Dr Kev's KAM Surgery

Miss K's KA conundrum

2011-11-16T10:13:00.000-08:00

Hello faithful readers and welcome to another week of adventures from the KAM team. We have been very busy this week as you continue to heed the call and more and more of your cars are being restored to perfect health. You can leave your comments, questions and queries at www.twitter.com/dr_kev.
This week we received a visit from Miss K, a new customer at KAM. She arrived at our Heanor depot and seemed quite depressed as she approached the forecourt. “As she got closer a thunderous noise could be heard and she almost seemed unable to control it. As she parked up the Ford KA she breathed a sigh of relief, happy that she had made it to the KAM offices. “Oh Kev that was a frightening journey, I have never heard it be that loud before.” Miss K was relatively young but had already suffered at the hand of rogue mechanics and was not going to be taken for a ride again. She explained her car’s recent problems “You see Kev, I heard this noise a few weeks ago, it was not as loud so I thought I’d take it to my local garage.” I had a feeling that I knew where this story was going and I was proved right as she continued. “Well Kev they saw that I was a young woman and they just wanted to make some fast money. They replaced the clutch and I got a hefty bill. But the noise continued and they weren’t interested in finding out what the true root of the problem was.” So Miss K’s problem continued, with the noise gradually getting louder and now she needed some answers. “I’ve heard and read all good things about you and the KAM team Kev and so please say you can help.” Miss K was in desperate need of the KAM team’s help and we could not let her down and leave her with the lasting image of all garages being unlawful and using untoward methods. We took all of Miss K’s details and then reassured her that we would find and fix the problem and that no unnecessary work would be undertaken. She was happy to leave the car in the KAM team’s care and she was whisked away in one of our courtesy cars.
We got straight to work and this week’s mystery was to be solved by our new mechanic Curious Craig. Craig is a new member of the expanding KAM team and comes to our company with a wealth of knowledge. He has expertise in all areas and is equipped to work on all makes and models. His specialty lies in clutches and we hope that he will be solving mechanical mysteries for many years to come. This week would be his first mystery and he was on a mission to prove himself to our veteran KAM boys.
He got straight to work and took the car on a long road test to see the true extent of the problem. He returned a while later and as he approached we again heard the awful noise resonating from the engine. The boys were covering their ears and finally the car was hoisted up onto the ramp. Within seconds Craig’s head was under the bonnet trying to find the lurking gremlins. He looked around for a few minutes and proceeded to take of the auxiliary belt (most of you will know this as the fan belt) and tested the various pulleys, such as the tensioner, water pump etc. He had a hunch and he was going to go with it. After a short time the famous words rang through the workshop “I’ve got it Kev.” It so transpired that the noise was coming from worn bearings on the alternator drive pulley. This had caused the pulley to move up and down, resulting in the horrific noises.
This was a relatively quick diagnosis and after a quick call to our fantastic suppliers, Craig got to work fitting the new parts. All that was required was a new alternator and Craig had successfully completed his first mystery at KAM.
Before we went on the road test Miss K insisted that she go along to ensure that the fault was fixed and that she was not being duped again. So she and Craig embarked on the road test and as the key was turned in the ignition everyone, including Miss K waited in anticipation. The key turned and… the car purred away with no trace of the previous noise.
“Wow Kev, I can’t believe it. You really helped me out and have definitely renewed my faith in hard working, reliable and honest garages.”
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hardworking staff at the branches in Sutton, Long Eaton, Bulwell and Belper along with our bodywork shop are open every day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley and Heanor workshops are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.
So until next week faithful reader. Drive safely and keep it shiny side up.
Dr. Kev.

