Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2023 i Car Mechanics

Email martyn.knowles@kelsey.co.uk Follow us on Facebook @ Car Mechanics ►More news arrived recently on updates to the MOT testing system in England, Scotland and Wales. The Department for Transport (DfT ) has launched a public consultation about its proposed revision(s), and you can have your say on the matter. I will outline briefly what is happening and the reasons behind it all. The main proposed revision is to change the date of a vehicle’s first MOTfour from three years to four. As far as I can tell, this is not a push for a 4-2-2 system (testing first at four years, then subsequently every two years thereafter that was debated about 11 years ago), but a 4-1-1 system, where annual testing will still be compulsor y on vehicles older than…

ROB’S TOP TIP Do not be afraid to hand over loosening glow plugs to a garage, if you fear breaking one. ► As with so many car parts during these cost-conscious times, apparent bargains can lure you into false economies, resulting in higher fuel costs, further repair expense, extra work and, potentially, a damaged engine. Unfortunately, poorly-made and relatively cheap glow plugs are rife, which cause numerous problems. Take, for instance, the magnesium oxide insulating powder. Inexpensive (or even counter feit) plug manufacturers are known not to dry the powder out (presuming that it is not contaminated) before assembling the plug. Therefore, as the plug heats, the plug probe can expand to such an extent that removing the cylinder-head is the only removal option. Other problems include the probe being…

Believe it or not, it’s precisely two decades since the first E85 Z4 hit these shores. And thanks to its edg y ‘f lame surface’ styling , it still looks good. The slightly toned down second generation E89 with its retractable hardtop followed in 2009 – and even after more than a decade, that too appears bang up to date. The first Z4 was built stateside at BMW ’s Spar tanburg plant and was aimed squarely at the higher end of the open-top market, taking on the gauntlet from its predecessor, the Z3, when it came to battling Porsche’s Boxster. There were just two engine options at launch; the M54 straight- six in 2.5-litre and 3.0-litre guise, mated to a five- and sixspeed manual ’box respectively, although a Steptronic automatic…

The second generation of the popular Clubman appeared in 2015 (codenamed F54) and we’re following the ser vice of a 2018 Cooper S model at independent specialist Mad4Mini. This is powered by a 1998cc twin- cam petrol engine and mated to an automatic gearbox. BMW ’s recommended ser vice inter vals for the MINI aren’t as straightfor ward as you’d expect. They are based on usage instead of mileage to help preser ve a vehicle that undergoes short runs versus one that spends most of its days on a motor way. So, we’ve cobbled together a ser vice schedule to help outline the work that should be conducted, but it ’s not exactly the same as what BMW recommend. There are similar issues when it comes to choosing the right…

Sensor data CITROËN C2 Q Could you provide advice on sources of expected sensor performance data that could be used to compare against actual live sensor data? I wanted expected parameters for a 2007 Citroën C2 1.6, although even generic expected performance data for sensors is likely to be helpful given my limited knowledge for interpreting sensor data. My Citroën’s in-car display is currently providing the message ‘Anti-Pollution system faulty’. However, no engine fault codes are logged when reading an OBDII scan tool. I presume the dealer Lexia software would recognise and describe the fault; however I hoped that analysing the car’s sensor data – obtained using my current scan tool – against expected parameters would diagnose potential causes of the in-car display fault message. Ross McDonald A For the…

Since my last contribution to these pages, it’s been all- change as far as the Simpson daily driver f leet is concerned, and there have been a few developments among the oldies, too. First, my new car. My diesel Mondeo has gone to live a new life as a taxi in Wisbech. It was a mutual consent thing really; there wasn’t anything wrong with it; it was well-equipped, pretty good on fuel and 100% reliable. But somehow it just didn’t feel at all special or give the slightest bit of ownership pride. Try as I might, I just couldn’t get enthusiastic about it. Its replacement, however, is a totally different kettle of fish. It’s a Volvo C70 D3 diesel convertible which some ‘friends’ have, unkindly, christened my mid-life crisis car.…

