Plan ahead for safe summer driving
It’s the season of hot weather, shopping traffic and road trips, all of which put additional strain on drivers and cars.
Making sure your vehicle is roadworthy and operating at its most efficient will keep you safer, more comfortable and paying less for fuel.
Topping the to-do list are tune-ups, air conditioning work, tyre replacements and wheel alignments, making this one of the busiest times of the year for many workshops.
Hannah Motor Services is no exception, being one of the city’s foremost authorities on vehicle suspensions and wheel alignments; jobs that help cars handle tight corners and save tyres from uneven wear and early replacement.
The wheel alignment machine at Hannah Motor Services spins for the better part of each day as vehicles arrive from other workshops needing their expertise, from insurance companies and from a growing number of drivers who are accessing their services directly in Middleton.
Finding the business in the past has been a bit of an insider’s game, as the reputation of Hannah Motor Services is such that it had little need for advertising. It only recently gained a website and still isn’t on Facebook.
What the team do have is decades of experience and the respect of the city’s best motoring minds.
Owner Rob McKay has spent a career mastering the intricacies of vehicle suspensions and is the go-to man for repairs when other workshops lack the equipment or the experience necessary for a fast, expert solution. Pricing, though, is as competitive as anywhere.
Working alongside Rob is mechanic Kim and office manager Tina Butland, Rob’s partner. Tina’s daughter Kirsty is also part of the team, although currently recuperating after an injury.
Tina says many workshops have wheel alignment machines but not all have staff with the in-depth knowledge required to fully interpret the information provided. Being able to do so ensures drivers will receive the best possible solution. There are also payoffs for customers through speedy work in an industry that usually charges by the hour.
Tina says planning ahead in the holiday season is important. Hannah Motor Services will be closed from next Monday, December 20, until January 13, although bookings are being taken now for the new year.
‘‘If your car’s pulling to the side, you should get that looked at or it’s going to be chewing through your tyres, especially on longer trips. Tyres should also get checked because with the 12-month warrants of fitness there’s a lot of time for them to wear and lose grip,’’ Tina says.
Once people have found Hannah Motor Services, they often become lifelong customers, enjoying the reliable service as well as the friendly banter of a close, family-run team.
Located not far off the Southern Motorway in Middleton, the workshop is easily reached from around the city.