Is it time to change the Timing Belt on your car??

Do you know if your vehicle has a Timing Chain or a Timing Belt? Technically, a Timing Chain should last for the life of the engine (although this is not always the case!) However, If your vehicle has a Timing Belt, the manufacturer will advise at what intervals it is due to be changed either in time and / or mileage.
 I have noticed that with some vehicles, at times there appears to be a large difference between the amount of miles that can be covered before changing the Timing Belt and the time intervals. For example if the advice is that the belt should be changed every 4 years or  100,000 miles, it can be confusing for  people who only cover a few miles a year and who may struggle to accept that the belt would need changing after 4 years and only a few miles.It is not easy to tell if a Timing Belt needs changing as it does not necessarily look that much different as it wears, however it is advisable to change the Timing Belt as per the schedule, since the timing belt is made of rubber and perishes over time. This is why there is a suggested time as well as mileage interval.  If neglected, the Timing Belt could break at any time without warning which will result in a catastrophic engine failure.

For those cars where the water pump runs off the Timing Belt, you need to consider whether to change the Water Pump at the same time as the timing belt. One of the reasons for this is due to the fact that if the Water Pump needed to be changed at a later date, the Timing Belt would have to be changed again. In addition, whilst the Timing Belt is being changed, 80-90% of the labour required for changing the Water Pump has already been done which rules out having to pay twice for the labour at different times. 

You should be able to speak to a technician who can help you decide whether to change the Water Pump in your particular vehicle. Car engines are not the same and there may be some specific differences that need to be taken into account.You need to be aware that when the Timing Belt is changed, it is not just the belt that needs to be changed; there are also Tensioners and Guide Pulleys (Please check which items are needed specific to your vehicle). When quoting, we at Lakeside Garage always give a price for a Timing Belt kit which includes the extra items required. We also quote for the Water Pump at the same time so that our customers can decide for themselves.
Remember too that even though replacing the Timing Belt is not cheap, the other alternative would be to have to pay for a new engine which does not even bear thinking about!It is good practice when ringing around to get prices, to make sure that the service advisor is completely clear with you about what you are actually being quoted for as it is possible that you will only be given a price just to change the Timing Belt and nothing else. You will also need to ask exactly what parts are being used as these will also impact on the price you pay.

 Remember cheap parts are unlikely to be warrantied and do not pay in the long run!!

I have tried to give an overall idea in this blog, but if you would like any more specific technical information please do contact us on 01784 482158 or via our website at www.lakesidegarageservices.co.uk and one of our technicians will be happy to speak to you!
 

More Diagnostics explained!

I felt it necessary to write this blog to try to shed a bit more light on Diagnostics and the electrics in our vehicles. From some of the questions we get from our customers about their vehicles, it is apparent that there does seem to be some confusion over how in depth the technology of modern cars has become.

In many circumstances, we can no longer rely on a simple  ‘mechanical fix’ to put the car right, but instead we have to have a good understanding of  the electrical components which are processed by many different electronic  control units (ECU) (basically speaking -  computer systems) that are used to power our modern cars.

There are occasions where the public react to having to pay the price for Diagnostics on their vehicle. It is very possible that this reaction is due to a lack of understanding and of course it is true that garages differ wildly both with  the diagnostic equipment and the experience they offer.

It is really important if you do have an engine management light come on or any kind of electrical fault, that you do a bit of research as to where you take your vehicle. You need to find a garage that does have the equipment to be able to accurately diagnose what is wrong with your car as some garages may only be able to read the codes of the fault and may not then have the ability or knowledge to carry out the appropriate testing to ascertain the exact cause of the fault; The fault code is simply what the System Brain (ECU) thinks is the problem given the information it receives.

It is imperative that technicians are adequately trained to be able to understand and fix the faults. Investing in dealer level equipment is costly as is sending technicians on the appropriate courses to enable them to keep up to date with the ever growing technology found in our modern vehicles nowadays. For this reason, there needs to be a reflection in the price that is charged.

As consumers, we need to consider the value to us in knowing that a garage has the capacity to provide an accurate answer and to be able to rectify the fault (which might cost more initially),  versus the cost. Trying to save money and blindly fit parts in the short term hoping that the fault will be fixed, is always going to be more costly in the long term.

A recent training course run by James Dillon -   Technical Topics revealed some very interesting facts which help to shed a bit more light;

40% of a modern car is now electrical

•         A Dreamliner aircraft has 18 million lines of software coding in its on-board systems – a modern VW Passat has 10 million.

•         We expect and pay for the expertise of qualified people to be available to work on the aircraft we travel in. Nowadays modern cars carry a scary amount of software, yet we are happy to put our own safety and that of those dear to us in the hands of garages where there are unqualified people working on our vehicle - Food for thought!

