Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2024 i Car Mechanics

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 ► We have over the past 30 years bought cars to run as projects here at CM. It gives us the opportunity to showcase repairs to a particular make/model. Most of the time we buy a popular-selling model which ranges from seven-years-old to twenty. Usually, we run two projects at the same time to give variety – it could be that one car is a small runabout and the other a larger type or that one is diesel, and one is petrol. Of late, we have tried to incorporate a ‘modern classic’ into the mix – something from the noughties period that we feel could be sought-after in years to come. Things panned out…

A brand new, police preferred key safe, has been launched by Defender Security Products. The Defender Pro-TEC Key Safe combines top level security with greater capacity and ease of use. British inventor, John Fearnall, set out to improve on existing products, creating a compact yet spacious key safe at a more affordable price. With robust construction and high security fundamental to its design, the Pro-TEC key safe has passed stringent attack testing to LPS 1175 Issue 8, resulting in it achieving the UK Police-accredited Secured by Design standard. It also has over 4000 possible code combinations for the complete peace of mind of the end user. The Pro-TEC is the first police preferred key safe to incorporate the locking mechanism within the key safe door, freeing up internal space and…

Leading rotating electrics supplier, WAI Europe, has expanded its range of alternators and starter motors with the addition of more than 10 new references covering automotive and heavyduty applications. It has introduced over 100 new references so far in 2024, with plans to add over 300 more in the coming months. These references will cover late models such as Ford Transit 2020-, Fiat 500X 2019-, Nissan Qashqai 2018-, Audi A3 2019-, Mercedes A-Class 2018-. With advancements in automotive technology, the landscape of rotating electrics is constantly evolving. WAI Europe is at the forefront of innovation, introducing cuttingedge solutions to meet the demands of modern vehicles. WAI’s latest range expansion includes eight new alternators, including part number, 21629N – to fit Dacia Sandero, Duster, Nissan Juke, Renault Clio, Captur 1.0 2019-…

Driving in a straight line posed no problems for the owner of this 2006 Mitsubishi Trojan L200 2.5 diesel, but as soon as the motor needed to go round a slight bend, the sound of knocking from the front suspension could be heard. The owner had put up with this for a while, and I am not sure if he was hoping the noise would go away, but guess what? It didn’t, it got worse (no surprise really). Once I got the Mitsubishi in the workshop, the problem turned out to be more than I originally suspected. As well as the failure of the outer joint, which was the source of the knocking noise, the inner boot appeared to have failed some time ago, and this had also allowed the…

Alot has changed in the world since the last Car Mechanics head torch group test in the January 2013 issue. Sure, there are still thousands of products to choose from and yep there is an Atlantic ocean’s worth of rubbish out there. More than ever, in fact. However, two things have advanced. Firstly, you won’t be surprised to learn that prices have risen sharply. Secondly, the extra cost has – mostly – gone handin-hand with improvements in quality. We take a humble head torch for granted, there’s no doubt. An almost essential item in a home mechanic’s armoury. As James Stanbur y suggested in the original test in early 2013, there is still some resistance to them in the trade as garages have always traditionally used inspection lamps or as…

Taking a (calculated) chance ► I’ve just taken a pretty big gamble and bought a car in a BCA online auction with no mechanical report. Yes, really! The car in question is a 2013 Citroën C5, and now that it’s arrived, I’m pleased – and not a little relieved – that my gut-instinct has been proved right. It’s an absolute beauty! The car is ex-police – or more accurately, ex-National Crime Agency – and I’ve bought a few of these in the past. They seem to fall into one of two categories. Some are scruffy and have clearly had hard use, and these are probably best avoided. However, because a lot of the NCA’s work these days involves ‘white collar crime such as fraud, internet scams and so on, many…

