• Home
  • Blog
  • Free, Independent Advice From the Experts

Free, Independent Advice From the Experts

Expert Advice from a Motorcheck Main Dealer Mechanic
Posted by Shane Teskey on 12 May 2010 in Ask the Experts

I’m delighted to welcome Ireland’s new free and independent advice service Completecar.ie as a new contributor to our blog here at Motorcheck.ie.

Both Paddy and Shane have an impressive track record in motoring journalism and have graciously agreed to answer any technical questions our Motorcheck visitors may have on a new or used car.

If you have a question, just leave a comment below where Paddy or Shane will pick it up.

How To Ask for Free Expert Advice

  1. Ask your question using the comment form below.
  2. Make sure that the option “Let me know when someone replies to my comment” is checked so that the expert response is emailed to you;
  3. Enjoy your free expert advice!

About the Panel:

Shane O’Donoghue

Shane O'Donoghue

Shane O'Donoghue

Shane has a PhD. in automotive engineering and began his motoring life working as an engineer in the UK.

He soon realised that he preferred driving and writing about cars to developing them in the first place and hence started the Car Enthusiast Editorial Agency in 1999.

Shane moved home to Ireland in 2006 and continues to manage the company while writing for The Irish Times and other global publications.

Paddy Comyn

Paddy Comyn

Paddy Comyn

Paddy has been writing about cars at the top level in Ireland for over 10 years and in that time has been editor of New Car Magazine, has written columns for the Sunday Tribune and more recently has been a regular contributor to The Irish Times where he has written extensively on all motoring matters.

Highly respected within the motor industry in Ireland, he is frequently asked to comment on motoring matters for radio and television stations such as RTE Radio One, Today FM and TV3.

Other Posts we've Written on This Topic

  1. Motorcheck Mechanics – Free Expert Advice From Ireland's Leading Motor Mechanics

    Motorcheck is delighted to introduce our panel of 'Motorcheck Mechanics'. The panel includes a selection...

  2. Motoring Show Revs up on TV3

    The Irish Motoring Show Xccelerate gets into gear for its third series and Motorcheck is...

  3. Motorcheck Meets – Bob Flavin, Smokerspack.com

    In this video blog, Motorcheck sits down with Bob Flavin, the man behind Irish motoring...

  4. First Free Topaz Gift Cards Sent

    It's been a busy week stuffing envelopes with free gift cars from Topaz and I'm...

50 comments so far

Reply
Derek
May 19, 2010 at 1:45 pm #

Hi Motorcheck, I have an Opel Vivaro that won’t start without spraying easy start into air duct. I have changed crank sensor and injectors plus pump but no joy. Any ideas?

Reply
edel
May 27, 2010 at 10:23 am #

Hi, I’m buying a new car at home in North of Ireland and might be moving to the south of Ireland in a year or two. I’m from Northern Ireland and have lived there all my life. Do I still have 2 pay VRT?

Reply
Shane Teskey
May 27, 2010 at 8:47 pm #

Hi Edel,

You should be able to claim an exemption from VRT if you are transferring your place of residence. In terms of requirements around the vehicle the following apply but you can see all the conditions here (be warned – there are plenty!).

The following requirements apply to the vehicle:

It must be your personal property

It must have been acquired with all the appropriate local taxes paid and these must not have been exempted, or refunded in any way. (There are certain exceptions in the case of diplomats and members of international organisations recognised by the Department of Foreign Affairs. Details are outlined in a separate leaflet available at any Vehicle Registration Office (VRO).

You must have had possession of and have actually used the vehicle outside the State for at least 6 months before your transfer to Ireland. In the case of relief from import charges, you must have used the vehicle at your former normal place of residence. Any possession and use in the State, even during times when you were living abroad, does not count.

You must bring the vehicle into the State within 12 months of the date of your transfer of residence.

Reply
Noel
May 31, 2010 at 2:20 pm #

Hi Guys,

I have a 03 Mondeo Auto and I’m having awful trouble with vibrations coming up through the brake peddle when I push on it. The car is losing pressure up and down. Feels like worn in pads growling noise.
Pads Disks and servo changed no joy….!
What do you think it could be….?
Any help would be great thanks…
Noel.

