12
votes
Accepted
Apparent duplicates between Haynes service instructions and MOT
Duplicating checks isn't a bad thing.
I, personally, check everything (or at least, all that I can without specialist equipment) that the MOT checks, for one very simple reason - I can then fix it, ...
- 28.9k
9
votes
Dealership's service dept drove my car 19 km
I see this completely normal and not a cause of concern. The service advisor's explanation is certainly a valid reason, but they could have needed to drive the car for a total of 19kms for many ...
- 964
8
votes
Accepted
Renewed brake pads
German here.
The word "erneuert" always means that something has been replaced. The only remarkable exception is a "runderneuerter Reifen" i.e. a retreaded tire, though... even here something has ...
- 7,057
8
votes
Accepted
How to perfectly service a car yourself
The first place to look is your car handbook - somewhere near the back should be the service schedule, which will list which things need to be checked on each service. Usually a big table with the ...
- 28.9k
7
votes
Should I have run out of engine oil?
A liter or two of oil in nine months might be a lot, or it might be quite normal. It really depends on the condition of the engine and how and how much you drive the car. The engine is continually ...
- 14.5k
7
votes
Accepted
MOT in UK, is there a tolerance time when the MOT is expired?
Firstly, you can have it done 1 month before the expiry date, minus 1 day and you will still preserve the full length of your MOT.
This is done for convenience and to allow time for repairs. I always ...
- 1,571
6
votes
Accepted
How to determine if manual transmission fluid has to be changed?
tl dr: Unless you have a leak somewhere in your manual transmission, leave it alone and don't worry about it.
If you look at the maintenance schedule for Hondas, you'll find there's no schedule for ...
- 162k
5
votes
Car battery - Disconnected just positive while doing work
Ah yes, those pesky little battery terminals. They ain't the same. The one labelled "+" (usually red) is connected to everything electrical in the car, while the one labelled "-" (usually black), only ...
- 12.2k
5
votes
Accepted
Error Stabilization Control (ESC)/ ABS warning shown on my car dashboard
Many modern cars have advanced traction control systems which aim to prevent a loss of control, most of these operate by adding computer control to each individual brake, with a central computer using ...
- 17.7k
5
votes
Accepted
Buying a car without a service history?
This is something like buying a large farm at a great price with just one glitch: the owner tells you there may be a couple landmines hidden on the property somewhere.
With this amount of lack of ...
- 5,245
5
votes
Is failing to change brake fluid a life safety issue?
YES. A big Y-E-S. It's a huge safety issue. See, braking fluid absorbs(even attracts) water over time, not so much over usage, if at all. Brake fluid gets really hot, even more under sustained braking ...
- 2,954
4
votes
Is it typical for a shop to charge extra for labor if you bring your own parts?
Being a small shop owner, when customers bring in their own parts we lose money on the job. A lot of shops give the honest ones a bad name. The major chains always charge an arm and a leg, but when ...
4
votes
Apparent duplicates between Haynes service instructions and MOT
The MOT is there to make sure your car is "roadworthy", i.e. safe to drive. It's done once a year, which means there's 364 days when something can go wrong that could kill you if it's not caught, or ...
- 17.7k
3
votes
Accepted
How to Tell No MOT Advisory Notes?
The owner does not post the reports or results of the mot on the gov website - it comes from the testing station and the tester. The tester may be able to exercise their judgement about posting ...
- 34.7k
3
votes
What's a reasonable time for doing a one person brake bleed?
It can definitely be done faster, but that's a matter of experience. A vacuum cannister doesn't help me much, i always use this constuction and it has worked perfectly for me:
It's the most ...
- 2,954
3
votes
Accepted
Understanding Car Servicing for a second hand car
I would always service a second hand car which is new to me so I knew the condition. You don't need to use a specific Peugeot garage, you may find an independent garage cheaper and for servicing on ...
- 23.4k
3
votes
Accepted
How can I know if a TSB has been applied to my vehicle?
To the second question:
How can I figure out if the TSB applies? If it does apply, how can I
find out for myself if the reprogramming has been done or not?
Apart from experiencing the fault ...
- 1,742
3
votes
As a consumer, can you buy the "OEM service manual" for your car direct from the manufacturer?
For a Toyota, you can get the same service manuals that the dealers use, manuals produced by Toyota, online: https://techinfo.toyota.com/
3
votes
Accepted
Can I get my service elsewhere?
If the contract for take back or buyout specifies service then you need to follow that.
Generally, however, this just needs to be a Renault franchise service centre. They all have to adhere to ...
- 18.6k
3
votes
Do cars have a specific brake and power steering fluid or are they universal?
Vehicle manufacturers have a specification for all of their fluids and it should be in the owners manual. Many vehicles do share similar specifications for power steering and brake fluid, but it is ...
- 634
3
votes
Accepted
How to service a vehicles electrical system?
Well, not much, but things to check include:
1) battery terminals - clean, tight and some protection ie petroleum jelly works well on lead/acid batteries
2) all cables (easily visible) are not ...
- 34.7k
3
votes
Do we have to use the car daily, before the first one month service?
There's no reason to do this. While it's true that the more you drive the sooner you will discover some problems it's not worth the time and money. Remember that your car will be under warranty for ...
- 17.7k
2
votes
2006 Infiniti G35 - Blown engine following Kwik Kar engine flush
I doubt you'll ever see this considering how old this post is, but for anyone that happened to run across this post I'll add my two cents. First off never let any of these quick lube places do ...
2
votes
Understanding Car Servicing for a second hand car
Generally speaking servicing means replacing consumable items after a specified interval (either miles, years or both) this can include things like engine oil, oil and fuel filters, brake fluid, spark ...
- 1,586
2
votes
Renewed brake pads
Renewing is typically a term used to state that something has been returned to "new" condition. In your case, this would lead me to believe the pads and rotors were replaced with new.
Only problem is,...
- 9,005
2
votes
How to know if the brakes are rear/front or diagonally split?
Edit: My answer was written from memory and was incorrect. Front/rear split systems remain in use to this day, mainly for rear-wheel-drive vehicles.
Best advice is to consult the manual on brake bleed ...
- 4,412
2
votes
Changing a tight old spark plug
Do you have a vacuum cleaner and some very small hose, that can reach into the cylinder? If so, take the plug out as usual. Once that's done, get the vacuum and hose (gaffer tape the hose onto your ...
- 644
2
votes
What are the most common recommended "scam" repairs/maintenance?
This video shows some top scam shops in action. The theme seems to be that it doesn't really matter what service you recommend, if the buyer is not familiar with what is being recommended it can be an ...
- 1,169
2
votes
Necessity of checking valve-clearance on 1 cylinder GY6
Check the valve clearances as you are supposed to. It will take you 5 minutes the first time and 2 minutes each time after that. It is a very easy job with a feeler gauge and can prevent costly damage ...
- 521
2
votes
Why are shops that do tire shaving and truing so hard to find?
Perhaps it depends on the characteristics of the particular AWD system... Some are, or have been, known to have an issue with differing diameters, others are more tolerant.
If the numbers are too ...
- 34.7k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible