Car Servicing

I am having trouble with a faulty injector on my 2013 BMW 328i, and I'm being told I need to replace all four as "they work as a set". This is not cheap and I wonder if it is really necessary?

I lost the keys to my 3 Series. Is a key fob cheap for a BMW dealer to replace?

I have a Hyundai Accent 2016 model. The dash lights come on and the car stops. If I put it into park it will start up but when I put it into drive it cuts out. It has been back to Hyundai many times – cannot find the fault and it is too dangerous to drive. What can I do?

 

Do I need a new turbo? I have done 340,000 km in my 2005 Toyota Prado and for the last six months I have experienced what sounds like extremely high revving at random times on the front passenger side of the engine when travelling at moderate speed. I have to stop the car and turn off the engine before it disappears and then I can start it again without the problem. It is now happening more frequently.

It can take between an hour and a day to charge your car battery depending on the type of battery you have, and the amperage of the charger used.The different types of chargerYou may have noticed there are all sorts of battery chargers on the market and understanding their different uses is key to picking the right one for your situation.Generally, the time taken to charge a battery from flat to full is determined by the amperage of the charger used.Linear battery chargers are the simplest kind of charger and will allow you to charge a battery via a wall socket without any bells and whistles, but often operate at low amperage.The cheapest available Repco-branded battery charger, for example, runs at 2.7amp which will easily take up to 12 hours to charge a run-of-the mill 12-volt lead-acid battery (as is found in most cars) to full.Linear battery chargers simply continuously charge a battery, and do not have controllers that stop charging the battery when it is at capacity. This can cause damage to the battery’s lifespan, or even cause the battery to explode or fail in certain conditions.Multi-stage battery chargers are more expensive (ranging from $90 to $1100) but recharge the battery in bursts. This is healthier for battery cells and resists long-term damage that can be done by simply charging them continuously.Multi-stage (also known as smart or intelligent chargers) are also available at much higher amperage, up to 50A which will allow you to charge a standard car battery in less than an hour.NRMA tells us that while batteries charge faster at higher amperage, it is better in the long-term to charge at lower amperage as rapid charging can negatively impact battery life.Pricier chargers will also have gauges or indicators to let you check the voltage of the battery.Trickle chargers are the last kind of charger and operate at low amperages (between 0.8A – 4A). These are not meant for charging a battery when it goes flat but are meant to prevent the problem in the first place by being connected to the battery in times when the vehicle is not in use.If you have a more advanced battery such as an Enhanced Flooded Battery (EFB) or an Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) battery (the kind often used to support cars with stop-start systems), NRMA tells us this is a good thing as these types of batteries can be charged the same way, actually accept charge faster than their standard lead-acid counterparts, and are designed to operate properly at lower voltages.What if you jump start your car?We don’t recommend using jumper cables for starting most modern cars where you can avoid it, as there is a risk that modern electrical systems can be damaged in the process.If you were stuck in a pinch and had little choice though, how long would you have to drive or idle the car to charge the battery back up again, so you can safely turn the vehicle off and expect it to start again later?NRMA’s advice for a standard battery is “around 30 minutes.” This is because a car’s alternator operates at between 50 and 100A, thus charges a battery relatively quickly.Roadside support services like NRMA, RACQ, or RACV, or even a manufacturer roadside support service can safely jump start modern cars without risk to electrical systems through use of a spike protector, with regulated voltage via an Anderson Plug.These tools prevent damage to the battery and negate the chances of a spark occurring which can cause a battery to fail.If in doubt when it comes to what kind of battery you have or need to jump-start your vehicle, it is best to contact one of these services.

The auto headlights on my 2017 Ford Ranger won’t turn off unless I turn them off manually. What could be the issue? Whenever I turn right you can feel and hear and clunking noise in the steering wheel. What could be causing this?

I have the 2006 Mazda 3 2300cc engine. Does it have a cam belt or chain, and when does it need replacing?

My former service mechanic swapped my service book for another vehicle’s. They are unable to contact the other owner to swap back. I have a 2015 Nissan Navara and the service book I now have is for a Dualis. Is there an option of getting the service schedule for a Navara? Looking for suggestions about how to get the schedule without paying for the service book.

The digital speedometer in my 2016 Mazda 2 R blacks out, but the active driving display still works. What do you think is the problem?

In a perfect world, like a perfectly dry road, tread actually reduces a car's performance because it has the effect of reducing the contact patch area, and the forces that can be transmitted through the contact patch are correspondingly reduced.But in a not-so-perfect world, on a wet road, the tread is vitally important.The tread is designed to disperse water from the contact patch, thereby helping the tyre grip the road.Without tread the tyre's ability to grip a wet road is severely limited, making it almost impossible to stop, turn, accelerate and corner.The contact patch is the area of the tyre that is actually in contact with the road.It's a small area, only about as big as the palm of your hand, through which the cornering, steering, braking, accelerating forces are transmitted.Tread wear indicator bars are moulded into the tread grooves at regular intervals around the tyre to indicate when a tyre is worn to its limit of safety.{C}{C}{C}The minimum legal tread depth is 1.5 mm across the width of the tread.When the tyre is worn to the legal limit the bars will be flush with the surface of the tread.While that is the legal requirement some car manufacturers recommend you replace your tyres before they wear to that extent.Check your owner's manual to find out what your car maker recommends.Maintaining the correct inflation pressure is one of the most important things you can do to look after your tyres.A correctly inflated tyre should wear evenly across the tread, but one that's incorrectly inflated will wear unevenly.An under-inflated tyre will wear more heavily on the outer shoulders, while an overinflated one will wear more in the centre of the tread.The inflation pressure should only be set when the tyre is cold. The pressure increases when the car is driven, so setting it after driving for some distance will result in an incorrect pressure.The recommended inflation pressure is shown on a placard attached to the body – usually on the driver's door pillar – and also in the owner's manual.Inflation pressures are given for normal driving, and also when loaded up with the maximum number people the car can legally carry and luggage.Tyres need to be checked regularly, at least once every two weeks.They should also be checked before you go on a long journey, or before towing, when they might need to be set higher.Remember to also check the spare.Rotating your tyres can also help to get the most out of them.Tyres wear at different rates depending on their position on the car. On a rear-wheel drive car the rear tyres wear faster than the front tyres; on a front-drive car it's the front tyres that wear the fastest.Rotating the tyres around the car can even out the wear on all tyres. That way they should all need replacement at the same time.If you do rotate your tyres do it regularly, at 5000km intervals, so the disparity between those that are wearing the fastest and those wearing the slowest is minimised.When rotating your tyres you can also include the spare.The spare is almost always forgotten, left to sit in the dark in the boot of our car until needed in an emergency.Spare tyres that are six years or older should only be used in an emergency.A tyre that is 10 years old should be replaced.Some mechanics and tyre men will tell you your tyres need replacing by simply looking at them and telling you they're worn.Don't take their word for it, check them yourself. Visually inspect them for wear and damage, and check the depth of the grooves.To maximise your tyre life avoid spinning the wheels on acceleration, or locking them when braking.Keeping your car in tip-top shape can help extend the life of your tyres and regular wheel alignment checks are a good idea.