Professional Motor Mechanic

How to tighten manicat bolts

|Date: April 14, 2016

How to tighten manicat bolts

When replacing exhaust manifold cats (this example covers the VW Golf manifold cat), Bosal recommends tig ...

When replacing exhaust manifold cats (this example covers the VW Golf manifold cat), Bosal recommends tightening the bolts sequentially and making sure they’re torqued to the VM specifications. If thi ...

April 14, 2016
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Causes of DPF failure and how to perform a ‘regeneration’

|Date: December 16, 2015

Causes of DPF failure and how to perform a ‘regeneration’

Last year, on my visits to various customers, I made enquiries about the general demand for Diesel Partic ...

Last year, on my visits to various customers, I made enquiries about the general demand for Diesel Particulate Filters. I was staggered at the lack of DPF knowledge, especially the procedure regarding ...

December 16, 2015
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What caused secondary air pump failure?

|Date: November 03, 2015

What caused secondary air pump failure?

There are a number of potential complaints that can arise when you have a secondary air system problem. T ...

There are a number of potential complaints that can arise when you have a secondary air system problem. These include non-starting of the secondary air pump after a cold start; the engine compartment ...

November 03, 2015
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Is the GDi as good as it sounds?

|Date: October 31, 2015

Is the GDi as good as it sounds?

The success of GDi (Gasoline Direct Injection) engines means that they’re seen as potential replacements ...

The success of GDi (Gasoline Direct Injection) engines means that they’re seen as potential replacements for diesel engines in the small car market. But is it too good to be true? Well, it seems that ...

October 31, 2015
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Induction International – Exhaust advice

|Date: October 27, 2015

Induction International – Exhaust advice

If you come across an exhaust that’s rusted together, you need help. Watch this demonstration video on ho ...

If you come across an exhaust that’s rusted together, you need help. Watch this demonstration video on how to separate a corroded exhaust quickly and easily by using the Mini-Ductor® II + induction he ...

October 27, 2015
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How to use a 4 gas analyser to spot potential problems

|Date: June 12, 2015

How to use a 4 gas analyser to spot potential problems

Although the humble 4 gas analyser is seen as an essential tool to carry out an MOT, I’m still surprised ...

Although the humble 4 gas analyser is seen as an essential tool to carry out an MOT, I’m still surprised at how little information is retrieved by the technician after completing an emissions test, to ...

June 12, 2015
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Rusted exhaust removal guide

|Date: June 08, 2015

Rusted exhaust removal guide

If you're looking to remove a rusted and corroded exhaust and replace it with a new one, it can be a time ...

If you're looking to remove a rusted and corroded exhaust and replace it with a new one, it can be a time consuming and frustrating task. The nuts securing the bolts rust easily and the corroded exhau ...

June 08, 2015
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MAF sensors – troubleshooting and fault diagnosis advice

|Date: February 24, 2015

MAF sensors – troubleshooting and fault diagnosis advice

What is a MAF sensor? A Mass Airflow (MAF) sensor, also known as an “air meter,” measures the air coming ...

What is a MAF sensor? A Mass Airflow (MAF) sensor, also known as an “air meter,” measures the air coming into the intake system and transmits this information to the ECM. The ECM utilises the MAF sens ...

February 24, 2015
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Exhaust system failures – bad vibrations?

|Date: July 31, 2014

Exhaust system failures – bad vibrations?

Example 1: Vibration due to old or damaged exhaust rubber supports. A broken exhaust as a result of vibra ...

Example 1: Vibration due to old or damaged exhaust rubber supports. A broken exhaust as a result of vibrations from worn out exhaust rubber supports. ...

July 31, 2014
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How to overcome DPF servicing and repair issues

|Date: July 29, 2014

How to overcome DPF servicing and repair issues

With DPF checks now included in the MOT inspection, complete component removals could result in a failed ...

With DPF checks now included in the MOT inspection, complete component removals could result in a failed test and a subsequent invalid motor insurance claim. European emission legislation is becoming ...

July 29, 2014
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How do Selective Catalytic Reduction systems work?

|Date: July 14, 2014

How do Selective Catalytic Reduction systems work?

Driven by the desire to reduce the amount of harmful emissions being pumped into the atmosphere without c ...

Driven by the desire to reduce the amount of harmful emissions being pumped into the atmosphere without compromising vehicle performance, Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) is the automotive industry ...

July 14, 2014
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How to use the JLM DPF Cleaning Kit – 7 easy steps

|Date: April 14, 2014

How to use the JLM DPF Cleaning Kit – 7 easy steps

Up until now, when presented with a blocked DPF (and diagnostic regenerative intervention has proved unsu ...

Up until now, when presented with a blocked DPF (and diagnostic regenerative intervention has proved unsuccessful) a workshop could offer one of two (legal) recommendations: 1. Replace the DPF with a ...

April 14, 2014
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Spark plugs explored

|Date: April 08, 2014

Spark plugs explored

Engine combustion is a fascinating topic to gain an understanding of, particularly when comparing compres ...

Engine combustion is a fascinating topic to gain an understanding of, particularly when comparing compression and spark ignition. It’s not hard to see the convergence and similarity between gasoline ( ...

April 08, 2014
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How Cataclean can help reduce emissions

|Date: March 26, 2014

How Cataclean can help reduce emissions

There’s lots of reasons that cars fail MOTs, but emissions doesn’t have to be one of them. Here, William ...

There’s lots of reasons that cars fail MOTs, but emissions doesn’t have to be one of them. Here, William Jones, Sales Director at Cataclean, discusses the benefits of taking preventive steps to keep y ...

March 26, 2014
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EGR cleaning – a comprehensive guide

|Date: March 19, 2014

EGR cleaning – a comprehensive guide

Author: Gary Wood, The Diesel Doctor (TerraClean operator) The first thing that you need to understand is ...

Author: Gary Wood, The Diesel Doctor (TerraClean operator) The first thing that you need to understand is that this tool is not just for cleaning the EGR valve, but the whole EGR system instead. The p ...

March 19, 2014
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