The Filter

We'd like to wish all of our customers a Happy Christmas and New Year and thank you for your support through 2009 !

We're always working hard to improve things for our website visitors, and over the past three months we've added over 20 new product ranges onto the website. We've also improved our website part search facility so it's easier for you to find the item you're looking for. We will continue to improve our service to you.

The MicksGarage phonelines will be closed from 1pm on 23rd December to 9am on Monday 4th January - but you can place orders online as per normal throughout the Christmas and New Year period. Any orders over the Christmas and New Year period will be delivered to you on Tuesday 5th January.

Wishing you a great Christmas and Happy New Year!

from the MicksGarage Team.

We can all do DIY repair work on light paintwork scratches on a car. These scratches are very common on cars, and are commonly from tree branches or bushes etc. but some minor collisions can also result in light scratches that may be able to be repaired without the need for a bodyshop.

Light scratching is where there is a scratch on the paintwork but the scratch is not so deep that it has gone down to the primer coat. We tested a range of scratch repair products before we decided on the Quixx scratch repair as our product of choice. I've used it several times since then and it has never failed to deliver. You can see how to repair light scratches on the video here:   

           Replacing wiper blades is one of the most common small DIY jobs that a motorist will do. If you find that your wiper blade is squeaking, is not clearing away water effectively or is stuttering / jerking across your windscreen then you probably need to replace them. With our rainy climate it is recommended to check and change your wiper blades at least once a year.

There are various wiper blades available on the market, from standard wiper blades to high performance flat blades. A wiper blade assembly consists of a piece of rubber strip attached to a metal arm, with the clip to attach it to the wiper arm (the wiper arm is attached to the car). Flat blades dont have the metal arm, they are just the rubber strips combined with the clip (see the photo above). You will certainly notice a difference in quality with a set of flat wiper blades on your car. They have an aerodynamic low profile design and the reduced height improves visibility and minimizes vibrations/wind noise. Make sure you purchase the correct size wiper blades by cross checking against the make, model and year of your car as there are different sizes. 

Changing your wiper blades will literally take a minute. Here's a few tips:

1. Lift the old wiper assembly away from the windscreen. Observe the positioning of the wiper assembly, as your new wiper blade will be slotting in the same position.

2. Locate the clip which connects your wiper assembly to the wiper arm. There is usually a tab on the clip which you can click up to detach the wiper blade assembly from the wiper arm. Open the clip and remove the old wiper assembly.

3. Now position your new wiper blade in the same way as the old one was positioned, click the wiper assembly into place and click down the tab on the clip so that the wiper assembly is now securely attached to the wiper arm. Test the wiper blades while the car is stationary - don't wait until your driving!

Click here to watch a video of changing a wiper blade.

        The most common minor car accident is when you (or another driver) clips your wing mirror and shatters your wing mirror glass. But fear not, if it's just the glass that is cracked, then you can replace it at very little cost or effort. Replacement mirror glass is different for most car makes / models as it designed to an exact shape, but it is available for most cars and vans, without having to replace the full wing mirror.

Your wing mirror glass is stuck onto a backing plate which in turn is attached onto the wing mirror body. The mirror glass can be purchased on its own or with the backing plate. If you find that your wing mirror glass is cracked you have two options:

1: if the glass is cracked but is securely attached onto the backing plate you can simply stick new mirror glass onto the old glass. The adhesive on the back of the mirror glass is extremely strong and the replacement glass will stick on securely.

2: if your existing glass is badly cracked / damaged, you can scrap it off the backing plate and then stick your new replacement mirror glass directly onto the backing plate, again using the adhesive on the back of the mirror.

Here's a video to help you with your repair.

You can listen to our new radio advert here: