Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2023 i Car Mechanics

Martyn Knowles, Editor Email martyn.knowles@kelsey.co.uk Follow us on Facebook @ Car Mechanics Order back issues here: shop.kelsey.co.uk/ single-issue/car-mechanics-magazine ► In 2010, my late father wanted to week waiting period it didn’t stop the charge renew his petrol-powered Toyota Auris. erection of ULEZ cameras and signage. I suggested a new Škoda Fabia. He Some of those with non-compliant went to the main dealer for a test drive. vehicles were holding off selling their Afterwards I asked him how he got on vehicles, waiting for the court decision, and he said he drove a 1.6 TDI version. but now they had just a month to find a I went back with him to explain to the suitable replacement vehicle or be fined salesperson that my father wanted a 1.2 £12.50…

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HONDA CIVIC Running issues The owner of this 2013 Honda Civic diesel had read off his own fault codes by the time he got to me and so was aware that he had a couple of issues that needed resolving. The motor was feeling a little rough when accelerating and with the two codes he had was unsure where to start. The codes he had read off were P16CD and P049B. These were showing two different issues and I suspected the last code P049B was the one giving the poor acceleration. This was referring to the EGR valve and indicated insufficient flow. The details on the other code refer to the glow plug circuit (P16CD) and although these issues also needed addressing, the EGR valve was the…

Volkswagen’s original air-cooled Beetle was, and still is, loved the world over. It’s an icon, no less, and remains the world’s best-selling car of all time. But as we all know, all good things must come to an end, and diminishing sales throughout the ’70s and ’80s finally sounded its death knell, with the last one leaving the Mexico production line in 2003. Somehow, though, love for the Bug didn’t diminish and Volkswagen launched its ‘New Beetle’, based on the Mk4 Golf this time, in 1998. It was made more muscular looking for the 2007 model year before being replaced by the car we’re looking at here, the A5, which went on sale in 2012. Longer, lower and wider, it was more Beetle-like than its predecessor and certainly more sophisticated…

I have been a keen reader of CM since 1964 and tinker with various cars at a basic DIY level. Recently I have been driving newer cars (2016 onwards) with some sort of battery (BMS?) monitoring systems and wish to know the correct procedure for charging or testing/analysing etc. Would a device like this be with investing in? www.topdon.com/products/battery-tester-bt200 I have been using a voltmeter to test battery voltage when car at rest. The vehicles often stand for weeks at a time unused, so I like to keep them topped up. Also, can I use it without removing the Negative earth leads and BMS? I use a smart charger with the battery in situ and connect to an earth stud on the bodywork usually. All my older cars you could…

I would like your advice on rust protection of the subframe for my Fiat Linea, which is a sedan version of the Grande Punto. Please help me as to whether I need to apply Cavity Wax or some protection to this part adjoining the suspension. My Fiat is nearly eight years. When I asked the dealer associate, he said no intervention is required for the subframe unless there has been an accident, as this part is ‘solid’ – implying that it would never rust. Is this the case? I was thinking of cleaning out the hole which I’ve highlighted with degreasing spray and then applying cavity wax followed by a rubberised undercoat. Would that be an overkill? Should I leave it as it is? Kishore Thomas John (India) Whilst the…

My daughter sold her 2007 Volvo V50 SE D5 Geartronic to a neighbour. While in my daughter’s ownership, the only issues with the car were a replacement front left wheel bearing and a blocked sunroof drain that flooded the passenger side footwell. I cleared the drain and the footwell was dried out. A short time after the sale, the new owner reported that the front passenger footwell was wet again, so I cleared the offending drain. Then the car displayed a ‘brake failure’ warning and, when the owner stopped and switched off the engine, it would not restart and the key could not be removed from the ignition – and the windscreen wipers started to operate without being switched on. The RAC were called. They interrogated the faults and found…

I have recently taken delivery of a 2002 Audi A2 diesel. The service book has gone walk about. The local Audi dealer has confirmed that the car had been service with the Audi network but is unable to provide details of which dealerships were involved. All they could do was provide the Audi dealers number. Sadly, the inter web cannot decode which is the actual dealer. So, my question is who are Audi dealers 205 and 460. Simon Poynder This information is not listed and it appears that the dealers do not indicate their own service number, but thanks to the Audi Press Office who helped with this enquiry I can inform you that the selling centre was Ipswich Audi, number 137. Dealer number 205 is Oxford Audi and 460…