Miss B's Beetle- runs out of- juice

2011-11-16T10:03:00.000-08:00

This week we received a visit from Miss B, who visited our Heanor depot on Sunday in dire need of our help. She approached the garage and we noticed that she was looking very worried behind the wheel. She parked her Volkswagen Beetle and entered the warm KAM offices. “Wow Kev, I’m so happy your open on Sunday my car is in need of some work from your fine mechanics.” Miss B had read about the garage in this weekly column and on our blog and was delighted to hear that we would be able to help her and hopefully before Monday morning. “The problem is that my car keeps misfiring and it is just not running right. There is definitely something wrong and I was hoping you could tell me what.” Miss B paused to take a breath and revealed that a new symptom had occurred on the drive over. “When I went to put my car on this morning a light appeared on my dashboard. Please say you can help Kev.” We assured Miss B that the car would be fixed and that she would be able to drive it on Monday. “That’s great Kev because I have got to go to work quite early and I would really appreciate it.” We took all of Miss B’s details and she was then whisked away in one of our courtesy cars. We promised to keep her updated and we got straight to work.
I looked around the workshop and all the boys were hard at work. “I’ll take it Kev.” Said Diagnostic Dan. He was ready and eager to go, armed with his multimeters. So Dan got to work and first he did a visual observation. This is done by looking over the car and seeing if there are any visible faults within the car. He returned a little while later and has a confused look on his face. “Well the light that came on is the engine management light (EML) and so I thought I’d start there. But Kev there does not seem to be any visible faults. I thought it was going to be a pretty open and shut case but it seems these gremlins are lurking deep within the car. He then hooked the car up to our state of the art machines and we awaited the results. Again a short while passed but this time the infamous words rang out “I’ve got it Kev.” It so transpired that the ignition coil pack was faulty and this had been the reason for the car being in a less than desirable condition. The ignition coil pack sends sparks to the spark plugs, which ignite the engine. With it being faulty the car had not been running correctly and this had been causing all the problems. If Miss B had left it any longer, there could have been much worse damage and so this time she had been lucky. The mystery was solved and so all that was remained was a call to our fantastic suppliers. They arrived promptly and we replaced the coil pack. Dan then took the car on a long road test and when he arrived back to the garage a big smile adorned his face. “We did it Kev. This car is back on the fast track.”
We called Miss B with the good news and she was very happy to have her car fixed on Sunday, ready for Monday morning. She arrived later and had nothing but gratitude for the KAM team. “Wow Kev I can’t believe you fixed it so quickly and now I’ve got my car back. KAM really is the best place to go.”
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Sutton, Long Eaton, Bulwell and Belper along with our bodywork shop are open every day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley and Heanor workshops are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.
So until next week faithful reader, drive safely and keep it shiny side up.
Dr.Kev.

Your KAM team

2011-11-09T08:12:00.000-08:00

Hello Faithful Readers
I would just like to say hello and see how everyone is doing. If you have any questions or queries don't hesitate to ask here or call in at your nearest depot.
Our website is full the rafters with information so visit www.kamservicing.com for all contact telephone numbers and the range of services we offer.

I would also like to turn your attention to the Good Garage Scheme. They are an independent regulatory body of independent workshops and MOT centres. Customers use the website to rate garages, therefore highlighting which garages are trustworthy and which ones to stay away from.

The Good Garage Scheme requires that its members, which number over 3,000, adhere to a strict Code of Conduct and offer a 50-point Industry Standard Service. This, coupled with a customer feedback system, means that customers have peace of mind when choosing an independent garage.
Garages that join the scheme:
-Adhere to a strict Code of Conduct and pledge to have their customers’ best interests at heart
-Must agree what work needs doing with their customers before it is carried out
-Work to an industry-standard checklist
-Must supply each customer with a feedback card allowing them to give their views on service directly to the Good Garage Scheme, which operates a stringent complaints procedure
-Are subject to regular mystery shopper-style audits and face expulsion if they break the Code of Conduct

KAM are more than happy to adhere to these rules and we have been the recipients of some very positive feedback from our fantastic customers. You can visit here The Good Garage Scheme website here to see all of our feedback and we are very proud of the fact that none of our depots have a score lower than 95%.
We pride ourselves on our hard working and honest work ethic, in which we aim to help the customer and not charge them for unneccessary work. We have had many customers who have come to us complaining of rogue mechanics and garages and we make it our duty to give garages a good name.
All our depots have 5 star ratings and it is all down to our satisfied customers. So thank you to all of you who have sent in such glowing reviews. We here at KAM strive to be the best that we can be and its good to see its paying off. Till next time readers.

