MostlyYank

I wanted to mention, I cleaned my intake out last weekend. If you look for 'Seafoam' treatments online you'll see what I'm talking about. I use Chemtool B12 (it's a lot cheaper).

The amount of black soot that will come out is amazing and speaks to the usefulness of this cleaning. I do it once a year.

Basically you disconnect a vacuum line that leads into the intake manifold and pour the chemical directly into it. Be sure it's going to the intake! I used the PCV line on mine. I know some people use the vacuum line to the brake booster.

I pour some in, perhaps a third of a can, start the car (I have to work the throttle on mine to keep it running with the cleaner in there) until the soot clears, repeat as necessary. I had to use two cans this time around. I know some people will do this and then add another can and let it sit overnight for a deep clean.

Without fail my engine has run smoother after this simple and inexpensive treatment. Often my gas mileage will go up slightly as well. I have seen filthy intakes, where little channels inside it are plugged or very restricted.

Once again though be sure you're doing it right Your mechanic should be able to show you where to pour. If he refuses call him a wanker and find another

Add legal disclaimers about my responsibility here The stuff is a solvent so don't pour it on your paint.

Pete

Anian

My neighbours have had this happen to them twice! Different card each time. The second time was last week, the car will cost so much to repair that that they just gave it to garage to cover the towing costs. They always took their car to a friend for a free oil change and never to a garage for any general checks.

I'd do the oil change myself if it wasn't so much hassle - only costs a bit more than buying the bits myself and they check everything else at the same time (rarely find much wrong).

Bob

We had the serpentine belt go a couple weeks back. That was fun...as we'd just had the car in the garage to get some stuff checked out, oil change and new tyres put on and told everything was okay.

Belt went as we exited the motorway, down the road from home so we were lucky to coast home before the engine over heated as we'd lost power steering, cooling, AC, the works.

$80 to tow it to any of the garages in town....so we re-joined AAA for $35 and was told if we ask for a tow then it would be another $30, but if we call back on a separate call after about 10 mins, it would be free as we'd be members. So the tow only cost us a extra $6 as you get the first 3 miles free and then $3 a mile there after.

$150 for a belt, pulley and labour, but the tensioner was also knackered and that was another $150. It was wonky too, the garage tried taking it apart to replace the bearings I think, but it still wasn't spinning properly.

Tad annoying, seemed like oil had spilled onto the belt and weakened it, it was knackered already apparently, but this made it worse and the duff tensioner, it just fell apart.

If anyone who wants a Saab/BMW specialist that ain't a dealer, in the metro west area and doesn't want to get hosed by the labour rates of the place in Wayland, I'll ping you the details as this place weren't bad. There's another Saab specialist in Marlborough too, near the really good Texan BBQ place.

BritishGuy36

I had an Astra once, it was coming due for it's 80k service where they would have changed the timing belt.

At 78,500 miles I was driving down the M6 at ... err ... the speed limit and the timing belt snapped .... only 1500 miles too soon ....

Cost £4k to fix it all, apparently. Thankfully it was a company vehicle so I just gave someone else the keys and told them to fix it.