Tag: Roadworthiness

Motoring Advice, Parts, Technical

Why Engines Need Antifreeze

Introduction

Antifreeze, also known as coolant, is a vital fluid used in vehicles to regulate engine temperature and prevent freezing or overheating. In this guide, we will explore the purpose, types, properties, and safety considerations of antifreeze.

Purpose of Antifreeze

The primary purpose of antifreeze is to prevent the engine coolant from freezing in cold temperatures and boiling in hot conditions. By maintaining a stable temperature range, it protects the engine from potential damage and ensures optimal performance.

Types of Antifreeze

There are two main types of antifreeze:

  1. Ethylene Glycol-based Antifreeze: This is the traditional and most commonly used type of antifreeze. It provides excellent heat transfer, freeze protection, and corrosion prevention. However, it is toxic and requires careful handling and disposal.
  2. Propylene Glycol-based Antifreeze: This is a less toxic alternative to ethylene glycol-based antifreeze. It is commonly used in applications where environmental safety is a concern, such as in food processing or recreational vehicles.

Organic Acid Technology (OAT)

Organic acid technology (OAT) is a type of antifreeze that typically uses organic acids, such as sebacic acid or adipic acid, as the primary corrosion inhibitors. OAT antifreeze is generally long-lasting and designed for use in modern engines that contain aluminum components. OAT antifreeze is typically used in newer vehicles as it is free from silicates and phosphates, which can be abrasive and damaging to some types of engines. Despite its effectiveness, OAT antifreeze should not be mixed with other types of antifreeze, and it’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use and disposal.

Antifreeze Properties

Antifreeze possesses several essential properties:

  • Freezing Point Suppression: Antifreeze lowers the freezing point of water, preventing coolant from solidifying in cold weather.
  • Boiling Point Elevation: Antifreeze raises the boiling point of coolant, allowing it to withstand high temperatures without vaporizing.
  • Corrosion Protection: Antifreeze contains additives that protect the engine’s metal components from corrosion and rust.
  • Heat Transfer: Antifreeze facilitates efficient heat transfer from the engine to the radiator, preventing overheating.
  • pH Balance: Antifreeze maintains the optimal pH level to prevent the formation of deposits or scale inside the cooling system.

Antifreeze Safety Considerations

While antifreeze is essential for the proper functioning of a vehicle, it is crucial to handle and dispose of it safely:

  • Toxicity: Ethylene glycol-based antifreeze is highly toxic and can be harmful if ingested or inhaled. Keep it away from children and pets, and use protective gloves when handling.
  • Disposal: Dispose of used antifreeze according to local regulations. Many automotive shops or waste management facilities accept used antifreeze for safe disposal or recycling.
  • Leaks: Check your vehicle regularly for any antifreeze leaks. If you notice a leak, address it promptly to prevent environmental contamination and potential engine damage.

Conclusion

Antifreeze is a vital component in maintaining the proper functioning and longevity of a vehicle’s engine. Understanding its purpose, types, properties, and safety considerations is crucial for vehicle owners and enthusiasts. By following safety guidelines and performing regular maintenance, you can ensure optimal performance and reliability of your vehicle.

MOT Testing, Motoring Advice, Other News, Parts, Technical, Vehicle Defects

Diesel Particulate Filters

Peugeot Citroen diesel particulate filter

A diesel particulate filter (DPF) is a device designed to remove diesel particulate matter (PM) or soot from the exhaust gas of a diesel engine. The DPF captures and stores the particulate matter and then uses heat to burn off the accumulated PM, preventing it from being released into the atmosphere. It is an important component of the emissions control system of diesel engines, as it helps to reduce the harmful effects of diesel emissions on both human health and the environment.

A diesel particulate filter regenerates through a process called “passive” or “active” regeneration. In passive regeneration, the high exhaust temperatures generated during normal driving are used to burn off the accumulated particulate matter. However, if the vehicle is not driven at high enough speeds or for long enough distances, this process may not occur, leading to clogging of the filter. In active regeneration, the engine management system injects additional fuel into the engine to increase exhaust temperatures and initiate regeneration. Some vehicles also use a catalyst coating on the DPF to assist with the regeneration process.