Dr Kev

We cut out the "jibba jabba" for Mr T

2011-11-09T08:01:00.000-08:00

Hello faithful readers and welcome to another week of adventures from the KAM team. We have been very busy this week as you continue to heed the call and more and more of your cars are being restored to perfect health. You can leave your comments, questions and queries at www.twitter.com/dr_kev.
This week we were visited by Mr T who called in to our Long Eaton depot to tell the KAM team all about his car’s woes. He was a new customer and had come here on the recommendation of a friend after some rather unfortunate experiences with previous garages. “Kev I don’t know what to do about my car, its just not running like it used to.” It so transpired that the car in question, a Honda Civic had failed its MOT and the ABS (Anti Braking System) light had appeared on the dashboard. However the MOT centre where Mr T had got the MOT done did not do repairs and so he was left with a faulty car and no means of fixing it. “I have been to a garage Kev and they said the possible damage caused could cost me thousands, this can’t be right can it. Please say you can help?" Mr T was in need of our help and after taking all of his details and dispatching him off on one of our courtesy cars we got straight to work.
Benjamin Button was the first person to volunteer to work on this week’s mystery. “I’ll take it Kev.” He was eyeing up the car, and with Diagnostic Dan already occupied, he reached for his multi meters. First he checked the wiring and there did not seem to be any visible problems, this would take some further investigating. It was time to bring out the big guns. Ben then attached the car up to one of our state of the art machines and got to work on deciphering the problem. Dan looked over curiously “Haven’t you got it yet Ben, are you sure you don’t need some help?” he asked. Ben peered out from under the bonnet, “I think we can do this one without consulting the mechanical wizard.” Joked Ben. A short time lapsed and the infamous word rang out “I’ve got it Kev.”
The problem lay in the ABS pump module, which had become faulty and was in need of replacement. This had been the reason for the ABS light’s appearance and fortunately for Mr T the damage had not been as catastrophic as it could have been. However the cost of a new ABS module system would be very high unless we could find a reconditioned one. Ben was straight on the phone and called all of our suppliers asking if a reconditioned unit could be found. He did not have much luck at first but then he struck gold after nearly an hour of calls. “I’ve got one Kev.” We called Mr T and told him of the car’s condition and let him know of the high cost that would have occurred had we used a brand new unit. He gave his permission for us to change the unit and was delighted at the price we had managed to acquire the part for.
Ben went off and picked up the part and arrived back promptly. The old ABS module unit was then replaced with the new one and it was quite a big job for Ben. Every part was removed with military precision and the engine was checked once again to ensure that no other problems had occurred. The boys then gathered around and waited in anticipation to see whether the transfer had been successful and if the car was gremlin free. Ben turned the key in ignition and the car purred with Ben showing off a resounding smile. “We did it Kev.” The ABS light was off and the car was back to it’s best, the calling about had paid off and now we could call Mr T with the good news.
“Wow Kev, you have really saved me a bundle, I can’t thankyou enough. You KAM boys really do go above and beyond.”
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Sutton and Long Eaton, Bulwell and Belper along with our bodywork shop are open ever day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley and Heanor workshops are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.

The KAM team come to police rescue

2011-11-03T08:23:00.000-07:00

Hello faithful readers and welcome to another week of adventures from the KAM team. We have been very busy this week as you continue to heed the call and more and more of your cars are being restored to perfect health. You can leave your comments, questions and queries at www.twitter.com/dr_kev.
This week we received a phone call from Mr A, who was facing a day of inconvenience due to his car’s continued woes. He sounded frustrated on the other end of the phone and was complaining about the problems that had besieged his car. “Kev it’s my Peugeot 407, it’s just lifeless I go to turn the key in the ignition and… nothing. This could not have come at a worse time.” This was true as Mr A was a police sergeant and had been helping out in the aftermath of the riots. He had been involved in keeping our streets safe and now was late for a very important strategy meeting. “You have to help me Kev, I need a car. This is an emergency.” The tables had turned and the man responsible for helping others in emergencies needed the help of the KAM team to ensure that he could get on with his job. We immediately loaded up the ‘twuck wid da fwashin lights’ and it was not long till Tasmanian Trev was on the rescue mission. He bought along a courtesy car so that Mr A could go to his meeting without any more delay. All the details were taken and a short while later Trev arrived. The car was hoisted up onto the ramp and I looked around for this week’s mystery solver. “I’ll take it” came a voice from underneath the car. It was Diagnostic Dan who had already started to look around the car with his torch.
First Dan looked over the information and spotted that Mr A had called out the AA on a previous occasion and that they had been unable to fix the fault. The fault noted was a faulty crank position sensor (CPS), which had Dan puzzled. As an ex AA employee Dan knew that they would have done all they could to fix the problem and that this one would have been quite simple to fix. So what was the reason behind the continued fault? The car was plugged up to our state of the art diagnostic machines and it was not long till the location of the fault was found. As the AA had already noted it was in deed the (CPS), which had a broken pick up magnet. This looked too good to be true but true to form Dan shouted the infamous words. “I’ve got it Kev.” The suppliers arrived later with a new CPS and Dan fitted it with military precision. Then came time to start the engine and low and behold there was no purring, as the car lay lifeless once more. It was too good to be true and it so transpired that there was more left in this mystery. Dan went back to checking over the engine and was shocked to see the latest development. The new CPS we had just fitted was broken on the tip. This did not make any sense and even our mechanical wizard Dan was worried that this would be the diagnosis that eluded him. After seeing Dan’s worried expression Senator Shaun came to inform him of some details that Mr A had forgotten to mention when his car was picked up. “There was a rattling noise coming from the gear box before the car stopped working, so that maybe somewhere to start.” The gearbox was then removed and after strenuous testing and investigating by Dan, Ben and Shaun there was a sudden chorus eruption of “we’ve got it Kev.”
It so transpired that the car had occurred a lot of wear and tear to the duel mass flywheel (DMF) and this had been catching on the CPS, in turn leading to the breakage. So again the suppliers arrived with the parts and the CPS, DMF and clutch were all replaced. With all the parts fitted the boys all waited in anticipation for the keys to be turned in the ignition. As Dan turned the keys the car jolted back to life with a soft purring.
Mr A arrived later and was elated to see his car restored and bought back to life. “Wow Kev I’m usually the one helping out in emergencies but its nice to see the tables turned.”
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Sutton and Long Eaton, Bulwell and Belper along with our bodywork shop are open ever day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley and Heanor workshops are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.

