Category Archives: Maintenance

The exhaust manifold is the part of the car that delivers exhaust gases to your car’s exhaust. Symptoms that your manifold may need replacing include visible cracking on the part’s surface, the presence of exhaust odours within the interior of your vehicle and a loss of performance. Excessive noise coming from your bonnet may also indicate that you have a problematic manifold, whilst noise coming from the rear of the car is more likely to indicate a damaged or faulty exhaust.

How do you know if a cylinder head in your engine is having problems? One of the most common tell-tale signs will be a noise that your engine is misfiring, leading to performance problems and you may even notice that your engine is rapidly overheating after a few low speed miles on the road. Other symptoms include a sweet odour coming from the engine block, created from coolant leaking into the engine, or a puddle of coolant collecting under the car where it’s previously been parked overnight.

One of the surest signs that your brake discs need replacing is a high pitched noise that occurs when you put pressure on the foot brake. Equally you can always look through the holes that appear in your car’s wheel to examine the thickness of the disc. If the part has eroded to the point where it has a width of 6mm or less then it’s time for a replacement brake disc.

Brake callipers are the assemblies on your wheel that apply pressure to the spinning disc brake. Due to the high levels of heat and friction created in the arrangement these parts are especially prone to fatigue and wear. Your owner’s manual should provide you with a service window that tells you when these parts should be approaching the end of their lifespan and will need checking and replacing.

One of the biggest dangers when driving is other road users. When you’ve stopped at a junction no-one wants to hear that crunching sound that indicates a good rear-ending from the vehicle behind. At low speeds your rear bumper can absorb the shock and strain of a collision, but often it will take tremendous damage in the impact. In such cases you can quickly and easily buy a spare rear bumper and replace yourself with very little mechanical knowledge.

Have you been experiencing some strange behaviour from your car when you put down the accelerator? Is there a clicking noise sounding out from underneath the bonnet as you turn corners? If you are experiencing either of these symptoms, with a serious drop out in the power and traction of your front wheel drive vehicle, then there could be a very big chance your front axle is approaching the end of its lifespan.

The obvious symptom of a failed starter motor is a car engine that simply fails on ignition. The other key indicators are that there’s a working power supply, which is indicated by working lights and radio and that the car will start with jump leads. If you’re suffering from this situation it’s definitely time to call up the parts shop or second hand supplier and look at replacing the starter motor.

Although cars have a robust strength presented by the chassis and frame of the vehicle, the bodywork can be easily dented. Your front bumper is the part of the car that will deflect most bumps and bangs on the road, saving you a fortune at the panel beaters. However, over time the wear and tear on this part can cause it to fail and need replacing.

Turbochargers are by their very nature a high stress part in any engine. They are subjected to extremes of heat and motion, and need a constant stream of clean oil to keep their bearings rotating smoothly and efficiently. It’s no wonder that turbochargers often go wrong, requiring the part to be replaced, so what is the process for changing this car part?