All Car Manufacturer Articles-Looking at most Auto issues

VW Polo Performance Problem-Calls in with bad Performance Problems?

27th October 2022/in All Car Manufacturer Articles/by Eric Roberts

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A VW Polo day?

So, after the school summer holidays have finished. Fortunately, then we start to get busier in the garage repair side of the business. Happily, the tyre side starts to pick up nearer November, with the approach winter.

Like many other garages we try to plan our work schedules. Booking the various car repair jobs in accordingly.

One particular day last week when we were fully booked up and very busy. Subsequently, a breakdown truck turned up on the forecourt with a black VW Passat on the back. Firstly, the car looked to have had a small front end shunt. Because, the front wheel was sticking out at an angle. The VW Passat was a 2009 TDi and the car had been bumped when parked up in the local supermarket.

We pulled the VW off the trailer and pushed it onto a ramp. We soon discovered that the front wheel had been hit and had completely bent the steering arm. This had totally disabled the car from being driven. The remedy was easy; a new steering arm was fitted and the car was given a Laser Wheel Alignment to correct and re-set the steering. The owner picked up his car and went home happy.

Next car with a engine problem

We were not so lucky with the next car that was booked in for the engine shuddering and banging. The car was a VW Polo 1.4 TDi 2002. It belonged to a friend of the family’s son, who had just passed his driving test.

The VW Polo had been left with us and we took the car out for a road test to try find out what the problem was. The first thing that we noticed was that the clutch had gone, but there was other things going on at the same time, it was a mix-match of problems. We were well trusted by the customer and so decided that we had to fix the clutch first. We removed the clutch housing and found that the clutch had indeed gone.

After replacing the clutch the VW Polo did go a little better, but the engine was definitely not right, it was shuddering and juddering.

VW Polo Mass Air Flow Sensor (MAF) had to be checked out.

The MAF sensor is the instrument that checks the temperature and the weight of the air that is entering the VW Polo engine. This information is then sent to the on-board computer, which calculates the correct amount of fuel that the engine requires to operate at.

The sensor works by measuring the current that is required to check the temperature while the air blows past. The MAF will start to clog up with dirt and other particles over time and this blockage is the thing that can cause your engine to have problems. The symptoms are exactly what was related to this problem. Poor starting, the engine would not run properly and would not accelerate, especially up hills.

Clean MAF sensor

Some people say that if you can clean the MAF sensor at regular periods then these problems would not arise, but we have always found that we have had to replace the part. Importantly, we also fitted a new air filter and the VW Polo was a different car. It was road tested and the change of the MAF sensor revitalised the car, back to normal engine functions.

We also noticed that the steering had got a knocking noise and a vibration and on inspection found that the car also needed a Front Arm rear bush. We fitted this new bush and adjusted the wheel alignment. Here at Pellonautocentre we can repair all makes and types of cars.

It was an expensive day for the customer, but you would be surprised how many of our customers drive their car until it drops to pieces, nothing new there?

Just a few problems that we can get: in a busy garage.

Also sell Pirelli Car Tyres online from our website.

Suzuki Servicing neglected-Owner Misses out on Servicing causes a Bigger Problem

23rd October 2022/in All Car Manufacturer Articles, All Car Repair Articles, All Car Servicing/by Eric Roberts

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No Suzuki Servicing could end up costing you a fortune?

This is not just one of my rants about car servicing but I think that it is important to give a few sad cases of what can happen, when the car owner neglects to have their Suzuki Servicing.

carried out at regular intervals.

We all should be having our Engine Oil checked at regular intervals, if your car’s engine is in good condition and operating correctly, then you should not have to use any oil to top up the engine. In my opinion there are a few variations to this theory and one of them is if you are traveling long distances at high speed. Then it would be possible that your car may need to have an oil check when you arrive at your destination.

Modern cars will have an Oil Level Warning Light but older cars may not, so it is best to check the level just to be on the safe side. In fact I had an experience myself on a recent trip to France. I drove my two year old Peugeot Partner van 700 miles to a Rufec in the Charente area of South West France. The following morning I went to the local supermarket for some odds and ends, when my oil level warning light came on, much to my horror.

