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Journal
Notes from the workshop. Technical pieces for owners who want to understand their cars, plain-English explanations of what we do and why, and the occasional opinion piece. No fluff, no SEO filler.
importscustomer-guide
Owning a Japanese import in the UK: servicing, parts and oil specs
What is different about a Japanese import, how to service it sensibly, what to expect from parts, and why the right oil specification matters.
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transmissionscvtcustomer-guide
CVT gearbox fluid: why it matters and how to spot trouble
CVT fluid does more than lubricate: it sets the grip of the belt or chain and carries heat away. Here is what it does and the signs a CVT needs attention.
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servicingcustomer-guide
Servicing at an independent garage: what it means for your warranty
You generally do not have to use a main dealer to keep a new-car warranty. A general guide to what the UK Block Exemption means and how to protect yourself.
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diagnosticscustomer-guide
Dashboard warning lights: which ones mean stop now
Red usually means stop, amber means get it checked soon, and flashing means take it seriously. A plain guide to which dashboard warning lights matter most.
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brakescustomer-guide
Brake fluid: why it needs changing every two years
Brake fluid absorbs water over time, which lowers its boiling point and can cause corrosion. Here is why a regular change matters and what to look for.
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wintercustomer-guide
Winter car checklist: what to check before the cold sets in
Battery, tyres, coolant, wipers, lights and brakes: a practical winter car checklist to work through on a dry evening, before a frosty morning finds the weak spot.
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clutchcustomer-guide
Dual-mass flywheel explained: why a clutch job sometimes includes one
A dual-mass flywheel smooths engine vibration and wears out over time. Here is what it does, the signs it is failing, and why it is often replaced with the clutch.
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clutchcustomer-guide
Signs your clutch is going: slipping, judder, high bite point and smells
Slipping, a high bite point, judder when pulling away and a burning smell are the usual signs of a worn clutch. Here is what each means and when to act.
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brakescustomer-guide
Brake warning signs: what squeals, grinds and judders usually mean
Squealing, grinding, pulling, a soft pedal or judder through the brakes all mean something. Here is what each usually points to and how urgent it is.
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diagnosticsfiatdieseltiming
Fiat Panda Multijet: cranks, won't start, and the camshaft isn't turning
A 2009 Panda diesel died on the road and would not restart. It cranked, it would not fire even on starting fluid, and when we checked, the camshaft was not turning with the crank.
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oilservicingcustomer-guide
How often should you change your engine oil?
Fixed intervals, long-life oil and flexible service indicators explained: how to work out when your car really needs an oil change, and why the handbook specification matters.
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diagnosticshondadiesel
Honda CR-V 2.2 i-DTEC: the timing chain that wasn't
A 2011 CR-V diesel came in with a vibration and a suspected stretched cam chain. The chain was fine. The only stored fault was the mass air flow sensor, and on a diesel that matters more than it sounds.
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transmissionssubaruimports
Subaru Levorg STI: resealing a weeping TR690 CVT
A Japanese-market 2019 Levorg STI came to us with CVT fluid weeping from the oil pump area. Here is what Subaru's own bulletin says causes it, what the reseal involves, and what Levorg and WRX owners should look for.
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transmissionsnissansecond-opinion
Nissan Juke CVT after an oil cooler leak: rebuild, recon or used?
A 2012 Juke owner asked us for a second opinion. The CVT oil cooler had failed, the car had been driven before anyone noticed, and another garage had quoted a brand-new gearbox. Here is how we look at that decision.
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diagnosticsmercedes4x4
Mercedes-AMG A45: a new valve, the same fault, and why we stopped swapping parts
A 2013 A45 AMG kept logging a fault on its all-wheel-drive pressure regulating valve. The valve clicked on the bench. A new one went in. The fault came straight back the moment the gearbox went into Drive.
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diagnosticsbmwsuspension
BMW F11 5 Series Touring: one side high, and the air lines swapped
A 2011 530i Touring sat high and hard on one rear corner. It already had new level sensors, a new valve block and stock software, and the calibration still failed. The air lines were on the wrong ports.
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importsbmwbuyer-guide
Buying a BMW with the N52 engine: four things every owner gets wrong
The N52 is one of BMW's finest naturally aspirated inline-sixes, and most owners under-service it in the same four ways. Here is what to do about each one before the car tells you the hard way.
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transmissionstechnical
DSG fluid exchange: why a drain-and-fill is half the job
Most garages offer a DSG drain-and-fill and call it done. The problem is that a drain-and-fill only replaces around half the fluid in the system. Here is what is actually inside a DSG, why the fluid matters, and why a dynamic exchange is the correct service for most cars.
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importshondatype-r
Honda Type R servicing: what changes between the FN2, FK2 and FK8
Three generations of Honda Type R share a name and very little else. The FN2 is a naturally aspirated screamer, the FK2 is Honda's first turbocharged Type R, and the FK8 refined the formula significantly. Servicing requirements differ across all three.
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how-we-workpricingtrust
How we quote: our pricing, and why you won't get a surprise bill
Surprise bills from mechanics come from a few predictable causes. This explains how we quote, what we commit to at each stage, and what happens if we open something up and find more than expected.
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motcustomer-guide
MOT advisories, translated: which ones mean fix it now
An MOT pass with advisories is not the same as a clean bill of health, but most advisories are not emergencies either. Here is how to read them, which ones to act on immediately, and which ones can wait for your next service.
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diagnosticstoyotaelectricaldiesel
Toyota Yaris 1.4 D-4D: no OBD, a dropping rev counter and a missing ground
A 2011 Yaris diesel drove normally but lit up the dash, refused to talk to a scan tool and kept dropping its rev counter to zero. The clue was the steering wheel. The cause was the engine ECU not grounded to its case.
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