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The electronic ignition kits are a "fit and forget" item; once installed, there's no need to go near them again. However, if you enjoy tinkering, playing around with points and condensers, together with measuring dwell angles then stick with the old method! As has been said, properly set up...

No the heater's not part of the M.O.T. (unless the test is carried out on a VERY hot day and the tester's in a bad mood!) As to the fog lamp, both the fog lamp and the warning lamp on the dashboard must illuminate when then switch is operated and the car's lights are on. In other words it...

The bearings need an occasional few drops of oil, but only a few drops, as you don't want oil on the commutator! The fan belt tension is important, too. Although too loose a belt may mean insufficient charging, too tight a belt puts a strain on the dynamo's bearings.

There could be several causes. Is the battery in good condition? Perhaps take a look at all the battery connections, including the earth ones, particularly the one earthing the engine, and confirm they're all tight. are the connections on the starter motor tight, as well? The solenoid feed from...

As the risk of repeating myself..... Careful now!

An similar problem occurred with my Skoda Fabia estate; the boot would NOT open, no matter how many times the remote was "clicked" or the doors unlocked manually. Eventually we discovered-quite by chance-that the catch holding the rear seats in place wasn't locating properly. Normally this...

May I ask a question about car heaters in Sweden? I'm a fan of Daf cars, built in Holland in the 1960s & 70s. I think I read a something about Dafs sold in Sweden having to have more powerful heaters than normal. Is this really true or is it an "urban myth"? I suppose if it's true it would...

I had the same problem with a 1961 Skoda I found in a garage, which had slipped off the D.V.L.A.'s records and had since been re-registered with a non date-specific registration number. The Skoda Owners' Club were magnificent in assisting me, as they-and I suspect most classic car clubs-have a...

My classic car still has a dynamo and produces enough current to operate a powerful DAB radio/CD unit, halogen headlamps and a dash-cam, in addition to the car's normal needs, without any problems! Those cameras use very little current anyway.

Remember that the engine makes two complete turns for each power stroke, so the timing marks line up twice during each complete cycle, so you need to confirm you have cylinder number ONE at T.D.C., not cylinder four. The easiest way is to remove the top of the distributor and check to which...

This is a perennial question whenever "A" frames are discussed. I've used an "A" frame for many years to move cars, a fair proportion of which weren't roadworthy. I've never towed anything I thought would be dangerous and I always made sure all the lights attached to the back of the recovered...

Is the car roadworthy? I've an "A" frame and a Subaru Forester, complete with amber beacon lights, trailer lights and magnetically attachable number plates. A Forester can pull a house down without breaking sweat! Any help? P.M. if it is.

As Father Ted would say: "careful now..." Remember, petrol is dangerous stuff!

This answer might seem a little "left field", but may I ask which brand of E5 you've been using? I mention this because Esso "99" was, until recently (and may possibly be still) ethanol-free. For various legal reasons Esso were obliged to sell it as "E5", but in fact it was "E0". I use this in...

If the engine cuts out on over-run (ie; when coming to a halt at lights without the accelerator being used) It maybe running weakly, so turning the mixture screw a quarter turn OUT would enrich the mixture a little. It's also possible that the engine's timing is a tad retarded, so check that as...

+1! If the engine cuts out on over-run (ie; when coming to a halt at lights without the accelerator being used) It maybe running weakly, so turning the mixture screw a quarter turn OUT would enrich the mixture a little. It's also possible that the engine's timing is a tad retarded, so check...

How right you are! As I said, it was an "old school" method I learnt as an apprentice mechanic in the 1970s, when things were less stringently controlled! Another method of cleaning a carburettor is to remove it from the car, drain any excess fuel from it and (having first ensured your wife...

Based on the pictures you've posted the oil looks clean and not emulsified, so it doesn't look as if a mixing of oil and water has occurred within the sump. The "salad cream" look to the oil filler cap is often indicative of low speed or cold running, and may be cleared once the engine has been...

I'd start by investigating the carburettor. Perhaps one of the jets has become blocked? An unorthodox method of clearing the jets, used by "old school" mechanics is to remove the air filter box and then start the engine and rev it up, then slam one's hand over the carburettor throat. The huge...

If you've other bulbs flashing when your indicators are on you have a defective earth somewhere. What should happen is this: the current from the flasher travels to the lightbulb, lights it & then passes to earth, through the car body, thereby completing the circuit. In your case the bulb is...