Car Mechanics

Email [email protected] o.uk Follow us on Facebook @ Car Mechanics MINIs of the BMW sort seem to come my way from various sources. I do own six of them and I really must get one or two ready for sale next year – Ican’t keep them all. The 2001-

With the worsening economic situation and the decrease in new car sales for various reasons, more and more folk are hanging onto their existing cars and spending out on repairs and maintenance. This means that garages are as busy as never before with

“ The Kia’s MOT is due next week,” remarked editor Knowles. Rob admitted he’d completely forgotten to check, so was relieved of the reminder and quickly booked a slot in with his local garage, MJ Motors, for the very day the old test expired. Fortuna

The chief exec of the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation is urging Mark Harper, the new secretary of state for transport, to strengthen the current 3-1-1 MOT testing regime through the addition of testing vehicles’ electronically-controlle

Celebrating the company’s 50thanniversary, Autodata Training, the world’s leading provider of technical training solutions for the automotive industry, has expanded its resource library with hundreds of new assets. The addition of 350 high-quality tr

£POA philips.com/xperion-6000 Designed in consultation with mechanics, for mechanics, the Philips Xperion 6000 Flood, Flood Audio, and Flood Mini bring durability and incredible illumination to any task where visibility is an issue. High-performance

£POA globusgroup.com Forget the material face masks dominating news stories for the past couple of years… Leading UK PPE manufacturer, Globus Group, has brought out the big guns with a new range of protection for workers dealing with extremely hazar

Being at the forefront of braking technology for more than 100 years, Mintex has continued to provide a complete aftermarket solution, delivering high braking standards and safely braking millions of families and motorsport champions worldwide. Howe

Q I have a question about my 2010 Ford Ka 1.2 Mk2. I am finding it hard to unlock the vehicle with the key fob. I have changed the battery inside the fob, and it still has a job to unlock and lock. I have fitted a new 12V battery as well. Have you an

Most of us have at least one drawer of a cabinet or toolbox rammed full of old screwdrivers, and if their handles and tips are chewed, they still have their uses, so they are impossible to throw away. Even an old flatblade screwdriver with a bent sha

Q I have had some problems with my 2004 Ford C-MAX 1.6 diesel. Whilst fiddling around with the plastic scuttle at the base of the windscreen I noticed that the two-wire terminal at the top of the fuel filter was disconnected, so I connected it, but w

Q I have a problem with my daughter's 2003 Rover 75 Tourer 1.8 turbo (K16 engine). The ABS light came on, so I took it to my local garage, and they put their up-to-date scanner on it, but they cannot get into the ABS system. It says, error occurred a

Q I am worried about the fitting torque settings on my 2004 Rover 45 1.6, as I have just replaced the lower arm. On fitting the new rubber bush, I tighten the nuts up on the fitting and found they pull up to end of the threads compressing the bush do

Q I run an Astra diesel with the 1.6 Whisperengine.Iwonderedif you could advise me on how to change the auxiliary belt? It’s a 2016 model K and done about 55,000 miles so I thought it might need looking at. On a separate matter I am still occasionall

Q May I ask how long you would expect the average alternator to last please? My 2011 2.0 diesel Vauxhall Insignia has done about 120,000 miles and I would rather change the alternator at the best time than let it break down. Thank you for an interest

Q I have an issue with a 2017 Vauxhall Corsa 1.4. Here is some history: The vehicle’s clutch was used and there was a noise inside the car. It was used again and there was another noise. After that there was excessive free play at the pedal. I got th

Q My wife’s car is a 2010 Vauxhall Zafira B with the 1.8 engine (Z18XER). The car has done 72,984 miles and previously had the cambelt and pulleys changed at 44,295 miles (28,689 miles ago). But that was nearly six years ago. I sense a cambelt change

Q Last year, a garage charged me £470 to fit a new master cylinder to my 1997 Fiat Punto Mk1 with ABS as they said they couldn’t bleed the brakes after fitting some new lines. The brakes have never felt very good underfoot – they worked OK, but the p

Q I have a 2008 Fiat Bravo 1.9 Multijet. When I bought it two years ago I blanked off the EGR valve because it was faulty, but the OBD light remained on. Is there a resistor that can be plugged into the loom to extinguish the light? Tony Burbridge A

Q Have you ever come across really badly corroded High Tension lead plugs? It’s on my daughter's Fiat Panda which is used all the time, but it was playing up today and when I checked the leads – two terminals practically fell apart, yet I can’t see w

Q I have a 54-plate Fiat Punto Active 1.2 petrol which has developed a steering issue. In the straight ahead position, and most noticeable at tickover, the wheel vibrates a few millimetres from left to right, as though it is trying to find dead centr