Reply
Shane O'Donoghue
May 31, 2010 at 2:22 pm #

Hi Noel,

The vibrations you describe sound very much like a warped brake disc. Have you had the front discs changed? It’s more likely to be them than the rears.

Make sure you get rid of the vibration before trying to find the source of the loss of pressure, as they could be related. If new discs eradicate the vibration and you still have a pressure problem it’s worth looking at changing the master cylinder. Though perhaps first of all make sure that all air is removed from the brake system.

I hope that helps.

Reply
John Ladly
May 31, 2010 at 3:09 pm #

Hi Guys,

Please can you help me? I have just bought a Ford Focus1.8 TDCI Titanium on a 57 plate. It had done 64,000 miles in its first two years and them only 5,000 this year and has been left standing for a while.

The problem I have is that the engine management light is on the code it’s showing is P2263. The car drives great with no loss of power or excessive smoke from the exhaust. I am getting 42 mpg around town. I have taken it to a dealer and he told me its anything from the the turbo to the egr valve.

Thanks in advance John

Reply
Shane O'Donoghue
May 31, 2010 at 3:11 pm #

I’m a little surprised your dealer can’t give you a better answer than that, but anyway…

This is not an unusual error code for diesel Fords and the answer you were given is probably along the right lines.

Seeing as you’re not suffering performance loss I’d suspect that the EGR valve is clogged up with carbon deposits rather than the turbo giving trouble.

Get it removed and cleaned up before you invest in replacing anything.

Hope that helps.

Reply
Aisling
June 8, 2010 at 12:46 pm #

Hi. I had my car NCT tested over the weekend. During the rolling road test the tester broke the handbrake. He told us to take it back to the garage where we had the pre-NCT service done last week to repair it and then to bring it back to the NCT centre to be checked before they will pass it.

I brought it back to the garage this morning and the mechanic said he adjusted the handbrake during the service and it was perfect so he will be charging us to fix it as the NCT tester broke it on the rolling road. Do we have comeback to ask the NCT centre to pay for the repairs and how can we prove it was their negligence that broke it?

Reply
Shane O'Donoghue
June 11, 2010 at 12:32 pm #

This is a technical answer, not a legal one!

I really don’t think that there is anything the NCT tester could have done to break the handbrake. It depends what you mean by broken of course, but I’m assuming that the cable under the car snapped or came off? If so, then it most likely was on the point of breaking anyway and it was nobody’s fault.

If you’re in any doubt, bring the car to an independent assessor for a report.

Reply
natalie
June 11, 2010 at 10:11 am #

Hi,
I am looking at purchasing an Irish Registered 08 BMW and did a check on it on your website. I received the report and It states that the car was registered in the UK first and it gives me the reg number but when I go to do a check on the UK reg number it says the number is incorrect.

Is there an explanation for this??

Thanks.

Reply
Shane Teskey
June 11, 2010 at 11:15 am #

Hi Natalie,

Thanks for your question. This puzzled us at first until we compared the vehicle by VIN number. Turns out it’s been registered in Ireland with an incorrect UK reg. The previous reg should be: KHZ5262 rather then: KNNZ5262. We’ve updated your report now.

Reply
Arnel Angustia
June 25, 2010 at 1:10 pm #

Hi, I have toyota yaris 2000. It’s been with me for 6 years. It was always serviced in a toyota garage every 2 years (last done 2008).

I had it serviced recently in a local service station and now it has started to jerk when it’s stopped as if the engine is about to cut out. It wasn’t like that before – ever! Also they were supposed to check everything for the NCT but it failed because the wheel alignment in front was out.

After a week the malfunction indicator lamp light turned on. I was thinking the engine doesn’t look the same but i’m not sure. Have you encountered someone changing the original engine to a faulty one? I was thinking of bringing it to a toyota garage and having it checked out. Perhaps ask them if some of the original parts were changed?

Any advice would be most welcome.

