Early last decade, car manufacturers were under considerable pressure to find ways of reducing CO2, while increasing fuel economy and cutting harmful emissions. So, how did they achieve this, without sacrificing performance, or turning to electrifica

Q My vehicle is a 2014 Ford Fiesta Titanium X 125 with the 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine. I have owned the vehicle from new it has just over 32,000 miles on the clock. My problem is with the keyless-entry key fob. I have two fobs, one I use regularly and

Q I’ve had my BMW E60 M5, with the S85 V10 engine, just over two years and is a weekend fair weather car only doing about 1500 miles per year and has covered 116k. The issue is an occasional EML, which happens after a run either at motorway speed or

▶ Aside from belt particles blocking the oil pump strainer and variable valve solenoids, causing poor engine running and subsequent engine failure, this tends not to be viewed as a safety-related failure by the authorities. Instead, the various car b

Editor Martyn Knowles email [email protected] Technical Editor Steve Rothwell email [email protected] Alan Anderson Ian Cushway Mike Humble Peter Rosenthal Jake Belder Andrew Everett Rob Marshall Peter Simpson Peter Clayton Rob H

Mark Shipman at AES outlines the potential problems that can arise with the 2.2-litre diesel engine in the Ford Transit, which are mainly caused by neglectful servicing. Rob Hawkins reports. It’s mainly caused by poor servicing and ignoring the glow

▶ Leading additives brand, Cataclean, has announced a new partnership with Knockhill Racing Circuit, Scotland’s premier motorsport venue. This collaboration is set to help improve environmental practices within the motorsport industry. As part of thi

IN ASSOCIATION WITH Attempting to stay ahead of any potential MOT failure points, I noticed that the rear brake lines on my 2006 BMW 130i M Sport were getting quite cruddy. The common points that get flagged are the steel ferrules on the ends of the

THANKS TO AES York Ltd 01904 780149 autoelectricsyork.co.uk Suzuki’s compact crossover was first unveiled to Europeans at the 2016 Paris Motor Show. Bridging the gap between their popular SUVs (SJ, Jimny and Vitara) and the equally popular supermini-

▶ I thought these photos might be of interest to you and to the readers of Car Mechanics magazine. As we well know if we look after our vehicles by servicing them, they last a lot longer and servicing is a lot cheaper than buying another engine (or c

▶ In the UK we have automotive trade shows at Automechanika Birmingham (NEC) on a biennial basis, with the UK Garage & Bodyshop Event filling in the gap years (June this year). However, the biggest trade event on the calendar for 2024 takes place in

Replacing the front brake discs and pads on a Cayman is a pretty straightforward job and thanks to the use of radial mount calipers, access to all the fixings is a doddle. Compared to what an independent Porsche dealer would charge, you’ll save a sma

In part two of this project series (see the May 2024 issue), we spotted that the inner mounting bush for the offside front lower suspension arm had deteriorated, potentially causing the wheel judder that was felt under hard braking. We could have sim

The suspension on large heavy SUVs can take a pounding, especially if the vehicle ventures off road and the tired suspension on this 2011 Hydundai Santa Fe had started to make all sorts of unpleasant clonks from both the front and rear of the car. Th

▶ Having needed the coolant topping-up three days in a row, the owner of this 2008 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter was aware that this needed to be looked into. He was blissfully unaware that the source of the coolant loss was the water pump, and that the rea

▶ Like most traders, I prefer cars to have had as few owners as possible, but mainly because that’s what customers prefer. What’s more, there can be a perfectly good reason for a car having had multiple owners. Here’s an example. Company buys a car,

Britain’s drivers may be in a hole due to pothole damage, although it’s proving good business for the garage trade. Official figures point to suspension faults accounting for almost a third of all MOT failures, broken road springs are becoming their

▶ Enjoy your favourite magazine each month by taking out a subscription. Not only will you save money on the cover price but you will receive the printed magazine delivered to your door on (or just before) the third Friday of each month – or a digita

▶ As I’m sure will come as no surprise whatsoever to most of you, I’ve spent a bit of time over the past month ‘fettling’ my new toy – the 1949 Riley RMB that I introduced a couple of months back. And I’ve enjoyed doing so no end. As well as the pers

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, w

Despite hitting the showrooms here in the Spring of 2008, the Mk4 A4 (B8) still looks fresh. OK, while it may not boast the same granite-like build of Audis from the previous decade, it will still feel nicely screwed together with plush interior mate

Email [email protected] Follow us on Facebook @Car Mechanics Order back issues here: shop.kelsey.co.uk/single-issue/car-mechanics-magazine ▶ The Peugeot 208 1.2 PureTech used in our feature on Wet Belts (see pages 6-17) belongs to a family

▶ How turbos and superchargers differ ▶ What goes wrong with them ▶ How to make them last longer ▶ Be proficient at identifying faults ▶ Turbo overhauling investigated OCTOBER 2024 issue out SEPTEMBER 20th ● PROJECT VOLKSWAGEN CARAVELLE 2.0 TDI TIMIN

In my last instalment (April 2024), I introduced my Golf Mk3 Cabriolet project and began work on the rear suspension. With that out of the way, it was time to move to the front of the car and begin preparing for the engine and gearbox swap. This was

According to the excellent service history we have with our 2010 Volkswagen Caravelle, the DSG oil and filter change was last done in 2020 at 177,788 miles. The official gearbox oil and filter change is given as every 40,000 miles – the 25,000 miles

▶ Despite myself being known for car-related business, commercial vehicles feature heavily in my knowledge pool. I was exposed to this from an early age thanks to my late father and we knew many transport managers of various haulage companies. I woul

▶ Introduced before the PSA Group morphed into the Franco-Italian Stellantis, the 1.2-litre PureTech was introduced to offer the performance levels of a 1.6-litre engine, especially with the optional turbocharger, but with fuel consumption and emissi

▶ The wet belt was never designed to require maintenance originally. Yet, operational experience has dictated that the belt be checked at every service. Thankfully, this tends to be mainly visual: remove the oil filler cap and inspect the belt carefu

THANKS TO AES York Ltd 01904 780149 autoelectricsyork.co.uk The air filter rarely gets changed,” comments Mark Shipman at AES near York as we look over the engine bay of the 2009 Citroën C3 Picasso shown in our photographs. Tucked away at the back of

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, w