Sunday Openings

2011-11-03T08:04:00.000-07:00

Hello Faithful readers

Don't forget to read this week's newsletter in The Nottingham Evening Post on Friday and this weeks AdMag.
It is another mechanical mystery but this week there is a twist!! Make sure to see whether our KAM boys can find the fault in Mr C's car (or has he found it himself?)

Also i would like to remind you that we are open on Sundays at our Heanor and Sawley branch. So if your car is in need of our help call in and the KAM team is sure to find the fault. many garages are closed but Sundays can sometimes be the best time to get your car fixed and ready for the week ahead. Here at KAM we pride ourselves on having a friendly and hard working approach that benefits the customer. Many of our Sunday customers are those with full time jobs, who simply don't have the time during the week.
One simple call to the KAM team and we can have your car booked in and a courtesy car arranged so that you can still enjoy your day as well as the use of a fully functioning car. This is all done at competitive prices and a fast and efficient service. So if you are experiencing any problems with your car, make sure to bring it in at your convenience and the KAM team guarantee to find the fault without any unnecessary expense being occurred.

I hope everyone is doing well and remember to visit our website at www.kamservicing.com for more information on your nearest depot.

Dr Kev

Mr D's Perilous Passat

2011-11-01T10:59:00.000-07:00

Hello faithful readers and welcome to another week of adventures from the KAM team. We have been very busy this week as you continue to heed the call and more and more of your cars are being restored to perfect health. You can leave your comments, questions and queries at www.twitter.com/dr_kev.
This week we received a visit from Mr D, who arrived at our Heanor depot in quite a panicked state. He approached the Heanor shutters and he had a very tentative look on his face. As he stopped he breathed a sigh of relief and then made his way to the warm KAM reception in hope of a solution. “Hi Kev I don’t know what is wrong with my car I just about made it here today.” Mr D explained that his car, a Volkswagen Passat had been cutting out randomly and “when its’ not doing that there is literally no power in it.” Said Mr D. This was not the only problem and Mr D added “my dashboard is like a Christmas tree, there are so many lights one day and then they’re gone the next.” Not only this, but further adding to the mystery, was that these symptoms were not all consuming and instead would just besiege the car on intermittent days. Mr D could no longer take these random breakdowns and needed an answer. “You have to help me Kev, more than those other garages I have been to. I have spent so much money on having parts replaced and different mechanics telling me they have solved the problem. Yet here I am and you’re the only people I can think off that can fix my car.” We assured Mr D that we would fix the car and keep him updated on all its developments. We also gave him our KAM guarantee that we would not add any unnecessary expenses and that we would only undertake the work that was vital to the car’s recovery. Mr D was then dispatched off in one of our courtesy cars and we got to work.
“I’ll take it Kev” came the confident voice of Diagnostic Dan who was already by the car waiting to unravel this latest mystery. First he looked over Mr D’s last few bills to see what those rogue garages had been incorrectly charging him for. The massive stack of bills were big enough to warrant their own folder and Dan first task would be wading through them to see what others had done wrong. From the past bills we found that the crank position sensor (CPS) had been replaced many times as well as a number of electrical sensors, which had been unjustly replaced. Dan finished perusing the bills and asked “Kev is there more problems when it is raining?” It seemed like a random question but on this occasion Mr D had in fact said that the problems had worsened when it was raining and wet outside. Dan had an idea of what it could be and set up our state of the art diagnostic equipment and after a short while he had located the problem. He would need to remove the scuttle panel where the pollen filter sits. It so transpired that on a previous visit to another garage the pollen filter had been replaced but they had failed to fit it properly. This meant that water was going in through the bulkhead and was dropping down the a pillar into the engine control unit (ECU) on the passenger side front under the carpets. Dan then went round to the front passenger side and lifted the carpet. Low and behold water had filled the ECU and the infamous words “I’ve got it Kev” rang through the garage.
We cleaned out the water, Mr D had come in before this could become a potential fire hazard and so the ECU would just need to be dried out instead of replacing it, which would have proved costly. After a visit from our fantastic suppliers a new pollen filter was fitted and the scuttle panel was reattached and now it was time for the road test. It was raining and so this would be the perfect test, Dan returned a while later with a smile adorning his face. The car was back to it’s best and the gremlins had been defeated. Mr D arrived later and was very happy to see his newly restored car “Wow Kev I knew I could rely on the KAM team, you really can fix all faults.”
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Sutton, Bulwell, Long Eaton, and Belper along with our bodywork shop are open ever day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley and Heanor workshops are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.

