Audi’s little S1 Quattro rocket ship has had a few problems when it comes to its cooling system, this water pump – thermostat housing has had seven re-designs since its original design due to failing water pumps and leaking joints.
Water pump – thermostat housing buried under everything!
To replace the water pump – thermostat housing on the Audi S1 Quattro is a fairly big job, we have to:
Drain the cooling system
Disconnect fuel lines and cooling hoses
Remove inlet manifold stabiliser bars
Remove the complete inlet manifold
Unbolt water pump drive cover
Remove the water pump and housing
Clean all surface faces and hose joints
Rebuild using genuine parts and all new seals
Refill with anti freeze and bleed cooling system
Road test and re-check
The leaking housing.
The water pump is driven off a small drive belt running from an internal engine shaft and should be replaced along with the water pump – thermostat housing.
New pump fitted, just got to rebuild now!
Once all the work was carried out and all final tests done the car was handed back to a very happy customer.
This little Citroen DS3 came into us to have a look at due to the engine cooling fan running at full speed.
Firstly we carried out a Diagnostic Code Read on the vehicle, this didn’t help as it had no codes for anything let alone for the cooling fan fault!
Secondly through our Diagnostic Scanner we can operate certain modules on the engine to help us fault find, one of the modules is the high and low speed cooling fans.
When we operated the cooling fans only the high speed fan would work, this gave us a place to start, we removed the cooling fan control module to find that the resistor for the low speed fan had burnt out and required replacing.
When we rang the dealer they had six on the shelf! Always a good sign as common problem parts are always well stocked at dealerships.
Heater resistor / module
Once we had replaced the cooling fan control module (resistor) we carried out another module test using our Diagnostic Scanner and it worked perfectly on low speed and high speed.
After a quick road test to make sure the fans worked with the air conditioning and when the DS3 was up to temperature it was time to hand it back to a very happy customer.
The Renault TWIZY is a 100% electric vehicle, consisting of a battery power source, electric motor and gearbox. It is an urban electric two-seater that is super fun to drive on warm sunny days.
This particular TWIZY came in for a few service items to be carried out to keep it in tiptop condition ready for our UK summer.
First job was the ‘Gearbox oil change’ but as the TWIZY is to small to fit on our ramps we had to carry this out on the floor using jacks and axel stands.
The Renault TWIZY’s gear box can get noisy over time due to the additives in the oil failing due to age and heat so it is advised as a service item to have it changed.
The little Renault TWIZY getting a gear oil change.
Once the TWIZY is safely up on the axel stands remove the under tray which will allow you ta see the gearbox.
Remove the 6mm allen key drain bung from the bottom of the gearbox and allow the oil to drain into a catch bowl, the drain bung has a small magnet on it which is designed to catch any small metallic filings from inside the gearbox, make sure you check for this and clean it before replacement.
Once the oil has completely drained refit the drain bung making sure to use a new sealing washer.
To refill the gearbox remove the 6mm allen key fill bung located above the drain bung (looks more like a bolt).
Fill the gearbox using either a fluid pump or gravity bottle, as the fill hole is very small it can take a while to get the oil in.
Refit the under tray, remove axel stands and carry out a road test.
Brake Fluid Change.
The second job on this little TWIZY was to carry out a full brake fluid flush, which consists of sucking the brake fluid through all four brake callipers until all the old fluid in the system is replaced with new fluid.
The reason for brake fluid changes is that brake fluid has hygroscopic properties which basically means it absorbs moisture from the air.
Brake fluid can reach some very high temperatures under heavy braking but it has a boiling point of around 250 degrees Celsius. As the Brake fluid starts to absorb moisture from the air this boiling point starts to get lower until eventually it becomes so low that even under normal braking the fluid will start to boil and cause brake fade.
This being said a lot of garages use ‘Brake Fluid Changes’ as a regular add on to a Service. We however carry out a moisture content test as part of our Service and only replace it when it is required, unless it is stated for warranty purposes of course.
This was our first week back to work after having to close the business and furlough all the staff on the 31st March due to the Corona Virus and what a crazy week it has been.
In the middle of May I made the decision to re-open the garage on the 1st June and put this information on our website and social media platforms.
My initial plan was to only bring out a couple of members of the team from furlough until we had enough work to get everyone back at full pace.
