Miss K's KA conundrum

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 www.twitter.com/dr_kev.
This week we received a visit from Miss K, a new customer at KAM. She arrived at our Heanor depot and seemed quite depressed as she approached the forecourt. “As she got closer a thunderous noise could be heard and she almost seemed unable to control it. As she parked up the Ford KA she breathed a sigh of relief, happy that she had made it to the KAM offices. “Oh Kev that was a frightening journey, I have never heard it be that loud before.” Miss K was relatively young but had already suffered at the hand of rogue mechanics and was not going to be taken for a ride again. She explained her car’s recent problems “You see Kev, I heard this noise a few weeks ago, it was not as loud so I thought I’d take it to my local garage.” I had a feeling that I knew where this story was going and I was proved right as she continued. “Well Kev they saw that I was a young woman and they just wanted to make some fast money. They replaced the clutch and I got a hefty bill. But the noise continued and they weren’t interested in finding out what the true root of the problem was.” So Miss K’s problem continued, with the noise gradually getting louder and now she needed some answers. “I’ve heard and read all good things about you and the KAM team Kev and so please say you can help.” Miss K was in desperate need of the KAM team’s help and we could not let her down and leave her with the lasting image of all garages being unlawful and using untoward methods. We took all of Miss K’s details and then reassured her that we would find and fix the problem and that no unnecessary work would be undertaken. She was happy to leave the car in the KAM team’s care and she was whisked away in one of our courtesy cars.
We got straight to work and this week’s mystery was to be solved by our new mechanic Curious Craig. Craig is a new member of the expanding KAM team and comes to our company with a wealth of knowledge. He has expertise in all areas and is equipped to work on all makes and models. His specialty lies in clutches and we hope that he will be solving mechanical mysteries for many years to come. This week would be his first mystery and he was on a mission to prove himself to our veteran KAM boys.
He got straight to work and took the car on a long road test to see the true extent of the problem. He returned a while later and as he approached we again heard the awful noise resonating from the engine. The boys were covering their ears and finally the car was hoisted up onto the ramp. Within seconds Craig’s head was under the bonnet trying to find the lurking gremlins. He looked around for a few minutes and proceeded to take of the auxiliary belt (most of you will know this as the fan belt) and tested the various pulleys, such as the tensioner, water pump etc. He had a hunch and he was going to go with it. After a short time the famous words rang through the workshop “I’ve got it Kev.” It so transpired that the noise was coming from worn bearings on the alternator drive pulley. This had caused the pulley to move up and down, resulting in the horrific noises.
This was a relatively quick diagnosis and after a quick call to our fantastic suppliers, Craig got to work fitting the new parts. All that was required was a new alternator and Craig had successfully completed his first mystery at KAM.
Before we went on the road test Miss K insisted that she go along to ensure that the fault was fixed and that she was not being duped again. So she and Craig embarked on the road test and as the key was turned in the ignition everyone, including Miss K waited in anticipation. The key turned and… the car purred away with no trace of the previous noise.
“Wow Kev, I can’t believe it. You really helped me out and have definitely renewed my faith in hard working, reliable and honest garages.”
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hardworking staff at the branches in Sutton, Long Eaton, Bulwell and Belper along with our bodywork shop are open every day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley and Heanor workshops are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.
So until next week faithful reader. Drive safely and keep it shiny side up.
Dr. Kev.