The Bulwell Boys Bust Audi Gremlins

2011-11-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

Hello faithful readers and welcome to another week of adventures from the KAM team. We have been very busy this week as you continue to heed the call and more and more of your cars are being restored to perfect health. You can leave your comments, questions and queries at www.twitter.com/dr_kev.
This week our Bulwell depot was a hive of activity as the word spreads and our workshop gets busier. Cool Hand Luke was manning the phones when Mr C walked through the door in quite a rush and looking slightly annoyed. “Hi Kev I have been reading about your depot in the newspaper and I thought I would give you a try.” Mr C lived in the Bulwell but worked in the city and was worried about his car’s latest problems. “It’s my Audi A6 it was fine and recently I have noticed some problematic changes.” Mr C had noticed a lack of power in the car over the last few days and this morning the emergence of the Engine Management Light (EML) had made him anxious so here he was. “ I don’t know what’s wrong. Please say you can help,” he said earnestly. Mr C had come in on his day off but would need the car for work the next day. “I really do need my car fixed for tomorrow if that’s not too much to ask. But judging by your column I would say that is not a problem for you KAM boys.” Mr C’s car was not completely infested with gremlins and he had bought it in before any catastrophic problems could emerge. We took all the details and dispersed Mr C off in one of our new courtesy cars so that he could enjoy the rest of his day.
As I looked around the busy workshop I saw the boys admiring the pristine Audi and a sense of excitement resonated through the air. “I’ll take it Kev,” said Benjamin Button before the other boys had even opened their mouths. So Ben got to work, first testing the car with our new state of the art equipment and while we awaited the results, Ben had a theory of his own. “If I was to hazard a guess I would say it’s the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF).” A few minutes later Ben would be proved right as the machine showed that the DPF had in fact become blocked. But there was some bad news as the DPF on an Audi costs upwards of £1000. “I’ve got it Kev.” Ben proposed that we go with option 2, which was to carry out a forced regeneration. This is when the diagnostic machines are attached and the car is run at various revs and speeds. This is done to clear out the DPF and in this case it would be highly beneficial and just as effective. The forced regeneration was undertaken and a black cloud of soot could be seen leaving the DPF. However the job was not done as the reading on the machines indicated that there were still remnants of the soot left in the DPF. These were not a big concern but they could grow over time and lead to the same problem. For phase 2 we would need to remove the DPF, which is part of the exhaust system. After it was safely removed it was time for our steam cleaner to finish the job, the steam cleaner got through all those gaps that we could not reach and the remaining soot was quickly banished. The DPF was then reinstalled and all the parts were put back safely and securely. Ben then reset the computer system within the car and the car was as good as new. It was time for the road test and as Ben turned the key in the ignition the boys waited in anticipation. “The lights gone.” Shouted Ben through the workshop.”
Mr C arrived later and was ecstatic to see his car driving so well. “Wow thanks Kev. I feel like Sebastian Vettel in this car now.”
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Sutton and Long Eaton, Bulwell and Belper along with our bodywork shop are open ever day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley and Heanor workshops are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.

