Autofit Blog
Posted: 9th February 2012 by Ingrid Ward
We are feeling really fortunate this year. Normally snow seems to deliberately time its falling to a weekday night meaning that the Snow Clearance Team (Kevan .. and if I can persuade her , Ingrid) have to be up and shovelling from 5am to clear the yard at Autofit so that everything is ready to start the day at 8am. So , snow falling on a Saturday night, felt like a luxury. It was only after a late Sunday lunch that we started to find a home for the approximately 200 cubic metres of white stuff that had been deposited on our car parking areas.
Life was made easier this year as we were able to use fellow director David`s tractor and Snow plough attachment to get things done. It seemed safer for me to do the snow ploughing while Ingrid grabbed a snow scoop; her progress round the yard could be followed by little plumes of steam rising over piles of snow, behind which she seemed to be muttering a lot and giving me venomous glances. I must admit, I had a lot of fun!!
As has always been the case in inclement weather all our people were undeterred by the conditions and work started on time as usual. In the much more disruptive weather of last year the only person that did not turn up for work on time was our Apprentice who , only 18 months out of school and living half a mile from work, thought that life stopped as the first snowflakes started to fall! He was amazed that colleagues had made it in from as far as Holbrook and Needham Market. Collected him from home and had a little chat. As he said … “Its not like school!”
Posted: 9th December 2011 by Ingrid Ward
Christmas Opening Hours 2011. December 24 8am-2pm. Christmas Day and Boxing Day, December 26,27 - Closed. December 28,29,30,31 8am-3pm.
Posted: 24th November 2011 by Ingrid Ward
Despite the mild weather we have been experiencing here in East Anglia I am sure that the cold winds will soon find our lovely little corner of England; so with that thought in mind I thought I could go through some of the checks you can make on your car to keep you safe.
- Winter Checklist Windscreen - Check the level in your washer bottle and make sure it has enough additive in the water to prevent it from freezing.
- Battery - Drive into Autofit for a free winter battery check, the cold weather can reveal any weakness in your battery.
- Anti-freeze check - Drive into Autofit to check the levels in the radiator and the freezing point of the coolant.
- Air conditioning is not just for summer! - A little know fact is that your air conditioning will clear your screen faster than the heating system,this is because of the dry air it produces.An added bonus of using the air conditioning system is that it keeps both the pump and the seals lubricated .
- Tyres - Drive into Autofit for a free check of your tyre pressures and tread depths to make sure that you are ready to tackle the icy roads ahead. Winter and all season tyres are becoming more popular,especially for people who live in the country and need to stay mobile for as long as possible.
- Tests have shown that not only are winter tyres vastly superior in the snow but that the best outperform a quality summer tyre when the roads are wet and near freezing. (Please see my previous blog on winter tyres for more information). Please also note that winter tyres are a legal requirement in many European countries.
- Please feel free to ring Autofit for any further advice 01473 723325. Stay safe this winter.
Posted: 24th March 2011 by Ingrid Ward
Over the last few months our tyre suppliers have been increasing their prices to us on a very regular basis and this, unfortunately, has been reflected in the price of tyres to you,our customers.
I think a brief explanation of the reasons for these price rises would be of interest to you all.
Read the rest of this entry
Posted: 29th December 2010 by Ingrid Ward
Autofit Opening Times are
Wed 29/12/2010 8am - 3pm
thurs 30/12/2010 8am -3pm
friday 31/12/2010 8am -3pm
sat 01/12/2011 closed
sun 02/12/2011 closed
mon 03/12/2011 closed
tues 04/12/2011 8am - 5.30 pm
Posted: 22nd December 2010 by Ingrid Ward
We would like to wish all our wonderful customers a peaceful and happy Christmas .and Also a " BIG THANK YOU "for your custom during 2010.
We must have the best customers in Ipswich
Ingrid, Kevan, Dave and all the lads at Autofit
Posted: 14th October 2010 by Ingrid Ward
After the terrible weather last year there is a lot more interest in the use of winter tyres in the UK, so I thought it should be a subject for discussion.
Winter tyres are not designed to be used only with snow! They are actually designed to function at temperatures of 7C and below which is the point when summer tyres start becoming hard and lose their grip.
They are designed with a chunky tread pattern to maintain better contact on ice and snow. The rubber compound used remains flexible and soft in low temperature which helps maintain grip.
There are also "All Season " tyres which are made with the same rubber compound as winter tyres but with a less chunky tread, to minimize road noise and wear.
Most tyres sold in the UK are summer tyres.
You can see what type of tyre you have by looking at the markings on the sidewall of the tyre. A snowflake or snow topped mountain indicates a winter tyre, if there is also a sun symbol then the tyre is an All Season tyre.
In Europe people have 2 sets of wheels for their car and simply swap them over with the seasons, this is fine but you do need to have somewhere to store the spare sets of wheels and with most homes owning more than one car this could be a problem!
Autofit can supply and fit winter tyres to your car so if you are interested please give us a call and we will be happy to advise you.
Posted: 14th October 2010 by Ingrid Ward
We are holding a free maintenance course evening at 6pm on Thursday 21 October 2010.
If you are interested in coming could you please register your name.
Look forward to seeing a few of you
Ingrid
Posted: 16th June 2010 by Ingrid Ward
It has been far too long since my last post but the time has come to put fingers to the keyboard and start typing. The English Sun is trying to break through and hopefully you are all beginning to dream about your summer holidays. Now, if this means a long drive please remember to do some basic checks before you start. Check your tyres and their pressure and that your spare is usable Check your level of oil Visual checks of all other fluids and top up the screen wash. Now if you are unsure how to do these checks we are offering a free 1 evening course to take you through the steps needed to do them and also how to take off a wheel and replace it with your spare in case of a puncture. The evening ends with a question and answer session. The evening session lasts about 2 hours and starts at 6pm, we offer free coffee and snacks to sustain you.We are looking at holding a meeting in September We have done these evenings before and they are an enjoyable and fun way to learn some basic car maintenance skills. Please could you email an interest in this course and then we will confirm a date, probably in september, in the near future. Meanwhile if you have any worries about your car please pay us a visit.
Posted: 18th February 2010 by Ingrid Ward
Driving around Ipswich at the moment has become more like an obstacle course as I desperately try to avoid the huge potholes, which have been created by our wet and freezing winter. I am beginning to wonder if the local council funds are going to be able to fill them all in? Read the rest of this entry
