Mr T's Tumultuous Tigra

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 our facebook page at www.facebook.com/kamservicing and our twitter page at www.twitter.com/dr_kev.
This week our KAM depot in Sawley was the site of bravery and heroics as we were again gifted with a mechanical mystery. Our team was hard at work with their heads under the bonnets and their bodies under the cars. Diagnostic Dan was hard at work on his first mystery of the day and the rest of the boys were stretching their diagnostic muscles. It is in the morning that we received a call from Mr T, whose Vauxhall Tigra, had suffered from a sudden state of stagnation. Mr T said that when he was driving, the car suddenly stopped and now he was calling his trusted KAM team in the hopes that we could save him.
We immediately sent Tasmanian Trev in the ‘twuck wid da fwashin lights’ and after a short while he returned with the car and Mr T in tow. Mr T was a little upset at the state of the car but did seem quite pleased at something else. He did not display the annoyance of some of our other customers when their cars are momentarily unavailable. I was curious to see what was wrong with the car but was more curious to see why Mr T was not as concerned about his car’s problems. “Well Kev I have received some good news recently and although I am worried about my car I am also happy about recent developments.” The recent developments were the recently announced plans to release details of an inquiry into the upgrade of the A453 in Nottinghamshire. Mr T was a lecturer at Nottingham Trent University in Clifton. He had been using the A453 for years and had petitioned for the upgrades for years. “Kev this is great. It is the first step to getting an upgrade and the road could really use it. I am constantly getting stuck in traffic on that road and the upgrade-if it happens will be great for all of us.” We were happy to hear the news and the work is expected to get underway in the next 3 years so even our customers coming down from Nottingham can have a smoother and easier ride in. It will also mean that our ‘twuck wid da fwashin lights’ can get to our customers quicker and we await the decision to start work.
We took all of Mr T’s details and then we dispatched him off in one of our courtesy cars so that he could get back to work and not have to suffer any more inconvenience. Benjamin Button hooked the car up to our state of the art machines and proceeded to check the injection system and the fuel pressures. He was armed with his pressure gauges and the results of the diagnostic machine were released. It was a fuel pressure problem and he wanted to ensure that this was in fact the problem so he took out a rather unorthodox test. He rigged up a separate electric fuel pump from a can of petrol and ignited the engine. The car roared back to life and the infamous words rang out “I’ve got it Kev.” It so transpired that the electric fuel pump was faulty and so this would need to be replaced. Our fantastic suppliers arrived later with the new part and Ben fitted it and then got behind the wheel. He turned the key in the ignition and after a few seconds ... the car roared back to life. “We did it Kev. This car is back on the fast track.”
Mr T arrived later and was very happy to have his car back in such great condition and at such a great price. “Wow Kev, I can’t believe it. I just seemed to be inundated with good news these days. I can always count on KAM to put a smile on my face.”
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.