Mr F's Stagnant Stilo

2011-10-31T04:24:00.000-07:00

Hello faithful readers and welcome to another week of adventures from the KAM team. We have been very busy this week as you continue to heed the call and more and more of your cars are being restored to perfect health. You can leave your comments, questions and queries at www.twitter.com/dr_kev.
This week we received a call from Mr F who had got himself into a pickle and was in need of the KAM team’s help. It was a bright sunny morning at our depot in Bulwell but Mr F was far from happy. “I really don’t understand…. I mean how could this happen… What am I going to do?” came the concerned voice of Mr F from the other end of the phone. After I had calmed Mr F down he explained that his car was in a less than desirable shape and that he needed the KAM team to fix a mysterious fault in his car, “It won’t start Kev I just had it serviced at the dealer 2 weeks ago and now it won’t start. Please say you can help.” The car in question was a Fiat Stilo and Mr F was especially annoyed, as he had to be at work at the Queen’s Medical Centre. “I’m a nurse at the hospital Kev and I need to be in soon. I went to start it this morning and nothing, just lifeless.” Mr F was sounding increasingly worried and so we reassured him that KAM would fix the fault and that no more inconvenience would be caused to him. Tasmanian Trev went out in the ‘twuck wid da fwashin lights’ to retrieve Mr F’s car. He also dropped one of our courtesy cars off to him so that he could get to work. With all the details taken we promised to keep Mr F updated on all the car’s developments and as soon as the car arrived at the garage we got to work.
“I’ll take it Kev.” Said Benjamin Button, who had been eyeing the car from afar and was eager to find the mysterious fault. First the car was hooked up to our state of the art diagnostic machines and the fault finding commenced. As we waited the results we perused the car’s history and saw that the car had undergone a service two weeks ago by a reputable dealer and so we wondered how they could have missed such a fault? The results were in and it appeared that the problem did not lie in the car but in the key. “I’ve got it Kev.” Came the resounding voice of Benjamin Button. It so transpired that a sensor within the key had ceased to work. So when Mr F had put the keys into the car and it did not ignite, it was because there was no signal being sent to the computer of the car also known as the engine control unit (ECU). We called Mr F to tell him the good news and he was relived to hear that there was a not a deeper problem lying in the car. We also enquired about the key and asked whether he had dropped the key or if it had been anywhere near water. All were possible explanations for why the key wouldn’t work. “Well its funny you should ask because I did drop it yesterday while I was taking my washing out of the drier. We explained that the faulty sensor could have come from the tumble drier itself as the static from the clothes could have transferred to the key therefore damaging the chip inside and rendering it faulty. We called our fantastic suppliers and they arrived promptly as all that was needed was a new key. We then recoded the spare key, which had also stopped working and all that remained was to test it. The boys waited anxiously as Ben went to inset the key into the car and after a few seconds the car jolted back to life followed by a gentle purring of the engine. A smile adorned Ben’s face and we called Mr F with the good news. He arrived later and was ecstatic at how quickly and cost efficiently the car had been fixed. “ Thanks Kev, I did some research and your prices are half what I had been quoted at other places. You really do have the best price in the Midlands.”
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Sutton and Long Eaton, and Belper along with our bodywork shop are open ever day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley and Heanor workshops and Sutton car sales are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.

KAM TEAM updates

2011-10-31T04:21:00.001-07:00

Hello faithful readers
I hope everyone is ready for another busy week. We here at KAM are gearing up for another week of gremlin busting so that we can keep your cars safe. Especially now that the bad weather has started- make sure to be careful and ensure that your car is road ready!!
With snow on the way- you can never be too careful.
So visit your local KAM depot and we assure you that no fault will go unfound.
Our Sawley and Heanor depots are open on Sundays so for those of you with busy lives we can make them a little easier. We also offer top of the line courtesy cars and an unmatchable service and price.
Visit www.kamservicing.com for more details. Till next time faithful readers.
Dr Kev

The New Ferrari California

2011-10-28T09:55:00.001-07:00

Being a mechanic i can't help but be intrigued by cars and am always surfing the web looking for the new model or shape. I read that the new Ferrari California will be updated for 2012. it will be lighter more powerful and with added new technology. It will land in January 2012 so I better start saving now!!

The KAM team Awaits

2011-10-28T09:48:00.000-07:00

Our boys are ready and waiting to tackle any car gremlins that you might have. From electronic problems to leaks, the KAM team will not rest till all gremlins are taken care of. Our dedicated and hard working teams at all depots are more than capable of the task and look forward to seeing your car soon.
We have:
- His Majesty Raj and Tasmanian Trev at Heanor
-Pauly G and Strong Arm Steve at Sawley
-Superman Sundeep at Long Eaton
-Super Sunny at Belper
-Mass at our Sutton depot
-Cool Hand Luke at the Bulwell depot.
They are accompanied by our talented staff including newsletter favourite Diagnostic Dan as well as Tinie Tempah Tyler and Senator Shaun and yours truly!!

