The lifetime of the timing belt depends on the make and model of your vehicle, as well as your driving habits. Every car manufacturer will recommend a different age and mileage to replace the timing belt. As a very general rule, you can expect to change the timing belt every 5 years at the latest. If you are a high mileage driver, you may find your timing belt needs to be replaced betweek 70,000-100,000 miles, which you might reach quicker.

Any damage to the timing belt could of course mean that you need to replace it sooner.

In any case, you should check your maintenance or handbook for the recommended replacement interval for your vehicle. If you’re not sure, come in and see us. 

If the battery warning light is showing on your dashboard, it could be that the battery is failing to charge. It’s possible that the alternator isn’t working correctly or the battery itself may need changing.

In either case, it’s important to have your battery checked by one of our technicians. If the battery fails completely, you won’t be able to start your car.

Drum brakes use pads and shoes inside a casing (the drum) to slow your vehicle down. The pads are pushed outwards, causing friction. Disc brakes on the other hand are arranged differently; a disc mounted to the wheel is gripped on both sides by brakes pads. Again this causes friction and slos the vehicle down.

Disc brakes generally provide more braking power and most cars will have these mounted at the front of the vehicle. Some will still have drum brakes mounted at the back, which are required to do less braking.

Both types of braking system use the same principal of applying friction in order to slow down your vehicle, so both will wear out over time.

Tyre wear and incorrect tyre pressure have a major effect on your fuel consumption. Tyres are designed to be efficient at a precise pressure; if they are not inflated enough, the tyre will be squashed against the road, causing more friction. In turn, this means that fuel conmsumption can go up by as much as 20%. Likewise over-inflating your tyres can be bad for fuel consumption. Make sure to check the correct pressures for your vehicle, which can usually be located in your handbook, or on a sticker inside the car (for example, on the inside of the door).

If the tread on your tyres has worn away, they won’t perform to their best either. As your tyres won’t be able to grip the road as well, you’ll use more energy (and fuel) when accelerating.

There could be a problem with the catalytic converter or the lambda sensor. The lambda sensor is located in the exhaust system and allows the engine to control the ratio of air and fuel. When this sensor is damaged, the signal to the engine fails. This sends the vehicle into a limp mode, which generally prevents the vehicle from going over 40 mph.

If the catalytic converter is damaged on the other hand, harmful gases are not transformed correctly. Again, a signal is sent to the engine, switching it to limp mode.

In either case, call your local Eurorepar Car Service Centre who will be able to diagnose the issue and suggest a solution.