Car Mechanics

Email martyn.knowles@kelsey.co.uk Follow us on Facebook @ Car Mechanics Are you superstitious? I’m not really that troubled by various myths that have floated around for centuries. One that I remember my grandmother (nan) saying in the 1970s – “it’s

Editor Martyn Knowles email martyn.knowles@kelsey.co.uk Technical Editor Steve Rothwell email cm.questions@kelsey.co.uk Alan AndersonCraig CheethamIan CushwayAndrew EverettRichard GunnRob HawkinsKim HensonMike HumbleRob MarshallChris RandallPeter Sim

► E10 begins to replace E5 petrol from 1st September 2021. The new E10 95 RON blend comprises up to 10% ethanol, instead of the previous E5 limit of up to 5%. Whether you drive a new, used, modern classic, historic or vintage vehicle, E10 will affect

► For any job from pastime to profession, the new 500-page Machine Mart catalogue is full of all the tools you could need. With over 400 price cuts and deals, including plenty of new products, the 21,000+ items offer plenty of value for any job, big

► This 2009 Ford Focus 1.8 diesel had been starting fine all last winter but now that the mornings were warmer, it needed cranking a lot more than is used to. Although most people realise that the glow plugs are essential in winter warming-up the cyl

There’s not a huge amount of space inside the engine bay of the XF and the 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine that powers our project car looks like it has been squeezed into position under the bonnet. Fortunately, the rear-wheel-drive configuration means th

This could almost be titled ‘the clutch that didn’t need replacing’ because as it turns out, the flywheel and clutch on our 65,000-mile Qashqai still had a lot of life left in them. But when we collected the car earlier in the year it had a very defi

The problem of warm beer plagues us all with this towbar. BMW did not equip the 13-pin socket on the towbar with pins 10, 11 and 12. Pin 10 is the “ignition on” supply which powers the caravan fridge while towing and pin 11 is its earth. Pin 12 is no

When your car door won’t open, it rattles as you drive or on closing it, the window struggles to wind up or down or the exterior handle sticks open, many of these problems can seem like a nightmare to fix. Fortunately, the design of the doors on the

2004 VOLKSWAGEN TRANSPORTER T5 The fifth-generation of the ever-popular Volkswagen series of vans appeared in April 2003 and lasted until 2015 as a short and long wheelbase model with over 100 different variants. Worldwide production exceeded 1.65 mi

Q The last few issues of Car Mechanics have had competitions that can only be entered by a browser, not a search engine. What’s a browser? I have tried all sorts but can’t get anywhere – help! C W Beck A The browser is the name used to describe the w

Q I am in the process of purchasing spares for my 1998 BMW M3 Coupe 3.2, as they are becoming scarce, and I don’t want to get caught out. I have ordered a pair of cam sensors, inlet and exhaust, for the vehicle. They are from a M3 3.0 with the S50 B3

NOVEMBER 2021 issue out October 15th ► How they work and why they differ from conventional automatics ► Why CVTs have survived into the modern age ► Mainstream CVT applications and what goes wrong with them ► Nissan CVT analysis EXTRA 32-PAGE ISSUE •

► If like me you spend more hours than you really ought to on the interweb, especially on automotive related topics, you will have noticed a worrying trend. I am, of course, talking about these so-called ‘lawyer’ outfits offering to send you a bucket