It is important to note that if the regeneration process is not completed successfully, it may result in costly repairs or replacement of the filter. Other potential causes of DPF failure include faulty engine sensors or injectors, poor fuel quality, or malfunctioning EGR valves. Therefore, regular maintenance and proper use of the vehicle can help avoid DPF issues.

MOT Testing, Vehicle Defects

Changes to MOT rules regarding headlamp conversions

Section 4.1.4 of the current MOT inspection manuals for both motorcycles and cars and passenger vehicles states ‘Existing halogen headlamp units should not be converted to be used with high intensity discharge (HID) or light emitting diode (LED) bulbs. If such a conversion has been done, you must fail the headlamp.’

Class 3, 4, 5 and 7 vehicles
For class 3, 4, 5 and 7 vehicles, the defect ‘Light source and lamp not compatible’ only applies to vehicles first used on or after 1 April 1986.

Should a vehicle be presented for an MOT test with conversions before 1 April 1986 they must not be failed with immediate effect.

Vehicles presented with converted halogen headlamp units first used on or after 1 April 1986 will continue to be failed.

Headlamps must comply with all other requirements of the test and headlamp aim.

Source: MOT special notice 01-21: headlamp conversions – GOV.UK

Motoring Advice

Expert advice: prepare your car for cold weather this winter

Give your battery some TLC, and it’ll pay you back in spades (Picture iStock/JoeBelanger) Updated 02 December Winter is well and truly here, so now’s the time to prepare your car for cold weather. And after facing another lockdown, your car probably needs some attention more than ever. If you can, the best way to […]

Expert advice: prepare your car for cold weather this winter
MOT Testing

DVSA issues clarification on MOT exemptions — Garagewire

Vehicles exempt from MOTs which are presented for testing and fail to achieve a pass must no longer be driven on public roads, a DVSA notification has confirmed.

From today (27 May 2020) test certificates will remind drivers that if a vehicle fails its MOT, the six-month MOT exemption is no longer valid.

The test expiry date, which will be updated the following day, will revert to the fail date.

Read more:
DVSA issues clarification on MOT exemptions — Garagewire

MOT Testing

Coronavirus MOT Updates

Car, van and motorcycle MOT expiry dates will be extended by 6 months if it’s due on or after 30 March 2020 – but you must keep your vehicle safe to drive.

  1. Eligibility
  2. First MOT Due
  3. How the 6-month Extension Works
  4. If you take your vehicle for its MOT and it fails

The government announced back in March that MOTs due to expire after the 30th March 2020 will be extended by six months. Since then there has been little demand from the public for MOT tests and as a result most MOT Stations and repair workshops have temporarily closed.

I have been in constant contact with the MOT Station I use for my customer’s MOT tests and I’m now pleased to announce that they have reopened but with reduce staffing and reduced operating hours. This means I can now take bookings for MOT tests when they fall due.

New guidance issued by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency on May 27th 2020 clarifies the rules regarding vehicles which fail the MOT test. This will have implications for my customers as their vehicle will be unusable until a repair and retest have been carried out.

I will keep this page updated with any changes or new information as an when it released.

A brief outline of these changes is detailed below. You can read the full guidance here.

1. Eligibility

Your MOT certificate will be extended by 6 months if it was due to expire on or after 30 March 2020 and your vehicle is a:

2. First MOT due

The extension also applies to these types of vehicles that are due their first MOT test on or after 30 March 2020.

3. How the 6-month extension works

Your vehicle’s MOT expiry date will be automatically extended by 6 months if it’s eligible. This will be done about 7 days before it’s due to expire.

This means that:

  • your vehicle will still have a valid MOT certificate for an extra 6 months
  • you can still tax your vehicle – you might need to wait to do this until later in the month if both your MOT and vehicle tax run out this month
  • your insurance will still be valid
  • your vehicle’s record will be updated so the police can see you have a valid MOT

You will not get a new paper MOT certificate with the new expiry date on it.

You must still keep your vehicle safe to drive.

Example

Your vehicle’s MOT was due to expire on 3 May 2020.

This will automatically be extended to 3 November 2020. You will need to get your MOT by this date.

4. If you take your vehicle for its MOT and it fails

Your MOT extension will no longer apply if you take your vehicle for its MOT and it fails.

Your vehicle will need to be fixed and pass its MOT before you can use it again.