I write in response to Daren Norman who’s just bought himself a LTI TX2 for private use. I too own a decommissioned cab for private use, although mine is a little older than his, mine is a LTI TX1 and they are fantastic and, believe it or not, a lot of fun! They’re extremely versatile and practical as they seat the whole family. You also don’t need any special driving license or anything, as long as they’re decommissioned, they’re normal everyday cars. My TX1 has the bullet-proof 2.7D Nissan engine fitted, and it’s done 420,000 miles on this original engine! I know of two or three other cabs with around a million miles! Regarding insurance, it’s easy to sort out as long as you use a specialist. I use RH…

Further to Clive Charles window problem (CM, Help! Oct 2022) there was a design fault with Renault electric windows, especially in the Megane and Scenic range, with water ingress into the electronic module on top of the window motor. I had similar problems with this causing all sorts of problems but luckily at the time my Grand Scenic 2 was under 10-years-old. Renault replaced all four window motors and regulators and door looms – and contributed 76% of the total cost including labour. Not bad for a 9-year-old car. Ray Stockwell…

In the October 2022 issue, my Editorial asked readers for their Ford Cortina experiences, here are just a few: I learnt to drive in a MkII, while my mother had a MkI (in ‘lime green’ – was actually a light yellow) in which I practised, and passed my test in. Later, I bought a MkIII estate (very roomy), and eventually bought a MkIV, as an ex-company car, direct from the company I worked for. It was a 2.0 S model, which did me well. I eventually traded it for a 2.3 Granada estate. My uncle had a MkI Lotus Cortina, but I never got to ride in that. My father-in-law had a MkII 1600E, which he eventually passed on to his son (my brother-in-law). I bought the Haynes book on…

Thanks for the feature on the latest “clean air” zones and the expansion of the ULEZ in London. Be warned, though, that the compliance data (derived, so I believe, from DVLA), isn’t all you might think. My Lexus RX400h (2005 55-reg) shows as ‘compliant’ for the London ULEZ, but ‘non-compliant’ for the Birmingham and Bristol clean air zones. This is daft, as I know the CO and NOx figures are near to zero. I took this up with DVLA, who told me they didn’t have this Lexus model as Euro 4 compliant. I had to contact Lexus, who assured me that the RX is in fact fully Euro 4 compliant. They sent me a Certificate of Compliance. DVLA have now received the compliance certificate and say they will amend their…

Owing to the way the print cycles run, sometimes, certain items we print news-wise don’t always appear hot off the press so to speak. I did however manage to sneak this page just before the Editor ’s deadline and swap it around with an item that was already set for your delectation. Because this column is normally a jovial or thought-provoking tome of a middle -aged grump, I do my best to avoid bringing you any sadness or sorrow that often comes my way in motoring circles – and believe me, there is plenty of it kicking around at the moment. This time however, I am making an exception as the motor industry has recently lost a true legend, and on personal terms, I’ve lost a friend and a hero…

Once upon a time, if you needed ‘genuine’ manufacturers parts, you went to the local main dealer, found the stores/ parts department, where a parts-man would ask you what you wanted and then assuming what you wanted wasn’t massively unusual, (or just massive), he would disappear into a labyrinth of shelves behind the counter and emerge a minute or two later with the part(s) you wanted. And if they didn’t have it in stock? Well, something that was preventing a vehicle from being used – called a VOR or Vehicle Off Road part – would generally be ordered for next-day delivery. That, though, stopped long ago; these days main dealers rarely keep more than a few very fast-moving parts in stock. In fact, something being available over the counter is…