Reply
Shane O'Donoghue
June 25, 2010 at 1:11 pm #

Hi Arnel,

First up, it’s highly highly unlikely that any garage would replace an engine with a faulty one! It’s quite a big job and I can’t see how it would be worth their time and effort.

The symptoms you describe sound a little like the car’s engine could be mis-firing. If the spark plugs were changed during the service, one of them, the plug leads or the ignition coil could have a problem. It’s probably not a major thing to fix.

Did you bring the car back to the garage when you realised it wasn’t running properly? That should have been your first move.

With regards to the wheel alignment, I don’t think many regular garages would check that in a service unless you specifically ask them to, as it should cost you more to do.

Hope that helps.

Reply
Subrina
June 25, 2010 at 1:15 pm #

Hi, I have an opel astra 2002 1.4L and I’ve just found out that the ignition needs to be replaced. I was told it will be expensive as the ctu thingy will need to be done as well as the ignition barrell as the clips inside the ignition are broken?

The mechanic didn’t look too sure and now I’m not sure as he said I could get the parts from opel as they need to be coded…

Any idea in english what he means about it all?
Thanks.

Reply
Shane O'Donoghue
June 25, 2010 at 1:16 pm #

Hi Subrina,

You’ve not told us why the ignition has to be replaced but I’m guessing it was tampered with in some way. That would explain potentially broken clips that your mechanic mentioned.

Unfortunately the ignition is not something that can be bought cheaply as it is specific to your car. Hence Opel will need to know the full details. Also, it sounds like the immobiliser was damaged and that could be addings to the expense.

Hope that helps.

Shane

Reply
Ryan
June 29, 2010 at 5:28 pm #

I have an 02 Opel Corsa, the problem that i have is that, when it rains, water seems to build up in the carpet of the drivers footwell, there is no leak visable from what i can see. This problem started to occur after i had my windscreen replaced. Any ideas as to what it could be and is it worth my while getting it seen to?

Reply
Shane O'Donoghue
July 19, 2010 at 5:46 pm #

You really have to go back to the people that replaced your windscreen and have them sort this out. It’s too much of a coincidence.

Reply
Shane Teskey
July 19, 2010 at 5:48 pm #

It’s also worth pointing out that a poorly fitted windscreen can be a serious safety hazard. We’ve touched on this before on the blog at http://www.motorcheck.ie/blog/autoglass-irish-finals-take-place-today/

Reply
Garrie
July 5, 2010 at 6:20 pm #

Hi, I have been asked by my insurance company to get an independent Engineer to give my car a certificate of road worthiness as they have deemed it as been beyond economical repair.

The front of the vehicle has only got a few dents with some paint work needed ( which it says on the report)….Who can I call that is able to do this for me?

I got a quote for €330 but this seems to me to be a lot as there is nothing else wrong with the vehicle and nothing else needs to be looked at.

All help would be greatly appreciated.

Reply
Shane Teskey
July 5, 2010 at 7:31 pm #

Hi Garrie,

Thanks for getting in touch. Without having any details on your car (age / mileage) it’s difficult for me to comment on the damage caused and why the insurance company may have declared it to be a write off.

It looks as if the cost of repair through the insurance companies approved repair network must have come close to or exceeded the pre-accident value (PAV) of the car. I assume you’re having it repaired yourself and reinsuring it with the same company that wrote it off? That would explain the requirement for an engineers certificate.

Assess Ireland have a variety of services for private consumers like yourself. You can find out more by visiting their website at http://assessireland.com/service_list.html. Just mention Motorcheck when you call for a quotation. They’re old friends!

Best of luck!
Shane.

Reply
elizabeth duggan
July 14, 2010 at 7:39 am #

My car is 01, Will I get a scrappage deal in December? It passed its NCT and I have been driving it for the past four years.

I have a problem with something running down the battery. I have brought it to about 6 different garages and cannot find the fault!

Reply
Shane O' Donoghue
July 19, 2010 at 5:41 pm #

Hi Elizabeth,

We have a scrappage checker on here: http://www.completecar.ie/scrappage so try that. However, the car needs to be 10 years old at least so it doesn’t sound like it will qualify unless the scheme is extended to 2011.