Miss B's Beetle- runs out of- juice

This week we received a visit from Miss B, who visited our Heanor depot on Sunday in dire need of our help. She approached the garage and we noticed that she was looking very worried behind the wheel. She parked her Volkswagen Beetle and entered the warm KAM offices. “Wow Kev, I’m so happy your open on Sunday my car is in need of some work from your fine mechanics.” Miss B had read about the garage in this weekly column and on our blog and was delighted to hear that we would be able to help her and hopefully before Monday morning. “The problem is that my car keeps misfiring and it is just not running right. There is definitely something wrong and I was hoping you could tell me what.” Miss B paused to take a breath and revealed that a new symptom had occurred on the drive over. “When I went to put my car on this morning a light appeared on my dashboard. Please say you can help Kev.” We assured Miss B that the car would be fixed and that she would be able to drive it on Monday. “That’s great Kev because I have got to go to work quite early and I would really appreciate it.” We took all of Miss B’s details and she was then whisked away in one of our courtesy cars. We promised to keep her updated and we got straight to work.
I looked around the workshop and all the boys were hard at work. “I’ll take it Kev.” Said Diagnostic Dan. He was ready and eager to go, armed with his multimeters. So Dan got to work and first he did a visual observation. This is done by looking over the car and seeing if there are any visible faults within the car. He returned a little while later and has a confused look on his face. “Well the light that came on is the engine management light (EML) and so I thought I’d start there. But Kev there does not seem to be any visible faults. I thought it was going to be a pretty open and shut case but it seems these gremlins are lurking deep within the car. He then hooked the car up to our state of the art machines and we awaited the results. Again a short while passed but this time the infamous words rang out “I’ve got it Kev.” It so transpired that the ignition coil pack was faulty and this had been the reason for the car being in a less than desirable condition. The ignition coil pack sends sparks to the spark plugs, which ignite the engine. With it being faulty the car had not been running correctly and this had been causing all the problems. If Miss B had left it any longer, there could have been much worse damage and so this time she had been lucky. The mystery was solved and so all that was remained was a call to our fantastic suppliers. They arrived promptly and we replaced the coil pack. Dan then took the car on a long road test and when he arrived back to the garage a big smile adorned his face. “We did it Kev. This car is back on the fast track.”
We called Miss B with the good news and she was very happy to have her car fixed on Sunday, ready for Monday morning. She arrived later and had nothing but gratitude for the KAM team. “Wow Kev I can’t believe you fixed it so quickly and now I’ve got my car back. KAM really is the best place to go.”
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Sutton, Long Eaton, Bulwell and Belper along with our bodywork shop are open every day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley and Heanor workshops are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.
So until next week faithful reader, drive safely and keep it shiny side up.
Dr.Kev.

Your KAM team

Hello Faithful Readers
I would just like to say hello and see how everyone is doing. If you have any questions or queries don't hesitate to ask here or call in at your nearest depot.
Our website is full the rafters with information so visit www.kamservicing.com for all contact telephone numbers and the range of services we offer.

I would also like to turn your attention to the Good Garage Scheme. They are an independent regulatory body of independent workshops and MOT centres. Customers use the website to rate garages, therefore highlighting which garages are trustworthy and which ones to stay away from.

The Good Garage Scheme requires that its members, which number over 3,000, adhere to a strict Code of Conduct and offer a 50-point Industry Standard Service. This, coupled with a customer feedback system, means that customers have peace of mind when choosing an independent garage.
Garages that join the scheme:
-Adhere to a strict Code of Conduct and pledge to have their customers’ best interests at heart
-Must agree what work needs doing with their customers before it is carried out
-Work to an industry-standard checklist
-Must supply each customer with a feedback card allowing them to give their views on service directly to the Good Garage Scheme, which operates a stringent complaints procedure
-Are subject to regular mystery shopper-style audits and face expulsion if they break the Code of Conduct

KAM are more than happy to adhere to these rules and we have been the recipients of some very positive feedback from our fantastic customers. You can visit here The Good Garage Scheme website here to see all of our feedback and we are very proud of the fact that none of our depots have a score lower than 95%.
We pride ourselves on our hard working and honest work ethic, in which we aim to help the customer and not charge them for unneccessary work. We have had many customers who have come to us complaining of rogue mechanics and garages and we make it our duty to give garages a good name.
All our depots have 5 star ratings and it is all down to our satisfied customers. So thank you to all of you who have sent in such glowing reviews. We here at KAM strive to be the best that we can be and its good to see its paying off. Till next time readers.