Get your nominations in for Garage of the Year 2023 ►Taking place on June 7that Hilton Metropole NEC, the Automechanika Birmingham Garage Awards 2023 are set to celebrate the best of the industr y, and the nominations are open. The Garage of the Year categor y recognises exceptional service in addition to impeccable business nous. From understanding the P&L, mark ups and margins, to marketing, social media use and community outreach, the winner will have demonstrated proficiency to navigate and overcome the challenges of operating a thriving business in 2023 and beyond. Other categories include Best Independent Garage – Best Single -Site, Best Multi-Site, Best Community Initiative, ‘Auto-Mechanik ’ of the Year, Best Marketing Award, and Best Customer Service Award. Last and certainly not least, the Lifetime Achievement Award will…

Cinchloss? “Cinch’s problems however fade into almostinsignificance compared to rival Cazoo’s, whose recent woes seem to have escalated fur ther.” ►Are we seeing the start of a return to dealer-based car selling, and a switch away from online-only sales? Last month we repor ted how many dealers trading from premises had bumper years in 2021. By contrast, the two bestknown online -only groups both made thumping losses, and in one case have announced a dramatic cutback. For star ters, online car retailer Cinch – in case you’re confused that ’s the one owned by Constellation Group alongside Webuyanycar, BCA and Marshall Group, and the one with the advertisements fronted by Rylan Clark-Neal – have just posted a pre -tax loss before tax of £149million, or £126.7million after tax, for the…

In the ‘Help!’ section (CM, Aug 2022), Steve Ward asks Steve the correct oil to use in his 2017 Suzuki Celerio. I have a similar vehicle in my household (2016 Suzuki Celerio SZ4 Auto) which I do all the servicing on. I purchase this kit (see link below) from eBay which includes genuine 0W-20 oil, filter and sump washer for about half the price quoted just for the oil – and that’s delivered! https://bit.ly/3OhqBoe Other serviceable items such as spark plugs and cabin filters tend to be expensive from Suzuki directly. I find that Bosch versions are less than half the price. On the topic of the expense of oil, my 2022 Mazda3 Skyactiv-X runs a special blend to work with the hybrid drivetrain and Stop- Start technology. 1 litre…

Karl Sheridans letter (CM, April 2022) is straight out of my song book! Especially the section on ultra bright headlights, which was also recently covered on BBC’s You and Yours where the RAC reported on the dangers of being dazzled by modern headlights and I can only agree that these headlights are far too bright even on dip. Being overtaken on a dual carriageway by an SUV will also dazzle due to excessive side lobes from such lights as they will be at eye height for the driver in a saloon car. Measures taken to reduce dazzle are not particularly effective as automatic headlamp levelling may work on a smooth road, but with bumps, sleeping policemen, curves, etc., many suffer from overshoot resulting in dazzle. Better beam control is a…

Features stepless dimmer switch for both the main COB and the LED torch. Featuring a super bright 5W COB LED light source, which gives an even and constant spread of light, producing up to 400 lumens. Built-in emergency power bank to charge mobile devices. Top 3W high power LED torch producing up to 100 lumens. Integral hanging hook/belt clip and a magnetic base which can rotate through 180° for handsfree applications. Features a battery level indicator. Rechargeable 3.7V 1.2Ah Li-ion battery for longer life, no memory effect and a much slower discharge than traditional Ni-MH batteries.…

JAGUAR XF Oil concern ►Having seen a small patch of oil under his 2008 Jaguar XF 2.7 diesel which appeared to be from the rear of the engine, the owner was continually checking the engine oil, to ensure the level was not dropping. The oil patch where the Jaguar was parked got bigger, but the engine oil did not drop. The owner was aware that oil degradation can occur, and was concerned that the oil level was not dropping because it was being replaced with diesel fuel possibly due to failed regeneration attempts. With 170,000 miles on the clock, the owner was clear that he was hoping to get a few more miles out of the vehicle before needing to replace the Jag. Bringing the motor in to me I…

Most vehicles have a pull handle somewhere in the cabin to lift the bonnet slightly before you then operate the safety catch to raise the bonnet fully. Ford, though, decided to use a lock and key for the Mk1 Focus from 1998 and then the Mk2 Focus and C-MAX that followed. When the Mk3 Focus appeared in 2011, Ford rever ted back to the usual cabin lever. The Ford Transit van also made use of a lock and key arrangement for the bonnet opening on the Mk6 and Mk7 to 2013 – with the Mk8 model having a slightly different locking system to 2019. The lock and key set-up utilises the ignition key to gain access. Turn the key left to raise the bonnet slightly onto the safety catch, then…

