Is clocking replacement instruments in my car illegal?
You contacted us because a problem with the instruments on your car leads to you needing new dials. However, that means you need to adjust the mileage on the new…
Category: Mechanical
Find out how your car works – in plain English. We reveal all those tricky technical things that might have baffled you about your car
The used car I bought has a clutch problem that the dealer is reluctant to fix. What are my rights?
The car with the clutch problem is a five-year old Volkswagen Golf. The dealer is more than 40 miles from the owner’s home and says the buyer may have to…
There has been some catalytic converter theft around us. Why?
The catalytic converter is an integral part of the modern car’s exhaust system. It reduces the harmful gases coming out of the exhaust pipe. However, the way the scrap metal…
My car air conditioning is dripping water. Is this a problem?
It’s common to see a small pool of water beneath your car on a hot day. The water comes from the car air conditioning and it’s entirely normal, particularly in…
My garage keeps talking about the OBD port. What is OBD?
The letters OBD stand for On Board Diagnostics. The port is where the OBD is accessed. Read on to find out more about OBD. What do On Board Diagnostics do?…
Is laminated glass worth having on a car?
Your car will already have laminated glass in the windscreen. But now it’s being used increasingly in the side windows. Is this a feature that’s worth looking out for? We…
I bought a used car that needed new brake pads after 6000 miles. Is this usual?
The car you bought was a 2016 Mazda CX-5. You bought it with 14,000 miles on the clock. It’s now done 20,000. The dealer you got the car from said…
I need to buy a car battery charger. What’s the best type to get?
Fast fit company Kwik Fit has revealed that the number of replacement batteries it’s sold during the COVID-19 lockdown has been double what it would expect for the time of…
How do I work out what my car’s real mpg is?
Every car with petrol, diesel or hybrid power covers a certain number of miles per gallon (mpg). When you’re looking at new cars, the manufacturers give an mpg – the…
I’m thinking of choosing an automatic car. Are they really much better than manuals?
In line with much else inside our cars, changing gear by hand is becoming a thing of the past. An increasing number of cars are offered with automatic gearboxes. And…