I know that my staff had serviced the van before my journey

and I too checked the level before I set off on my journey. I stopped the van and turned off the engine so that the oil level is allowed to settle down, to get a correct oil level reading. Some dip-sticks are impossible to see, but mine was just below the minimum mark on the dip-stick. I was still in the supermarket car park and so I bought a two litre can of 10w-40 diesel oil (this is what the van used).

As I topped the engine up I kept checking the level, but found that the engine did not need much oil at all. I think some of the oil sensors are very sensitive, but your engine oil level is

very important, just as the young guy with the Suzuki Swift was about to find out. Another important piece of advice is, when you are topping the engine oil up again, then put the oil in a small amount at a time, it is just as important not to Overfill the engine with too much oil, this could cause too much pressure building up in the engine, causing all sorts of expensive repair work.

The Suzuki did not have any servicing for two years at least.

The only warning that he had, was when the car engine started to make very loud noises. Unfortunately, this was on the M62 motorway. Doing 70mph in the third lane. This was followed by a cloud of black smoke. Frighteningly, followed by a complete loss of power. Luckily, the guy managed to manoeuvre the Suzuki across the carriageway and onto the hard shoulder.

He suspected the worse and called for recovery from a roadside assistance phone box on the motorway. The guy was either lucky or a very skillful driver! As I am convinced that this sudden loss of power is the cause of many motorway accidents.

The recovery truck brought the car into our garage in Halifax, Yorkshire . Urgently, we started the postmortem on the lifeless Suzuki. We checked on the history of the car on our computer system. Finding out that although the car had a few MOT tests over the past few years. We did not have any record of Servicing a Car. We asked the guy if he took the car to any other garage for his Suzuki Servicing. Frighteningly, he told us that we were the only place that the car had come to?.

The previous owner also brought the car into us

So, to be looked after it was at the Suzuki Dealers. Indeed the last service had been three years ago. The car was a Suzuki Swift 1.6 petrol 2007 model and looked in good condition! Apart from the engine.

It became obvious to Ryan Linton that the engine was completely gone. So, caused by a lack of engine oil starving the Big End Bearings due to lack of Servicing. That is to say also damaging the crank and much more.

The owner of the car was a 26 year old man. Consequently, who led a busy life and did not have time for his car. Hence a thing that is most common these days. As for the car we found that it would be more economical to fit a re-conditioned engine. With the whole job costing around £2500 to the customer.

The lesson to be learned is to have your servicing carried out at some sort of regular intervals. Finally, this guy is not the first and will not be the last. But look at the price that he had to pay in the end?.

Finding The Correct Van-That Suits Your Business

20th October 2022/0 Comments/in All Car Manufacturer Articles/by Eric Roberts

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Finding The Van That Suits Your Business

For businesses like our auto company, having vehicles capable of transporting equipment and staff is vital. One of the best all-round vehicles is a van, but there are so many different options to choose from, meaning that it can be hard to make the right decision. A business vehicle is a big investment, so it’s important that you find the one that suits your organization. Here are our tips on what to look out for when you’re searching for your ideal van.

Think About What You Need The Van For

The initial decision you need to make when searching for your perfect business van is what you’re going to use it for. There are many different types of business van to suit a variety of uses, so review what you’re going to use the van for before you start visiting dealerships. Work Out If It’s Worth Branding Your Van
Putting your business’s branding on the side of your van could be a great way to get some free publicity and improve your brand recognition. However, if you’re unable to fit a lot of details onto the van, then this could be ineffective and pointless. Think about the branding and what you want to add to your van before you make a decision on the size and type of van your business needs.

Consider The Best Finance Option

Vans are an expensive investment, and if you don’t have the money to buy the option you want then you’ll end up with a substandard vehicle. Explore the various financing options available to you to see if one of them will help your company to afford the vehicle you want. Alternatively, you could look into van leasing in the UK to find a lease that will save you money and allow your company to use the latest model.

