The PAC Guide to… Car maintenance

Simon Ellis

By Simon Ellis on 3 November 2021

4 minute read

Share:

With so many of us cutting down on driving due to lockdown and restrictions over the last 18 months, car maintenance has become a bit of a forgotten item on to-do lists.

In fact, back in May last year as we began to emerge from the first Covid-19 lockdown, KwikFit noted that battery failure rates had doubled compared to usual seasonal rates. With cars making less journeys than they used to – whether that’s because you’re working from home more or are simply more accustomed to online shopping these days – those routine check ups we used to do on our driveways are in danger of being forgotten.

Here’s how you can use your Personal Archive account to keep up with your car maintenance, and make trips to the garage much less hassle.

Keep track of MOT dates

We’ve all been there – you forget to set a calendar reminder, life gets in the way, you lose track of time. Before you know it, your MOT is up, or your car tax has expired.

Keep your MOT certificate and car tax paperwork stored in your Personal Archive, and add a custom tag to organise. You could add #car to each file, and differentiate further if you really want to keep everything in its place. That way, you’ll always have a record of when your MOT is due and how long your MOT lasts.

Store garage receipts

Sometimes, no matter how well you keep up with your car maintenance, repairs are inevitable. Some of the most common garage repairs include things like replacement exhausts, repairing fan belts and changing oil.

Whether you need to keep receipts for tax reasons or simply want an up to date record of when your car was last repaired, storing a clear copy of your receipts can be incredibly useful. As well as cutting out the need for bulky folders or crumpled up paper jamming up your wallet, you’ll be able to access all your car and road related receipts in one place.

Lots of replacement car parts – like exhausts and even new tyres – come with guarantees and warranties. It’s often a real pain to track them down when you need them (usually in an emergency!). Garages don’t always keep records, and you’ll need to be able to prove it then and there to take advantage.

Simply upload the receipts – whether online PDFs or copies – to your archive and hashtag them accordingly. You’ll then be able to quickly filter from any online browser and have all your receipts and their dates to hand.

Managing car insurance made simple

There’s lots of paperwork that goes with car insurance. You’ll need your no claims certificate, proof of no claims, details of any previous claims, mileage records, terms and conditions and more. You may also need to provide scans or copies of your driving licence, which you can store handily in your online Archive.

You can keep all kinds of insurance documents, certificates and conditions leaflets in your account, simply labelling them with whatever tags will help. You could even type up a document of your insurance details – perhaps with account numbers, important contact details and policy inclusions – and store it for a super convenient quick access in an emergency.

Keep your licence handy

There are all kinds of situations where you might need to show proof of ID – and having a copy of your driving licence to hand is never a bad idea. Whether you’ve got a photo licence card or an old paper licence, you can upload the details to your Personal Archive so you always know where it is. It can be incredibly useful for attaching to applications and official documents, but it’s also handy to have for hiring cars, booking hotels and plenty more.

 

There are so many ways to use your Personal Archive account to make document storage and life admin that much easier. Learn more about our plans here.