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Car Workshop Jargon – How Does It Work?

Car workshop jargon – How does it work? If you drive then this article should be useful to help you understand your car and ‘how it all works’ just that little bit better. Many motorists have a very limited knowledge of car mechanics but just a little bit of knowledge and an understanding of how the different parts work could help your driving experience and help you look out for potential problems. Here at McAfee Cars Ballymena we’re going to guide you through some familiar car parts and what their job is.

Some common terms used in car workshop jargon:

Filters – Most vehicles will have 3 different types of filters fitted to them.

  • Air filter – this filters the air coming into the engine and so prevents dirt and debris getting into the engine and causing problems.
  • Fuel filter – over time some debris can build up in the fuel tank. The fuel filter is fitted so it stops these particles from getting into the engine.
  • Pollen filter – this one helps you have a much more pleasant trip as it helps remove pollen and dust from entering the cabin of the vehicle.

Suspension – all of the suspension parts work together to give you a much more pleasant and smooth drive while also protecting the vehicle.

  • Springs – large metal springs which take the shock and roughness out of driving surfaces.
  • Shock absorbers and struts – these work together to dampen vibrations by slowing down the rebound of the springs, making it a smoother journey especially on rougher roads.
  • Suspension bushes – these connect the body of the car to the suspension arms which again minimize noise and vibration through the vehicle.

Gearbox – the gearbox transmits power from the engine to the wheels.

Clutch –  the link between the engine and gearbox. When the clutch pedal is depressed it stops the drive between the engine and the gearbox, allowing you to change gear.

Belts –

  • Timing belt – keeps all the components of the engine running together at the correct pace and is essential to the smooth running of the engine.
  • Fan belt (alternator belt) – fan belts are flexible rubber belts that are used to power components such as the air conditioner compressor, power steering pumps and water pumps. For example the fan belt connects the engine cooling fan to the alternator and crankshaft pulley.
  • Water pump and coolant – driven by the fan belt, the water pump circulates the coolant around the engine and radiator to keep the engine cool.

We hope this helps you to understand better some of the terms used in car workshop jargon. There are some jobs you can do yourself like checking your vehicle’s oil. You can watch a short instructional video here if you’re not sure how. If you have any queries about your vehicle, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at McAfee Cars, Railway St, Ballymena. We’ll do our best to help.

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Fundraising Events For Castle Tower School

This year the team at McAfee Cars Ballymena decided to host a couple of fundraising events for Castle Tower School. We feel that it is very important to support our local community and the people in it and so the team at McAfees Ballymena planned two very different events to raise some money for the school.

Castle Tower School provides first class education, medical support and care for children with learning difficulties and disabilities to help them lead a full and happy life. The school community celebrates the talents of individual and strives to improve the quality of each person’s life by developing confidence, tolerance, curiosity, honesty and happiness.

Some of the staff at the garage have children that have attended the school and it was a place that all of us felt passionate about helping.

McAfees Ballymena hosted 2 fundraising events for Castle Tower School – a relay team at the Belfast City Marathon and a car wash in Ballymena.

In May Ryan, Chris, Paul, Jonathan and Sarah formed a relay team to take part in the Belfast City Marathon. Four hours and a few sore knees later they were £1500 the richer for Castle Tower School.

Then in October the whole McAfees Ballymena team along with a few friends and family, gave up a Saturday morning to host a Car Wash and Coffee Morning at the garage. We had overwhelming support before the car wash even started with some of our suppliers donating soap, sponges, buckets, chamois and air fresheners to the cause. So firstly we would like to thank Fyfes, Ballymena Engine Spares, Autosmart and Neilson Chemicals for your generosity.

That day the showroom smelt of coffee and cake rather than car polish as the coffee morning got under way. We were delighted to see so many people stop for a cuppa and a chat as well as a car wash. In total the guys washed 84 cars and raised another £1500 for the school.

We want to thank our customers, friends and families who gave so generously; we were really touched by the support given to the Belfast marathon relay team and the car wash & coffee morning in Ballymena. We are thrilled to be able to donate £3000 to Castle Tower School and are delighted to see the money going to good use as they put it towards buying a wheelchair accessible minibus.

To find out more about the school please check out their website here.

 

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Check Your Vehicle’s Tyre Pressure

Having the correct pressure in your car’s tyres is more important than most realise. It affects the overall handling of the car, fuel economy and tyre wear.
Under-inflated tyres require more force to make them turn which therefore uses more fuel. Incorrect tyre pressures increases wear on the tyre, meaning you have to replace them more often.
So to benefit from longer tyre life, better handling and lower fuel costs it is important to keep your tyres at the right pressure.
Checking your tyre pressure is easy, check out our video below for a step by step guide. Alternatively feel free to pop down to see us anytime and we’ll check your tyre pressure for you.