Mr G's Landrover Leaves Him In The Lurch

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 and our facebook page at www.facebook.com/kamservicing
This week we received a visit from Mr G; a new customer here at KAM and his entrance into the forecourt was quite unremarkable. As he approached the KAM offices in his Landrover Defender, it was obvious that his car was in a less than desirable state. His car slumped along, dragging like a snail and behind the wheel was Mr G, looking impatient and willing his car to make it to the parking bay. He finally arrived in the parking space and his car had none of the vigour and power that Landrovers usually possess. He walked into the warm reception and the warmth enveloped him. He breathed a sigh of relief and then began to regale the problems that had besieged his car. “Hi Kev, I have heard you are the best in town and I thought I would come and test you out.” Mr G had come to KAM after reading our blog and visiting the Good Garage Scheme website, where we have rated very highly in all categories. “Kev I have done my research and I am not expecting to get fleeced like a did at the last place I went to. At the previous garage I visited they told me they were going o fix my car when the problems were fairly new. But as you can guess Kev, they didn’t so much fix it as, make a number of unnecessary replacements and I was lumbered with the massive bill and no solution.” Mr G looked visibly and agreeably angry as he told the story and now his car was in a worse condition and he needed the KAM team’s help. We told him that we here at KAM aim to provide a good and honest service and that he could expect only to pay for the necessary work. The car as Mr G explained had been suffering from a lack of power and the appearance of the engine management light (EML). “My car just isn’t what it used to be. The last garage told me it was the turbo but they wanted me to pay an extortionate amount of money for it. Now I am putting my faith in you Kev and I have a feeling that I will not be disappointed.” We took all of Mr G’s details and then dispatched him of in one of our courtesy cars. Then a familiar voice said: “I’ll take this one Kev,” As I turned up to look I saw Diagnostic Dan with his head in the car log, perusing the car’s history. He then got straight to work and started by undertaking some preliminary observations. When there was no visible faults see he then started up the diagnostic machines for a bout of rigorous testing. The machines were plugged in to the car and we awaited the results. A short while later, the paper was released and Dan looked in anticipation. “I’ve got it Kev,” It so transpired that the wiring leading to the turbo solenoid was faulty. So the last garage had misinformed Mr G and it was actually the smaller, less expensive issue of faulty wires that had lead to the car’s proceeding problems. Dan undertook the repair and all that was required was a new part of the wiring loom from our fantastic suppliers. These arrived promptly and Dan fitted them with military precision and the moment of truth arrived. Dan took the car for a road test arrived back at the garage with a huge grin across his face. “Wow it is driving fantastically. This car is definitely back on the fast track.”
Mr G arrived later and was very happy to see the car back to its previous glory and he was even more pleased with the bill. “Thanks Kev, I‘m glad I made the wise decision to come to KAM and I’ll definitely be returning.”
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.

Mrs D's Nissan Nuisance

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 our facebook page at www.facebook.com/kamservicing and our twitter page at www.twitter.com/dr_kev.
This week we received a visit from Mrs D who was a new customer here at KAM and was in need of our team’s help. As she approached the Belper depot she looked visibly upset and we would have to placate her using our expert knowledge, but first a coffee was in order. After Mrs D had calmed down a little she explained her car’s recent problems and the continuing woes she had suffered. “Kev my car has not been right for a while. I went to my previous garage 4 times and spent over £800 and yet here I am, out of pocket and with a faulty car.” Mrs D explained that her car had been holding back at 2500-3000 revs and this was making for a very uncomfortable drive and a lot of inconvenience. The car in question was a Nissan Note and Mrs D was eager to have her car back as soon as possible. Mrs D was a voluntary worker and was eagerly anticipating the decision by city council to cut funds to Derbyshire voluntary groups. “Kev I can’t believe it. Our group is doing important work within the community and we may have to go under. My car being faulty is the least of my problems but I really could do without this.” Mrs D was a member of a well-known voluntary organization in Derby and was very upset to hear when their funding was cut last month. But there was a ray of hope as the city council cabinet was to meet on Tuesday night to reconsider the decision and to hopefully keep these organizations open.
“Kev look I am quite pre-occupied at the moment and we are really hoping this decision
will get overturned. But while we wait I would really appreciate it if you could fix my car with no hassle. I work a lot on the Internet and so have done my research. I have read that you are the best garage in the Midlands and a lot of my friends recommended you. So I’m here to put my faith in you and I’m hoping at least you can bring me some good news.”
We took all of Mrs D’s details and then she was whisked away in one of our new courtesy cars. As soon as she was off to save Derby’s disenfranchised, we got straight to work on her car. Benjamin Button was this week’s mystery solver and he began by plugging the car up to one of our state of the art diagnostic machines and awaited the results. A short wile later the infamous words rang out “I’ve got it Kev.” It so transpired that the lambda or oxygen sensor was working outside of its parameters and this had been the reason for the car’s sporadic revving. This had been quite a simple case for our talented Ben and it was surprising to us that other garages had failed to spot such an easily identifiable and easily fixed fault. After a quick call to our fantastic suppliers the part arrived promptly and Ben replaced and fitted the new sensor with military style precision. Then came the road test and we made sure that we took it on a long road test so that we could see all the revs and ensure that the car was fixed. Ben returned and shouted “We did it Kev. This car is back on the fast track.” All this was done at a fraction of the price that Mrs. D had paid for the last 4 visits to her previous garage.
Mrs D arrived later and was ecstatic to have her car back to its best and road worthy once again. Although the decision on the organizations is yet to be made she was very happy to have one aspect of her life not in disarray. “Wow Kev I can’t believe it, you really helped me out and it is great to see that in a time of uncertainty there are still good, honest people willing to help out.”
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.

