Welwyn Auto Services we have been servicing vehicles for over 30 years. In fact our workforce has over 80 years combined motor trade experience between them.

New vehicles do not need to be serviced by main dealers to maintain the validity of their warranties. Welwyn Auto Centre is equipped to the high standards as some main dealers and uses OE or OEM quality parts – this means that you can get your car serviced with us for a fraction of the price without invalidating your manufacturer warranty. For more information please visit: www.right2choose.org.uk/

Our diagnostic software can guide us to most fault codes for all major makes of motor vehicles and our many years of experience mean that we deliver our service promptly.

We can provide servicing under the term of your manufacturer warranty. More details can be found here.

We use Manufacturers approved or equivalent quality parts.

Motor Oils

Oil (as well as other fluid levels) should be checked regularly. Neglecting oil level checks will result in the premature wear or failure of your engine.

Oil is so important in the car engines now more than ever. Engines are now smaller in size yet much more powerful than a few years ago. The materials used have changed so much in the last 10 years that using the same specification of oil that we all used 10 years ago, is no longer good for modern vehicles.

We only use the highest quality recognised oils in our workshop. We also stock specialist oil for certain car manufacturers who specify very specific oil for their engines.

We will not compromise on oil. When it comes to oil quality you get what you pay for. It is imperative to use the correct oil to protect the longevity of your engine.

Wiper Blades

Wiper blades in Britain are changed less frequently than any other European country. If you are getting smearing after 2-3 wipes on the screen then it is time to change your blades!

Travelling at 30mph your wiper blades will have completed 1 normal sweep – if you cannot see through the windscreen properly you will not see a car pulling out of a side street.

Have a look through your screen when it is raining, and at night with oncoming lights. If the view is not clear or it is blurring after 1 wiper sweep than your blades need changing.

If the blades are not that old, try wiping the edge carefully with a clean tissue; you will be surprised by the difference.

Wiper blades are NOT for clearing your windscreen of frost or ice. They are designed to move water only and are not strong enough to move anything else. The chances are that if you have used your blades for this purpose they will fail an MOT test, even if you only changed them in the past year. Use an ice scrapper for clear your windscreen of ice and make sure the screen is properly clear before driving off.

We use only high quality branded wiper blades. We fit complete blades as this is a more cost effective way to you and the fitting time therefore is free of charge for 99% of the cars and vans on the road today.

Tyre Checks

Your tyres are the only contact that your vehicle has with the road surface so it is imperative that you ensure that they are always in tip top condition. This means regular inspection of the tread depth and side walls.

We are able to acquire most makes of tyre at short notice through our supply chain network.

One way to achieve maximum tyre life is to make sure that your wheels are aligned properly and we have installed our new High Tech Laser 4 Wheel Alignment system for this purpose.

We also cater for balancing on cars with no centre holes and for 4 x 4 vehicles.

We can offer tyres to meet your needs, hence we don’t recommend or fit part-or tyres

Call us for a quotation.

Tracking / wheel alignment

Does your steering wheel vibrate when you drive? Do you constantly have to move the steering wheel to keep your car travelling straight ahead? If your answer to any of the above is “yes”, then it’s time you had your tracking / wheel alignment checked, which is a service we offer here:

Reduced Tyre Wear 
Improper alignment is a major cause of premature tyre wear. Over the years, a properly aligned vehicle can add thousands of miles to tyre life.

Better Fuel Mileage 
Fuel mileage increases as rolling resistance decreases. Total alignment sets all four wheels parallel which, along with proper inflation, minimises rolling resistance.

Improved Handling 
Does your car pull to one side? Does the steering wheel vibrate? Do you constantly have to move the steering wheel to keep your car traveling straight ahead? Many handling problems can be corrected by total alignment. With all the system components aligned properly, road shock is more efficiently absorbed for a smoother ride.

Safer Driving 
A suspension system inspection is part of our alignment procedure. This allows us to spot worn parts before they cause costly problems.

Air Conditioning

Did you know that your car should have an “air conditioning service” every two years to ensure maximum performance from your air conditioning system?

Welwyn Auto Centre will not only re-gas your air conditioning system but will also carry out an anti-bacterial decontamination to minimise any microbial, fungal and bacterial contamination.

We recommend you continue to use your air-conditioning in the winter as it keeps all the seals of your system moist thus helping it to run efficiently. Using your air conditioning during the winter also dries out the air inside the car – no more irritating steamy windows!

Did you know the latest vehicles have a different gas – the older gas type is R123, the latest is R134 – we can service and re-gas both types.

Diagnostics

We aim to always keep up-to-date with the latest diagnostic equipment and software which is used for checking engine management faults

We can carry out a reading of faults for airbags, ABS, fuel and engine management for most makes of cars.

Diagnostics is there to help guide us into understanding the possible cause or fault

Exhausts & Batteries

As an independent garage, we can source original exhausts from various manufacturers in order to give you the best rate. We are proud to say we only fit high quality exhausts, some of which are fitted by the original manufacturers. There are some poor quality exhausts on the market which you may not be aware of until things go wrong. Most new exhausts will have a hollow sound for a while, whilst the combustion gases from the engine line the inside of the exhaust. On cars used for short town driving, these exhausts will wear earlier, due to the condensation not drying out because the car does not reach full temperature during town driving.

We carry a number of batteries for most everyday cars. If we do not have a battery in stock, we can usually get hold of one from one of our main suppliers within the hour. Battery technology is changing so much; hence it is important to use the correct battery type as a replacement.

Top Tips for Batteries

  1. Before fitting or removing a battery, make sure that all the equipment connected to it is switched off.

  2. When undoing the connections to the battery terminals, disconnect the earth/negative connection first (usually a black cable).

  3. Connect the battery to the charger before switching the charger on.

  4. The charging rate in amps should not be more than 1/10th of the battery’s rated capacity in ampere-hours (Ah).

  5. If a battery has become deeply discharged it will not accept a charge rate of more than 1/20 of the stated ampere-hour capacity.

  6. Using automatic chargers or boost chargers is not recommended for deeply discharged batteries.

  7. Charging batteries can give off flammable fumes, so make sure there are no naked flames nearby and there is adequate ventilation.

  8. If battery acid gets into your eye, rinse continuously with clean running water and consult your doctor.

  9. If a battery is to be taken out of service for a period longer than a month, then it should be fully charged and disconnected.

  10. When reconnecting the battery, connect the positive connection first (usually a red cable).