Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2025 i Car Mechanics

Trawling through auction cars (like I do most days), I’ve become aware of a particular vehicle that in a few cases is classified as a non-runner. Its fault is a failed head gasket – although there could be other faults. Believe it or not it is the MG ZS 1.0T. Just like the old MG/Rover K-series days! A 3-cylinder turbocharged Gasoline Direct Injection engine, co-developed by MG Motor UK parent company SAIC Motor and General Motors. I believe this engine is used in certain Vauxhalls like the Corsa and Astra, but so far I’ve not seen any listed as non-runners with head gasket failure. The ZS lacks a coolant temperature gauge on the dashboard, so if coolant does escape, you will be notified by a dash warning light. Which might…

I made a start on cutting back our MX-5 Stormy Blue paintwork, trying to remove as many scratches as possible. Every panel seems to have a scratch or five. Using a dual-action polisher to get deep into the lacquer, results are happening. However, I had to stop due to time limitation – and when I went to continue a few days later, we were now on a hosepipe ban in the area (and it’s still in place two months on!). So exterior bodywork and glass polishing has stopped for the time being. I moved my attention to the alloy wheels, which for a 100,000+ mile car weren’t in that bad a condition. Each had minor kerb marks. But to make them extra special, I asked my local body shop to…

An online search through the product pages of Draper, Laser, Machine Mart and Sealey for a wire brush reveals numerous products, many of which seem to be something you can’t do without. Consequently, you can easily fill a drawer of a tool cabinet with one of every type, but do you really need so many different ones? Perhaps the traditional wooden handle with steel bristles is all you need? We’ve been using and testing a wide variety of wire brushes over the last six months in an attempt to find out which ones are the most versatile and reliable. We’ve used them when servicing brakes, refurbishing steel wheels and preparing the underside of a Ford Fiesta and Ford Ka prior to rustproofing it. Throughout this time, we’ve discovered how long…

Has BIG been BAD? Big Motoring World has become the first car dealership to be suspended from review platform Trustpilot for, allegedly, offering monetary incentives to influence customer reviews. At the time of writing, the Trustpilot listing says that an overall rating is “unavailable due to a breach of our guidelines”, though individual ratings are still visible. Big Motoring World, however, deny that they have done anything wrong, and have suggested that the issue may have resulted from a “misunderstanding.” They went on to say that, “Under the current management team, Big Motoring World has seen a marked and sustained improvement in customer satisfaction scores, and we refute wholeheartedly any suggestion that customers are paid to remove or hide negative reviews, or that others are incentivised to leave positive reviews.”…

GENERAL Topdon scanner Q I have recently purchased a Topdon Artidiag600s scanner. I have been trying to see if there a way of reading voltage readings for various sensors, i.e. Lambda sensors, Coolant Temperature Sensor, etc.? When I try to read live data, it looks for me to input a channel, as opposed to just showing me the different sensors available to check. Screenshot is attached. For example, I wanted to read the live data off my VW Polo (03d15097). However, the closest thing I could find was a Lambda integration reading, which appeared be in % values, as opposed to a voltage reading which is what I was hoping for. Any guidance would be much appreciated. Colin Devereux A Most scanners will only display the live data in terms of the…

Another year has passed which means it’s time to service my wife’s 2015 Ford Kuga Titanium X 1.5i. You may recall that I had a battle with removing the old oil filter at the previous service, I’m pleased to report that because I fitted the febi filter as per the manufacturer’s instructions, it was easily removed a year later using my bespoke Sealey tool. This time around, the four-pot EcoBoost engine was due some new spark plugs. This proved to a real joy to behold. The spark plugs are hidden from vertical line of sight by the scuttle panel. I’m not removing a scuttle panel to remove something as simple as spark plugs. The ignition coils are bolted down which needed a ¼in drive 8mm socket to fit between the…

Even though it’s been a good twenty years or more since I moved away from the Midlands, it seems like I spend more time in that vicinity than I do in leafy Sussex where I have resided for the past seventeen years. My work life finds me regularly pounding up and down the M40, and a good deal of my private mileage sees me doing the same bloody journey. I wouldn’t like to try and do the journey with my eyes closed but – well, you get the gist, I’m sure. Of all the places between Beaconsfield and south Birmingham along what I regard as England’s second most boring motorway (after the M11 but I’m open to other people’s thoughts on this one) it’s the hamlet of Gaydon where you’ll…

PEUGEOT 207 CV boot & coil spring ▶ It’s good when all the problems are in the same area and can be rectified together. The broken road spring, the track rod end, the split CV boot and the front link arm that this 2008 Peugeot 207 had just failed the MOT on, were all located at the offside front, and so could all be dealt with in one fell swoop. The track rod end and the link arm needed to be disconnected to remove the strut and when removing the strut to replace the spring this would also allow easy access to the driveshaft boot. When fitting it all back together the new link arm and track rod end could then be fitted. The owner had declined the offer to…

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As many of you probably know, my involvement with Car Mechanics magazine began some time ago, but it wasn’t until a few days ago that I realised it’s now over 30 years since I joined the magazine staff as Editor back in 1995, having been a freelance contributor for four years previous. These days my ‘day job’ is writing about old vans and lorries as Editor of Classic & Vintage Commercials, and while there isn’t generally that much crossover between CVC and CM, occasionally something comes up which does have a connection. One-such occurred recently. As part of our coverage of the 60th anniversary of the Ford Transit, we talked about the famous/infamous Ford York diesel engine. This was Ford’s own diesel and from 1972 replaced the bought-in Perkins powerplant.…

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 21pc Screwdriver Set, supplied in a storage case, free of charge. 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 SIEGEN SCREWDRIVER SETS, supplied in a storage case. Order your subscription today and you will receive a FREE Sealey Siegen 21-piece Screwdriver Set. CONTENTS Lifetime guarantee. Chrome Vanadium steel satin finish shafts with shot-blasted and magnetised…

GENERAL AGM battery fitment Q If you fitted a standard lead/acid battery of the same Ah and CCA ratings to a vehicle that was originally fitted with a EFB or AGM battery with a Stop-Start system, what problems could you encounter apart from the Stop-Start not functioning correctly, i.e. potential faults with the charging system or other electrical systems. Thanks in advance for your advice. Craig Christie A If you were to replace a battery which should be a EFB or AGM battery with a standard lead-acid battery, the short answer is that the battery would not last as long as it should. The smart charging systems used on batteries that are intended to be an EFB or AGM fitment, do operate in a manner that uses the deep cycle capabilities of…

It was the height of embarrassment when I rolled my 1998 MX-5 Mk2 onto the MOT test ramp at my local garage (MJ Motors), only to apologise to the tester because I suddenly had no feel in the clutch pedal. I’d occasionally found the clutch pedal’s biting point was reduced when I was manoeuvring the vehicle, which was quickly remedied with a couple of pumps. Assuming the clutch fluid and slave cylinder probably needed renewing, I’d hoped the problem wouldn’t bite me in the bum when I least needed it. How wrong could I be? Fortunately, the MOT tester was happy to conduct the test so that at least I could see whether there would be any more fail points to fix. Sure enough there were. The list included a…