Mr F's Ferrari 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 www.twitter.com/dr_kev
This week we were visited by Mr F who was very annoyed at a recent wide spread problem that had hit the Long Eaton area. “Kev I can’t believe it. First my water goes and then I get this problem I really cannot deal with this today. Mr F like many others had been affected by the water shortage that had enveloped the town and many people were up in arms. “Kev I woke up this morning to a lack of water and a lack of a working car, it is just lifeless. Please say you can help.” Mr F was desperate he needed the KAM team’s help and in this time of need we were more than happy to help out. Believe it or not the KAM team at our Long Eaton and Sawley depots also suffered from the water shortage. We were unable to undertake our complimentary car washes for a short time, all water needed for topping up levels was not available and at one point we couldn’t even wash our hands. This meant that our team was famished by lunchtime but even under the most extreme cases the KAM team always keeps the main goal in mind. “I guess we can manage a few more hours without food Kev. We can’t let our loyal customers down now can we.” Said Benjamin Button getting stuck into his yet another mystery. You can always count on the KAM team to provide a high quality of service no matter the circumstance.
Now back to Mr F.
We immediately loaded up with the twuck wid da fwashin lights and Tasmanian Trev embarked on his journey to rescue Mr F. A short while later he returned to the garage with a sullen Mr F and his lifeless Ferrari F355 in tow. While Trev unloaded the car and hoisted it up onto the ramp, Mr F entered our warm KAM reception. He breathed a sigh of relief and regaled us with the woes that his car had suffered. “Kev I’m so glad that you could see me today. This water business had sent me crazy this morning but it’s nice to see someone actually trying to solve a problem and not leaving their customers in the lurch.” The Ferrari had been suffering from a ‘binding brake’ this is when the brake remains on while the car is on and prohibits any movement of the car. This is what Mr F had woken up to and now he needed our help. We assured him that the car would be fixed and that he would not suffer any more inconvenience. He was happy to hear this and was even happier to have access to one of our courtesy cars. So when all the details were given Mr F was dispatched of and we got straight to work.
Superman Sundeep was this week’s mystery solver and he got to work stripping back the brakes so that he could take a closer look. It was not long till the infamous words rang out “I’ve got it Kev.” It so transpired that the brake calipers had seized up and this had been the reason that the brakes were sticking and that there was no pressure to the brakes. Sundeep called our fantastic suppliers and they arrived promptly. Sundeep then fitted new front brakes calipers and put the brakes back together with the kind of military precision we are known for.
So all that remained was to test the car and see if the procedure we had undertaken had been successful. Sundeep went on a road test and when he returned a smile adorned his face as he shouted the infamous words. “We did it Kev. This car is back on the fast track.”
Mr F arrived later and was ecstatic to have his car back so soon. I can’t believe it; my car is as good as new. I really am pleased to see a business that puts their customers first. Thanks.”
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.