With regards to the problem with your battery running down, you really should bring the car directly to an auto-electrician.

Hope that’s of help!

Reply
Gene
July 15, 2010 at 9:05 pm #

How much should I expect to pay for a replacement crankshaft seal repair job?

Car in question is a Saab 2004 Vector 2.0l Turbo.

Regards,

Gene.

Reply
Shane O' Donoghue
July 19, 2010 at 5:39 pm #

Hi Gene,

I believe you asked us this question directly too. See here for the answer: http://www.completecar.ie/askusanything/question/202/How-much-for-crankshaft-seal-on-a-Saab

Reply
John
August 16, 2010 at 3:13 pm #

Dear Shane/Paddy,

I had some repairs carried out on my car in the spring following a minor accident in snowy conditions. The repairs included a new set of tyres, some relatively minor engine fittings and a new bonnet and side wing. The garage took about 10 weeks to repair my car and cited a very busy schedule as the reason. Following receipt of the car I noticed that it was constantly making loud screeching noises everytime I turned a corner or entered a roundabout. I later found out to my cost that the tracking was off and had to get two new tyres on the front (not from original garage) because of a puncture due to excessive wear. More serious than this, I also noticed that the car was losing power (not respond to accelerator) from time to time, especially following a long journey. I didn’t do anything about it and thought that it might be dirty diesel. In the last week or so (received car back in May), the car has been overheating and I brought it to a specialist dealer to check it out. They found that a plug that regulates the supply of coolant to the engine was not connected. I was provided with photos of this. On questioning further, they assured me that this was not by chance and that the plug could not become removed unless disconnected. He suggested that the original mechanics forgot to connect this plug following their repairs. I brought it back to the original garage today and they refused to accept liability. However, after much deliberations they agreed to check it out and ask the insurance company assessor (put claim through insurance initially) to check this out also.

I would appreciate any advice that you could give me on this matter, particularly in the event of the garage ultimately refusing to accept liability on this.
Regards,
John

PS. I forgot to mention that I was told that the head gasket is probably now damaged in the car.

Reply
Shane O'Donoghue
August 17, 2010 at 4:47 pm #

Hi John. It sounds as if you’re referring to the connection for the cooling fan rather than something that regulates the coolant flow. Most cars have a simple thermostat to control that, though newer models are beginning to use other methods. It’s going to be difficult to prove that the original garage is at fault, but it sounds like you’re going about it the right way. Getting an independent assessor is the only way to go. Good luck with it. Oh, and yes, it’s very possible that the head gasket could now be damaged if your car was overheating.

Reply
John
August 17, 2010 at 6:21 pm #

Hi Shane,
Many thanks for your reply. Yes, you’re right about the connection being to the fan. The vechicle is a ’08 jeep. I’ll let you know the outcome.
Regards,
John

Reply
Mary
August 18, 2010 at 7:25 pm #

Hello Shane & Paddy,
I would really appreciate some advice, as i am almost at “breaking point” with car problems. Prior to NCT I spent €460, and another €450 before re-test, which my car then passed. Only one week later car broke down with head gasket problem. After 2 weeks in garage and another €900, I have been told to start looking.
My car is LandRover Freelander, 2000, and i am aware that the engine in this make is considered defective. I have owned it for 2 years and only recently has it been troublesome.
I live in the country, i like the gadget free basic but comfortable car. I like the height also. Ideally I would like to have diesel, as driving for the past week in a borrowed car, the fuel consumption has been considerably better.
I am desperate for advice, do not have the funds for a new car, and need to be mobile.
Please advise me, and what is Chevrolet @ €9,000? I am not very au fait with car makes and types, have had a VW estate and Mitsubishi Lancer, both of which I found reliable.
many thanks, Mary C

Reply
Shane Teskey
August 23, 2010 at 10:03 am #

Hi Mary, Paddy and I will be looking at some options for you this morning. I’ll be in touch shortly.

