Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2025 i Car Mechanics

Lubricants under pressure from shorter journeys, warns VLS The latest data from the Department for Transport shows that people are making fewer trips and travelling fewer miles. Since 2002, average vehicle mileage has fallen from 9000 miles a year to 7000 miles in 2023. Several factors are driving the changes, including the rise in people working from home, as well as the cost of vehicle insurance, servicing and fuel. These changes in driver patterns have detrimental consequences for a range of engine components, including lubricants. “Lubricants need to flow efficiently in order to protect the vehicle”, says Alan Outhwaite, Chair of the Technical Review Panel at industry body VLS, the Verification of Lubricant Specifications. “A lot of wear can take place in the first ten minutes of start-up when the…

Insulated socket set £420.52 RRP www.lasertools.co.uk/Product/8891 A new addition to the Laser Tools range of EV and Hybrid insulated tools and safety equipment is this VDE Certified Insulated Socket Set (p/n 8891) – a comprehensive 15-piece, fully insulated 3/8in drive socket set. Featuring a 200mm long, 45-tooth ratchet with a dual-colour soft-grip ergonomic handle, 12 metric single Hex sockets, and two extension bars. Ideal for electricians, auto electricians, and mechanics working on hybrid and electric vehicles. Importantly, the set is VDE certified and manufactured to IEC60900 standards, thus ensuring safe operation on live circuits up to 1000V AC and 1500V DC. Double-ended thin-wall sockets The sockets are ¼ in drive bi-hex (12-point) profile, thin-walled impact flip sockets in sizes: Metric: 8mm-10mm, 9mm-11mm, 12mm-14mm and 13mm-15mm Imperial: 5/16-3/8, 7/16-1/2. Sockets are manufactured…

AND SAVE £45!* By subscribing to Car Mechanics, you'll start saving money straight away. Use our great offer (below) to subscribe and you'll receive each monthly magazine for less than you can buy it in the shops. Hurry though, this is a limited time offer. Plus, we will send you a Sealey Rechargeable Head Torch free of charge. Martyn Knowles, Editor Join thousands of satisfied subscribers & never miss an issue SEALEY HT104R WORTH £26.34 Since 1978 Sealey Tools has provided us with professional tools and workshop equipment from its base in East Anglia. For a limited time, Sealey are kindly offering to new Car Mechanics subscribers one of its superb head torches with auto-sensor. Order your subscription today and you will receive a FREE Sealey Rechargeable Head Torch with…

Rob Hawkins puts products through their paces One of the most versatile means of inflating a vehicle’s tyre has got to be a cordless tyre inflator. Powered by a rechargeable battery, some use the same battery within a group of power tools, whereas others have an inbuilt battery. The ten cordless tyre inflators we have tested are powered by an assortment of lithium-ion batteries that range from 3.7V to 20V. In theory, the larger the voltage of the battery, the more powerful the tyre inflator, but the amp hours (Ah) rating also matters. Take a look at our table of data and the time taken to inflate a tyre from 25psi to 30psi to make more sense of this statement. Speed of inflation is often a major consideration when choosing…

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ORDER DIRECT via shop.kelsey.co.uk/single-issue/car-mechanics-magazine DECEMBER 2024 Work Safely on DIY car maintenance • Project VW Caravelle 2.0 TDI, Pt6 • ZF 6-speed Auto Gearbox Service • Porsche Boxster Window Regulator • Buying + Owning: Land Rover Freelander 2 • BMW 1-Series Front Wing Swap • Service FordMondeo2.0TDCi • Electronic Diagnostics: Volvo XC90 2.4 D5. NOVEMBER 2024 Gadgets for your Garage • Automatic Gearboxes • ProjectVWCaravelle2.0TDI, Pt5 • ProjectBMW335i, Pt8 • Insignia Tailgate Switch Mechanism • Timing Belt Clinic: VW up! • Buying + Owning: Ford Focus ST Mk3 • Service Bay: Kia Sportage 1.6 T-GDI • Electronic Diagnostics: Land Rover Discovery Sport 2.0D OCTOBER 2024 Turbochargers & Superchargers • Project VW Caravelle 2.0 TDI, Pt4 • Project BMW 335i, Pt7 • Focus Mk2 DoorMirror& ElectricWindows • Buying + Owning: Hyundai…

While Sarah and I were getting married in October, we took advantage of being away to have our Kia Sorento’s timing chain changed – the full story will, of course, be coming up as a full feature in due course. The Sorento is the Simpson family’s primary frontline car, used pretty-much daily, and being without it for the couple of days that this job was likely to take would, under normal circumstances, have been somewhat awkward. The other reason for not doing the job until now was that I wasn’t 100% certain the chain needed changing. The only symptom was a rattle for 2-3 seconds on cold startup which sounded like it could equally be hydraulic tappets filling up. Or maybe that was wishful thinking on my part. But then…

