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 here or our twitter at www.twitter.com/dr_kev.
This week’s diagnostic dilemma comes courtesy of Mr D who visited our Heanor depot for the first time. Mr D, a plumber had been experiencing some problems with his Vauxhall Vivaro and through a recommendation had landed on our doorstop. ‘Hi Dr Kev my neighbour said you can fix any problem and my van is of full of them’.
The problem at hand was an appearance from the EML (engine management light) and the car cutting out intermittently when Mr D was driving. ‘I don’t know what’s going on with it I have to travel to people’s houses and this is a major disruption’ said Mr D exasperated. Now before we could let Mr D drive off in our courtesy car we had to get all the details. The possible cause for the problem became instantly apparent when all the details were given. Mr D explained ‘well I took it to a garage recently for an oil and filter change, it was a very cheap price so I didn’t really think twice’. It so transpired that just minutes after driving away from the garage the EML had appeared and the cutting out began. Mr D further explained how after returning to the garage to explain the problem they offered no additional help. They were not fully equipped to check and fix the problem. ‘They were a tyre, exhaust and lubrication centre and they said that I would need to go to a garage to fix the problem. They were most unhelpful’ Mr D added.
Well there would be no such treatment from our dedicated KAM team and our Vauxhall expert Big Al got straight to work. Firstly hooking up the van to our state of the art diagnostic machines and awaiting the results. After just 10 minutes Big Al returned to the reception with a grin across his face. ‘Come on Kev that was just too easy’ he said. The machine showed that the EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) valve was stuck open causing a vacuum leak resulting in the stalling and cutting out of the van and appearance of the EML. The EGR valve helps the car to burn fuel efficiently by recirculating a portion of your exhaust and running it through the combustion process again. The open EGR floods the combustion chamber resulting in the car suffering a number of faults. This occurred as the previous centre had used a diesel flush to flush the cars system. Too much of the diesel treatment had caused the EGR valve to open and stay jammed allowing NOX gases to build up. So the mystery was solved. Big Al gave the EGR a clean and placed it in the right position. The EML needed a simple reset, after a road test and a clean from Dynamo Dhillan the van was back to perfect health.
Mr D returned but was rightfully sceptical as he had been mistreated before by a garage and we promised him that he id not have to pay if the problem was not fixed. After taking the car for a test drive to make sure all was well a smile adorned Mr D’s face. ‘Wow I can’t believe it; it drives like its brand new, I can’t believe it thank you so much Dr Kev.
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.
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