The general response from our customers was amazing, we managed to fully book the first week of June within a couple of days by just using social media and e-mail, at this point I decided we would need the whole team back at work to cope with this work load so we started back on the 1st at 100%.
This was slightly worrying as in the back of my mind I thought we may just be busy for one week and then it would go quiet again and I would have to start furloughing staff again which I really didn’t want to do, how wrong was I.
A few jobs from this week.
Monday 1st June was our first day back and by the end of the day we had almost fully booked the following week! Once our customers had realised we were back they were booking in thick and fast, a few customers had been to other garages whilst we had been closed due to necessary repairs or break downs but then rebooked with us and wanted the work checking as they trusted our opinion implicitly.
I hope all businesses manage to return in the same way we have and start to get back to some kind of normality and hopefully get the economy rolling so we can start enjoying life again once this is all over
I would like to say a massive thank you to all of our customers new and old for sticking with us through these very hard and testing times, without whom this Covid19 pandemic may of finished Aarons Autos.
We hope everyone is taking care and doing their best in this strange and worrying time. Trying to fight this Corona Virus is a bigger job than most of us initially thought but we do seem to be getting there and some of those business’s that were affected by Covid19 are starting to re-open.
Aarons Autos will be re-opening its doors as of the 1st June 2020 and once again be offering its excellent ‘Services’ to the general public and local business’s.
We are putting several measures in place to keep our customers and staff safe from the Corona Virus;
We are fitting a Perspex screen across the whole office counter which will have a small cut out for customers to pass keys through and for them to make payments (card payments are preferred but we will accept cash)
We will be enforcing a one customer in reception at a time rule and customers will not be able to wait in the reception area whilst large repairs are being carried out.
All customers vehicles will be wiped down with anti bacterial wipes pre and post work being carried out, technicians will wear gloves whenever possible.
We will be supplying small hand sanitiser bottles for customers and technicians to use after any transactions.
We ask that customers will leave out their ‘Locking Wheel Nut Keys‘ and ‘Service Books‘ where required so we do not have to search around the car trying to find them (reducing contact inside the car).
If you have any other worries or queries please don’t hesitate to contact us.
MOT’s have been extended, but we are urging customers to have their MOT’s carried out as soon as they possibly can (or feel safe enough to do so).
There are several reasons we are suggesting getting your MOT done sooner rather than later;
18 months is a long time for your car to go un-checked, if you had not had your car Serviced just before the ‘Lock Down’ and your MOT was due how do you know if your tyres, brakes or suspension are safe!
Garages are going to be inundated with MOT’s that are actually due on the date you want yours doing (12 month MOT’s) so imagine the difficulty for the garage to deal with double the amount of MOT’s, this is why we suggest contacting us early so we can spread out the work load.
Think of your local Garage. If NO MOT’s are carried out in April or May what will happen next year? Garages will have less work in those months and possibly struggle.
If you would like to book in for the first week of June please contact us by email info@aaronsautos.co.uk or our Facebook page ‘Aarons Autos Derby Ltd‘ if you would like to contact us after the 1st June just call us as normal between 8.30 – 5.00 and we will be happy to help.
Unfortunately as of the 1st April 2020 we will be closing our doors to the general public due to the Corona Virus (Covid-19) outbreak but will still be offering emergency work for all ‘Key Workers’ so if you are a ‘Key Worker’ and have an issue with your car which is affecting you working or getting to work please contact me directly by email at aaron@aaronsautos.co.uk or through our Facebook page messaging service and I will endeavour to do my best to help.
As for the governments six month extension on MOTs please keep in mind that in six months time when you need an MOT garage’s will already be dealing with MOTs that are due at that point so we are advising customers not to wait the full six months but to plan on getting their’s done as soon as we are out of this lock down, giving garages time to deal with the back log.
18 months from your last MOT is a long time, consider the condition of your car, is it road worthy? Is it safe? When was it last Serviced? The police are checking cars regularly and if your car is found to have any serious defects they are seizing your car!
As a Garage we are allowed to work through the lock down but are choosing to close due to the lack of work at this strange and worrying time, but if you wish to email or Facebook message me through Aaron’s Autos with your details I can get in touch with you the week before we come out of lock down to book in your MOT or any other work required so as to limit any disruption to YOU getting back to work.
Please remember to stay safe and do as much as you can to limit the spread of this Corona Virus (Covid-19). We will get through this.
