Author Archives: Justin Smith

About Justin Smith

As the man at the helm of BreakerLink, it is no surprise that its Director, Justin Smith, has always had a keen interest in cars, bikes and most things wheeled. Having spent over two decades in the car parts industry, Justin combines his passion that since 2002, has successfully united those looking for new and used car parts with the breaker that supplies them. Follow Justin on LinkedIn.

Don’t Purchase a Nissan Qashqai Before You’ve Checked our List of Common Problems

Nissan Qashqai on display

The Nissan Qashqai is a compact, crossover SUV. Released in 2006, it was designed for customers that want the robust nature of a larger vehicle, whilst still retaining a sporty, sleeky on the road profile. It has gone through several generations and is a common sight on UK roads. Potential buyers can find many of these cars available through all second hand sales channels. But if you’re on the lookout for one of these larger cars, what are some of the common problems that you need to avoid?

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Watch Out for these Common Problems when Buying a Second Hand VW Polo

VW Polo Bluemotion

Volkswagen is without question one of Europe’s most iconic car brands. Classic car aficionados love the Beetle. The Golf still has a ton of boy racer appeal. But when you truly want the sweet spot between manoeuvrability, price and power, it’s hard to deny the Polo a place on the podium. It’s been on our streets since 1975 and has gone through 6 iterations – so expect to find a ton of different options when scouting around the second hand markets for a car.

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Ignore These 5 Symptoms of Brake Master Cylinder Failure at Your Peril

brake master cylinder on a car

Brakes slow your car by applying pressure through the callipers and discs (or a similar system). The force behind the pressure is generated by the brake master cylinder when you depress the brake pedal. As one of the main components in the braking system, if the cylinder develops a fault or stops working, then this could have some severe and potentially dangerous consequences.

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My Car is Squealing: When Do I need to Start Worrying?

car making a squealing noise graphic

Your car is making a squealing noise. What’s the problem? Unfortunately, there are many parts in your car that can start squeaking over time as they get worn out. However, with the help of this article you’ll be able to identify those that require urgent attention, hopefully preventing any minor fault in your vehicle turning into a major issue.

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Fumes, Emissions and Vapours – Getting a Sniff that Your Charcoal Canister is Faulty

emissions smell in the car

The charcoal canister is responsible for controlling the emission of fumes and vapour leaks from your vehicle’s fuel system. Many people don’t realise that the boiling point of petrol is comparatively low, and it is in a semi-gaseous state at room temperatures, which makes its fumes quite explosive.

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Limp Mode: What is it? What Causes it? And Most Importantly, How do You Fix it?

limp mode with car warning lights on

You’re driving down the road, doing a good pace. Suddenly you change gear or put your foot down on the accelerator and the car doesn’t respond quite as expected. It’s now stuck in second gear. You can’t get any more than around 2,500 rpm out of the engine, and you’re crawling along the road. What just happened?

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