GENERAL Battery charging Q A few years ago, in answer to my question you suggested a CTEK battery charger as a solution. I duly bought one and have used it continually on our garaged MX-5. On page 16 of the February 2024 edition, Rob Marshall in the BATTERY SENSORS E2 section writes ‘If charging the battery on the vehicle, it is advisable to disconnect the negative terminal.’ With our MX-5 I just connected the crocodile clips without disconnecting the terminals. a) Should I follow Rob’s advice? b) What is the science/thinking behind Rob’s advice? Peter Cooke A The advice given by Rob in the Instant Expect introduction to the sensors article in the February 2024 edition of CM was more in reference to the jump-starting of vehicles and the problems…

My 2001 Lupo GTI track day car (yet to actually go near a track), reser ved only for use in the summer months, didn’t see much action in 2023. The issue first surfaced back in 2019 when it failed its MOT for the front offside ser vice brake excessively binding. I did feel that something wasn’t right when slowing down to roundabouts – before coming to a complete stop and foot off the brake rolling slightly there wasn’t a gradual deceleration, rather it felt like an abrupt stop. Given my desire to save some cash I decided to go about doing my own caliper refurb. Sliders, pistons and seals IN ASSOCIATION WITH This Lucas single-piston f loating caliper has just two 13mm bolts holding it in place. With a little…

► Can you remember the registration number of your very first car? Mine was 484 KOG, and it was an Austin A35 van. That was replaced by Mk2 Cortina estate NAP 278F which in turn was replaced by Fiat 128 NDY 687K. Then there was Austin Maxi LUR 547L, after which my love of the BMC Farina range started with an Austin Cambridge A55 Mk2 YFN 464, followed by A60 JYF 405D, and then Morris Oxford LJJ 39D. And so on… Anyway, the point I’m making is that all these numbers were very, very memorable. Exactly the same applies to the current classic fleet – Minx 697 CKJ, MG Magnette FFB 124 and Rover P6 OFL 134J. Then there’s the Volvo 240 estate which has my personal E17 PAS mark.…

► Some owners appear to be under the impression that the bonnet only needs to be opened once a year at the annual service, and when the service is carried out any problems that have cropped up will miraculously disappear. This 2012 BMW 330i was in for the service one month prior to the MOT. Some owners like to combine the two visits but others, like this owner, prefer to separate the service from the MOT with the thought that if anything is picked up it will give them a little time to rectify any faults. Running through the standard service checks I discovered that the washers were not working, and no noise was coming from the washer pump, suggesting that it had failed. The pump on the BMW is…

Regenerative braking is a kinetic energy recovery system that transfers the vehicle’s energy into electricity as it slows down. With a traditional hydraulic braking system, the friction between the brake pads and the discs produces large amounts of heat. Instead of letting this energy go to waste, regenerative braking puts it to better use. When someone driving a hybrid or EV activates the brakes, electric motors recover the kinetic energy generated by the friction. This recovered energy is converted into electricity that charges the vehicle’s batteries, improving its performance, energy efficiency and overall range in one fell swoop. Auto manufacturers have utilised four main types of regenerative braking systems over the years: Electromagnetic An electromagnetic regenerative braking system connects the driveshaft to an electric generator, which uses magnetic force to…

AUDI S3 Pinking Q I am hoping you can help with a possible problem. I have a 2016 Audi S3 Sportback with 48,000 miles and a full Audi service history since new. The S3 has passed its MOT with no problems. At its last service Audi stated it was in great condition and again no problem. This was all quite recently, I think, but I am not sure, that in June when it was very hot I heard a little pinking or pinging. I’m not sure what the proper term is when going up a hill. The Audi itself is always run on Super Unleaded, everything else is fine, it idles perfectly when parked, you would not know the engine was running its that smooth. The pinking seems to…

► Let us forget about EV’s and hybrids just for a while and cast our minds back to a less sterile world of motoring. A time when taxing your car cost either £55 or £100 depending on if you wanted a six or twelve month ‘rent’. A time when it wasn’t unusual to be milling around at your local dealer enjoying some primula on a cracker with a cheap glass of warm Liebfraumilch a few minutes before midnight on July the 31st moments before the new number plate letter kicked in. Thanks to the government knackering the kudos and excitement of a new registration ever since, some bright spark thought it would be spiffing to have this event twice yearly. No one really bothers about plate changes anymore. Even if…