Officer D's Range Rover comes under 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 and queries at www.twitter.com/dr_kev.
This week I would just like to say that I like many others have been glued to my screen when “Coppers’ is on. The documentary follows Nottingham’s finest and it has been a real treat to see the inner workings of the police and the men and women behind the force. I have really enjoyed the insight into the various areas of the police and it was great spotting familiar places around Nottingham. It is great to see men and women so dedicated to what they are doing and it reminds me of the hard work the KAM team have put in over the years to become a garage people can rely on and trust in. Now, granted we are not the police but we are committed to keeping the streets safe, from faulty cars. This brings me nicely to this week’s mystery in which we were visited by one of the boys in blue, Mr D, who arrived at our Heanor depot one morning, in need of help.
“Kev I can’t believe this, I am just so frustrated with this car now. It has caused me nothing but problems and I have been informed by my colleagues that you are the best in the area.” Mr D was a new customer here at KAM and was skeptical about garages having previously had bad experiences. “Kev a lot of people don’t know I am a police officer and I’ve found that some just want to take you for a ride, no pun intended. The last garage I went to wanted me to pay lots of money for the repairs and they didn’t even fix my car.” Mr D was very angry and had taken steps to ensure that the garage would not providing an inadequate services to future customers. “I have been told that, that won’t happen here so I am trusting you to fix my car.”
The car in question was a Range Rover Sport and the problem was that the dashboard was illuminated with a plethora of lights, which had appeared recently.
“I hope you can find the problem and I can finally have a fault free car.” Joked Mr D.
We took all of Mr D’s details and then dispatched him of in one of our courtesy cars so that he could get back to keeping the streets safe from criminals. I then looked around the workshop to see who this week’s mystery solver would be. “I’ll take it Kev.” When I turned around Tasmanian was already shoulders deep into the bonnet and had already started the preliminary observations to see if there were any visible faults. “I think I will have to go old school on this one. It’s time to break out the volt meters.” Trev suspected the problem lay within the alternator and so he would test the voltage out of the alternator. After a short while of testing the infamous words rang out “I’ve got it Kev.” It so transpired that the alternator was faulty and that this was preventing the right amount of charge from reaching the battery. This had also sent the parameters of the ECU (engine control unit) off base and so this had been the cause of the many lights appearing on the dashboard. After a quick call to our fantastic suppliers the new part arrived and Trev used military precision to install the new alternator. Then because the ECU was faulty the fault codes would need to be taken out and thanks to our state of the art machines this was easily done by Trev. Trev then tested the car; the key went into the ignition and all the boys waited…. A roar resonated from the car and Trev echoed the infamous word “this car is back on the fast track.”
Later Mr D arrived at the garage and was very happy to see his car roar back to life when he ignited the engine. “Wow Kev I guess there are some honest reliable garages left. I think this calls for a round of donuts.”
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Sutton, Long Eaton, Bullwell 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 C's Cat-Astra-phe

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
I would just like to pay my respects to Nigel Doughty, he was a great leader of Nottingham Forest and his family is in our prayers. As a long time Nottingham Forest supporter and having met the great man himself, I am very sad to hear the news and send my condolences to all the people he touched.
This week we received a visit from Miss C, who was a new customer here at KAM and she was in a way after hearing about us from a neighbour. But Miss C was not on her way in the traditional form as her car was currently out of service and she was at that very moment, in the tow truck in need of a quick rescue. “Kev the recovery service were really helpful in picking me up fast but now I need my car fixed. I need to get back to school.” It so transpired that Miss C was a teacher had found her car in a state this morning and was too scared to drive it. “Kev I don’t know what happened. I went out to my car this morning and there was a horrible noise resonating from the car.” Miss C had been so startled by the noise that she then called up the AA who were on their way to our Tamworth Road depot. A short while later the AA turned up onto our forecourt in their own ‘twuck wid da fwashin lights’ and Miss C’s Vauxhall Astra was lagging behind. While the car was unloaded Miss C entered our warm KAM offices and we greeted her with a hot coffee to ward off the icy weather outside.
“Miss C then regaled us with the details of her car and was in some what of a hurry to get her car back in working order. “Kev with it being Valentines Day tomorrow, I was hoping to have my car. I have organized a very romantic day for my boyfriend tomorrow and I am so upset that this has happened at totally the wrong time. Miss C was upset and needed the KAM team’s help. Moreover as she was a teacher she was currently missing work because of her car. “Kev this car is just causing me too many inconveniences please say you can help.” Miss C was desperate and we wanted to make her Valentine’s Day a special one so we got straight to work. Here at KAM we are quite the romantics and we wanted to ensure that Miss C’s plans for the big day were not ruined. We took all of Miss C’s details and dispatched her off in one of our courtesy cars so that she could get to work. Diagnostic Dan was this week’s mystery solver and he was straight to work perusing the AA report. “Mmmm well they seem to think it is a burst water pump. We will have to do our own diagnostic tests to determine the cause.” He got to work first undertaking some preliminary observations to see if there were any visible faults within the car. Unfortunately it would not be that easy and so Dan would need to dig a little deeper. He then undertook a pressure test, to check the rest of the car. After some rigorous testing the results were ready and the fault became clear. The pressure test showed that there was water leaking from the cam belt covers and so he would need to take them off to discover where the fault lay. He took the cam belt covers off with all the skill and precision that you can expect from our KAM engineers. It was not long till the infamous words rang “I’ve got it Kev.” It so transpired that the water pump was in fact collapsed and this had been the reason for the worrying noises and the water leaking. We called up our fantastic suppliers and they arrived promptly. Dan then replaced the cam belt and tensioner kit as well as the water pump due to slight damage and anti-freeze contamination to the belt as you can’t be too careful. The pressures were returned to normal and we also topped up all the levels in the engine bay and checked the tyre pressures.
We did our road test and the car roared back to life with no sign of the previous noises. Miss C arrived later and was ecstatic to have her car back to its previous vigour. “Wow Kev, thanks so much. You are my very own St Valentines.
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Sutton, Long Eaton, Bullwell 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.