Reply
Paddy Comyn
August 23, 2010 at 1:01 pm #

Hi Mary,

By the sounds of things you want something that is diesel, reasonably cheap to run, has a little bit of height and perhaps 4wd would be a bonus too?

On that basis I think a good car for you would be a Fiat Sedici, which was a co-development with Japanese firm Suzuki. This would be an ideal car for you needs I think and you could have one under your budget and with a decent 1.9-litre diesel engine.

Here is one in Pratts, a dealership in Carlow for €8,950

If they are serviced properly and minded well they should provide you will plenty of years of motoring.

Hope this helps!
Paddy

Reply
Mary
August 28, 2010 at 6:21 pm #

Hi Paddy,
Many thanks for your suggestion, but hope you don’t mind if I bother you for further suggestions. What other make/model might I investigate with diesel engine and the height, but that would come into a lower tax category? I am in Meath/Cavan area but Dublin would be also accessible.
Thanks,
Mary

Reply
Paddy Comyn
August 29, 2010 at 4:51 pm #

Right Mary, we need a few other options and another option would be the Kia Sportage diesel. There is one on Sarsfield Motor Company in Dublin with 31,000 miles for €9,950.

You could push harder to get this within your budget and its a decent little SUV.

Or you could have the Hyundai Tuscon which is pretty much identical

I’d probably go for the Kia.

Reply
Mary
August 30, 2010 at 8:19 pm #

Thanks Paddy,
Will investigate those options,
Mary

Reply
Rachel McCormack
September 3, 2010 at 11:28 am #

Hello Shane and Paddy,
I have a 2001 Fiat Punto in Italy. The problem is that I am moving to England in a few weeks and seeing as I can’t sell the car here (as it’s right hand drive) I am thinking of just scrapping it. Do I need to have certain documents or inform someone back in Ireland that I am doing this or can I just bring it to the scrap yard and wave it goodbye?

Thanks
Rachel

Reply
Shane Teskey
September 3, 2010 at 4:33 pm #

Hi Rachel,

You should be able to scrap the car in Italy provided you have the logbook with you. I’m not sure how much it costs but I’d be surprised if it’s over 100 Euro.

In terms of notifying anyone in Ireland, it might be a good idea to give the department of transport a call at (061) 365000. Scrapping a car in Ireland is handled through a network of ATF’s (Authorised Treatment Facilities) but I’m not sure what requirements they have for being informed about the scrapping of a car in another jurisdiction.

Hope this helps.
Shane.

Reply
alan pender
September 9, 2010 at 2:09 pm #

I have a symbol on my dashboard. It’s amber in the shape of a lightbulb with an ! in the middle of it. It only comes on when i turn on my lights. It’s a 2000 fiat punto 1.2.

Reply
Shane O'Donoghue
September 24, 2010 at 1:39 pm #

Hi Alan. Without knowing that car inside out it sounds to me like it’s a warning for a blown bulb. Have you checked that all the bulbs are working? Don’t forget to check the rear numberplate ones!

Have a good weekend. Shane

Reply
Veronica
September 26, 2010 at 12:04 pm #

Hi Shane and Paddy,

I bought an 02 almera privately in Feb this year and have been doing 500+ every week (now has 83k miles on it)

However, I discovered it was burning oil day I bought it (5 litres every 1500mls or so) but apart from that was driving fine. Only thing it failed on the NCT last week was emissions (nut on brake pipe needed tightening too, but that only minor thing)

During the week I had 2nd hand engine fitted by garage, and they gave me a 3months guarantee on it. They also replaced 2 belts, oil filter, engine oil and antifreeze. Total cost was E1000.

However, two days later (and only 20-25 miles of driving) I spotted the thermostat at max. When I lifted the bonnet there was steam and the coolant had burst all over the front of the engine. I also discovered that the hose fitted to the radiator had silicon on it where the hose meets the pipe that comes off the top of the radiator, and on the hard pipe coming out of the radiator there was a huge crack some 2-3 inches long covered by the silicon.

