Category Archives: Maintenance

The exhaust downpipe is the piece of the exhaust that connects the catalytic converter to the final exhaust tip or flange. This is a very small piece of pipe that can often become damaged from rust, wear and fatigue.

What function does the exhaust back box perform in the engine? It takes the hot and fast moving gasses produced by the process of combustion and slows them down. This part is essential when it comes to running a smooth and quiet vehicle.

Your car’s brake pads will wear out relatively quickly. This is due to the friction that occurs when braking, with the brake callipers using the pads to stop the brake discs. The harder you brake and the more aggressively you drive, the faster the pads will wear out.

It is quite obvious when an electric window isn’t working. You simply won’t get any response out of the control unit. However, it might not be as obvious as to what’s gone wrong. If all the windows in your vehicle are suffering from a similar problem, then the chances are that the fuse is no longer working in the electrical system. Isolate the problem to one single window, and you’re more likely to be looking at a failure in the window regulator or motor unit, in which case the faulty part will need replacing.

The ABS is a computer controlled mechanism. Therefore the car is able to immediately tell if there is some kind of problem within this system, and will display the problem via the ABS error light on your dashboard. This should not affect the normal braking function of the car, which will allow the brakes to operate without the benefit of the ABS preventing locking in difficult conditions. The ABS sensor can be checked with a resistance meter to check the quality of the circuit within the part and this should show you whether or not to replace.

The oil sump is the part of your car that holds the oil for the engine. It’s that simple. You’ll notice that the sump is suffering from damage by one major tell-tale sign. Spots of oil will appear on the ground on which your vehicle has been parked. Over time these could even build up in your regular parking space as one large patch of oil.

Your car’s water pump performs an obvious yet essential function. There are a number of signs that can indicate that this part is on its way out. If you suspect your water pump is faulty then a piece of cardboard under the engine at night may well show up giveaway drip marks. Similarly a loose pulley around the water pump or a low pitched grinding noise are both symptoms of a faulty pump.

The throttle body is the part of the engine that mixes air with the fuel to allow combustion to take place. There are a number of symptoms that are often due to a failure in this part, including repeated stalling for no reason, problems with responsiveness of the acceleration pedal and stumbling or hesitation whilst accelerating.

Your car’s ignition holds a dual purpose. Firstly it allows you to start the engine. Secondly it forms a protective barrier so should a car thief force entry into your vehicle, they will not be able to simply drive it away.In recent years technology has given birth to a number of clever ignition systems including wireless keys that work on a rolling code protocols. However there are still a large number of vehicles that still rely on the classic key system, which uses basic mechanics and is therefore prone to fatigue and failure.

The distributor cap controls the ignition sequence in your engine. It ensures that each of the pistons fires at the right time to keep your car turning over. There are a number of signs that your distributor could be fatigued or degraded, and unsurprisingly most of these are linked with your car’s performance. These include shakes when the car is idling at a junction or red light, problems starting in the cold, stalling and backfiring, and trouble with the engine turning over.