I cannot find any information on my 2020 Skoda Fabia 1.0 TSI regarding the timing belt. Or indeed if it even has a belt or chain. Can you help please? Thank you. Paul Ferdy Your Skoda does have a timing belt, and this should be replaced at five-year intervals regardless of mileage. No mileage limit is given. The job has a book time of 2.6 hours, and does require quite a few special tools to lock, hold and set the timing on the camshafts, as well as a tool required to hold the tensioner. The water pump on this engine is also driven by a belt from the rear of the camshaft – this belt should be renewed at the same time as the water pump.…

I have a 2001 VW Golf 1.9 PD 130. It is fairly high mileage at 235k and generally runs well. The problem is after around 10 miles of driving or shortly coming up to temperature it starts to misfire and the traction control light comes on. The lamp goes off and the misfire goes away when the engine is stopped and restarted and then will run perfectly until I leave it to get cold again. The only fault code that comes up is P0301 which Indicates a misfire on cylinder 1, but it seems weird that it only affects the running of the engine at the moment described above so I’m thinking is there anything else changing over at that moment of the warm up cycle? Martin One particular A…

BMW 5-SERIES Misfire & poor idle I have a 2010 BMW F07 hatchback GT 550i with the N63 (petrol direct-injection) engine with 42,000 miles. The car has a poor idle/misfire problem when starting from cold and the dashboard check-engine light illuminates. I’ve read the fault codes and the Autel FCR gives codes 140601, 150601 or 140801, 150801 (or both). The misfire it seems is always either cylinder 6 or 8 (or both) and the ECU shuts down those injectors. If I let the car idle and to warm-up, and then to clear the codes and restart the engine, the misfire problem has disappeared. As part of the service, I decided to renew the plugs and all the ignition coils as well (Bosch parts), however the misfire issue for cylinders 6…

I have a 2004 Skoda Octavia 1.8 vRS with 96k on the clock but with full service history and generally runs/starts very well. However, I have been plagued with the engine management light with code P0441 EVAP emission control system incorrect flow. I have replaced the purge valve with genuine main dealer part (N80) – I think it’s classed as – and had the light turned off. But within a week the light is back on. I replaced the fuel filler cap again with a genuine dealer part and sure enough the light was back on a few days later after a little uneven engine idle it popped up. The fuel filter was changed last year with the full service it got. I have been advised to remove the carbon…

► Were you a ‘Meccano Boy?’ I was, and my Meccano set is one of the very few childhood toys which I still possess. I also suspect that an awful lot of us who are now ‘of a certain age’ and who have always been interested in matters mechanical might just have been inspired by Frank Hornby’s fantastic construction kits. If that’s you, then you aren’t alone. Many of the most influential car design engineers also used Meccano as a means of trialling new ideas and producing working models. When Alex Issigonis retired from BL in November 1971, his present from the company was one of the iconic Number 10 sets (plus a steam engine), and Lord Nuffield also had one which was frequently put to good use during his…

The Editor looking keen before starting the service on the IS – with many new parts from our project sponsor Blue Print. First, four engine covers were removed, including the one located on top of the slam panel. I'm thankful to my local garage – Vasstechnik – who allowed me to use a two-post ramp to make the task of taking pictures that much easier. Oh, and to use some of their tools and expertise. Find them here: vasstechnik.co.uk I've never worked on any Lexus before. After completing this service on the 2.5 V6, I realise now that these cars are so well put together with quality components from the factory that 13 years on, have weathered well. Take the 10mm bolts holding the engine undertray – they all came…

I’ve just heard the story of a 24-year-old ‘car dealer’ from Birmingham who is starting a two-year and elevenmonth prison sentence for what was described in court as “ripping off customers by selling unroadworthy death trap vehicles.”The case was bought by Birmingham City Council and followed a string of trading standards complaints. One customer, whose £4500 Discovery was reported as needing £7000 worth of repairs to make it roadworthy, also launched a Consumer Action Group blog, and obtained a CCJ, though it’s not known whether he was able to enforce the Judgement and get his money. The court was also told that the dealer concerned had bought 360 cars from just one auction between October 2019 and June 2021, and that the defects they were sold with included a Škoda…

