Anti-roll bar advisor on MOT – 10 Months ago

ANSWER : Anti-roll bar links, also called stabilizer bar links, are generally fairly inexpensive to fix, though I can’t actually quote a price since you appear to be in Europe and our service only works for the United States. The cars we get here are mostly the same, but there are differences, and anti-roll bar links could be one of them. I would suggest contacting a qualified, trustworthy technician in your area to obtain an estimate for repair of the Golf you’re looking to buy.

ANSWER : Hi There,
What you are describing sounds like an ignition coil pack that may be failing. Ignition coils are prone to this type of erratic functioning or heat cycling when they are beginning to fail due to the temperature fluctuations under the hood which ultimately cause them to shut down causing the car to only run after cooling down for 30-40 minutes. Ignition coils are coated with a varnish-like insulation that becomes brittle over time after being stretched then contracted repeatedly The insulation develops small fractures that open when heated and close when cooled. When open, they allow shorting of coil windings and decrease or eliminate the coil’s ability to function. This process will repeat itself continuously until the coil ultimately fails completely and must be replaced. I would recommend having a professional from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose and inspect your ignition system.

ANSWER : You need to first check to see if the master cylinder for the clutch is low on fluid. If it is low then check clutch slave cylinder for fluid leaks. It would need to be replaced.

ANSWER : Hello and thanks for your question. If the oil pan is touching the sway bar on the vehicle, you can get an oil pan that is more for performance that has a wider bottom but not as deep. By doing this, you will need to replace the pick up tube with a shorter one to fit with this type of oil pan on. This type of oil pan will give you the clearance you need and not touch the sway bar. If you need assistance replacing the oil pan then seek out a professional, like one from YourMechanic, to make this adjustment for you.

ANSWER : Hi there, thanks for writing in about your 2006 Honda Odyssey. If you just paid a dealer to replace the starter, then have that dealer check the problem out again. I have seen rebuilt parts fail soon after replacement. If it is not the starter, then they may be able to isolate the problem to be a starter relay or ignition problem. If you would like to have this checked outside of the dealer, a certified professional from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to diagnose the starting problem for you.

ANSWER : It sounds like you may have a fuel supply problem in getting the proper amount of fuel to the fuel injectors. As you know, when you turn the key to on, the fuel pump is activated and the fuel system is primed with fuel at a specific pressure in order to supply the fuel injectors with enough fuel to start the motor. When this is less than what is needed in order for the motor to fire or in some cases higher than normal, you may notice an erratic fluctuation in engine RPMs, hard starting or a lack of power when accelerating as the engine may be starved for fuel if insufficient fuel pressure exists in the fuel system. This can happen when the pump itself is not working properly or when the fuel pressure regulator is not maintaining the proper fuel pressure in the fuel system causing the engine to starve for fuel. This can also happen when there is insufficient connectivity to the fuel injectors which can cause an intermittent fuel spray pattern into the intake system resulting in a lean fuel condition or the motor otherwise starving for fuel. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose your fuel system.

ANSWER : Hi Wayne,
There are a number of things that can cause poor fuel mileage. A faulty camshaft position sensor is one of them. The camshaft position sensor is a magnetic sensor that monitors camshaft speed to regulate ignition timing and fuel injection timing. It gathers and sends information about the car’s camshaft speed (and as a result the position of each piston) to the car’s electronic control module. This information is received by the computer, which then uses this data to further calculate the time of ignition and the timing of fuel injection required by the engine. When this is not working properly, you may experience a drop in power, poor idling, poor fuel mileage and problems starting the vehicle.

A clogged or dirty EGR valve may also cause poor fuel mileage. The EGR valve is a small component designed to allow the flow of exhaust gases into the intake manifold in controlled amounts. As such, it’s a simple valve that closes and opens as needed. The EGR valve has one single job to do, regardless of the system configuration, type of control and number of sensors: that is, to either open and direct exhaust gases into the combustion chamber, or to close and keep them from entering. Whenever you start the engine, the valve comes alive and waits in a closed position, blocking the flow of exhaust gases. Once the engine reaches operating temperature and speed increases, the valve, either through vacuum or electronic control will gradually open, allowing burned exhaust gases to enter and combine with the air-fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber. When the EGR valve is clogged or dirty, as they are prone to, it may not function properly causing the engine idle rough, stall at idle speeds, cause the car to get poor fuel mileage, or emit a strong smell of fuel due to excess hydrocarbons which also results in failing emissions tests.

A clogged or failing catalytic converter can also cause the vehicle to have poor fuel economy. As you may already know, the catalytic converter converts toxic exhaust gases into less harmful pollutants that are suitable to be expelled into the atmosphere. When this is clogged, this causes these gases to be backed up into the exhaust system not allowing the engine to breathe properly (think of a backed up sink). When this happens, the engine is forced to work much harder to expel these gases. This often results in the engine bogging down, hesitating, shaking and causing very poor fuel economy. I would recommend having a professional from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose and inspect your vehicle.

ANSWER : Hi there. Quite frequently when red and green coolant is mixed and inside the coolant tubes for a long time, it can cause excessive wear of the coolant tubes. The ’glitter’ you see may be excessive debris that may have worn off the coolant hoses. Whether or not you can continue to run with this coolant; it shouldn’t be a problem. However, I would recommend that the next time you flush your coolant, that you also replace the coolant hoses and tubes.