Dr Kev

We cut out the "jibba jabba" for Mr T

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 www.twitter.com/dr_kev.
This week we were visited by Mr T who called in to our Long Eaton depot to tell the KAM team all about his car’s woes. He was a new customer and had come here on the recommendation of a friend after some rather unfortunate experiences with previous garages. “Kev I don’t know what to do about my car, its just not running like it used to.” It so transpired that the car in question, a Honda Civic had failed its MOT and the ABS (Anti Braking System) light had appeared on the dashboard. However the MOT centre where Mr T had got the MOT done did not do repairs and so he was left with a faulty car and no means of fixing it. “I have been to a garage Kev and they said the possible damage caused could cost me thousands, this can’t be right can it. Please say you can help?" Mr T was in need of our help and after taking all of his details and dispatching him off on one of our courtesy cars we got straight to work.
Benjamin Button was the first person to volunteer to work on this week’s mystery. “I’ll take it Kev.” He was eyeing up the car, and with Diagnostic Dan already occupied, he reached for his multi meters. First he checked the wiring and there did not seem to be any visible problems, this would take some further investigating. It was time to bring out the big guns. Ben then attached the car up to one of our state of the art machines and got to work on deciphering the problem. Dan looked over curiously “Haven’t you got it yet Ben, are you sure you don’t need some help?” he asked. Ben peered out from under the bonnet, “I think we can do this one without consulting the mechanical wizard.” Joked Ben. A short time lapsed and the infamous word rang out “I’ve got it Kev.”
The problem lay in the ABS pump module, which had become faulty and was in need of replacement. This had been the reason for the ABS light’s appearance and fortunately for Mr T the damage had not been as catastrophic as it could have been. However the cost of a new ABS module system would be very high unless we could find a reconditioned one. Ben was straight on the phone and called all of our suppliers asking if a reconditioned unit could be found. He did not have much luck at first but then he struck gold after nearly an hour of calls. “I’ve got one Kev.” We called Mr T and told him of the car’s condition and let him know of the high cost that would have occurred had we used a brand new unit. He gave his permission for us to change the unit and was delighted at the price we had managed to acquire the part for.
Ben went off and picked up the part and arrived back promptly. The old ABS module unit was then replaced with the new one and it was quite a big job for Ben. Every part was removed with military precision and the engine was checked once again to ensure that no other problems had occurred. The boys then gathered around and waited in anticipation to see whether the transfer had been successful and if the car was gremlin free. Ben turned the key in ignition and the car purred with Ben showing off a resounding smile. “We did it Kev.” The ABS light was off and the car was back to it’s best, the calling about had paid off and now we could call Mr T with the good news.
“Wow Kev, you have really saved me a bundle, I can’t thankyou enough. You KAM boys really do go above and beyond.”
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Sutton and Long Eaton, Bulwell and Belper along with our bodywork shop are open ever day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley and Heanor workshops are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.

The KAM team come to police rescue

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 www.twitter.com/dr_kev.
This week we received a phone call from Mr A, who was facing a day of inconvenience due to his car’s continued woes. He sounded frustrated on the other end of the phone and was complaining about the problems that had besieged his car. “Kev it’s my Peugeot 407, it’s just lifeless I go to turn the key in the ignition and… nothing. This could not have come at a worse time.” This was true as Mr A was a police sergeant and had been helping out in the aftermath of the riots. He had been involved in keeping our streets safe and now was late for a very important strategy meeting. “You have to help me Kev, I need a car. This is an emergency.” The tables had turned and the man responsible for helping others in emergencies needed the help of the KAM team to ensure that he could get on with his job. We immediately loaded up the ‘twuck wid da fwashin lights’ and it was not long till Tasmanian Trev was on the rescue mission. He bought along a courtesy car so that Mr A could go to his meeting without any more delay. All the details were taken and a short while later Trev arrived. The car was hoisted up onto the ramp and I looked around for this week’s mystery solver. “I’ll take it” came a voice from underneath the car. It was Diagnostic Dan who had already started to look around the car with his torch.
First Dan looked over the information and spotted that Mr A had called out the AA on a previous occasion and that they had been unable to fix the fault. The fault noted was a faulty crank position sensor (CPS), which had Dan puzzled. As an ex AA employee Dan knew that they would have done all they could to fix the problem and that this one would have been quite simple to fix. So what was the reason behind the continued fault? The car was plugged up to our state of the art diagnostic machines and it was not long till the location of the fault was found. As the AA had already noted it was in deed the (CPS), which had a broken pick up magnet. This looked too good to be true but true to form Dan shouted the infamous words. “I’ve got it Kev.” The suppliers arrived later with a new CPS and Dan fitted it with military precision. Then came time to start the engine and low and behold there was no purring, as the car lay lifeless once more. It was too good to be true and it so transpired that there was more left in this mystery. Dan went back to checking over the engine and was shocked to see the latest development. The new CPS we had just fitted was broken on the tip. This did not make any sense and even our mechanical wizard Dan was worried that this would be the diagnosis that eluded him. After seeing Dan’s worried expression Senator Shaun came to inform him of some details that Mr A had forgotten to mention when his car was picked up. “There was a rattling noise coming from the gear box before the car stopped working, so that maybe somewhere to start.” The gearbox was then removed and after strenuous testing and investigating by Dan, Ben and Shaun there was a sudden chorus eruption of “we’ve got it Kev.”
It so transpired that the car had occurred a lot of wear and tear to the duel mass flywheel (DMF) and this had been catching on the CPS, in turn leading to the breakage. So again the suppliers arrived with the parts and the CPS, DMF and clutch were all replaced. With all the parts fitted the boys all waited in anticipation for the keys to be turned in the ignition. As Dan turned the keys the car jolted back to life with a soft purring.
Mr A arrived later and was elated to see his car restored and bought back to life. “Wow Kev I’m usually the one helping out in emergencies but its nice to see the tables turned.”
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Sutton and Long Eaton, Bulwell and Belper along with our bodywork shop are open ever day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley and Heanor workshops are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.