Service Bay Overall difficulty rating VAG’s supermini of the 2010s was badge engineered across Škoda, Volkswagen and SEAT and named the Citigo, Up! and Mii respectively. We’re servicing a 2014 Škoda Citigo, which is powered by a three-cylinder 999cc petrol engine and is a very straightforward vehicle to work on. There’s plenty of room to be able to access the service items in the engine bay, and underneath there’s equally lots of space to drain the engine oil, change the oil filter and inspect the suspension components. The Citigo’s brakes consist of ventilated discs at the front and drums at the rear. Its suspension features MacPherson struts at the front, with lower suspension arms and an anti-roll bar. At the rear, there’s a beam axle with separate coil springs and…

I have a 2013 Fiat 500 1.2 that lists the spark plug change interval at 18,000 miles or two years. In two years the vehicle has only covered 5000 miles but it is all start-stop town driving journeys it covers. I only use the car for three days of the week for home visits so it starts and stops up to 10 times in the day. I already half the oil change interval. However, the plugs still look like new when I removed them to check the condition with the electrode edges still square and gap preserved. Should I change them or leave them be? Min Without doubt spark plugs do last much longer than they used to and even the standard type plug you have in your Fiat 500 will…

I have a 2007 Fiat Bravo M-Jet 120 with the 1910cc 8v turbodiesel engine. The engine code is 192A8000. The car spends its life on the motorway with a daily commute of 120 miles; mileage is 215,000. It's regularly serviced, returns 54mpg, and has been totally reliable – except that two years ago it became difficult to start with the engine warm. The symptoms are as follows: if the engine is cold, say first thing in the morning, or when hot immediately after a run, or where the engine temperature is starting to rise, the car will start without problem. However, if allowed to cool, say for an hour with no movement of the temperature gauge, starting becomes difficult. In this circumstance the engine turns over as normal on the…

I have a 2006 XC90 V8 engine (130,000 miles) that is leaking oil in the front right corner (passenger side) of this stateside engine. A Volvo mechanic presumes this is coming from a leak from the front engine cover – this is apparently a common issue on these V8 engines. The dealer quotes about 10-12 hours labour to reseal the front engine cover. Are you aware of any ‘magic bullet’ sealant/additive that may possibly stop or reduce this seal/gasket leak (I did add a bottle of ATP-205 at my last oil change based on positive reviews, but I’m open for any other suggestions). I know an additive may be a shortterm fix but I’m not looking to apply a $2000-3000 fix to a 17-year-old car. Appreciate your response. Thank you.…

I am writing on behalf of my uncle,who owns a 2001 Skoda Fabia 1.9 diesel with the non-turbo ASY engine. The problem is with the pre-heat system and started last winter, when the pre-heat light came on then went out immediately; it always stays on for 10-15 seconds before going out. The engine started, but did not like it as it does when the pre-heat light stayed on. I first checked to see if I was getting a 12V supply to the heater plugs – there was no supply. I then checked the heater plug wiring to the glow plugs using an ohmmeter – this showed a working circuit. I tested the heater plugs individually and all were operating OK. I then found a broken fuse link and replaced it,…

I have a 2005 VW Golf MkV GTI with the AXX code engine and 89,000 miles. The problem I have is that it never reaches its full temperature of 90° on the temperature gauge – it only gets about halfway, even after a long run. It will only reach full temperature when stuck in traffic. Am I correct in thinking that there are two thermostats fitted to this engine. If so, which one would you recommend changing? Also, would you recommend changing the cam follower on this engine as it’s still running the original one. Mike Boswell According to the data I have, your Golf only has one thermostat. However, it may have a bypass system which uses a slightly different thermostat housing. The thermostat is located at the lower…

Could you settle a slight argument between me and my eldest son?He wants the brake fluid changing on his 2005 VW Passat and says it needs a special procedure involving pressure and must go into a garage for this. I maintain it’s no different from any other car and can be bled in the normal way. My method is to suck the old fluid out of the master cylinder reservoir and replace with fresh, then bleed each corner with a tube on the nipple and other end under fluid in a jar. I drain by gravity and just top up the master cylinder as necessary. Will my method work? Gary Mills You are correct. Provided the fluid will run through the system, your method will work – and using this…

I have a 2009 Volkswagen Golf 1.4 Twincharger DSG with the CAVD engine and 58,000 miles. I know these engines can develop timing chain/ tensioner faults at any mileage, so would appreciate some advice. I have noticed that approximately one out of 10 times when I start the car, either warm or cold, there is a clack-clack sound like a timing chain rattle for about one second until the tensioner pressures up. The car has a full VW dealer service history and has been serviced yearly with long-life oil. I’ve just done a full service using original VW filters and Castrol Edge 5W-30 504.00/507.00 oil, but the problem persists. The engine is running sweetly and at idle it is smooth and quiet. I know of others who have had the…