Q I have a 2009 Kia Picanto 2 with drum brakes at the rear. Although the brake shoes are good, the handbrake comes up about eight notches. Is it possible to adjust the rear brakes by hand? They are different from the usual adjusters in that they have

Q I have a problem with my 64-plate Kia Sportage 2.0 CRDi with 49,000 miles. I noticed the fluid level in the brake master reservoir had dropped, yet there are no leaks in the braking system. The clutch system is fed from the same reservoir and there

Q The ‘water in fuel’ light on my 2007 Kia cee’d 1.6 CRDi is puzzling me. It comes on after about 30 minutes (15-20 miles) and stays on for about 10 seconds, then goes off. It’s been doing this every day for about 1000 miles. I’ve drained the filter

Q I want to change the front and rear brake pads on a 2012 Kia Rio 1.2. I believe the rear pistons need to be turned back in? Apart from checking the brake fluid level when I push the pistons back, will there be any issues with the ABS system? Dave F

Q I own a 2018 Honda Civic 1.5 Prestige. It drives well and is a very comfortable motor, but for one problem. The Stop-Start very rarely works and the battery symbol appears each time it does not operate. The battery went flat and as it was under war

Q I bought a 2016 Honda Jazz 1.3 with 27,000 miles on the clock. It came with a full Honda service history. I am trying to work out what oil to use at its annual service. The Honda service book indicates, US Honda ENG Oil # 1.0, or Honda Green oil. F

Q My 2004 Mazda3 TS 1.6 manual with the Z6 engine and 96,000 miles has recently been suffering from rough running and lower-than-normal fuel economy. This is especially noticeable at lower speeds and in cold weather, although it’s present even in war

Q I have inherited a 1992 Mazda MX-5 Euros (K-reg) which started first time, every time. I tried to get it out of the garage, but the clutch must have been stuck – there was a massive jolt and it stalled. Now it won’t start. There is no spark at the

Q I have just done a clutch change on my Mazda6 but now it won’t start, and something is pulling around 4-amps as soon as I connect the 12V battery. I was careful doing the job and can’t see any chafed wires. I’ve pulled some of the fuses from the fu

Q When I tested the brake fluid in my 2010 Nissan Pixo using an electronic tester it showed the moisture content being at 3%, thus the fluid requires changing. Reading up on changing brake fluid in cars, the consensus seems to be to not do it the tra

Steve Rothwell answering your ENGINE MANAGEMENT queries Q This is my son‘s 2001 Fiat Seicento Sporting 1.1 which I think has the FIRE engine in. A couple of days ago he was driving home and the EML came on and it went into limp-mode. He managed to nu

Q I am having cold start issues with from the likes of a Focus ST and is hunting from cold, backfiring for the first couple of minutes and with a strong smell of running rich. Thereafter everything is fine when it gets warmer. I had a dealer plug in

Q I have another longstanding niggle on my S-TYPE 2.7 TD in as much as it throws a performance limited message on the dash occasionally and always only after a cold start, never when the engine is warm. This is easy cured by restarting the engine, wh

Q Sorry to bother you again but my 2013 Peugeot 308 1.6 HDi has got two fault codes. l took it to my local garage and the codes P2562 and P1497 came up but the mechanic could not find the fault. Can you help please? Will Beck A First let me say it’s

Diagnostics Doctor is a FREE helpline service for CM readers – including trade readers – who are struggling with diagnostic/engine management related faults. Steve Rothwell will answer all your queries. He will need as much detail as possible: MAKE,

With over 300 price cuts over 6000 choices for tools and machinery, the new Machine Mart 484-page autumn-winter catalogue is out now! If the deals in print aren’t enough for you, there are even a further 15,000 additional products online. Visit machi

Q I would appreciate if you could help with my dodgy rear screen heater on my 2009 Ford Fusion 1.4 petrol. It works for a day or two and then the 20-amp fuse blows. I’ve followed the wiring along the bottom right-hand side and up to the roof and then

Renault Group and Castrol (part of the BP group), extend their partnership for a further three years until the end of 2027. The two companies will continue to co-design and supply aftermarket engine oils to the global dealer network of Renault Group

Whilst carrying out an injector replacement on this 2016 VW Caddy 1.6 TDI, I was reminded that I have heard of some owners still trying to test for an ineffective injector by slackening off the pipe to release the pressure to a single injector. Whils

Heating any space has been a real hot topic over recent weeks, so when it comes to keeping cosy in the workshop you need a heat source that’s reliable and effective, every time. Weighing in at just over 2.5kg, the Devil 2850 kicks things off with a t