Mr G's Astra Attack

Hello faithful readers and welcome to another week of adventures from the KAM team. We have been very busy this week as you continue to heed the call and more and more of your cars are being restored to perfect health. You can leave your comments, questions on our twitter at www.twitter.com/dr_kev.
This week we received a visit from Mr G who as a long time customer here at KAM came straight to our Heanor depot with his mechanical conundrum. As he burst through the door a startled Supreme Sunny was first to ask what problems beseeched Mr G’s Vauxhall Astra. He had been in for a service just 6 months ago, what could be the problem? Had our team failed to notice something? ‘It’s using a lot more fuel recently, much more than usual and I am making the same amount of journeys. I don’t understand’ said Mr G looking puzzled. After further enquiry Mr G also revealed that a roaring noise had also been resonating from the car recently and maybe these two problems could be connected. When all the details were taken we dispatched Mr G off in one of our courtesy cars and got to work.
Tasmanian Trev was on hand to fix this week’s problem and hoisted the car up onto our state of the art ramps and began to take a gander. First the Vauxhall Astra was hooked up to our state of the art diagnostic machines and the mystery started to unravel. This week there was no Diagnostic Dan as he was off on a breakdown call and so we would have to solve this one without him. A short while passed and Tasmanian Trev had a familiar look upon his face as he announced ‘this is easy Kev, the exhaust is blown. I’ll get right to fixing it’. After another look round a look of disbelief adorned Trev’s face, as another car dilemma presented itself. The exhaust catalyst which is held into place by 3 bolts was holding on by a thread with 2 bolts missing. Now I must bestow some cautionary words for all drivers as there has been an increase in exhaust catalyst thefts. This is due to there worth which can be very high and their valuable metal components which can be very lucrative to a wannabe thief. So this is just a warning to be careful about where to park your car and to keep an eye on it if possible. The tell tale signs were there on Mr G’s car and it became obvious that someone had tried to take the catalyst converter, but luckily had been interrupted. Super Shaun got to work first by welding the exhaust to the exhaust catalyst, which was in need of refitting and bolting back up. We did this to save Mr G money as other garages would have simply replaced the components we at KAM think about the customers needs first.
The exhaust catalyst is used to control the emissions that are released from the car and due to a faulty wire leading to the O2 sensor the fuel problem could be explained. As the O2 sensor was faulty and so the ECU was using more fuel than usual. The roaring noise was explained by the loose exhaust catalyst. With all the work done and a clean from Dynamo Dhillan we were ready to see if we had succeeded. As Supreme Sunny turned the key a gentle purring resounded from the engine and the boys look on relieved.
When Mr G came to pick up the car he was thrilled to see the car in good working order and thanked the KAM team for their unflinching dedication to the job. ‘Thanks so much Dr Kev, I’m so glad you fixed it so quickly’. We also explained the threat of thieves and that if he saw anything suspicious then to report it to the police. ‘Wow you really are my heroes’ he laughed and with that he was off.
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Sutton and Long Eaton, along with our bodywork shop are open ever day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley and Heanor workshops and Sutton car sales are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.

Your Dedicated KAM team

I have been on the Good Garage Scheme website recently and would just like to thank all of our faithful customers for the plethora of wonderful comments made. They have praised our hard working staff, our low prices and our efficient and thorough service. Remember we are here to cater to all your motoring needs whether that be a cam belt catastrophe or a simple service KAM is here to do it all. We are also armed with a team of specialist just waiting to attack those car gremlins and make your cars road worthy once gain. So if you are looking for low prices, a dedicated team that will solve any diagnostic dilemma look no further than KAM. A garage for all ages that won't take advantage of our ever growing customer base. For all of our great comments from all of our depots on the good garage scheme visit the site here at:
http://www.goodgaragescheme.co.uk/search_detail.php?recordID=4230

Mrs Y's Fabia Fiasco

Hello faithful readers and welcome to another week of adventures from the KAM team. We have been very busy this week as you continue to heed the call and more and more of your cars are being restored to perfect health. You can leave your comments, questions and queries at http://drkev-kamsurgery.blogspot.com or on our twitter at www.twitter.com/dr_kev.
This week we received a visit from Mrs Y who as a long standing devoted customer to the KAM team had called in with her Skoda Fabia which was suffering from steering problems. ‘The steering is light one minute, and then heavy the next and the power steering has gone completely. You have to help me Dr Kev’. Those infamous words uttered yet again and our team would step up to the challenge. However after taking Mrs Y’s details one problem remained as on that very day the KAM garage was absent of all courtesy cars. Due to our busy schedule all had been loaned out and Mrs Y was in dire need as she had a compulsory hospital appointment. The Skoda would have to wait as we needed to get Mrs Y an alternative means of travel. Now other garages would simply suggest taking the bus or maybe even a taxi but here at KAM the customer is our main priority. As we scanned the workshop everyone’s eyes fell on Super Shaun as Mrs Y’s saviour. Shaun’s car was fully insured and safe for Mrs Y to drive and so being the gentleman he is he kindly offered. With Mrs Y happy at her day not being disrupted we dispatched her off in Shaun’s car and got straight to work.
Diagnostic Dan our very own German car specialist (Skoda is now part of the VW family) had been lurking in the background with a knowing look adorning his face. ‘Let me guess Dan you know what it is, you know you should use your powers to fight crime’ joked Shaun. ‘Well Shaun electronic diagnostics is about the art of following eliminating procedures’ he proclaimed while rifling in his tool box for his multimetre. With the all knowing Dan accompanied by Dynamo Dhillan this was sure to be a quick diagnostics mission. As the two got to work testing the car’s electric pump and the sensors the problem became quickly apparent. While undertaking the electric test which is carried out to test the resistance of the sensors it turned out to be a faulty angle sensor.
We were able to source a new angle sensor from our wonderful suppliers and the power steering was returned to normal. Dynamo Dhillan who is becoming our very own protégé finished the car off with a car wash and it was ready for collection. Mrs Y who had herself been given a clean bill of health returned to pick up her prized possession and was delighted at the swiftness of our team. ‘Wow Kev you really have helped me, my day has been disruption free and its all thanks to you and your team’. ‘Would it be awfully rude of me to ask one more thing Dr Kev’ she probed. ‘Ask away Mrs Y’ I responded curious as to what she was going to ask. It so transpired that Mrs Y’s petrol lawn mower had been giving her some problems and now she needed her dedicated KAM team to help. Super Shaun got behind the wheel of ‘da twuck with da fwashing lights’ and followed Mrs Y home to fix her faulty lawn mower. She returned later on to thank the KAM team for being so helpful and promised to leave us some favourable comments on the Good Garage Scheme website. Another day and another customer satisfied by your enthusiastic KAM team who is your one stop shop for all your motoring needs.
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Sutton and Long Eaton, along with our bodywork shop are open ever day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley and Heanor workshops and Sutton car sales are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.