Mr J's Primera Perplexity

This week we received a visit from Mr J, a new customer to KAM, who was in dire need of the KAM teams help. It was a bright and brisk Monday morning and the KAM boys were hard at work. Tasmanian Trev was getting started on his first mystery of the day and the rest of the boys were rooting through their toolboxes, looking for the right tools to effectively beat those pesky gremlins. We have been very busy over the winter period as more and more customers take advantage of our free winter check. If your car becomes victim to the weather the effects can be detrimental and very costly. So come down to KAM and we will check your brakes, tyre pressures, anti freeze, lights and levels to ensure that your car is ready to take on all conditions.
On this particular morning Mr J called into our Bulwell depot and was in quite a panicked state. “Oh Kev, please say you can help me. I don’t know what else to do. Everyone is staring and I just can’t believe this has happened here.” Mr J sounded hysterical and I was eager to hear what predicament had got him in such a twist. “Kev my Nissan Primera has just stopped right here in the middle of the petrol station. Please say you can help.” Mr J had been filling up and had gone to restart the car and was met with a heavy silence as the car had failed to start. Now he was stuck at the petrol station with a broken down car and he needed the KAM team’s help. Tasmanian Trev was first to load up the ‘twuck wid da fwashin lights’ and sped away to rescue Mr J from his petrol station jam. He also went with a courtesy car in tow so that Mr J could get on with his day with no further embarrassment or inconvenience.
Trev arrived back at the garage a short while later. I looked around the workshop and everyone appeared to be busy. There were bodies under cars and heads under bonnets as the boys worked hard on their cars. I did wonder if this would be my chance to dust off my old diagnostic gloves and get stuck into our newest mystery. I was just about to get stuck in when I heard the infamous words “This car is back on the fast track. What’s next?” It was the voice of Benjamin Button and he was ready for his next mechanical mission. He got straight to work and hoisted the car up onto the ramp so the mystery solving could commence. Armed with his gauges and diagnostic machine, Ben got to work and awaited the results. After a short while the infamous words rang out “I’ve got it Kev. I can’t believe it was that easy actually.” It so transpired that the starter motor had shorted out and was the reason for the car’s stagnant position. We called up our fantastic suppliers and the part arrived promptly and Ben fitted it with military style precision. It then came time for the moment of truth and Ben turned the key in the ignition. The boys waited with bated breath as the key was turned and… a gentle purring erupted from the engine. “That’s another one back on the fast track Kev, I wish they were all that easy”
Mr J arrived later and was elated to see his car back in such great condition. “Wow Thanks Kev, as a first time customer it’s so great to see you take care of all your customers with such great care and attention.”
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