During the strange and worrying time of the Corona Virus it is not only ourselves and our loved ones that we need to consider but also our cars and vans.
Leaving vehicles standing for long periods of time is not good for them, doing just a couple of simple things once or twice a week will help keep your car or van fit and healthy so that when you do need to use it it will be ready and not let you down.
Firstly, start the car or van and allow the engine to run until it starts blowing warm air from the heaters inside the car (make sure to turn the temp to hot so you know when this happens) this will allow the alternator to put charge into the battery and help keep it healthy. This will take around five to ten minutes.
Secondly, when your car or van has warmed up sufficiently, release the hand brake and roll the vehicle backwards and forwards gently applying the brakes to slow you in each direction. This will stop your brakes from seizing on and also move the weight around the wheels reducing the chance of deforming the tyre carcass whilst it is being left standing.
Also it would be beneficial to visually check the tyre pressures by making sure they all look similar, if one looks flatter at the bottom than the others you may need to physically check the pressures with a gauge.
If you are feeling really brave you could check your under bonnet levels such as Oil, Coolant and Screen Wash, but only do this if you feel confident.
For any more information or if you find a problem feel free to contact us on 01332 205070 or by email on info@aaronsautos.co.uk or through our Facebook page.
Aarons Autos will still be open for business over this strange and worrying time and we are doing our very best to make sure when you visit the garage that we limit contact between ourselves and customers.
We are regularly cleaning the office work top, door handles and card machine to limit the chance of spreading this Corona virus and are advising customers to leave their cars with us rather than waiting.
Our technicians are using latex gloves where possible when driving customers cars to reduce contact between steering wheels and gear sticks.
We are offering a collection and delivery service to our elderly and high risk customers where they can leave their car keys in a pre arranged place (that they can see from inside their house) and making payment over the phone allowing us to collect and return cars with zero contact with the customer.
One of the main reasons we are staying open and not taking advantage of the Governments generous offer to pay 80% of our wages is for you, our customers. A lot of our customers are elderly, work for the NHS or other first line services and we understand the importance of having their cars safe and legal to enable them to carry on working and help us beat this Corona virus.
If you have any worries about your booking please do not hesitate to give us a call.
We had a Mini cooper S come into us with several fault codes in its ECU (engine control module) relating to different faults and had no boost pressure until high revs when being driven.
Once we had cleared the codes and ran the car up to read some live data it was quite puzzling! we were still getting codes relating to boost pressure control, yet everything we checked seemed to be working as it should.
We checked boost pressure sensors, MAP sensors, MAF sensors, turbo actuator, boost pipes but we couldn’t find a fault with anything. After spending couple of hours checking all these items we decided we needed to check the timing of the engine which meant removing the rocker cover to allow access to the camshafts.
Once we removed the rocker cover we noticed something strange, the top timing chain guide was missing! the mounting bracket was still in place but the guide itself was missing.
Chain Guide Broken Away From Bracket.
On further inspection we noticed that the missing guide had broken off and dropped down in-between the timing chain cover and engine. we removed the broken guide and carried on with checking the engine timing.
When we fitted the engine timing tools we could see that the inlet camshaft was at least one tooth out of alignment. As we started to strip the engine to remove the timing chain and guides we noticed that as the top guide had been rattling around inside the timing chain cover it had caused damage to the other guides!
We removed the sump to check for any other debris from the damaged guides and found quite a few bits, one in particular had managed to wedge itself inside the oil pick up, luckily the gauze filter had stopped it being picked up and thrown around the internals of the engine.
Debis In The Oil Pick Up.
After removing all the debris we fitted a new timing chain kit including new guides and a new tensioner, rebuilt the engine using new gaskets and seals where required and making sure that the engine timing was now correct.
Now that the engine was ready for testing we made sure all codes were cleared from the ECU and started the engine, so far so good, no codes had returned and the engine sounded a lot smoother.
Time for a road test to see if we had cured the boosting problem, the car drove faultlessly and had full boost from the off.
This just goes to show that you can’t rely on fault codes alone, the codes in this car had us chasing our tale for while until we decided to go back to the start and check basics.
What we presume had happened in this case is that the chain guide had broken dropping on top of the crank gear and jamming it enough to allow the chain to jump a tooth which in turn meant the engine timing was out causing our running fault.
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