NISSAN ELGRAND Spark plug change Changing the spark plugs on this 2006 Nissan Elgrand was expected to be a bit of task. The 3.5-litre V6 engine had seen little attention since the Nissan was imported from Japan three years ago, and although it had been running smoothly, the owner had only had the oil changed since taking ownership of the motor. The Nissan had now developed a little stutter under load and so they had decided that perhaps the plugs and air filter should also be looked at. Surprisingly enough the air filter was quite clean, and I think this must have been replaced not long before the motor had left Japan. As with most ‘V’ engines, one side is always a little trickier than the other and, in this…

Jaguar’s relaunch What, exactly, is REALLY going on with Jaguar? So far, we know the following: 1. No new cars will be produced until 2026.2. When production does restart, Jaguar will be an electric-only brand.3. When production restarts, the existing 80-strong dealer network will be reduced to just 20.4. A new logo and branding has been announced, to a somewhat ‘mixed’ public reaction. Unsurprisingly, the new image has not been especially well-received by dyed in the wool Jaguar enthusiasts, and there has been much ‘discussion’ online, little of it favourable. It’s impossible to believe, however, that those behind this brand relaunch didn’t anticipate the reaction. On the contrary, surely, it’s exactly what was expected and will help support their message that the new, 2026-on Jaguar is indeed very different indeed…

The SUV-styled Jaguar F-PACE first appeared in 2016 and was revised in 2020. Under the skin, there are many familiar components that are fitted to other Jaguars, such as the suspension, brakes, gearbox and a range of engines. The F-PACE shown here was registered in 2017, so it’s quite an early example. It has the 2993cc TDV6 motor, which is quite straightforward when it comes to routine servicing, although more of a handful for the bigger jobs, such as replacing the timing belt. Overall difficulty rating We asked independent Jaguar specialist Tasker & Lacy of Leeds to outline some of the typical problems that can be spotted when servicing an F-PACE. There are a few potentially expensive problems, such as a worn bush for the rear lower suspension arms. The…

BMW 5-SERIES Misfire problem Q I have a 2010 BMW 5-Series GT 550i, N63 engine. Thank you very much for your previous help with this car (which had a cold-start misfire problem). The car has provided trouble-free motoring until recently, as another misfire problem has come back to ‘haunt’ (45,500 miles). So, could I again ask for your opinion and help as to what could be causing this particular misfire? The engine starts and idles just fine but can now misfire under acceleration/load (even from low revs and light acceleration). My FCR reports codes like 140701/P0307; 140501; 140001. All these misfires appear to be on the left/passenger side of engine ‘V’ (cylinders 5-to-8), so my guess was a fuel supply issue to that side. I replaced the left-side HP Fuel…

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Few automotive developments have been as divisive as the battery electric vehicle (BEV). Should car writers review them, reader feedback is rarely balanced. If the journalists heap praise, they tend to be accused of being sops. Should BEVs be criticised, the haters paint them as Luddites. The topic is not helped by being intertwined with politics. The UK government’s intent to ‘ban’ pure combustion-engined cars is being viewed, albeit not entirely unreasonably, as forcing zero-emission vehicles onto a market that is not ready for them. Then, there is the huge question about the public charging infrastructure, let alone concerns about BEV’s environmental credentials, when manufacturing and disposal are considered. “We see this scepticism among professional technicians, who enrol in our electric vehicle courses every day”, admits David Guilfoyle, Technical Services…

UK Drivers demand ‘Right to Repair’ choice amid concerns over maintenance costs, survey reveals A survey has revealed a strong consensus among UK drivers: they want the freedom to choose where their vehicles are serviced and repaired. The survey, conducted by the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF), which gathered responses from 1042 representative British drivers, highlights just how critical this right is in an environment where vehicle maintenance costs continue to rise. 92% of drivers agreed that they should have the option to choose which workshop services and maintains their vehicle. For many, the ability to choose their preferred repairer is seen as an essential way to keep maintenance costs manageable, while also ensuring that service quality remains high. The survey also found that 82% of participants support the idea…

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Peter Clayton Special Contributor MINI revival (Part 2) In my last instalment (CM Nov24), I managed to get my betterhalf’s 2006 R50 MINI One Auto running again after a three-year hiatus (sat on our driveway). The basics were checked before moving the little hatchback into the garage for more work in preparation for its first road-going journey (to the MOT station). Rear axle check Back in the August 2021 issue of CM, I had competed the monumental task of revamping the MINI’s entire front end subframe and suspension, treating it to the full works: newly painted and wax-injected subframe, control arms, bushes, steering rack and pump, hubs, bearings, springs and dampers, driveshafts, radiator and a/c condenser were all renewed. Yes, you could eat your dinner off it by the time…

You know, it’s rather sad to think just how many car manufacturers have come and gone since Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler rattled and clanked around the streets of Germany all those years ago. What’s even sadder is if you ponder for a moment at how many names have faded into the books of history in the United Kingdom. Anyone reading this who has taken a wander around the Coventry transport museum timeline will be aware of how many manufacturers existed, not just nationwide, but in Coventry alone. Around the time of the outbreak of World War I, including motorcycles, there were more than fifty – yes fifty motor manufacturers. That’s proper depressing stuff when you think. A fair bit of R&D work for Jaguar/Land Rover still goes on in…