Help!
GENERAL
Oil additive advice
Q There are very positive reviews I read for the STP Oil Treatment additive which sells in India on Amazon.in.
1. What is your opinion/feedback of this product? My car is 5.5-years-old and completed a service in May. Would you recommend that I buy it? If yes, I humbly request you to advise me as to why.
2.1 poured 200ml of Liqui Moly Oil Treatment additive as soon as I got my car back from service. The sump is now full. Is it advisable that I use STP Oil Treatment now? If not now, can I pour in STP Oil Treatment, later in the year when my car has run another 2000 miles, and oil levels in the engine are reduced? Thanks so much for everything. I love reading your section. It’s detailed, informative, and provides for some exceptional mechanical diagnostic expertise.
Kishore Thomas John
A The oil additive treatment from the details you sent has the main qualities of being a viscosity stabiliser and contains zinc Dialkyl Dithiophosphate which is used to coat the moving parts to reduce friction and wear. My advice on additives is normally that I would rather spend more money on using a good quality oil than trying to supplement the quality of the oil with an additive. The blends of modern synthetic oils are good and don’t need supplementing with an additive. It is now the position of many vehicle manufacturers that the warranty will be void if using an additive.
My personal belief is that in an effort to try and maintain their vehicle to the utmost condition, many owners will look for something extra they can do to keep the vehicle in its best condition. Additives fill this remit but for the cost of the additive my personal belief is that the investment would be better spent on more frequent oil changes using a good quality/recommended oil.
With regard to adding STP treatment to your vehicle which has already had the Liqui Moly Oil treatment added I would certainly not use more than one additive, as I feel this could be detrimental to the operation of the engine.
FORD C-MAX
Electrical gremlins
Q My 2008 Ford C-MAX 1.8 petrol Zetec with 93,000 miles has two minor electrical faults that may be related to an accidental soaking when I went through a puddle at speed in the dark. It drenched the electrics and caused all sorts of short-term issues, including the wipers working themselves, lights flashing and the car not starting until it dried out. All seemed well for a few months, then I started to get an intermittent red handbrake/fluid level warning light.
A local garage checked it over and “rebooted the GEM module” without any improvement. I myself checked the handbrake switch and the electrical connection to the brake fluid reservoir, but both were OK. Over several months the intermittent red light gradually became permanent and I just learnt to live with it. It’s passed two MOTs since then.
Over the last nine months, the remote central locking started to fail intermittently and has now become permanent. I now have to lock and unlock with the key, though when I use the key the central locking works perfectly. However, I have to put the key in before any other door is opened, otherwise it sets off the alarm.
An auto electrician and auto locksmith had a go at repairing the central locking. They couldn’t find any scanning errors, tried both keys, changed the batteries and confirmed the keys are transmitting. They also did the reset procedure where you turn the ignition key several times. The Ford local agent performed a scan and analysis for £75. They found no errors and suggested replacing the GEM but couldn’t be sure this would solve it, so I decided not to.
I removed the GEM, cleaned up some very slightly greened contacts in the multi-plug and socket with very fine pins using contact cleaner spray and a very delicate brass brush. I also sent the GEM to BBA Reman, who checked it and found it perfect.
I’m aware that there’s probably some stupid little corroded earth point or contact that’s very possibly causing both troubles. I’m also told that the remote locking receiver is under the dash above the driver’s feet, but I can’t see it without dismantling the fascia.
Any suggestions?
Andrew Webb
A The brake fluid level switch is a simple unit and supplies a ground signal to the GEM module. If the fluid is low, opening the switch will break the circuit and, if the circuit is broken for more than two seconds, the GEM module will generate a CAN signal to illuminate the low-level light. As both the handbrake switch and brake reservoir units have been checked, the soaking of the electrics earlier may suggest corroded wiring which has unbalanced the CAN-bus network. A deteriorating wire would also account for the slow impact of the problem.
The remote locking is activated by the RF receiver, which is located in the headlining at the front centre, behind the interior lamp. This sends a signal to the GEM module or Central Junction Box. Only keyless entry vehicles had a separate antenna located beneath the dash.
As you have had the GEM tested, I suspect the problem is due to a section of corroded wire within the loom, which will be difficult to trace. Equipment is available to check the CAN-bus network, but it costs several thousand pounds. The wiring can also be checked using an oscilloscope, but this can be time consuming. If you have not already done so, I would start in the area that received the soaking originally, looking for the lightest trace of a rust stain on the wiring loom; this may help isolate the area of the failure. If the loom has been damaged it will need to be repaired by soldering in an identical section of wire of the same size and specification.
FORD FIESTA
Pressure bleeding the clutch
Q My query relates to the pressure bleeding of a 2015 Ford Fiesta clutch. The master cylinder cap on this model has been changed from the traditional screw on type to a twist lock type (thanks Mr Ford). Because of this my Eezibleed cap won’t fit anymore. The shape of the bottom of the reservoir makes a universal cap impossible to fit as the strap or chain just slides off (it locates on the plastic body of the reservoir so would not be ideal anyway).
My question is therefore do you think that the Laser 5700 adaptor will fit my Sealey VS820.V4 brake bleeder given that the connections look the same? I appreciate that this is just an opinion, but I thought it would be worth asking with the caveat that if it doesn’t fit no blame would be yours. In fact, I would drop you a note to say how it turned out so others might benefit from the try.
Bleeding that clutch by the two-man (man and wife)