Dr Kev

Bulwell Depot Feature

2011-10-27T09:25:00.001-07:00

I would just like to share with you this feature that i did on the new Bulwell depot. It has all the information and how we have transformed it into your one stop shop for all your motoring needs. Happy Reading
Dr Kev

Hello faithful readers and welcome to another week of adventures from the KAM team. We have been very busy this week as you continue to heed the call and more and more of your cars are being restored to perfect health. You can leave your comments, questions and queries at www.twitter.com/dr_kev.
This week there is no swashbuckling story and our mechanical wizardry will return next week. Instead I would like to inform you loyal customers of the new opening of our Bulwell depot. After 25 years of motoring madness we have decided to open our sixth garage and expand the KAM family. The new depot is situated at the old ATS site on Highbury Road and we hope to see you there.
The new depot is a welcome addition to the ever-growing KAM team and I would like to tell you more about our new venture and all we have to offer. We will exercise the same high quality of customer service with some added help from some new mechanical wizards. Cool Hand Luke will leaving the Long Eaton depot and will instead will be head of house in Nottingham. He is looking forward to the new endeavor having already established the Long Eaton depot as a successful and popular garage amongst its loyal customers. He says, “We look forward to the new chapter in KAM’s history and hope that new customers recognize our hard work and determination to get the job done.” Alongside him will be Tinie Tempah Taylor, 16, our newest protégé and a future KAM star. He has been with KAM since his schooldays and has slowly worked his way up to trainee technician. He says, “I’m really looking forward to going to the new depot and being more hands on in which ever way I can. I have had great experiences here at KAM and feel I am learning from the best. I look forward to meeting new members of the team and helping the KAM team grow and become stronger.” No KAM newsletter is complete without the presence of Diagnostic Dan and he too will be adding his expertise to the new garage. While a full time move is not in the works Dan will be appearing should he be needed. “Well I like to think that I can help out if anybody gets a mystery they can’t solve. I’ll do my best to ensure that our 100% success rate on finding the problem goes unbeaten. Steadfast Steve will also become a regular at the Bulwell branch and over seeing the quality control will be Senator Shaun.
This depot is a large one with 6 ramps being open to use and a vast outside space for cars. As I write this all the latest in diagnostic equipment is being installed as well as an array of new tools and equipment for our eager mechanics. The last lick of paint is being applied and the waiting room with television and coffee machine is awaiting its first customer.
KAM have spent over 1 million pounds on renovating the building and now with the last finishing touches being applied we will be ready to open on September 12th 2011. The purple shutters will be lifted and inside will be your one stop shop for all your motoring needs. KAM will bring the same level of detail and precision to finding all those pesky car gremlins and out team are ready and waiting. Some of the services we have on offer will be MOTs for which we have special state of the art automated test lanes being built. We will also be able to take car of all your bodywork needs with our very own body shop available for all makes and models of car. We will also offer tyre repairs, gearbox replacements, safety checks, fleet management and much more. All makes and models will be able to come through the Bulwell gates and we will not rest till all faults are found. As always there will be courtesy cars available so that no inconvenience is cause and we will be adding another twuck wid da fwashin lights to reach all of our customers in the Nottingham and surrounding areas.
For bookings call 0115 975 6447 or visit our website at www.kamservicing.com
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Sutton and Long Eaton, and Belper along with our bodywork shop are open ever day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley and Heanor workshops and Sutton car sales are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.

I'm back

2011-10-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

Hello Faithful readers i would like to apologise for my lack of posts recently. We have been very busy with our Bulwell depot on Higbury Road, Nottingham, now up and running it has been a lot of hard work for the KAM boys. The Bulwell depot is being headed by Cool Hand Luke with help from Tinie Tempah Tyler- our new apprentice- and things have been going well. We have a lot of new customers to be thankful for and we have all been hard at work, solving those pesky gremlin problems. For more details about all the depot and all contact information visit www.kamservicing.com and don't forget to bring us your troubled cars. So make sure you check back because i will be posing new KAM newsletters, the same day they go in the paper. So there will be no waiting around. I will also be bringing you more information on all the KAM depots and how we get on this winter.
Not long till Christmas and with snow on it's way i suggest a once over for all cars to ensure that they don't get infested with gremlins and cause you inconvenience. You don't want Christmas Shopping to be even worse than it has to be. Thanks and don't forget to leave any comments, questions and queries.

