Advice
Car Repair Advice
Straight answers to the questions we are asked every week — no jargon and no scare tactics. If you are trying to identify a noise, light or smell, start with our car fault library.
Guides
Latest advice
Your engine management light is on — what now?A steady light and a flashing light mean very different things. Here is how to tell whether to book in or stop driving.Read more Wet timing belts explained — and why they fail earlyWet belts run in engine oil. Get the oil or the interval wrong and the belt breaks down long before the mileage says it should.Read more DPF light on? What it means and what not to doA DPF light is a warning, not a failure. What you do in the next few hundred miles decides whether this is cheap or expensive.Read more Car won't start: a five-minute checklistThe noise the car makes tells you a lot. Here is how to describe it — and what it usually means.Read more How often should you really service your car?Service intervals are a maximum, not a recommendation. How you drive decides whether you should shorten them.Read more Six signs your clutch is on the way outClutches usually warn you for weeks before they fail. Catching it early can save the flywheel too.Read more What decides the cost of a wet belt replacementWet belt prices vary far more between engines than most people expect. Here is what actually changes the figure.Read more Which Ford engines use a wet belt?Wet belts appear across several Ford engine families. Confirming which one you have decides the interval and the job.Read more What affects the cost of a clutch replacementTwo similar cars can differ widely. Most of it comes down to the flywheel and how the gearbox comes out.Read more Why your brakes are squeakingNot every squeak is dangerous, but some noises are the last warning before metal on metal.Read more Car overheating: what to do and what not to doOverheating damage happens in minutes. What you do in the first two minutes matters more than anything else.Read more Clicking noise when you turn the keyOne click and rapid clicking point at different parts. The noise is the most useful clue you have.Read more DPF cleaning or replacement — which do you need?Cleaning a filter that blocked for a mechanical reason just buys time. Start with why it blocked.Read more Cam belt replacement: interval and what affects the costCam belt intervals are a maximum, and the parts fitted alongside the belt matter as much as the belt itself.Read more Does your car have a cam belt or a timing chain?Belt, wet belt and chain engines need very different maintenance. Assuming a chain lasts forever is an expensive habit.Read more Signs your DPF is blocking upA DPF rarely blocks without warning. These are the signs worth acting on before it becomes a replacement.Read more How to reset an engine management light — and when you shouldn'tClearing the code turns the light off. It does not fix what turned it on — and it can hide a fault that is still costing you.Read more Will an engine management light fail an MOT?An illuminated engine management light is a straight MOT fail — and clearing it the night before does not get you past the test.Read more
Looking up a symptom? Browse the car fault & symptom library →
Still not sure what's wrong?
Describe the symptoms and we will tell you what it usually means and what checking it involves.