Sunday Openings

Hello Faithful readers

Don't forget to read this week's newsletter in The Nottingham Evening Post on Friday and this weeks AdMag.
It is another mechanical mystery but this week there is a twist!! Make sure to see whether our KAM boys can find the fault in Mr C's car (or has he found it himself?)

Also i would like to remind you that we are open on Sundays at our Heanor and Sawley branch. So if your car is in need of our help call in and the KAM team is sure to find the fault. many garages are closed but Sundays can sometimes be the best time to get your car fixed and ready for the week ahead. Here at KAM we pride ourselves on having a friendly and hard working approach that benefits the customer. Many of our Sunday customers are those with full time jobs, who simply don't have the time during the week.
One simple call to the KAM team and we can have your car booked in and a courtesy car arranged so that you can still enjoy your day as well as the use of a fully functioning car. This is all done at competitive prices and a fast and efficient service. So if you are experiencing any problems with your car, make sure to bring it in at your convenience and the KAM team guarantee to find the fault without any unnecessary expense being occurred.

I hope everyone is doing well and remember to visit our website at www.kamservicing.com for more information on your nearest depot.

Dr Kev

Mr D's Perilous Passat

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 www.twitter.com/dr_kev.
This week we received a visit from Mr D, who arrived at our Heanor depot in quite a panicked state. He approached the Heanor shutters and he had a very tentative look on his face. As he stopped he breathed a sigh of relief and then made his way to the warm KAM reception in hope of a solution. “Hi Kev I don’t know what is wrong with my car I just about made it here today.” Mr D explained that his car, a Volkswagen Passat had been cutting out randomly and “when its’ not doing that there is literally no power in it.” Said Mr D. This was not the only problem and Mr D added “my dashboard is like a Christmas tree, there are so many lights one day and then they’re gone the next.” Not only this, but further adding to the mystery, was that these symptoms were not all consuming and instead would just besiege the car on intermittent days. Mr D could no longer take these random breakdowns and needed an answer. “You have to help me Kev, more than those other garages I have been to. I have spent so much money on having parts replaced and different mechanics telling me they have solved the problem. Yet here I am and you’re the only people I can think off that can fix my car.” We assured Mr D that we would fix the car and keep him updated on all its developments. We also gave him our KAM guarantee that we would not add any unnecessary expenses and that we would only undertake the work that was vital to the car’s recovery. Mr D was then dispatched off in one of our courtesy cars and we got to work.
“I’ll take it Kev” came the confident voice of Diagnostic Dan who was already by the car waiting to unravel this latest mystery. First he looked over Mr D’s last few bills to see what those rogue garages had been incorrectly charging him for. The massive stack of bills were big enough to warrant their own folder and Dan first task would be wading through them to see what others had done wrong. From the past bills we found that the crank position sensor (CPS) had been replaced many times as well as a number of electrical sensors, which had been unjustly replaced. Dan finished perusing the bills and asked “Kev is there more problems when it is raining?” It seemed like a random question but on this occasion Mr D had in fact said that the problems had worsened when it was raining and wet outside. Dan had an idea of what it could be and set up our state of the art diagnostic equipment and after a short while he had located the problem. He would need to remove the scuttle panel where the pollen filter sits. It so transpired that on a previous visit to another garage the pollen filter had been replaced but they had failed to fit it properly. This meant that water was going in through the bulkhead and was dropping down the a pillar into the engine control unit (ECU) on the passenger side front under the carpets. Dan then went round to the front passenger side and lifted the carpet. Low and behold water had filled the ECU and the infamous words “I’ve got it Kev” rang through the garage.
We cleaned out the water, Mr D had come in before this could become a potential fire hazard and so the ECU would just need to be dried out instead of replacing it, which would have proved costly. After a visit from our fantastic suppliers a new pollen filter was fitted and the scuttle panel was reattached and now it was time for the road test. It was raining and so this would be the perfect test, Dan returned a while later with a smile adorning his face. The car was back to it’s best and the gremlins had been defeated. Mr D arrived later and was very happy to see his newly restored car “Wow Kev I knew I could rely on the KAM team, you really can fix all faults.”
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Sutton, Bulwell, Long Eaton, and Belper along with our bodywork shop are open ever day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley and Heanor workshops are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.

