Help! My Engine's Overheated!

We are finally starting to see something of summer but we’re not the only ones who can get hot under the collar. Your vehicle may start to feel the heat too and an overheating engine is bad news in any kind of weather. A lot of people will panic if they start to see the critical signs of overheating especially if you can see steam pouring out from under your bonnet and a steep climb on your temperature gauge but try and keep a cool head and follow these 6 pieces of advice if you find your engine just can’t take the heat.

Here's When You REALLY Need to Change Your Oil

There are so many conflicting opinions on when you should be changing your motor oil but there is a very simple answer and that is…

Is Synthetic Oil the best thing for my car?

The most important thing to remember about engine oil is that you should always use the oil recommended for your vehicle. If your user manual specifies synthetic oil then this is what you must use. However in some cases it is possible that either a mineral oil or a synthetic oil is suitable for your engine.  If your engine is has no specific recommendation in terms of the base content of the motor oil then you would need to decide based on other factors.

Can I Use Tap Water Instead of Antifreeze in My Cooling System?

Technically speaking yes you can use plain water in your cooling system but it isn’t recommended as a long term solution and certainly not in extreme weather conditions.

When Should I Top Up My Brake Fluid?

Checking your Brake Fluid is a step which can be easily missed from your routine fluid inspection but it is certainly worth checking up on regularly as with all the fluids in your vehicle because it is vital to ensuring that your brakes work and work well when you need them to.

Why Does My Air Conditioning Unit Smell Bad?

Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems (HVAC) are susceptible to all sorts of problems which could be causing it to blow foul smelling air into your vehicle.

How To Tell If Your Antifreeze Needs Changing

Before you set about checking the health of your antifreeze it is important to bare in mind that different vehicles will have different expected lifespans on any fluid that goes into the vehicle. Your user manual should give you a guide as to when you can expect to need to change your antifreeze but it is a good idea to check up on the health of the fluid when you check if it needs a top-up, something you should be inspecting every three months or so.

Is There Such a Thing as Normal Oil Consumption?

Firstly it should be mentioned is that if you find your oil levels are depleting then it is either down to oil consumption or an oil leak.

Jargon Buster: Translating your Gear Oil Bottle

What's the Difference Between Gear Oil and Transmission Fluid?

The most obvious answer to this question is that gear oil is generally intended for use in manual gear boxes and transmission fluid is for automatic transmissions. However, as is always the case with automotive lubricants, there are exceptions to this rule. In order to fully understand what the differences are between the fluids, we first have to take a look at the key differences between gearboxes and transmissions.

Motor Oil 101: The Importance Of Making The Right Choice

Oil is the bread and butter of what we do at Granville. We love the stuff and we love making sure that when you pick up your oil off the shelf you know you are making the right choice for your vehicle.And you know we go on and on about why its important for you to make sure you have the right oil for the job but please, humor me once more as I take you through everything you need to know about engine oil.

Is Commercial Screenwash Better Than Water and Home-Brewed Alternatives?

The short answer? Yes. Absolutely. It can be tempting to settle for plain water in your windscreen washer system or to attempt to make your own with household detergent or alcohol but whilst you will make cost savings in the short term and its effects are kinder to the environment, the risks involved to your vehicle in the long term just aren't worth the short term savings. Here are the top reasons you should be sticking the screenwash in your system:

How Healthy Is Your Transmission Fluid?

Ask the average motorist and it’s likely they will know how and where to check their oil and coolant level but ask about transmission fluid and they might not be so savvy.

PRODUCT FEATURE: Running In Oil

In response to popular demand, Granville is pleased to announce a new edition to the growing lubricant range.

10 Ways Cold Weather Can Affect Your Car and How to Deal With Them

The cold weather is harsh on your vehicle and, unfortunately, sticking on a hat, scarf and coat isn’t an option for it so it pays to be extra careful as the temperature drops because climate related trouble can strike quicker than you’d expect. There are plenty of ways that the cold weather can affect your vehicle so keep a sharp look out for any of the following and don’t get left out in the cold.

8 Autumn Car Care Fixes You Need To Know

October's marching on. Unbelievable isn't it? Suddenly the mornings are characterized by either a commute through thick fog or dazzling sun on wet roads, the leaves seem to have leapt off the trees and are single-mindedly set on blanketing the bonnets and roofs of our motors, and is it just me that's had to have the heating on first thing when starting the car in the morning?

8 Car Wash Tips You Need To Know

Cleaning your car to perfection is a fine art, but you don't need to be a professional detailer to achieve that showroom shine. Here's some top tips which will help you improve your car wash routine with minimum effort and maximum results.

How To Look After Your Genuine Chamois Leather

Chammy or Microfibre? It's a question which splits the room when it comes to drying off your vehicle. Many people reach for the microfibre cloth simply because Chamois Leathers seem like too much hassle and anyway they fall apart dead quickly right? Well, you might be surprised to know that if you look after your Chammy, you could get plenty of service out of it. In fact, plenty of people swear by the Chamois' durability and ability to absorb around six times its weight in water.

Antifreeze and Coolant 101

Antifreeze and coolant. They cause quite a bit of confusion for motorists who aren't in the know. In fact it's one of the most frequently asked topics put to the Tech Team here at Granville HQ. And it's no wonder that it causes people to scratch their heads over it because they are essentially the same product - just with different functions.

Jargon Buster: Translating your Motor Oil Bottle

Grab your average bottle of motor oil off the shelf in your local retailer and you're confronted with a whole lot of jargon, acronyms and random numbers which will probably mean very little to you unless you're in the know. And let's face it, your owner's manual isn't much more help either. Sure it might give you a list of numbers and letters that translate into an oil spec that's suitable for your vehicle, but wouldn't you like to know what it all really means?

What your Oil is Trying to Tell you About the Health of your Engine

Healthy oil makes for a healthy engine but it's not always obvious when your engine is a little under the weather. Luckily, symptoms of some engine problems are often visible by the condition of the oil. Here is a rundown of the problems your engine may have if you discover these symptoms during your next oil check.

Grease Specifications Explained

Just as it is important to make the right choice when it comes to motor oil, so too is this true when choosing the right grease fir the job and, just like motor oils, different formulations will have different properties based mainly on the type and viscosity of the base oil, and the type and concentration of thickening agent used in the manufacturing process.