Test Drive Different Vans

Whilst the size and capacity of the van is important, you also need to choose a vehicle that’s comfortable to drive, particularly if you and your staff plan to put in a lot of miles. Make sure that you test drive every van you’re considering before you make a commitment. If more than one team member will be driving the van, make sure that you all test drive your shortlist before you make a definitive decision.

If You Need Multiple Vans Get A Fleet Management Solution

For some businesses, one van may not be enough to carry all the supplies that they need, and in this case you should look into getting multiple vans. It can be a struggle to keep up with the activities of more than one vehicle in a business, so invest in a fleet management software product that will allow you to manage your fleet effectively and ensure that you get the most out of your investment.
Choosing a van that suits your business can be a challenge, but by following these tips you can find the perfect vehicle to give you and your team many years of enjoyment.

Thinking of Selling Your Car? Here Are Some Tips for Getting Your Money’s Worth

19th October 2022/4 Comments/in All Car Manufacturer Articles/by Eric Roberts

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Thinking of Selling Your Car

Buying a good car is like making an investment! Because you could earn a decent profit when selling it. However, most people don’t know how to go about doing this and will sell their old car for much less than it’s worth – just because they want to get rid of it as quickly as possible and make room for their new vehicle. If you’re a little savvier than this, then you probably want to squeeze every penny that you can out of your car. And so, in this piece we’re going to be sharing our top tips for getting your money’s worth when it comes to selling your old vehicle.

1.) Good Maintenance

If you want to make a decent profit when selling your car, you should develop a long-term strategy for doing so. This includes properly maintaining the vehicle whilst it’s in your possession. When you don’t take care of your car, it’s resale value significantly decreases because fundamental issues start to arise. For instance, if you don’t regularly check the tyre pressure, this can lead to them becoming worn down. Rather than sitting on these problems, nip them in the bud before they develop into something worse that damages the vehicle in the long-term. Nobody wants to buy a broken car, after all.

2.) Scrap Companies

If your car is unsalvageable, then you probably won’t be able to sell it on to a new owner. However, this doesn’t mean you still can’t get a little cash along the way. Rather than disregarding it or allowing it to collect dust in your garage, instead you can turn it over to a professional scrap company. We recommend using Scrap Car Kings as they are specialists in their field and will provide the very best valuation of your vehicle. This means you can get every penny your old car is worth.

3.) Fixer-Upper

Your old car is probably still worth a lot of money – it’s just a little run down. In these circumstances, we recommend fixing what’s wrong with the vehicle before going on to sell it to others. Nobody will buy something which has loads of expensive problems attached to it. Replace broken parts or install new alloy wheels, whatever it takes to increase the resale value. Just make sure you can still make a profit at the end of the day. Perhaps consult a professional mechanic for help in this regard.

4.) Focus on Aesthetics

People are much more likely to buy something which looks good. The same applies to old cars. As such, it might be worthwhile giving your vehicle a new spray paint job or installing a swanky new stereo for the dashboard. These before and after transformations can be pretty remarkable, plus exponentially increase the resale value of your car – especially if the model was a limited edition.

We hope that you have found our advice helpful and that you are Thinking of Selling Your Car for a decent amount of money.

Keep Your Car Safe-3 Ways To Keep Your Car Safe When Not Driving

12th October 2022/0 Comments/in All Car Manufacturer Articles/by Eric Roberts

Keep Your Car Safe

When you own a car, you will know all about road safety and what to do when driving. What you might not be aware of, and what is not taught during driving lessons, is how best to protect your car when you’re not driving it.
It happens more often than you’d think. You park up and go to bed and notice the next day that your car has been damaged. How do we prevent this?

Where You Park

Firstly, and crucially, where you choose to park is important. You may have a favourite spot you always park in that’s close to home or close to work that’s tricky to get to. Perhaps your spot is slightly ramped up on a curb. You might not notice anything at the time but it’s possible that driving up and down on this spot daily is slowly damaging the underneath of your car. Potentially causing issues further down the road that could be costly.

There are some tips to prevent issues underneath your car such as regularly cleaning to stop rust building up and considering better places to park your car. Even if there’s no issues when parking underneath your car, that doesn’t mean there aren’t issues with parking elsewhere. Cars and vans being parked underneath trees cause damage all the time when storms
hit, obviously this is more circumstantial but it’s worth considering when parking for the day.

