Author: Declan

Used car woes

Written by Declan
Buying a used car always carries more risk than buying a new one as you often will have a short or possibly even no warranty. If you are buying a car off a private buyer you often have little come back as it is a private sale. You are however still covered by a general sales of goods act so if you can prove that a car was bought and was not fit for purpose you may be able to take them to a small claims ourt but this will cost you money and the chances are that you may not win. When buying a used car it is often worth paying for a used car check through companies such as the AA who will give the car a once...
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Buying a spares or repairs car

Written by Declan
If you are looking for a cheap car and have a bit of a passion or experience in fixing engines / bodywork etc. then you may consider buying a car that is advertised as spares or repairs. Even when a car is advertised like this, it does not necessarily mean that it is not running. It can be that the MOT has run out or that it has body damage. Buying these sorts of cars can be a risky game, especially if you don’t really know what you are doing. Often you cannot find out exactly what is wrong with a vehicle until you have stripped it down meaning that you may end up with a £1000 car that needs an additional £1000 spending on it. Always be wary of...
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Caring for your catalytic converter

Written by Declan
Catalytic converters are fitted as part of many cars exhaust systems. The job of the catalytic converter is to reduce the emission of pollutants caused by incomplete combustion in the engine by means of a chemical reaction. They commonly contain a catalyst (a material that facilitates a reaction without being used up in the reaction) made of precious metals such as platinum and are therefore quite expensive. Un-burnt fuel passing through the engine into the exhaust can damage the catalytic converter so it’s important to avoid this if possible. Certain fuel additives may cause damage so always consult the manufacturer’s instructions before using them. First off, you should keep your car regularly serviced and don’t ignore ECU warning lights as a poorly running engine can cause damage to the converter....
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Cam-belt time bomb

Written by Declan
Is there a time bomb ticking away in your engine? If you’ve recently bought a second hand car, do you know if it‘s cam-belt needs changing? The cam-belt transfers motion from the engine to regulate the cam shaft which in turn operates the vital inlet and exhaust valves. If the cam-belt snaps, there’s a chance that many of these valves will be damaged, along with the cylinders and pistons. This can be very costly to repair. Firstly you need to establish if your engine utilises a cam-belt or a timing chain. Chains should not need changing as they should not snap. Manufacturers specify the mileage at which the cam-belt should be changed in the service schedule. If your cars service history doesn’t show this having been done or you don’t...
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To repair or replace an exhaust system

Written by Declan
If you suddenly find that your car sounds particularly loud when you accelerate and the noise is coming from the exhaust then you most probably have a hole. This can not only be embarrassing and could actually get you in to trouble with the police if it is too loud, it can mean that your car fails an MOT and is therefore not roadworthy. So what options do you have? Depending on where about the hole is in the exhaust and how big it is, you could try repairing it. Some garages offer this as a service where they will weld a patch on or you can actually buy exhaust bandage that you can apply yourself to cover up he hole. Both of these methods are somewhat temporary although the...
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