Recent content by Burnerman

That’s as good as anyone could do, Bill. Well done! John

A product called Wonder Wheels is possibly the most aggressive of the alloy wheel cleaners.....brush it on, leave it a while then rinse it away. Keep it off the brake calipers if you can! John :)

If the engine is chuffing black smoke, is the choke flap shut? This doesn't explain any sparking from the exhaust of course. Next point - did you connect the rods from the governor to the carb correctly? If the flywheel key has sheared, the flywheel should be fine.....however, there may be some...

Try a new spark plug first but if still no joy there is a chance that the flywheel to crankshaft key has sheared, so the ignition timing is lost. Not as uncommon as you might think! The flywheel has to come off to be certain of course but it is worth checking. John :)

The ‘management ‘ drives a 19 plate Honda HRV. A pal of hers forgot to apply the handbrake on her Fiesta which rolled into the Honda......a nice crease on the bumper and boot lid. Not a mark on the Fiesta! Into the body shop with a fist full of cash and the car came back within a week...

I think you'd be amazed what can be pushed out of plastic parts with the careful application of heat.......however this does seem more difficult maybe as it's been pushed and creased from the right. If you want to continue, check out the strengthening bar behind the plastic for damage - remove...

More often than not you don't detect any play in wheel bearings - but they don't half drone when they are worn! Steering the car along loads and unloads the bearing and sometimes the noise comes and goes. The squeak is likely just to be a build up of brake dust. Even DIY scanners can look at...

The MAP sensor is the big problem for these......so check the inlet manifold for any other sensor connections though! If the code just won’t shift I’d be considering the operation of the EGR system which can give a filthy inlet manifold! John

The MOT advisories are easily dealt with, but you do need to determine the under body corrosion. The biggest alarm bell for me is the automatic transmission......I’ve always found French autos to be problematic and therefore would avoid them. John

‘Er indoors decided to have twin ovens, the type where the door slides down out of the way......Neff I think they are. Successful enough and the door comes off readily for cleaning. Goes back on too! That’s my job, and I’ve found a cleaning kit called Oven Pride......basically a heavy duty...

Check your supply cable is capable of handling the electrical load......our 5 hob induction needed a 10mm cable which wasn’t a problem because the kitchen was completely redone. Ours is a Caple (I think, MKM supplied) and we also have a Bosch at the weekender. The Bosch is simpler to use but...

If the air conditioning was at fault, I can't see why this would throw up a starter fault code! If an air con belt can't spin the compressor for whatever any reason, the belt will shriek and then burn....there will be rubber traces left on pulleys and physical and visible damage to the belt...

Perils of a tiny screen chaps - but is that the same as a CV boot clip? I have the proper setting tool but joiners pincers will do (at a pinch :sick:) Sometimes there just isn't enough room to get the jubilee worm screw in. They are reusable but better to use new, I think. John :)

Our postie, canny lad, suffered a dog bite in a village nearby. The delivery was to a private house. Apparently he has a badly damaged finger and is off work just now. Hardly the reason that you go to work for. Just wondering......what happens here? Does he get automatic compensation? Are...

I did try to reconnect one of the hoses I’ve mentioned with a jubilee clip, but it wasn’t having any of it. Blew off in no time! The only thing that would hold it was the OE horseshoe wire clip that VW use but that had gone AWOL. John