Mechanic issues warning to drivers who don't have two sets of car keys

ANDY, A MECHANIC AT ROYALTY AUTO SERVICE, SAYS TURNING ON THE IGNITION FROM A COLD START IS VITAL TO AVOID BEING SOLD A POOR MODEL. 16:06, 05 Mar 2025 A mechanic has urged drivers and

motorists to always press certain buttons before buying used car. Andy, a mechanic at Royalty Auto Service, says turning on the ignition from a cold start is vital to avoid being sold a poor

model. He said: “First thing I want to do is make sure all the functions of the key work. And I’m going to be honest with you. I'm going to ask for at least more than one key. I want

at least two, some of these keys can get pretty expensive. “The other thing I want to do is turn the key on and look at all the warning indicators to make sure they illuminate. The check

engine light is illuminated, so that’s good. I'm going to start the vehicle. READ MORE 'MILLIONS' OF DRIVERS SET TO 'WRONGLY' FORK OUT £195 IN CAR TAX NEXT MONTH

“Normally I want the vehicle to be a cold start, the reason being is the first cold start of the morning if there is any sort of engine noise I'm going to hear it then. Article

continues below “A lot of the time once we build up some heat and the vehicle has been running we are not going to hear any sort of noises.” They explained: “When buying a secondhand car,

it’s important to find out as much as possible about its history. “This helps you find what the seller potentially doesn't want you to know. These checks primarily reveal if there are

any hidden discrepancies in the car's history.” The UK’s used car market saw a “strong” start to 2025, with the average price of vehicles sold at British Car Auctions (BCA) climbing to

£8,042 ($10,114) in January. This represents a 9.4% or £688 increase month-on-month and a 5.9% or a £445 rise compared to January 2024. According to the report, the sharp rise in values was

driven by increased customer engagement in BCA’s online sales programme, sustaining demand across the wider used car market. Article continues below BCA reported a record-breaking start to

the year, with new benchmarks set for the highest number of individual buyers in a week, the strongest weekly sold volume in three and a half years, and the highest-ever weekly sales of EVs

[electric vehicles], exceeding 1,000 units.