The Bulwell Boys Bust Audi Gremlins

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 www.twitter.com/dr_kev.
This week our Bulwell depot was a hive of activity as the word spreads and our workshop gets busier. Cool Hand Luke was manning the phones when Mr C walked through the door in quite a rush and looking slightly annoyed. “Hi Kev I have been reading about your depot in the newspaper and I thought I would give you a try.” Mr C lived in the Bulwell but worked in the city and was worried about his car’s latest problems. “It’s my Audi A6 it was fine and recently I have noticed some problematic changes.” Mr C had noticed a lack of power in the car over the last few days and this morning the emergence of the Engine Management Light (EML) had made him anxious so here he was. “ I don’t know what’s wrong. Please say you can help,” he said earnestly. Mr C had come in on his day off but would need the car for work the next day. “I really do need my car fixed for tomorrow if that’s not too much to ask. But judging by your column I would say that is not a problem for you KAM boys.” Mr C’s car was not completely infested with gremlins and he had bought it in before any catastrophic problems could emerge. We took all the details and dispersed Mr C off in one of our new courtesy cars so that he could enjoy the rest of his day.
As I looked around the busy workshop I saw the boys admiring the pristine Audi and a sense of excitement resonated through the air. “I’ll take it Kev,” said Benjamin Button before the other boys had even opened their mouths. So Ben got to work, first testing the car with our new state of the art equipment and while we awaited the results, Ben had a theory of his own. “If I was to hazard a guess I would say it’s the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF).” A few minutes later Ben would be proved right as the machine showed that the DPF had in fact become blocked. But there was some bad news as the DPF on an Audi costs upwards of £1000. “I’ve got it Kev.” Ben proposed that we go with option 2, which was to carry out a forced regeneration. This is when the diagnostic machines are attached and the car is run at various revs and speeds. This is done to clear out the DPF and in this case it would be highly beneficial and just as effective. The forced regeneration was undertaken and a black cloud of soot could be seen leaving the DPF. However the job was not done as the reading on the machines indicated that there were still remnants of the soot left in the DPF. These were not a big concern but they could grow over time and lead to the same problem. For phase 2 we would need to remove the DPF, which is part of the exhaust system. After it was safely removed it was time for our steam cleaner to finish the job, the steam cleaner got through all those gaps that we could not reach and the remaining soot was quickly banished. The DPF was then reinstalled and all the parts were put back safely and securely. Ben then reset the computer system within the car and the car was as good as new. It was time for the road test and as Ben turned the key in the ignition the boys waited in anticipation. “The lights gone.” Shouted Ben through the workshop.”
Mr C arrived later and was ecstatic to see his car driving so well. “Wow thanks Kev. I feel like Sebastian Vettel in this car now.”
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Sutton and Long Eaton, Bulwell and Belper along with our bodywork shop are open ever day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley and Heanor workshops are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.