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Motorists suffer highest servicing costs in Europe, sub-standard work and overcharging‚Äö?Ѭ?

March 9, 2006 By

Sub-standard work and overcharging by some garages and franchised dealers are common according to the Trading Standards Agency.

Car Care KitComplaints about servicing and repairs rank as the fifteenth most common call to the TSA. Charging for parts not fitted, replacing parts not required and carrying out work not requested are common complaints.

Charging for the best engine oil and using the cheapest, some garages syphon the old oil from the engine rather than draining through the sump, it‚Äö?Ñ?¥s easier. Then they put new oil in to the dirty engine ‚Äö?Ñ?¨ a pointless exercise. And who‚Äö?Ñ?¥s to know?

Mail order specialist carparts-direct.co.uk has a new online service to help motorists carry out their own engine service and avoid becoming a victim. Customers can use their ‚Äö?Ñ??Ask the Expert‚Äö?Ñ?¥ service to enquire on the website for the best solution to carry out what is claimed to be the ‚Äö?Ñ??Ultimate D.I.Y Engine Service‚Äö?Ñ?¥

You can enquire online and you‚Äö?Ñ?¥ll receive an email tailored just for your model of vehicle. The expert recommends how to improve performance, economy and reliability of your engine. The information includes common faults, fitting tips and how long the job is likely to take. A check list is included and a discounted price is offered for the Do-It-Yourself Engine Service Kit ‚Äö?Ñ?¨ without any obligation buy.

Mark Cornwall of carparts-direct.co.uk said, “Our customers often order products from us and take them to a friend or garage to fit. However, servicing an engine can be simple, our customers can save a small fortune and do a better job with the help of our ‚Äö?Ñ??Ask the Expert‚Äö?Ñ?¥ service. An engine service on most cars will take about an hour. It‚Äö?Ñ?¥s rarely difficult. We even have the books to show how.”

UK garage labour rates are now the highest in Europe. Most Audi, BMW and Mercedes dealerships charge well over a hundred pounds an hour. An engine service can cost well over ¬¨¬£500. Carparts-direct.co.uk claims its complete ‚Äö?Ñ??Ultimate D.I.Y Engine Service Kit‚Äö?Ñ?¥ which includes extra items not used by a garage costs less than a ¬¨¬£100 for most vehicles.

Filed Under: Car News, Car Parts Direct

Bosch Direct Injection Makes its Debut with Piezo Injectors

March 9, 2006 By

Bosch Press Release

  • Economical spray-guided combustion process with stratified charge
  • Reduction of fuel consumption by up to 15 percent
  • Over three million petrol engines with direct injection by 2010

Bosch is supplying its innovative petrol direct injection system, utilizing what is know as the spray-guided combustion process for the new Mercedes-Benz CLS 350 CGI. The application marks the debut of the rapid switching piezo injectors in a production vehicle and is the key feature in this new fuel saving technology. The fuel sprayed into the combustion chamber is finely atomised allowing it to be directly ignited without mixing in the combustion chamber – a method known as a spray-guided combustion process with stratified charge. "Gasoline direct injection with piezo injectors reduces consumption by up to 15 percent compared with today’s port fuel injection," explains Dr. Rolf Leonhard, Vice-President Development for Gasoline Systems at Bosch. Alongside the piezo valves, the powerful engine management unit is an important feature of the new system. Following independent work on piezo technology, researchers and developers from Bosch and Siemens VDO were jointly awarded the German President’s ‘Zukunftspreis’ award in 2005 for innovation and advanced technology. Bosch is now the first company to embark on mass production of a piezo-controlled petrol injection system. The combination of direct-injection and turbocharging is another area in the development of petrol engines. In addition to a greater revving range, the engines develop higher torque in the lower speed range. Bosch has developed the second generation of the Di-Motronic system specifically for this new application. As with the piezo system, it delivers injection pressures up to 200 bar using solenoid-controlled injection valves. This technology will be launched during 2006 in a 1.6-litre engine jointly developed by BMW and PSA and destined for use in the MINI, among others. Leonhard believes that by 2010, annual production of petrol engines fitted with direct injection systems will reach three million.

Filed Under: Bosch, Technology
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