GENERAL Window cleaner Q Can you recommend a product that will clean car windows including the windscreen, both inside and out without leaving smears? I have tried many proprietary products but they all seem to leave cloudy streaks or smears on the glass. I have used microfibre, cotton towelling, kitchen towel, chenille, and various other materials to apply the cleaner and buff the glass afterwards but nothing seems to work. Any help would be gratefully received. Mark Dawson A There are two main types of screen cleaner available, either the cream type or the spirit type. The cream cleaners can need a lot more effort to ensure that they are totally removed and do not leave smearing on the screen, one of the best of the spirit types is 4Detailer…

I refer to August 2022 edition – the letter published from Nigel Gutteridge – where he claims that EV batteries need changing after 7 years or so. This is completely false. The only car that I know of with poor battery life is the early Nissan LEAF due to poor battery thermal management. Manufacturers are confident and have warranties: BMW, FORD, HYUNDAI, JAGUAR, RENAULT, POLESTAR, TESLA = 8 years/100,000 miles KIA, MG = 7 years/100,000 miles A far cry from what Nigel suggests. It also needs to be taken into account that the manufacturers consider the battery faulty when it’s capacity has dropped to 80% of the original range – so if you had a 300-mile range with a new battery, that would have dropped to 240 miles. It should…

My son toyed with the idea of having an EV as a second car – and to see what one could offer he decided to hire one for a couple of months. So the following shortish tale is centred on one particular day’s motoring in a Peugeot e208. Used locally for a week, he thought he’d see what it would be capable of on a family trip. So a run from Wickford, Essex to our other son in Bungay, Suffolk. 174-mile round trip was set in motion. We started out four-up and with a full charge which gives a claimed range of up to 225 miles – so on paper possibly doable but in practice? Start of journey cold and damp so heater on. 30 and 40 limits on the…

A family friend of mine bought a SEAT Ateca. One day the low coolant light came on. Her father takes a look and the coolant tank is full of lumps, so he tops it up and she drives it back to the dealer she bought it from. Turns out SEAT, and looking online, a lot of VAG cars have a silica pouch fitting in the coolant header tank to prolong coolant life. The cause of the ‘lumps’ is the bag had burst, and the ‘lumps’ are now all throughout the coolant system and worst case blocking the radiator and heater matrix. As the car is five-years-old this is not covered under warranty and she has been hit with a large bill to replace the header tank, remove the radiator and…

STAR LETTER I want to share my latest repair with everyone, which demonstrates the value of not leaping to conclusions and following a logical diagnostic path. The car in question is my wife’s 2006 Vauxhall Tigra with 74,000 miles on the clock. A couple of weeks ago she had trouble starting it. She reported that she had to cycle the ignition key a couple of times before the starter would crank over the engine. Then she said the electrical items in the centre binnacle (ventilation fan, radio, A/C) wouldn’t work while she was driving home. She said that when she was driving home, the dashboard lights came on and the gauges made a full sweep. When she got home, she tried to start it again and no crank. At this…

In reply to you asking if anyone has suffered a snapped driveshaft like your Corolla Verso, the same thing happened on my 30-year-old Rover 416. Corrosion under the harmonic damper had eaten 50% of it away, causing it to break. Annoyingly, I’d planned to inspect this last summer but never quite got round to it! The boys in the yellow van performed fantastically, towing me home, where I put on a spare shaft I had. Had the Corolla Verso suffered rot, or was it metal fatigue? Keep up the good work, Martyn. David Townsend Martyn Knowles responds: I think we have the same problem in that the damper on the shaft had trapped moisture over time and weaken it. The Toyota shaft lasted 18 years – and it was removed/reinstalled…