Car Mats

One thing that people sometimes don’t think about too often are good quality car mats. When getting in and out of the car you will press onto your car floor. Some vehicles, especially vans, will have a soft bottom, a more industrial non-covered part. So, when you’re stepping onto the bottom you could be slowly damaging the floor to cause dents and other issues.
So, it’s important to get high quality car mats from proven sellers such as Mr Car Mats. You can get one to suit the motif of your vehicle as well as one that suits your needs. Remember, cleaning your car mat is important as your shoes will go on here daily and dirt can build up very quickly.

Valuables And Goods

Having valuables in your car when you’re not in is usually considered a bad idea. It doesn’t have to be anything considered expensive either. If you were to leave even a jacket in your car that’s visible that might be enough for a potential thief to break open your car door or window to steal it. You could live without the jacket, sure, but then you’ve got to deal with repairing the damage which would be much more expensive than one item. So, make sure every time you’re leaving your car you take anything that could be easily stolen, no matter how expensive or cheap it is. The police recommend this all the time.

Summary

These are just some ideas to get you thinking of car protection when you’re not on the roads. You should always take care with cars and know how best to keep them safe. There are other ways to keep your car safe if in doubt.

Electric Car Servicing-Buying An Electric ‘Compliance Car’? Think Hard About-

5th October 2022/in All Car Manufacturer Articles/by Eric Roberts

There are now more than a dozen plug-in electric cars for sale in the U.S., but not all electric cars are created equal.

Eric Roberts’ insight:

Electric car Servicing

This is an interesting article about the difficulty that the American motorists could experience when wanting to repair or service their electric battery operated cars.

It tells of the state of California giving the car manufacturers a quota for a number of vehicles, that they are to supply as compared to normal gasoline engined ones.

The problem is that the amount of electric car servicing garages are in short supply, especially Toyota.

Fundamentally, the question on my mind is “whatever happened to the Right to Repair Laws” ! Naturally, that are in operation in the United States and in the European Union. Significantly, this states that service garages should be given the access to technical details. Including all the cars that car manufacturers are making.

So, why can’t the regular garages service these cars? In fact recently, I paid an expert on electric cars to brief my staff about the impending influx of electric cars. Special equipment is required ! Because these vehicle are extremely dangerous ! Of course due to the possibility of electric shocks.

Because of certain restrictions then it has always been a strong suspicion of mine.

So, that this work will be kept away from the independent garage sector. Resentfully, Electric Car Servicing will not be open to us. In many ways they cannot be blamed for wanting to protect all their investment and development. However, every other product that has ever been produced. So, would have had to start out somewhere!

Accepting this is difficult for me and this won’t stick with me. Consequently, we should all have a share in this market as we do today. I hope the EU are looking at this, so that they can legislate against the car makers protectionism ! Giving us all a in the garage business a fair deal. Thus allowing us to carry out Electric Car Servicing, alongside petrol engine car servicing.

Importantly, we can service the “Hybrid cars” and indeed do so.

Hi I would like to introduce myself. Working in the Garage and tyre and Battery business now for 40 years. So. Working for a couple of national tyre companies before starting my first business. Of course, I now own a company here in the UK called Pellon Tyre and Auto-centre. Blogging about anything to do with cars and their related products. Naturally, that will help my business.

See on finance.yahoo.com

Ford Focus Duel Mass Flywheel – Driver heard a noise when clutch pedal pressed?

28th September 2022/in All Car Manufacturer Articles, All Car Repair Articles/by Eric Roberts

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Ford Focus Duel Mass Flywheel, clicking noise?

The driver of this Ford Focus presented his car to us. He explained that he could notice a slight change of noise in the sound of the engine followed by a sort of ticking noise?

When asked when the noise occurred he said that it was when started to press the clutch down, to about halfway. Then after the halfway point the noise clears up? The same happens when the clutch is released.

When the car engine is idling, or when you are just driving along, then there is no noise. Then when your foot is off the clutch (either in neutral or driving in gear) there is no noise.