I’m hoping you can shed some light on an issue with our 2010 Ford Focus 2.0 petrol automatic (engine code AODA). It’s only happened about four times, but twice in the last week so it seems to be getting more regular. When starting from cold on a cold morning it starts fine and drives fine out of our road and round the corner to the next junction (a total distance of probably only 100 yards). When we go to pull out of the next junction, the revs drop then surge up to around 2000rpm around three times before the engine cuts out. Pushing the accelerator has no effect. Obviously being an auto it’s even less convenient as you have to stop, engage Park, start it and then re-engage Drive before…

Special Contributor BMW 130i odd jobs! When you thought there couldn’t be any more problems left on my 2006 BMW 130i M-Sport you’d be quite mistaken! Safe to say I have spent more time fixing this car than driving it, which is a shame really as it provides one of the nicest drives for a car of this size. I’ve pegged it mainly for longer distance cruises in summer given the wonderful instant torquey response that 3.0-litre straight-six provides in sixth gear on the motorway. With that in mind a few odd jobs were still outstanding before I could enjoy it. Aircon re-gas With the air-conditioning compressor not engaging and warm air blowing out the vents I opted for a mobile service van from a well-known national motor factor to…

Finally, this month, a question. During a recent photo-library tidy-up, I rediscovered a few photos of a rather mysterious Volvo 850 estate that I bought and sold in, I think, 2005ish. Sorry the picture quality isn’t great; they were taken for online sale rather than publication. Anyway, as you can see, the car in question had significantly higher-than-normal ground clearance all round, but looking underneath I could see no obvious signs of modification, so it seemed to have been a bolt-on conversion of some kind. The suspension, however, was all that had been changed; it still had the standard FWD transmission set-up. Oh, and I also recall that, perhaps unsurprisingly, it didn’t handle particularly well. So, what was going on? My guess is that it was converted due to semi-off-road…

Many dealers put a fresh MOT on all cars they sell. Although, as the authorities point out with almost monotonous regularity, an MOT test proves nothing more than that a car met certain legal minimum standards at the time of test – a fresh test does provide proof of an independent examination by a qualified person. It can sometimes also provide the basis of a ‘reasonable care’ defence against an allegation that a private individual has knowingly sold an unroadworthy vehicle. At this time of year, however, a lot of traders will, if a car already has a decent test when bought in, sell it on without putting it through a fresh test. The reason is, quite simply, that many just can’t get a test slot within a reasonable time-frame.…

GENERAL First car purchase My 20-year-old niece is looking for her first car. She has a budget of around £5000. She seems keen on the Ford Fiesta. I am wondering if this would be a wise first choice, could you perhaps recommend something from say Japan/Korea? My line of thinking is reliability, for example the Nissan Micra seems very good. Another concern of mine is insurance, should she aim for a smaller runabout until she can gain a few years no claims? Any advice would be most appreciated. Gary Harper There are many considerations when purchasing a vehicle, and for someone under 25, the insurance must be one of the prime considerations. The lowest insurance costs are of course with the smaller and less powerful vehicles, so the Citroën C1/…

I’m hoping you can help me with an engine noise/rattle on my wife’s 2015 Fiat 500 1.2. The car has just over 41,000 miles from new with full service history and has been owned from 15 months old. It was serviced by the local garage and had a new cambelt and water pump fitted. Since then, due to illness, its only done less than 500 miles – and on starting it recently it made a very loud rattle which lasted less than two minutes. The car now does this when left for a few days. The oil filter that was fitted was a Blue Print one and the oil was 5W-30. The garage has since changed the filter for a Bosch item and changed the oil for the recommended 5W-40.…

I have a 2015 petrol Volvo XC60. Last year I took to a main dealer for a service and when it came back I noticed that when it automatically changes gear in between second and third it has a noticeable clunk into the next gear. The car runs fine otherwise, and doesn’t clunk above about 40mph. Any suggestions? Brendan Noonan As the problem occurred after the main dealer serviced it, it is possible that they have updated the gearbox software in order to resolve a problem that may have been occurring on some vehicles. It is quite common for manufacturers to decide after a model has been in production for a while that a better software program could be used. As this has only occurred since the service I would…

