How do you use an engine flush so that flushing the engine actually works?
Flushing an engine is not complicated – if you can change the oil yourself, adding a flush is a formality. Below we show, step by step, how to use TEC 2000 Engine Flush, how much of it to use, how ...
Symptoms of faulty injectors – what tells us that the injectors need replacing?
If the car starts jerking, losing power, smoking or struggling to start, very often the injectors are to blame. It's a big problem – but it doesn't always mean replacing the whole set for a couple ...
Engine oil pressure – too high or too low: causes, symptoms and what to do about it
If your oil light has come on or the gauge is showing strange values, first check the oil level on the dipstick – that is the most common and the simplest cause. Correct oil pressure depends on the...
A diesel smokes black more than it should, i.e. a few words about the problem of smoking
An injection system failure is the moment when the engine stops getting fuel the way it should – in the right quantity, at the right pressure and in exactly that fraction of a second in which it sh...
An injection system failure – but what exactly? See what it means for your car
A fuel injection system failure is a serious problem that can significantly affect the way your car works. The symptoms may vary – from difficulty starting the engine, through rough running, all th...
Symptoms of a faulty injection pump: pay attention to these signals
A diesel engine can run without trouble for hundreds of thousands of kilometres. But there is one component of the fuel system that has to work with absolute precision – the injection pump. When it...
A faulty injection pump control unit: symptoms
A diesel engine can throw up strange problems. The car starts normally one time, and cranks for ages the next. Sometimes it suddenly stalls while you're driving, or it loses power and doesn't respo...
How often should you change engine oil? Is a change every 2 years safe?
"I hardly drive, so why change the oil every year?" – that is one of the most common questions we hear. The problem is that oil wears out not only from the kilometres but also from the mere passage...
The cost of reconditioning injectors – what sort of outlay should you expect?
Reconditioning injectors can cost from around €12 for a basic clean up to as much as €590–705 for a set of modern Common Rail injectors, including removal, parts and coding. The biggest influence o...
What are the risks of driving with a knocking bearing shell? Effects and risks for the engine
What are the risks of driving with a knocking bearing shell? Effects and risks for the engine Can you hear a metallic knocking from under the bonnet and feel that something isn't right? This isn't ...
Can you drive with a damaged head gasket?
The engine starts overheating, the coolant disappears, and a strange sludge appears under the oil filler cap – and suddenly the question arises whether this is already something serious. Usually it...
Mayonnaise on the oil filler cap – a minor problem or a warning sign of a serious failure?
If, after unscrewing the cap, you see a creamy, light sludge resembling mayonnaise, the first thought is usually one: the head gasket. And sometimes that's true. But not always. Mayonnaise on the o...
Symptoms of an engine burning oil
An engine may use small amounts of oil and this does not necessarily mean an immediate rebuild. The problem starts when the level on the dipstick drops faster than usual, blue smoke appears from th...
A noisy gearbox – meet the culprits
First a light hum appears. Then a droning. Until finally you start wondering whether the gearbox always used to sound like that. The problem is that a noisy gearbox rarely appears without a reason ...
Frozen fuel in the car – what should you do when frost paralyses the engine?
Morning, frost and silence after you turn the key – if the car suddenly stops starting, the culprit most often isn't “frozen fuel” in the literal sense. In practice it's a matter of wax in the dies...
Symptoms of damaged piston rings – how to recognise and diagnose the problems?
An engine does not lose compression overnight. Very often it all starts innocently – with a slight loss of oil, slightly weaker acceleration or a strange noise after a cold start. Later on, smoking...
Key symptoms of a faulty thermostat in a car – be sure to pay attention to these
The engine doesn't warm up, or suddenly starts running hot? Very often one small component is to blame – the thermostat, which has stopped working the way it should. The problem is that you can ign...
Symptoms of seized piston rings
The engine starts using oil, bluish smoke appears from the exhaust, the car accelerates worse and the top-ups get more and more frequent? In many cases the problem is not yet cracked engine compone...
Premium fuels: are they worth filling up with?
Current fuel prices are breaking records, and drivers’ wallets are suffering more and more. Despite the constant increases, producers keep encouraging drivers to choose the more expensive variants ...
Is your diesel blowing white smoke? The 5 main causes of the problem
Why does a diesel blow white smoke? Is it cause for concern, or perhaps a natural phenomenon that can easily be put right? In the post below I look at the most common causes of white smoke, as well...
What is a thermostat in a car and why is it so important?
The engine doesn't warm up one time, and picks up temperature faster than it should the next? Often a small component is behind it that hardly anyone thinks about day to day – the thermostat. It se...
When is it worth repairing, and when replacing, a thermostat in a car?
If a thermostat starts playing up, there's no point “rescuing” it – in practice you simply replace it. It's one of those parts where trying to be clever usually ends in a waste of time and money. I...
How do you clean petrol injectors? Proven methods
If your car starts using more fuel, loses its edge, and at idle you get a gentle surging or jerks when you press the throttle, the answer is usually simple: the fuel system is no longer running as ...
Blue smoke from the exhaust – what does it mean, where does it come from and what should you do about it?
Have you noticed bluish smoke rising from the exhaust pipe after starting the car? Or maybe the problem only appears when you accelerate, or disappears after a few minutes of driving? Whenever it h...
