Automotive
Transit Key Blade Only Replacement
This is an appreciation post more than anything and hopefully points someone in the right direction. I recently needed to source a key blade for Transit. Easy you think. Think again. No ones interested in supplying a key blade only. Ford will only supply a key fob and blade. Then program it, quoted £240. Local…
What Oil Should I Put In My W212 E-Class
Introduction When it comes to oil, its a bit of slippery slope if you just put anything in. By not using the correct oil the most probable future problem is carbon build up, probably in the exhaust/DPF, maybe in the EGR system or in the inlet manifold. Using the right oil (at the right intervals)…
Guide, How To Fit A ‘Dummy’ OBD Port On A Fiesta
Introduction Previously, I wrote a post about how our Fiesta got stolen, by the ‘program a key method’. This time, a quick guide on how to fit a ‘dummy’ OBD port. This is based on the Fiesta 2008 – 2017 but similar for all Fords. This will cost around a tenner, take 15 minutes of…
W212 ECO Stop/Start & Additional Battery
Introduction I’ve heard & read a lot about how people think the ECO Stop / Start & additional battery works and it’s time to set the record straight. I think that the most common misconception around this is, that it is this battery restarts the engine once its stopped. It doesn’t. Glad I’ve cleared that…
W212 OM651 E220 Coolant Leak – Fuel Filter Housing – Common Problem
Introduction Whilst this problem is not just limited to the E Class, it is certainly a common problem on the OM651 engine. Many a time we come across the customer complaint of coolant light coming on, but no obvious leak. There are a few usual suspects, namely the coolant pump or thermostat housing, but one…
Stolen 20.04.23 – Our Ford Fiesta Titanuim Mk7.5 2015 -Keyless – How To Prevent
Background PS, – I don’t have a photo of the car in question, Picture is courtesy of Mike B – Photography (pexels.com) This is really just something that I thought would not happen to us. Even though its a common topic amongst people in our area every now and then, I thought, “who wants to…
S212 E350 E Class – Rear Suspension Dropping
Big shout out to ‘Jeff Z Pan‘ for letting me use this write up and pictures. His own words follow. All his pictures at the bottom of the page. I will list a few Mercedes part numbers for reference at the end too. Disclaimer:This post is NOT an instruction.This post is only to share my…
2016 W212 OM651 E-Class Now Up to 350,000 Miles / 7 Years Old – What’s gone on
3 years a go I posted this: Running A 2016 W212 M651 E-Class Up to 300,000 Miles / 4 Years Old – What’s It Like. This post mainly was about the life it had in previous ownership, however the last three years have been my use. My use of this car was always going to…
2015 W212 E-Class OM651 Air filter Replacement (Low MPG)
On a whole since i had a engine ECU software update back little while ago (was done as part of NOX sensor replacement procedure) its not been so great. From what I read on FB groups it seems to be “a thing”. The gist is that
OM651 (W212) Intake / EGR Diagram & Part Numbers
Pretty much as requested for member of the W212 Owners Club on Facebook, gasket part numbers and prices. I have included affiliate links to eBay searches for each part number – please support me if you can! Sometimes parts pictured are not nessacerrily fitted to the vehicle. Prices are correct at 01/03/2022. (genuine all plus…
W212 Facelift Headlamp Lens Replacement
A light knock on the headlamp can result in a cracked lens – this is not good with modern headlamps as the electronics inside will get wet and eventually lead to failure of the control units and / or the actual lamp itself. As an example, in the case of the W212 facelift with option…
2015 Transit 2.2 RWD Euro 6 P2598 P0299
Now this is a story all about how, My life got flipped turned upside down, And I’d like to take a minute, just sit right there, I’ll tell you how I became the owner of a fault called P0299.
‘Noise from engine’. E Class W213 – OM654
More specifically, a ‘ dull plopping noise from the intake manifold – when the air filter is removed’. In our case, all the time – the customer had complained for a little while that the engine was noisy. It sounded a bit odd but there wasn’t anything specific that we could say at that point. Until it got worse and it was at the point that it needed
KIA C-Apostrophe-D (C’eed) Daytime Running Light Fault
Kia C’eeds from 2012 – 2018 suffer with a daytime running light fault, reportedly due to a inherent issue with the circuit board within the headlamp that provides power for the LED strip in question – it overheats and fails. There is no manufacture fix for this other than to replace the headlamp, however options have come up within the aftermarket – replace the circuit board. Much better option than new lamps at small fortune.
Understanding Mercedes Assyst Plus Service Display / Workshop Codes
“My Mercedes is due a service.”
“Ok, do you know what service it’s due?”
“I’m not sure, I think its a ‘A’… 3 something?”
Mercedes Benz service codes can be a bit of a pain to understand at first. But by the end of this post, hopefully all will be a bit clearer.
W212 E-Class & Apple CarPlay / Android Auto
Most of you have probably come from the Facebook W212 Owners Club group interested in getting Apple Car-Play / Android-Auto working on your W212 E-Class, especially that i noted that i got it all working for free, which is true, however probably won’t be for most people. Although with the help of this info I’m pretty sure that ANY independent Mercedes specialist (with the right diagnostics equipment) or dealer for that fact will be able to get it working on the vehicles that have the right hardware already installed in the car. (And hopefully i can guide you to a solution if it can’t be done on the hardware you have).
Running A 2016 W212 M651 E-Class Up to 300,000 Miles / 4 Years Old – What’s It Like
This particular car is one I’ve recently purchased, its now on 310,000 miles, I’ve had it since around 308,000. I purchased from a chauffeur, my work has done every single service & defect repair. Its a 2016, W212 Facelift, SE Premium, Standard Suspension, Obsidian Black, M651 Engine. Its worth noting that there are many different options.
BMW 1 Series (F20), N13 Engine, Cut Out, Non Start
To no surprise we had another BMW 1 Series recovered in, had cut out and now won’t start – here’s what we found, how we went about it and what the fix turned out to be. A few car details first: 2013 BMW 1-Series, F20 shape, 118i N13 Petrol engine. Initially, this made me think
BMW Wiring Diagrams, Repair Instructions etc
If you are a BMW enthusiast, geek, DIYer or even a garage looking for repair information I can’t recommend this site enough. www.newtis.info It has all the info you could need from the likes of The E36 / E39 right through to the current models (Time of writing this, 2019).
Painting Your Workshop Floor
Our workshop floor was tired, almost paintless, had ground in dirt, oil (Cue Barry Scott) and a generally not much going for it. The whole floor had varying levels of paint left on it, some bits had been filled and left smooth in its time, some bits not so smooth. Having never painted a workshop floor, here be a show of how it went and what we did! This is by no means definitive, but its how it went…
Motor Trade Gold {episode 1}
Gold
(Gold)
Always believe in your soul… well thats how the song goes.
I think this is more of stress reliever to me, to show the world that we have to deal with people that just dont understand cars sometimes and even manufactures struggle to get things right. Screenshotted for your leisurely viewing.
BMW Online Digital Service Book & iDrive Service History – Why, How, What
What is BMW digital service book? What is BMW iDrive service history? How does it work? How do i update BMW digital service book? Digital service history for cars has superseded traditional books, although there are a few manufactures hanging on, I cannot see it being long before all are digital. Due to block exemption…
Project Cars, What To Consider Before Starting
Having had various ‘project’ cars through the years, I cannot think of a time that I can remember of one that I have ‘finished’ (below included as ‘its in progress’). The Fiesta Duratec Turbo is one that i would consider 60% finished, it has been a gruelling 6 years from buying it, starting its life…