Are the NOx sensor and AdBlue in a diesel car linked?
Our reader has a diesel Mercedes C220 Coupe. A faulty NOx sensor has been diagnosed but at the same time, the low AdBlue warning message came on. This says that…
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
I’m thinking about buying a self-charging hybrid. Will it still work if the battery fails?
Our reader wants to know if a self-charging petrol-electric hybrid can be driven as a petrol-only car following hybrid battery failure. There’s no simple answer as the reader doesn’t say…
I’m looking at electric cars and dealers talk about them having regenerative braking. What is this and is it any good?
Car makers fit regenerative braking to all new electric and plug-in hybrid cars. It’s a good thing because it essentially enables us to get something for nothing while we’re driving…
How ready are local authorities for the electric car charging challenge?
This is an interesting question because so much of how well people adopt EVs depends on the electric car charging infrastructure. And currently this appears to be undergoing some growing…
My garage says my car needs new piston rings and a new camshaft. It’s such an expensive repair, can I do the two things separately?
Our reader with the expensive repair has a 2014 Nissan Qashqai. Their garage has diagnosed damaged piston rings on one of the cylinders and damage to the camshaft. The problem…
My cousin rolled his car but the airbags didn’t go off. Is this right?
Airbags are one of the great inventions of modern motoring. They live concealed in your car until they’re needed. Then they deploy in milliseconds to potentially reduce injuries and possibly…
Is it safe to run a 2006 Nissan Almera on E10 fuel?
We are receiving a lot of questions about the E10 petrol that’s been on sale since the start of September 2021 so it’s worth clearing up any misconceptions. First let’s…
What is the micro hybrid that car makers keep going on about?
Many car makers are now using what’s known as micro hybrid technology. But what is it? And does it differ from the other kinds of hybrid technology? We reveal all.…
I bought a car 11 months ago and have done 7,000 miles. It now has grinding brakes will my warranty cover it?
This strikes us as a double problem. The first is what is causing the grinding brakes noise. The second is whether the terms of the warranty might cover it. And…
I’ve bought a 2014 Volvo V40 D5 should I check if the timing belt needs changing?
The timing belt is a vital part of the engine and you shouldn’t ignore it. One of the first things we’d advise used car buyers to do is check when…