New Bridgestone Potenza S001 tyre engineered specifically for Renault's latest hot hatchback... The New Renault Mégane R.S. has been updated with state-of-the-art technology for greater agility, efficiency and driving enjoyment. These innovations still rely on the right tyres which is why Bridgestone engineered every aspect of the Potenza S001 to match the new design of the iconic … [Read more...]
Drivers put safety at risk (and burn more fuel) by ignoring their tyre pressures!
Michelin and Kwik Fit find that four out of 10 motorists are driving on “Dangerous” or “Very Dangerous” tyres… Almost 40 per cent of cars in the UK are running on at least one tyre that is “dangerously” or “very dangerously” underinflated. The figures come after Michelin and Kwik Fit inspected more than 500 vehicles in Tesco car parks around the UK. Michelin classifies tyres that are … [Read more...]
Our Grumpy Old Mechanic underlines the benefits of regular maintenance…
Cam belt catastrophes and other (usually avoidable) horrors... Our Grumpy Mechanic says what he thinks about ignored maintenance. Every day I see the expensive results of vehicle maintenance being ignored. Notably these include engines that are clogged up internally because the oil and filter are not changed frequently enough, also written-off valves and cylinder heads because the cam (timing) … [Read more...]
SERIOUS DANGER!!! Zafira rust nightmare revealed by our Grumpy Old Mechanic!
If you drive an older Zafira, you NEED to read this. Our Grumpy Old Mechanic reports... Our Grumpy Old Mechanic avoids sensationalism but feels it important to reveal a safety-critical problem of which most Zafira owners/operators are almost certainly unaware… Last week a very tidy-looking first generation (‘A’ Series) Vauxhall Zafira 2.0 DTi dating from late 2003 was brought in to our … [Read more...]
Bearing Up! – Considerations for bearings and lubricants operating in harsh climates
Bearing the harsh environment... ~ Lubrication selection for low temperature operations. With its freezing climate, the Arctic is one of the most extreme and barren environments on earth. Despite this, four million humans have learned to live there, and these inhabitants expect crucial machinery to operate effectively – even in the depths of winter. Here Chris Johnson, managing director of … [Read more...]
New model of car, new roof bars? That’s expensive, but it doesn’t have to be that way…
If you change your car, does that necessarily mean that you have to buy a complete set of new roof bars for it, and do away with the perfectly good ones that you already have? Gerald Morgan investigates – and saves a very useful sum of money in the process… Ever bought a car, then got a set of roof bars and maybe even a roof rack to fit the bars as well? What happens to these when you buy … [Read more...]
Dave Randle goes ‘Back to Basics’ with his trusty Xantia…
BIT OF A BLOW. Dave Randle explains how it pays NOT to think the worst if an unusual breakdown occurs... So we made space in the schedule and booked up the first caravan holiday of Spring. Not an epic; just far enough away to be off the intermittent communication lines of Romney Marsh and sequestered among the Surrey Hills several times as far above sea level. We’re just getting back into … [Read more...]
Cutting Costs: The Art Of Fuel-efficient Driving
Cutting Costs: The Art Of Fuel-efficient Driving The personal views of guest contributor Giles Kirkland... Cars are rarely cheap and, of course, the more you drive yours, the more you have to spend. This is why many drivers value vehicles that offer plenty of miles to the gallon, but what about the car you currently have? Fortunately, there are ways to improve your fuel efficiency. Also known … [Read more...]
Kim’s Tips: A Good Start?
Winter's coming: Make sure that you can always get your car started. Kim Henson (with input from the Grumpy Old Mechanic) advises… Typical British winters inevitably bring with them cold and damp conditions, and it is during such times that motor cars can sometimes be reluctant to perform, or even to start at all. Of course, you cannot blame them, for if you had been sat outside all night in … [Read more...]
Grumpy Old Mechanic says… “Grease It!”
He’s having a go again – this time about people who don’t grease their old cars… Go on then, Grumpy Old Mechanic, what’s wrong now? You would never believe the number of classic cars that I have seen lately that have obviously not seen a grease gun for many a long year. Why is this important? Because in the good old days, manufacturers fitted grease nipples so that periodically fresh grease … [Read more...]
‘Need to Know’ Series No. 1 – Instrument Voltage Stabiliser
Mysteries of the Instrument Voltage Stabiliser revealed… Dave Moss explains and advises, in the first feature of his new 'Need to Know' series, covering various aspects of classic vehicle technicalities… (Words and all images, including hand-drawn diagrams, by Dave). If you have a car made by BMC or its successors anywhere between the 1960s and mid-1980s, it may have an instrument voltage … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 4
- 5
- 6