He said that he noticed for the first time, about a month ago. Ryan my service manager thought straight away that the problems pointed to the clutch and perhaps the Ford Focus Duel Mass Flywheel.

The Ford Focus Duel Mass Flywheel is made of many small components and clicking or ticking sounds, point towards the DMF (duel mass flywheel). The sound was only slight and the noise was covered by the car radio.

Alex tackles Ford Focus clutch job !

At first we recommended that the guy should leave well alone and to see if anything else would develop. He agreed with us and went on his way.

We never saw the car again until a month later? This time the noise became a little louder.

Ryan still suspected the Ford Focus Duel Mass Flywheel as being the problem. We took the car in and split the gearbox from the Focus engine to inspect the DMF and clutch. The clutch release bearing and slave cylinder were examined and found to be OK.

Some reasons for the diagnosis of a problem with your Duel mass Flywheel are as follows:-

1) If you have a slipping clutch; if the cars revs become higher but cars speed does not increase, or it feels like you are riding the clutch when driving along or changing gear. Or sometimes you can smell the pungent smell of the overheated burning clutch.

2) Strange unfamiliar metallic noises (sounds like a rattling chain or bag of knife and forks being shook about). This noise will stop when the clutch is depressed then return of release.

3) If your dual mass flywheel has been wearing for a while then your starter motor may start to slip/spin, when you are starting the car.

The driver with the Ford Focus Duel Mass Flywheel problems came to us in good time. The DMF had started to break up and was replaced, along with a new clutch plate. So if you do hear these noises take it along to your local garage to be examined.

Solar Panels to be fitted on the roof of this Ford Concept Car

22nd September 2022/4 Comments/in All Car Manufacturer Articles/by Eric Roberts

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BBC News
Ford Is Making A Concept Car With Solar Panels For A Roof
Huffington Post
What do Superman and the Ford C-MAX Solar Energi concept car have in common? Both receive power from the sun.

Eric Roberts‘s insight:

Solar panels on car roofs a great idea but not a new idea

So, in my opinion this idea from Ford motor company is one of the biggest step forwards yet. Especially, in the quest for the electric cars! Enabling, them to cover more mileage.

Significantly, this car could be run on solar energy from Solar Panels . Even when the car is running about ! Consequently, the batteries will also be charged. Developments like this will be a big step in the right direction ! So, I can envisage all EV’s and all electric cars will have this technology. Incorporated in the cars electric system. Aiding charging.

This is not the first time that solar panels have been used to power cars

So, I believe that it will be the first time that a major car manufacturer. Has incorporated solar panels onto an actual model.

Consequently, a guy called Ed Passerini ! Was probably the first man to invent the first solar powered car ! Way back in 1977. After building several smaller prototype cars. He eventually built the solar car known as Bluebird.

More recently in 1983 two Australian’s, Hans Tholstrup and racing driver, Larry Perkins . Managed to drive a solar powered car from Perth to Sydney. Totaling 2566 miles a great achievement ! The vehicle was called the “Achiever”. Equipped with a solar cell panel fitted to the roof. Hence, that charged 2 x 12 volt lead acid leisure batteries.

Batteries charged for use after dark

So the charged batteries were to be used for use when the Sun was behind clouds or even in darkness. Many of today’s Solar Panels and solar energy equipment had not even been invented back then, so the electrics they used were pretty basic. They had an electric motor to drive the car with a basic type gearbox that could only have the gears changed when the vehicle was stopped. The acceleration was done by either using 24 volts or 12 volts, the 24 volt was the fastest option, depending on the amount of battery storage.

Other recent tries at utilizing solar energy were carried out by the larger auto companies such as Ford, using them in the headlights.

See on www.huffingtonpost.com

Clutch Vibration Problem-TOYOTA AURIS TD comes in with a Clutch Vibration Problem

21st September 2022/in All Car Manufacturer Articles, All Car Repair Articles/by Eric Roberts

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Clutch Vibration Problem

TOYOTA AURIS TD comes in for a Clutch Vibration Problem

So, for some unknown reason. Christmas time brings in a few cars that are having Clutch Vibration problems. Hence, these are the normal problems. So, such as the driver cannot get the gears. Or the gears grind. Thus, when trying to drive the car and so on.