Large companies allocate a vast amount of money to Research and Development; VW last year spent 11.4 billion dollars on research and development which was more than any other company in any other sector. 4 of the top 10 spenders in Research and Development were vehicle manufacturers. This surely tells us that technology within the motor industry is developing faster than any of us can imagine and with this in mind we need to accept that caring for our vehicle is no longer about a simple mechanical test or even a simple fix as I have alluded to at the beginning of the blog.

Another way of trying to understand the workings of cars these days is to consider that in the past, a Mechanical fault would have relatively small diagnosis time with a much larger fix time.

Nowadays, it is often the opposite with Electrical and Software faults meaning that potentially the hours of diagnosis and testing on various types of equipment need to be accounted for.

It is highly possible that the end fix may in itself be quite quick.

 I have tried to show this visually in the images I have uploaded below although the diagrams are not at all to scale and are just an example.

Hopefully this goes some way to helping those who are interested, gain a  better understanding albeit in simplified manner!

For more information please look at our website: http://www.lakesidegarageservices.co.uk/diagnostic-fault-finding or you can give us a call on 01784 482158 and we will be happy to answer any queries you may have.

Would you want to fork out for a new engine in your car?

The Costly Potential Outcome Of Not Having Your Car Serviced Regularly And Properly.

These images show an engine which has had to be removed to be replaced with a new one. A lengthy and costly job!

The owner was experiencing knocking sounds whilst they were driving and correctly brought the car in to be checked. The car went to a dealer who advised that a complete engine change would be needed due to premature wear in the engine. In the opinion of the dealer, the vehicle had not been serviced regularly according to the manufacturer’s schedule and / or the wrong grade of oil had been used.

The oil had turned ‘glittery’ (Just for our lady readers!) which means that within the engine, the internal components had been rubbing  ‘ metal on metal’  as the oil could not get in between the surfaces to lubricate  The result is that  metal begins to rub away and creates filings within the oil and in turn this leads to excess internal engine wear.

For more information on the importance of changing the oil in your vehicle, click on the link below:   http://www.lakesidegarageservices.co.uk/lakeside-news/why-you-cannot-afford-not-to-have-the-oil-in-your-car-changed-regularly

                                             

We have a poet within the Lakeside Team!

This is a post to offer something light hearted to all our customers which has been provide by our multi-talented new Service Advisor Ashley. He has created a little poem about Lakeside Garage.  A man of many talents!

Here it is:

For all those vehicles we love to hate,

Trouble caused when engines break,

Bright warning signs with nothing amiss,

Remember when motoring was easier than this;

Fully trained and equipped for the future,

Top technicians armed with computers,

Who will take the most pride in your carriage,

Come visit us here at Lakeside Garage!

The Lakeside Garage Team

A rare opportunity to have a photograph of all the men in our team at Lakeside Garage! Unfortunately I had to be behind the camera so no pics of me available!

We are posting this photo to mark a transition for Lakeside Garage. We say ‘goodbye and thank you’ to Darren our Service Manager, who has worked at the garage for 11 years and is now moving on to try his hand at a completely new venture which will be using his artistic talent.

We offer a very warm welcome to Ashley who is replacing Darren. Ashley has previously worked as both a technician and a Service Advisor, so he has a good knowledge base to be able to help with enquiries. Ashley has also admitted to having a talent for writing poems and musical lyrics as well as playing keyboards so we look forward to learning more about it :-)) 
We would also like to welcome our apprentice Tony to the team. He is very keen to learn and will be in the capable hands of our technicians while he develops his practical knowledge. Good luck Tony!

Here's to a great summer with our fantastic team!

When did you last change your pollen filter?

The clocks are going forward this weekend! – yeeeaaaaah! 

It’s Spring and soon it will be Easter – time to finally be able to get outside more!

The only downside of all this mood lifting news is that there could be an increasing number of people who are dreading the spring and summer due to being  prone to allergies and in particular, hay fever. The Allergy season is pretty much upon us and this can cause all sorts of problems for hayfever sufferers from spring right through to the end of summer.

It may sound as if I am heading off in a direction unrelated to cars, but there is a link!!

Due to the change in season, it is now time to think about when you last changed the ‘pollen filter’ or ‘cabin filter’ in your car. I believe it is just as important to change the pollen filter in the car as it is to have your oil filter changed.

This image shows the difference between a new cabin filter and one that is clogged

The cabin filter cleans the incoming air and therefore is able to halt the pollen, dust and other pollutants that would otherwise be drawn into the car through air conditioning and ventilation systems.  For this reason, the filter really does need to be replaced on a regular basis.

As a parent of an asthma / allergy sufferer, I know how important it is to minimise the exposure to pollen and any other aggravators for the sufferer to be able to breathe as freely as possible and be able to minimise the number of episodes they have.

Unfortunately changing the cabin filter is not covered by every service schedule, meaning that it could be an additional cost which varies for each vehicle, however it is not something that will set you back a fortune by any means and could greatly contribute you and your family’s general wellbeing. Lakeside Garage can check the schedule for your particular vehicle to give you the exact requirements for changing your pollen filter.

