...Mercedes S400 - Low miles hybrid horror It is not unusual to see customers drift away when they purchase a new vehicle, only to come back a few years later when the motor starts to age a little. Once the warranty runs out, they realise that the main dealer is no longer cost effective....
...Renault Kangoo - Timely water warning It was lucky for the owner that the water pump started to leak Well aware that it was not a good option to be driving around with coolant leaking out from the engine, the owner of this 2008 Renault Kangoo 1.5 dCi decided to pop in to see me. Th...
...Ford Fiesta - Escaping belt The timing belt eating its way through the cover The owner of this 2007 Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCi noticed a sound that was not quite right, so he brought it in to have a check. The noise he had heard was only a light rubbing noise, but he did not dismiss it a...
...Be thorough for better safety, reliability and genuine up-selling After a ‘quick look” a tyre centre said that this tyre was OK Don’t let customers lead you into the “have a quick look” trap. I understand time is precious but so is life. Customers are reassured if yo...
...A weeping fuel filter seal was at the heart of the starting problems The owner of this 2004 VW Lupo 1.7 diesel, was perfectly capable of carrying out day to day servicing. This meant I didn’t get to see it too often. When there was a problem, he would also come to me. The owner had now...
...VW Transporter - Hot brakes binding up The cause of the overheating and brake binding problems was a failing servo unit something which can be overlooked At first, the plumber who owned this VW Transporter was under the impression that he had engine problems and was concerned with the...
...This BMW came to the workshop with a rather unusual emissions failure. It had failed the NCT test on emissions test, with a very high level on the Lambda reading. The first step taken was to scan the engine management system for fault codes, but no codes were stored. The data fo...
...Autobiz Technical Helpline Not starting immediately after servicing As technicians, most have heard customers say those few words that we dread. “Ever since you looked at my car, it is now doing this.” An interesting case arrived at the Autobiz Technical Helpline line recently, w...
...BMW 218 - Parking brake switch failing I will admit that I am not the greatest fan of the electric parking brake. I know it allows more flexibility to the design of the vehicle, and frees up a space on the centre console, but it can be just as troublesome as the cable operated counterpar...
...Autobiz Helpline Audi A4 - Heavy fuel consumption This 2007 Audi A4 2.0 petrol had shown a marked rise in petrol consumption, and the owner was intending to have the service done soon, in an attempt to improve the efficiency of the engine. The thought that the car should have a servic...