Example

Your vehicle’s MOT was originally due to expire on 3 May 2020, but has been extended to 3 November 2020.

You take your vehicle for its MOT in August and it fails. You must stop using the vehicle until it’s fixed and passes another MOT test.

check mot expiry date
Gov.uk mot guidance

Our Safe Workshop Practice Charter

  • We try to minimise contact with customers and suppliers.
    • The workshop is closed to visitors and all work is carried out by appointment only.
    • Initial customer contact is by telephone, email or social media messaging only.
    • Drop-off and pick-up times will be staggered to ensure there is only one customer present at the workshop at any time.
    • We are not providing a while-you-wait service and there will be no waiting at or in the vicinity of the workshop.
  • We keep customers safe by using new disposable seat covers, floor mats and gloves for every job.
  • We will turn off vehicle Air Con/Climate Control to avoid spreading germs.
  • We wipe down all vehicle contact points as we work with Smartsan-V (passes BS EN1276:1997 & BS EN 1650:1998 disinfection standards), a non-staining broad spectrum sanitiser that is effective against a wide range of pathogenic virus, bacteria, yeast and fungi. A sanitation checklist will be left in all vehicles after the final treatment.
  • Items in the workshop which come into contact with customers such as the card machine will be sanitised after each use with Smartsan-V.
  • Our workshop follows all current government social distancing guidelines.
    • New signage and barriers have been installed at the workshop complying with the government’s latest ‘COVID-19 Secure‘ guidelines.
    • A clear plastic cough/sneeze guard is now installed at the reception counter.
    • Alcohol-based hand sanitiser gel (≥70% alcohol content, passes BS EN 1276 & BS EN 1500 disinfection standards) is available on the reception counter. I would ask all visitors to use it on arrival at reception and before they leave.
  • We respect high risk customers by maintaining an external drop-off and collection point.
    • When necessary and for high-risk customers we will increase our level of personal protective equipment (PPE) to include a 3M FFP3 respirator and disposable nitrile examination gloves.
  • We will offer you value-added services; e.g. Air Con disinfection, cabin filter replacement (HEPA) etc. for your added protection.
  • To keep your vehicle legally roadworthy we will carry out a free visual safety check of the following:
    • Brake Discs
    • Brake Pads
    • Horn
    • Lights
    • Wipers & Washers
    • Tyres
    • MOT Due Date
  • We will notify you of any defects found during this check.
  • We will ensure all contact points and keys are wiped down before collection.
MOT Testing, New Equipment, Vehicle Defects

TPMS Diagnostic Health Check

Tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) have been fitted to cars for many years but recently TPMS has become mandatory for all new vehicles and has become a testable item for the annual MOT inspection.

Two main technologies exist; indirect and direct TPMS. Indirect systems detect wheel speed rotation differences resulting from a deflated tyre by using inputs from the ABS wheel speed sensors. This technology was unreliable and could not detect tyre deflation in more than one wheel. All modern vehicles are fitted with direct TPMS which includes a pressure sensor in each wheel which transmits readings to a control unit using radio signals. The driver’s information display can then, in most cases display the tyre pressures for each wheel and warn the driver if a tyre suffers an unexpected pressure loss.

Like with all complex electronic systems, faults can occur with TPMS components resulting in the TPMS warning lamp illuminating. We have designed our TPMS Diagnostic Health Check to help identify the most common causes of unexplained TPMS warnings both quickly and cost effectively.

Our TPMS Diagnostic Health Check uses the latest dedicated TPMS diagnostic equipment and covers the following tests:

  • Checking and adjusting the tyre pressures in accordance with the tyre pressure placard.
  • Carrying out a scan of all TPMS sensors to check they are responding and reporting the correct tyre pressure.
  • Checking the sensor battery level*.
  • Carrying out a TPMS module fault code scan.
  • Carrying out a TPMS sensor ID comparison with the TPMS module*.
  • Carry out a TPMS sensor relearn procedure if required*.

* When vehicle is equipped with this function.

Our TPMS Diagnostic Health Check is suitable for vehicles equipped with direct TPMS. We can also carry out diagnostic work on indirect TPMS systems, please contact us for details. Further chargeable diagnostic and/or mechanical work may be required to resolve some TPMS faults.