It goes without saying of course that having the pollen filter in the car does not provide protection other than inside the car!

Here’s to happy allergy free days out as we enjoy the upcoming holiday season!

For those of us that do continue to suffer with Asthma, hayfever or allergies I am highly recommending Silvia Giunta – a Homeopath based in Windsor http://www.silviagiunta.co.uk/ who has helped many people with similar issues.

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VOSA will no longer offer an MOT reminder service from April 1st

How do you manage your MOT reminder?

It has come to our attention that VOSA will be withdrawing their MOT reminder service, so if you have currently been receiving reminders using their service, you will be unable to set new reminders after Tuesday 1^st April.

Are you aware that driving your car without an MOT is illegal. There are no ‘grace’ days once the MOT has expired. Your insurance policy may have terms and conditions regarding road worthiness of a vehicle and it would be advisable to check to see if you would be covered by your policy without a valid MOT.

If you are stopped by the police the following is likely to happen:

• ·        The car will be impounded.
• ·        You will have to pay for the cost of having the vehicle recovered to the pound, then pay to have the car released from the pound, (The cost of which increases on a daily basis)
• ·        You will receive a fixed penalty fine
• ·        You will only be permitted to have your vehicle returned once proof of an MOT appointment can be verified and the vehicle will have to be driven straight to the MOT test centre.

We do not want this to happen to you! Here at Lakeside Garage we send out Free reminders at least a month before your MOT is due; Please note, you can have your vehicle MOT’d up to 30 days before it is due, without it impacting on the due date the following year.

If you wish to receive MOT reminders and live in the Staines, Slough, Windsor, Ashford, Egham, Ascot area we would be more than happy to set these up for you. We also offer a free collection and delivery service so that having your vehicle MOT’d does not impact on your day.

You can  contact us on 01784 482158 or email us at info@lakesidegarageservices.co.uk

You can also follow me on twitter and like us on facebook.

Demystifying vehicle Diagnostics

Universal dashboard lights

Now that we are finally coming out of an incredibly difficult and in some cases devastating start to the New Year with all the rain and flooding, you may find that your car is feeling a bit neglected :-(( 

With this being the first of our blogs from Lakeside Garage, we thought we would concentrate on trying to shed a bit more light on diagnostics for your vehicle and explain what it all means, just in case after all these winter months, you find that your dashboard is ablaze with lights or even if there is just one!

What do you understand a diagnostic check for your car to mean? 

There appears to be some confusion around what a diagnostic check actually means from garage to garage.

A proper diagnostic test  should be an in depth assessment of a fault on your car which involves reading the codes and evaluating them to ascertain exactly what work needs to be carried out.

There are numerous types of diagnostic equipment that garages can invest in, and simply speaking, you get what you pay for. The cheaper equipment is able to provide a fault code, but it is then down to the garage as to whether they have the ability or knowledge to carry out the appropriate testing to advise you of the exact cause of the fault.

To try to explain further, Fault codes are a symptom and not a cause. So, we advise that when considering where to take your car when you see a warning light, it is important to consider what you will actually get for  the price you are quoted.

Many independent garages will have basic equipment and may seem cheaper, but the diagnostics they offer is merely a ‘code read’, which does not address the actual cause. Providing you with a fault code is not what a Diagnostic check should be, the garage should be able to completely assess the fault. If one garage is unable to assess the cause, then you will end up paying again at another garage in order to get an accurate answer and potentially have the work done. No financial saving in the long run!

At times it may feel frustrating to have to pay money just to be given what you may perceive to be a ‘simple’ answer as to why a fault light may be on; here at Lakeside Garage we have invested heavily in Autologic Dealer Level Equipment and our  expert technicians have received specific training run by Master Technicians and specialist Software Engineers. This enables us not only to be confident in using the equipment, but also allows them to be able to accurately assess the cause. This takes time (it is not just a case of plugging a machine into the car and getting an answer!).

The Dealer level software and other test equipment used here at Lakeside Garage, allows a far superior level of access and unlike other diagnostic tools, it enables programming. We have the capacity to carry out tasks such as key programming, software updates, renewing control units and engine re-mapping. Some of these items need to be coded to the vehicle.

We have concentrated on BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Audi, VW, Seat, Skoda and Mini, making us ‘The German Car Specialist’, within the Staines, Heathrow, Windsor, Ashford, Egham, Ascot and Slough area. We also offer diagnostics for other makes and models of vehicle, and would be happy to answer any questions as to the capabilities of the equipment we have.

Here at Lakeside Garage, we are of the opinion that having invested in this equipment, we stand out further from other Independent Garages offering this as one of many valuable services which allows us to specialise without incurring the cost of the dealer.

You can also follow me on twitter and like us on facebook.

As the only female working within a male environment at Lakeside Garage,  my aim is to help bridge the gap of mistrust between the customer and the garage.