Car Mechanics

Email martyn.knowles@kelsey.co.uk Follow us on Facebook @ Car Mechanics In 2022, Ford decided to stop taking orders for its Mondeo after a run of nearly three decades. The Mondeo name will be lost forever in Europe. So, we thought we’d take on a Mondeo as a project car as we pass 30 years since the first Mk1 models came off the Belgium (Genk) production line. Many of you reading this may possibly have owned/driven a Mondeo over the years – sales were strong and have slowly declined since around 2005, largely thanks to motorist buying habits, as MPVs and SUVs took over (Kuga and others). You’d think it would be easy for me to buy a suitable Mondeo from the auctions, wouldn’t you? But I had a bit of trouble…

Manufacturer-supported remanufactured components have been around since – well, in the UK I can trace activity back to the 1950s! Back then major components like engines and gearboxes often needed rebuilding at 60-70,000 miles, and the engine would almost certainly have needed a ‘decoke’ or top-end overhaul at about 30-40k. To support this, manufacturers provided their own in-house factory reconditioning services. The best-known of these was probably BMC/BL’s ‘Gold Seal’ scheme which provided engines and gearboxes that were rebuilt to totally as-new standard. They also came with the exact-same warranty as brand-new components, albeit that was only a year back then. Another well-known and well-used scheme was the Lucas B90 overhaul process for components such as dynamos/ alternators, starter motors, wiper motors, control boxes and so on. As with schemes…

Follow Rob on Twitter: #CarTechJourno Even the most ardent internal combustion defender cannot deny that burning fuel to power a vehicle is relatively wasteful. Even the latest motorcar diesel engines struggle to achieve a thermal efficiency of over 40%, meaning that comparatively little of the total relinquished energy drives the wheels. Admittedly, not all of this heat is undesirable. Warming shivering occupants is made much easier, with a plentiful supply of heat being made available to the cabin that would have been shed otherwise. Yet, as excessive temperatures will damage the engine severely, the basic cooling system retains the obvious function of transferring and moving heat energy, using a water-based coolant. When CO2 emissions became more prominent, carmakers needed to get their engines up to that most efficient temperature quicker…

Ignoring oil essentials is a slippery slope Wherever possible, financial pressures on households shouldn’t distract from the need to keep on top of essential oil changes and top-ups, according to lubricants trade body, the Verification of Lubricant Specifications. Although many drivers haven’t covered as many miles over the past few years due to the pandemic, the VLS is highlighting how crucial it is that motorists stick to the recommended service intervals to maintain and protect the vehicle. This is especially true as the majority of vehicles are considerably more valuable than the cost of an oil change. “Research from companies like Halfords and BookMyGarage.com shows that up to 40% of motorists feel Powerful anti-theft solution from Launch The X-PROG3 from Launch Tech UK is a powerful reprogramming tool that supports…

VAUXHALL CORSA Wandering steering When I first opened my garage in 1987, the average age of the vehicle I saw was between four to 12-years-old. Newer vehicles went to the main dealer and older vehicles were normally maintained by the owner or just not worth spending money on. Now, the average age still starts at around four-years-old but stretches much further – vehicles at 20-years-old (and over) are not uncommon. This in my mind is far more environmentallyfriendly than throwing away a perfectly good vehicle just because it is not quite as efficient as a newer model. This 2005 Vauxhall Corsa needed a steering rack due to the excessive play – the job time is given as 2.9 hours, but that of course doesn’t allow for the problem bolts that…

How hard can it be to buy one of the UK’s most popular family saloons or hatchbacks? Having decided on a thirdgeneration Ford Mondeo (known to us in the UK as the Mk4) as CM’s next project vehicle, we didn’t anticipate the challenges ahead in buying one. Browsing through online auction sales, there were plenty to choose from, but we were often outbid. For instance, editor Knowles gave up on a 2.2-litre diesel model that had a CAP Clean price of £2075, that ended at £2850 plus fees. He was cautious with a 2011 EcoBoost model that sold for just over £3k, and wondered what bidders were thinking when an early 2014 non-runner had a reserve price of £1000 plus fees. Both of the last two examples were equipped with…