I recently bought a 2012 Audi A3 2.0 TDI Sport for my daughter (engine code CRBC). It has covered 63,000 miles and there is no record of the timing belt having been changed. I looked online for a workshop manual for the Audi before I bought it and saw the Haynes manual dated from April 2008-September 2012 – though when I received it, it didn’t cover this engine as there must have been a change on the engine after September. The car was registered November 2012. On looking at the manual the timing belt procedure I think would probably be the same except for when I look at the timing belt cover I see no clips for removing it and there are two small stainless steel pipes running across the…

Help, I own a 2015 Skoda Fabia with 20,000 miles. This is due for its MOT soon and something just happened – up to now it has been perfect. Now all of a sudden, the front wipers come on and stay on whenever the ignition switch is pressed. It does respond however to moving the speed switch to faster or slower but will not respond to moving the lever to the off position. Any ideas please? Also are wipers that won’t switch off a MOT failure? David Wood The MOT test manual states that “Wiper not operating or missing will be subject to a Major” (which is a fail), but make no reference to wipers continually operating, so provided the wipers work when required, I am unsure if the tester could…

Can you help with a problem with my daughter's Volkswagen Golf?A yellow light showing a brake drum has illuminated on the dash, which I think is the brake pad warning light. However, the brake pads seem fine and there only appears to be a wire going to the nearside front caliper and not the offside. My daughter’s car has just passed the MOT, with only an advisory for the warning light. I have a Haynes manual for the Golf but I can’t seem to see to find any information regarding this warning light. Colin Bennett Providing the letters ABS are not displayed within the centre of the brake lining symbol, the warning light you describe does sound like the brake pad warning light.Depending on the model and year of the…

GET IN TOUCH... If you have a problem vehicle, Car Mechanics has the answer in the shape of our technical editor STEVE ROTHWELL. Contact Steve, as detailed below, for FREE advice on all car-related problems. Please help Steve to help you by giving as much information on the symptoms as you can – including the VEHICLE REGISTRATION NUMBER. As Help! is a free service, some complex questions may require more time and resources than we can reasonably allow – when this is the case we will let you know. Steve will reply to all queries as quickly as possible, but please allow up to 28 days for a reply. Difficult/ complex questions or those requiring research may take a little longer – please be patient. Neither Kelsey Publishing nor Steve…

I own a VW Touareg R-Line and the mileage to date is just over 31,000 miles. I am trying to find out why both inside faces of my front brake discs are completely brown with rust, while the outside faces are shiny like new coins; both sides of the rear discs are also shining. Nigel Campbell Brake discs do develop a light film of rust when the vehicle is standing when wet after rain or when cleaning the vehicle. This light film is then quickly cleaned off when the brakes are used in normal service, leaving the discs shining brightly as they are normally expected to look. Vehicles that are left standing for longer periods can suffer from more corrosion. The most common reason for a brake disc to develop…

Iam having problems with my 2008 Land Rover Freelander 2 2.2 TD4 – it has the error code P2562. It still pulls like a train on the open road, though when around town at low revs the EML light comes on and the engine goes in limp-mode. I then reset it and it runs fine, but it keeps on doing this. I would also add that my throttle body is making one hell of a noise. I see they are a common fault. Could it be that causing that code? Also, the EGR is blanked off. Stuart Anderson The code P2562 is indicating that the turbocharger boost control position sensor has a circuit malfunction. This may be due to a faulty sensor or a problem in the circuit causing a…

Special Contributor Ex-project Saab 9-3 Ialways knew that taking over stewardship of the formerCM project Saab was going to be a gamble, and in the blink of an eye, it’s been a year since the V5 fluttered through the letterbox – tempus fugit as they say. The 9-3 Aero Sportwagon (or Sport Combi in Sweden) has certainly been a roller coaster ride – it has tested my bank balance, sanity and patience in equal measures. To say it’s been a burden on finances is a little unfair owing to the fact it was bought at a decent price, the fuel economy is nothing short of amazing for the power on offer and editor Knowles even let me run it for a few weeks to risk assess the purchase. You see,…

Certain things should remain unchanged, unaltered… sacrosanct if you like. Once, the motor industry moved along with the calm and gentle flow akin to a moving iceberg, whereby nowadays, partly thanks to yet more Government meddling telling us electric is the way forward (it isn’t, its hydrogen), the pace of change is like gazing from the window of a Eurostar. The news that I have just heard has saddened me to the core, the roads of the UK – nay the world in fact, will never be the same again as Volvo have just announced that they are to axe all saloon and estate vehicle production. They are solely concentrating on SUVs as saloons and estate cars account for barely 10% of their current global sales. Even though on a…