Why has my power steering gone heavy?
Why steering suddenly needs both arms, how to tell a hydraulic fault from an electric one, and the two versions of this that mean stop rather than carry on.
beginner12 min5 min read
Faults & Diagnosis
What the noise, the light or the smell is telling you.
35 guides in Motoring
Why is my exhaust blowing, and will it fail the MOT?
What the blowing noise actually is, where the leaks usually are, why the noise changes with load, and where the MOT line sits.
beginner15 min7 min readHow do I do a hill start without rolling back or burning the clutch?
The handbrake method, why the biting point is the whole skill, and how to stop holding a car on the clutch — the habit that quietly destroys clutches.
beginner20 min4 min readHow do I know if my clutch is slipping?
The one test that confirms a slipping clutch in ten seconds, what a high or low biting point really tells you, and the driving habits that wear a clutch out early.
beginner12 min4 min readHow do I get a bad smell out of a car?
Finding the material actually holding the smell, dealing with the air conditioning source that most people never consider, and why air fresheners fail.
beginner1 hr 30 min4 min readWhat do I do if my handbrake is stuck or frozen on?
Why handbrakes freeze on overnight in cold or wet weather, the safe ways to free one, and how to park so it does not happen again.
beginner20 min5 min readWhat is an EGR valve, and why does it keep blocking?
What exhaust gas recirculation is for, why short journeys clog it, the symptoms of a stuck valve, and why blanking it is not a fix.
intermediate15 min6 min readWhy is my gearbox hard to get into gear?
Why the clutch is usually the culprit rather than the gearbox, how to tell a hydraulic problem from worn synchros, and the pattern that means stop driving.
beginner15 min5 min readHow do I stop my car windows misting up?
Why car windows mist, how to clear them fastest, and how to stop it recurring by removing the moisture source.
beginner30 min2 min readWhat coolant does my car need, and can I mix the colours?
Why coolant colour tells you almost nothing, what the specification code on the bottle actually means, and why old coolant damages an engine even though it still looks fine.
beginner12 min5 min readWhy is the carpet in my car wet?
Tracking a leak to its actual source, the drains that block and cause most of them, and drying the car out properly rather than superficially.
intermediate1 hr 30 min4 min read