The Toyota Auris was a slightly different problem. As a result, the car was sort of vibrating and rattling. Consequently, as it was been driven along. When speaking to the customer. Ryan Linton my workshop manager. Discovered that the car had only had a new clutch fitted about two years ago. So the customer found it highly unlikely. Hence, that the clutch could be causing the vibrations. Especially, when driving the car along.

Ryan explained that the only way to tell is to check the clutch for the Clutch Vibration , by stripping the housing off and taking a look. The customer agreed and he took one of our courtesy cars while we explored his car to see what the problem was.

The other clutches that were done this week were standard sort of jobs, taking two or three hours to do, but we always check with our Auto-data computer system, for the times it takes to do these jobs and this Toyota was shown to take seven hours, this included the Duel mass Flywheel having to be changed, but at this stage we did not exactly know what was wrong with the car.

Clutch Vibration Problem

Ryan stripped down the Auris clutch housing and assembly. Only to find that the system was a Duel Mass Flywheel. To clarify, the car had only had the clutch fitted two years ago and nothing had been done to the Dual Mass Flywheel. This action had

caused the pressure plate and the Dual Mass Flywheel to wear prematurely. Causing the DMF to have more play in it. Therefore causing the Clutch Vibration.

We did not fit the first clutch. However the customer said that he would not go back there again. The cost was estimated at about the £1000.00 mark. Of course, customer gave us the go ahead to do the job. The time given by Auto-Data was pretty accurate and it took Ryan near enough six hours to complete the job. We always fit LUK clutches and DMFs because they were the company who originally developed the products along with BMW in Germany and to date we have never had any warranty problems with the LUK products in the past.

The Toyota Auris clutch and DMF was finished, tested and returned to a happy customer another job well done by my excellent staff.

Volvo self driving cars- 100 to be tested on Swedish roads in pilot project …

19th September 2022/1 Comment/in All Car Manufacturer Articles/by Eric Roberts

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Volvo self driving cars

Volvo has announced a pilot project that’ll see 100 Volvo self driving cars take to the roads of Gothenburg, Sweden, as the automaker continues in its efforts to bring a fully autonomous self driving cars to the market.

Eric Roberts‘s insight:

Volvo self driving cars

Hi it must be a strange feeling to get into a car that can steer and drive to its destination without any aid by a driver. I must be getting old ,because I can’t see for the life in me what these Volvo self driving cars are going to gain.

If that’s what people want why on earth don’t they stick to the driver- less train systems that we see in many countries these days? I would much prefer to sit on a train high up above the busy traffic “Than In Volvo self driving cars”. Significantly, modern technology is good, but it is not perfect. I recently visited France and had to turn off the motorway because it was blocked by an accident, a large truck had toppled over, completely blocking the two lane motorway.

Unfortunately, we had to turn off so I switched on my satellite navigation system, hoping to pick the motorway up further North. I keyed in Calais further North and the sat/nav kindly to me to three junctions South of the junction that I had to turn off on? It then came up with a server problem message, which rendered it useless?.

So I have my doubts about the technology used in these cars.

Here is a good snippet from the Popular Mechanics web-site about the strange sensation that their driver experienced when first handling one of these Volvo self driving cars,

“As soon as I hit the small black lane-centre button, I can feel the wheel stiffen in my hands. Suddenly the light bar atop it begins to glow a soft green, signaling that the car has taken over the task of steering. I had already surrendered control of the acceleration and braking to the vehicle’s adaptive cruise control, and now with my feet flat on the floor, I slowly un-wrap my fingers and release the wheel. Sitting in the passenger seat is Jeremy Salinger, who works on General Motors’ semi-autonomous car program. He’s seen the car do this dozens, possibly hundreds, of times, but, if only to reassure me, he states the obvious: “The car is in control now.”… http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/news/industry/the-12-most-important-questions-about-self-driving-cars-16016418
His final comment is that” it felt like a ghost was driving the car”

See on www.digitaltrends.com