Author Archives: Justin Smith

About Justin Smith

As the man at the helm of BreakerLink, it is no surprise that its Director, Justin Smith, has always had a keen interest in cars, bikes and most things wheeled. Having spent over two decades in the car parts industry, Justin combines his passion that since 2002, has successfully united those looking for new and used car parts with the breaker that supplies them. Follow Justin on LinkedIn.

Replacing Car Headlights and Rear Lights

car Headlight

Possibly the most common type of repair that you may be required to perform on your lights is the replacement of a headlight. Often the bulb will burn out, or you may experience a crack in the part caused by loose shingle that has kicked up and hit the lens, causing cracking and reducing the effectiveness of your headlight. In these cases you’ll need to check with your owners manual to find out what kind of headlights feature on your car – these can be one of three types – sealed beam, sealed halogen or composite, and replace it in accordance with our instructions.

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Five of the UK’s Best Green Cars

Green car among other vehicles

Go back two decades and green cars were blue-sky thinking. Whilst scientists pushed the technology of the time to its limits to see if they could make solar-powered cars that could travel vast distances in desert climes, such innovations seemed a lifetime away from the UK’s roads, especially when electric cars only ever seemed to promise a fraction of the power of their petrol-driven cousins. However, in the last five years this situation has changed considerably, and the demand for a cleaner, greener generation of vehicles has shaped the industry, with many of the top manufacturers now offering some serious environmentally friendly cars.

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How To Replace Windscreen Wiper Blades

selection of wiper blades

It’s always a good idea to inspect your windscreen wipers whenever you’re cleaning your front or rear windscreen. You may want to replace them before the rubber is brittle and cracked, as you never know when you might be driving in a deluge where wipers could make the difference between adequate visibility and no visibility. Wiper blades should be replaced at least once a year, or when any smearing or chattering occurs when the wipers are in use.

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Inspecting And Adjusting Your Engine’s Belts

Fan belt on an engine

First Inspection

There are two different types of belt. The first is the serpentine belt, which is constantly tensioned by a spring or hydraulic means, the second is the component tensioned belt, which is usually found on older cars. Both belts will exhibit the same kind of signs of failure. Look for cracks, which can be an indicator the part is failing, or glazing, which means that the belt is too loose and is slipping. Finally if there is any major damage to the belt, such as a tear or split, you will be required to  make an immediate change out of the part.

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Dangers Of Using Smart-Phones Whilst Driving

Texting and talking while driving
Banned

According to a survey conducted by the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) in March 2012, using a Smart-Phone whilst driving caused 1,690 accidents between 2006-2010. Of this number 110 were fatal, although police believe these figures are actually higher, as there is often no way to check if a driver was using their phone at the time of an accident. With more and more of the UK population owning one of these high-power pocket computers, surely this number is sadly only set to rise. The same report estimates that drivers who use phones

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Could You Be A Greener Driver?

Eco-friendly car

In an ideal world we wouldn’t have to use cars. However, in the fast-paced modern world where you have to fulfil a number of responsibilities, such as working commitments and picking up your children from school, life without a vehicle for many people is unthinkable. Given that we live in a society that is now reliant on the auto-mobile, what small changes could you make

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Land Rover – 65th Anniversary Celebrations

Land RoverLand Rover are without question one of the most iconic car brands. On April the 30th 2013 this well known off-road vehicle manufacturer is celebrating their 65th anniversary. Their cars, well known for their reliability, have become loved and used all over the world and there is no country on earth where you won’t find their legendary vehicles helping run small farms and businesses.

Despite the fact that Land Rover is now owned by Indian super-manufacturer Tata, there will always be something quintessentially British about the engineering excellence of this brand. An association that’s clearly underlined by Continue reading →

Why do we drive on the left hand side of the road in the UK?

Would this help drive abroad?
Would this help drive abroad?

We all appreciate that to avoid head on collisions and general motoring mayhem we abide by some basic rules of the road.  This includes keeping to one side of the road.  Today approximately two thirds of the world’s countries drive on the right hand side of the road and a third, including the UK, drive on the left.  Have you ever wondered why in the UK we drive on the left side of the road while the majority of other countries drive on the right?

Delving back into our history to when we commuted by horseback, B.C. (before cars), common sense inferred that we should hold the most favourable position on the road.  This position was where the rider was able to hold the reins of the horse and use their sword in defence, when required.

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The World’s Rarest Car Parts – James Bond’s Ejector Seat

Remember not to annoy the driver!
Remember not to annoy the driver!

You can pick up some second hand car spares  fairly easily on the open market, such as brake discs, bumpers and engines. However, some parts are considerably rarer and some parts don’t exist at all. One such part is the legendary ejector seat in James Bond’s iconic DB5. For many people this is the ultimate gadget used by the MI5 agent, and at one time you could even buy a range of toy cars that used a mechanism that ejected a plastic figure.

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The History of Breaker Agencies

BreakerLink Logo

Obviously the web has had a massive effect on all kinds of business, some more than others. In most cases it been great for bringing customers and clients together who would have never previously met. This certainly has been true for the second hand car spares trade where car owners hungry for inexpensive parts can now be united with dealers all over the country.

People have always used second hand goods for all kinds of things. Running a car has always been pretty costly, especially in terms of petrol, tax, insurance and MOTs, and that’s before you consider that you might have a breakdown. Continue reading →