There was never a single problem with the rad,the temperature, or even any sort of leaks, and I never had to top up the water/coolant or even had any sort of steam coming out of engine. Never any sign of oil slick when I opened the rad cap either. I’ve had the bonnet open almost every day to top up the oil, and would have noticed steam, and there were never any leaks on my driveway. Because of the oil problem I always checked the driveway. Now there is fairly large leak spot of coolant on my drive (it feels slippy but doesnt smell like oil, so assume it’s coolant)

What I’m wondering is: if there was any type of damage to thd hard pipe coming out of the top of the rad, would it not have shown itself sooner by way of steam, leaking, or my having to top up the coolant, would not even the tiniest hole make itself known fairly quickly?

Sorry for such long message, but wanted to give you as much detail as possible and being a lady driver I’m worried sick the garage are going to make out the fault was there all along when I know it wasnt.

Any help or advice you could give me would be very much appreciated.

Thanks

Veronica

Reply
paul
October 28, 2010 at 9:51 pm #

If a car is lying up for 1 year and 6 months in a forecourt what are the effects of this?

Reply
ggraham
February 2, 2011 at 5:42 pm #

Hi Paul,

If you’re buying from a main dealer the pre-purchase inspection should catch any problems that may have occurred over the time it’s been on display. Things you could look out for would be a flat battery, perished tyres or rubbers. Most of the damage done to an idle car is caused by dirt or neglect. I’d hope that if it was on a forecourt it would be constantly maintained and ready for the road at any time.

Hope this helps.

Reply
caroline cooling
November 8, 2010 at 4:16 pm #

Hi, Wondering can you help me.. I bought an 011.4 Opel Astra but when I first start the car up it has “INSP” coming up where the mileage is .. could anybody tell me what that means?

Reply
ggraham
February 2, 2011 at 5:36 pm #

Hi Caroline,

This is a ‘service due’ indicator light that needs to be reset. The good news is you can do this yourself without any need to go to the main dealer. Just check the user guide under ‘Service indicator’ or ‘Instrument Panel Reset’ (or something similar) and you should find instructions on how to do it.

Hope this helps!

Reply
Mary
February 1, 2011 at 5:39 pm #

Hi,

I have a 98 Opel Astra G. I need a new throttle body but there are none in scrapyards and a new one is pretty pricey. Do you know if a certain type 1.8 Vectra or something would fit?

Thanks,
Mary

Reply
sean
February 3, 2011 at 10:24 pm #

Hi,
I have an Opel Astra 1.7dt. The problem I am having is the engine reving when put foot on accelerator.

I am pretty sure its the clutch, the question is how much shoud I expect to pay all in for new clutch and labour?

Reply
ggraham
February 19, 2011 at 8:52 pm #

Hi Sean,

I think you may be definitely on the right track with the clutch needing to be replaced.

I would advise you to shop around a few different garages to get the best price to replace the clutch. Just make sure you are comparing like with like, what I mean is that they are all definitely going to replace the complete clutch kit and if the parts are genuine Opel or bought from a motor factor. This may have significance when it comes to your total price.

Reply
nick walsh
February 10, 2011 at 7:18 pm #

I have a 2001 opel corsa and the flywheel oil seal is gone. Has anyone any idea how much this will cost to replace.

Also, do you think it will get through the nct before fixing?

Reply
ggraham
February 19, 2011 at 8:25 pm #

Hi Nick,

To replace the flywheel oil seal you need to remove the gearbox and clutch assembly. This is a big enough job that will take approximately 5 hours to complete.
When the gearbox is out of the vehicle it may also be a good idea to replace the clutch assembly also especially if the vehicle has high mileage on it.

With regards to the NCT, you can try steam cleaning the engine and gearbox down a couple of weeks before the test. You can then monitor the leak and see for yourself how major it is.

I hope this was some help to you.

Reply
alan
March 9, 2011 at 11:35 pm #

hey guys found out a simple way to get rid of it.just did it a while ago..open up fuse box on side of drivers dash and remove fuse 17,,,,wait ten minutes and then put back in..engine managment light is gone off now and if service theft alarm was on that will be gone to with check ok sign on radio consol…wooo hoooo.

Leave a comment