Help!

GENERAL

Testing antifreeze

Q In an article in the February 2020 issue there was a mention made of using a multimeter to test the condition of the antifreeze. Does it apply to the old-type antifreeze and the newer OAT antifreezes? I am just wondering if it just works the OAT only.

I must admit I had never heard of using a multimeter to test antifreeze.

Dinkar Jhalera

A The method of testing the coolant using a multimeter is actually quite an old practice, and as mentioned in the answer in the February 2020 edition the testing of the coolant mixture using a digital multimeter only gives an indication of its anti-corrosive properties and not its ability to act as an antifreeze to prevent the cooling system from freezing.

As such, the test is not commonly carried out and the more accurate methods to test the freezing point of the coolant are normally used, such as a hydrometer or refractometer.

The multimeter test is actually more relevant to the older types of antifreeze and the process is used to test the electrolyte level of the coolant. Electrolysis begins to occur when two similar metals exchange electrons, which then causes corrosion in the metals. Older vehicle design also used to use a wider range of metals in the system with iron, aluminium, brass and copper often present. Modern vehicles have a more uniform approach to the metals used because the designers are aware of the effects of electrolysis.

Vehicle manufacturers now often specify that the cooling system should be filled with an antifreeze and distilled or deionised water mix to reduce the electrolyte level of the coolant.

GENERAL

Jump-starting

Q My query is prompted by jumpstarting advice (not vehiclespecific) given to a reader of a national newspaper and I should be grateful for your views. The advice was as follows: “With the starter car’s engine running, connect both positive battery terminals. Then connect the negative terminal of the starter car to a negative earth metal body part of the car to be started. Remove the cables from both cars before switching off either engine. Switching off the starter car while they are still connected does the most damage.”

This advice seems at odds with normally accepted procedure (p74 of CM, June 2018). Could the advice be correct for vehicles with smart-charging systems–or is it incorrect for any system?

Phil Cooney

A This advice is wrong for any system and definitely not the procedure for a vehicle with a smart-charge system. Connecting or disconnecting jump leads with the engine running will cause a surge to the system that can cause damage. The smart-charge system monitors the voltage constantly; the sudden variation from the disconnection or connection of the leads with the engine running will cause a spike in the voltage produced.

Connecting the leads with the engine running will suddenly decrease the voltage on the jump-starting vehicle. At this point the system will push a surge of power through to boost the battery, causing a spike of voltage that could damage electrical components on either vehicle.

Equally, removing the leads with the engine running will suddenly decrease the voltage being registered at both vehicles and will cause a surge that may cause damage. I have read reports that advise removing the jump leads while the engines are running and this would have been okay 20 years ago, but fitting or removing jump leads with a running engine on a modern vehicle is not something I would advise.

GENERAL

Coronavirus and the MOT

Q Can you please clear up where we stand with the MOT test? My MOT runs out in June, but with the coronavirus crisis I'm not sure whether I should present my car for test or not.

Jayne Newbury

A The government have advised that your car, van or motorcycle’s MOT expiry date will be extended by six months, if it’s due on or after 30 March 2020–though you must keep your vehicle safe to drive.

The expiry date of your MOT will effectively be December, but as we go to press this decision is under review. Many MOT centres are already/still open. If a vehicle fails the test now, it is immediately deemed unroadworthy.

FORD CAPRI

Wiring diagram

Q I’m hoping that you can assist with getting wiring information for my 1973 Ford Capri 1600 OHC facelift version. It is currently being refurbished, but the guy who stripped it down has died and I have no information on the wiring as was!

I have consulted at least three Capri manuals, but none show the wiring for the facelift clearly. The diagrams are difficult to read to confirm wiring colours, and where I can make out colours, none match with the cables on my car. I have also approached Ford UK, but they say they can’t help.

Jim Crewdson

A From the details I have, it would appear that there were two wiring layouts, which means the fusebox is either under the bonnet or in the vehicle, which may be why there’s a discrepancy in the wire colours.

Have you tried contacting the surreycapriclub.co.uk, who may have more information? Another good source is caprimk1ownersclub.com.

I also know that a member of the Classic Ford Org has copies of the original facelift supplement workshop manuals available (see https://bit. ly/2SZpv4b), but he is based in the US, so I cannot confirm that the details will be totally relevant.

Finally, I spoke with a colleague who spends his life restoring 1970s-era Fords and he told me that even he doesn’t have a wiring diagram!

FORD FOCUS

Wiper arm woes

The front driver’s wiper arm in my 2017 Ford Focus 1.0 EcoBoost stops halfway down the windscreen intermittently. I have been back to the dealer under warranty and had a new motor fitted and reprogrammed, but the problem persists. I recently had the ECU rechipped from 125bhp to 140bhp, as a result of which the dealer says