Dave Hopkins Auto Repairs share many of the mechanical issues they see in their Hackham workshop that can occur in your vehicle and why it's important to have your car regularly serviced. 

These are issues 'you should be aware of' to keep your car running in the best condition.

The main role the TIMING BELT (also known as Cam Belt) is to control the timing and sequence of when the valves to the cylinders open and close. 

To do that, it makes sure that the crankshaft and the camshaft rotate in sync.

The engine’s camshaft controls the valves, letting fuel and air in and out.

The crankshaft moves the pistons up and down at the same time.

These 2 actions must be synchronised to avoid damage to the valves, pistons or other engine parts.

It is important to replace the Timing Belt at the correct interval, whether by kilometres, or time.

The following photo's are of a severely cracked Timing Belt that was due for replacement 12 months prior, but had not reached the kilometre interval. This belt could have snapped at any time and without warning.

If the cam belt snaps while you are driving, the engine could seize up, causing steering and brakes to fail. The pistons can hit the valves in the cylinders, damaging the engine resulting in a very costly repair.

Normal engine combustion creates gases, water vapor, fuel fragments and acids inside the engine. These are held in suspension in the motor oil. If the oil is changed at regular intervals, most of the sludge particles are drained away with the used oil. 

However, if the oil is not changed regularly, over time the by-products form sludge. Sludge build-up within your engine can cause:-

reduced cooling ability of the oil causing an increased strain on the cooling system

We recommend regular engine oil and oil filter replacement. In vehicles with low regular mileage, we also recommend the use of an engine flush additive before replacing the engine oil. Speak to our team to see what is best for your vehicle.

The INLET / INTAKE MANIFOLD supplies the fuel/air mixture to the cylinders. Even distribution of this mixture is important to optimize the efficiency and performance of the engine.

A clogged MANIFOLD can affect the power and efficient performance of your engine.

Dave Hopkins Auto Repairs share many of the common issues they deal with on a regular basis in their Hackham automotive workshop.

Common mechanical maintenance issues you should be aware of that can affect your vehicles performance.

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We advise that our workshop will be closed for the Christmas period from midday Friday the 23rd of December and reopening on Monday the 15th of January

We advise that our workshop will be closed for the Christmas period from the close of business on Thursday the 21st of December and reopening on Monday the 8th of January

Dave Hopkins Auto Repairs is serving the South for over 35 years with honest car service and competitive prices on your automotive spare parts and repairs.

The service centre has extensive machinery on site for rebuilding engines and gear boxes as well as head facing, valve grinding, flywheel and brake disc machining, along with exhaust and steering repairs or replacements. Keep in mind, we include a cooling system check with all our services. At Dave Hopkins Auto Repairs you will find that customer satisfaction is the first priority at our car service. 

Car service also available on Saturdays by appointment.

Dave Hopkins Auto Repairs

Mechanical problems to avoid

Dave Hopkins Auto Repairs share many of the mechanical issues they see in their Hackham workshop that can occur in your vehicle and why it's important to have your car regularly serviced.

These are issues 'you should be aware of' to keep your car running in the best condition.

Timing Belt Deterioration

Oil Sludge Build up

Inlet / Intake Manifold

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