► Easy2Recruit, the agency helping garages hire overseas talent, has launched ‘Student2Skill’. The innovative initiative is designed to pair international students studying in the UK with garages looking for part-time workers. These students can undertake up to 20 hours of work per week, obtaining valuable practical skills and potentially vocational qualifications in the process. The businesses gain the opportunity to fill skills gaps with dedicated staff. Within the automotive sector, the problems of skills shortages remain extremely acute. Easy2Recruit founder Ambi Singh, himself an owner of successful independent garage businesses, struck upon the idea of accessing overseas talent after becoming frustrated with the constant difficulties of finding and retaining skilled technicians. The student labour pool is significant. The number of overseas university-level students in the UK has been growing for…

► Data from the Illegal Immigration Unit at the Home Office showed that 78 hand car washes across the UK had been fined a total of nearly £1.5 million for ‘right to work’ offences in the first nine months of 2023. Brian Madderson, Chairman of the Car Wash Association (CWA), said: “It is disappointing that even in the face of blatant violations of the law, the Government is still unwilling to crack down on illegal hand car wash operators. “These non-compliant hand car washes flout the law with impunity and are continually empowered by the authorities’ lack of enforcement. Whether born from unwillingness or inability, the failure to act signals to criminals that they can violate workers’ rights without legal repercussions. “By going back on their 2019 manifesto promise to…

The fact that this 2011 Vauxhall Vivaro did not have aircon fitted was a positive point when the job of replacing the alternator was carried out. The customer had phoned up to ask the cost of the job and I had quoted the 2.5-hour book time given on the Vivaro. He had checked the charging rate and was able to confirm that the battery light was on, and the battery voltage was not going above 12.1 volts, so the alternator was the most likely source of the problem. When the van actually turned up, and I checked to get the correct part ordered up, I discovered that no A/C was fitted. The difference in labour is 1.3 hours as the book time for the Vivaro 2.0 without A/C is only…

►With the ABS light illuminated and the ABS not operating, the owner of this 2004 Honda Civic Type-R knew that it was not going to get through the approaching MOT test, and so asked me to investigate the matter. The first check was to read the codes from the system and after plugging in the scanner I retrieved the code C0031 indicating that the left front wheel speed sensor was the problem. Jacking up the Honda and removing the wheel, a quick glance at the sensor didn’t immediately reveal anything. But a closer inspection showed that the pickup on the sensor appeared to have been damaged. This could have been road debris that got caught in the reluctor ring and spun between the reluctor ring and the pick-up, but whatever…

► Poor starting and clouds of grey smoke once the VW did start were the symptoms given to me by the owner of this 2004 VW Touareg 2.5 TDI. The engine in this VW is the PD (Pumpe-Düse) and uses the camshaft to supply the injection pressure by pumping directly onto the injector. The actual operation on the injector is electronic, but the pressure is supplied by a camshaft operating above the injector. The injector sits in the cylinder-head and is fed from a gallery in the head with diesel pumped in under low pressure. This is where the problem was originating from. The gallery is sealed against the injectors by two O-rings – one sits above the gallery and the other below. When these O-rings leak it results in…

My wife has never particularly been into cars, but she has always had something of a ‘dream car’. And it’s not at all what you might think. It is, in fact, the car you see on this page: A Mk3 VW Golf Cabriolet. She grew up in America, where Golfs were something of a novelty among a landscape of large sedans and even larger pickup trucks. For various reasons, including its size and that it falls into her wholly objective category of ‘cute’, she has wanted a Mk3 ever since she first saw one. Life circumstances in the past year or so finally opened a door to pursue this dream. Setting up alerts for Cabriolet listings, I began the hunt. After a glance at MOT histories, the recurring theme was…