Dr Kev

Mr F's Freezing Ford

2011-10-27T09:12:00.000-07:00

Hello faithful readers and welcome to another week of adventures from the KAM team. We have been very busy this week as you continue to heed the call and more and more of your cars are being restored to perfect health. You can leave your comments, questions and queries at www.twitter.com/dr_kev.
This week we received a phone call from Mr F who called into our Belper depot in quite a panic. “Kev I just don’t know what has gone wrong with my car. It was alright one minute and now I’ve got even more problems.” Mr F was in a state and his car was in dire need of the KAM team’s help. The car in question was a Ford Focus and the problem was that the car had been leaking lately. “I just see pools of liquid, on my drive in the morning and I just don’t know what it is.” This problem had occurred over the last week and a new problem had occurred over the last few days. “My heater has stopped working as well Kev. I can’t believe it, it’s so cold outside I need my heater; especially now the weather has changed so dramatically. Please say you can help.” We assured Mr F that we would do all we could to fix his car and to save him the trouble, we would pick his car up for him.
So we loaded up the ‘twuck wid da fwashin lights’ and Strong Arm Steve was off and away to rescue Mr F. He also took along one of our shiny new courtesy cars so that no more disruption was caused to Mr F. Steve then took all of Mr F’s details and returned with the lifeless car in tow. The once vibrant Ford Focus trailed behind the ‘twuck’ and the boys looked on eager to find the mystery that had besieged the car. I looked around the workshop and all the boys seemed very busy working on our other gremlin-filled cars. I began to get worried, as we had assured Mr F that we would fix the car as soon as possible and now it was looking like it might have to wait. Just at that moment Tasmanian Trev looked up from the car he was working on and said “I’m all done here Kev. I’ll take it.” So it was the turn of Tasmanian Trev to show us what he was made of, and he got straight to work.
First he undertook a variety of tests to see if our computers could determine where the source of the problem lay. He plugged the car up to one of our state of the art diagnostic machines and we awaited the results. The computer showed us that the problem lay in the coolant system and so we would have to investigate further. Trev undertook a pressure coolant test, which would help us to identify any leaks and a short while later he shouted the infamous words “I’ve got it Kev.” It so transpired that the radiator in the car had become faulty and the deterioration had caused the coolant to leak from it. This had created an air lock in the system and the car’s heater had failed as result of having no anti- freeze in the system. Trev knew exactly what to do and after a call to our suppliers Trev was able to replace the radiator promptly. This was done at a fraction of the price of our competitors and he then bled out the coolant system to get rid of the excess air and topped up the anti freeze. The car was then given a free health check to see if there were any more gremlins lurking in the car but luckily it passed with flying colours. The heating was then checked and Trev came into the office with a smile on his face. “You could roast chestnuts in that car now.”
Mr F arrived later and was elated to see his car back to it’s best and in a more desirable condition. “Thanks Kev, you have done a great job and I now I won’t freeze when the snow comes.”
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Sutton, Long Eaton, Bulwell and Belper are open ever day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley and Heanor workshops are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.

Mr C's Renault Resurrection

2011-10-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

Hello faithful readers and welcome to another week of adventures from the KAM team. We have been very busy this week as you continue to heed the call and more and more of your cars are being restored to perfect health. You can leave your comments, questions and queries at www.twitter.com/dr_kev.
This week’s cautionary tale comes courtesy of Mr C who called in to our Bulwell depot to complain about a major problem his car was experiencing. “Kev I knew I should have listened, but I just couldn’t afford it. What am I going to do now?” After Mr C had calmed he started to explain the problem and how it may have been self inflicted. “Well Kev you remember I bought my car to you last time and you did recommend me having some work done?” I remembered this very well, as Mr C had not been able to pay for the recommended work; his Renault Megane had gone untreated. “Well now my car is not starting and I need you to take a look please. I can’t go without my car for too long. This is such an inconvenience.” Mr C was both sad at his car’s declining health and angry with himself for letting his car worsen. It was time for the KAM team to step up and help one of our customers in need. So we loaded up the ‘twuck wid da fwashin lights’ and Strong Arm Steve was on his way to rescue Mr C. He also took along a courtesy car so that no more inconvenience would be caused to Mr C. We promised to keep him informed of all the car’s developments and a short while later the lifeless car arrived at the depot.
Diagnostic Dan was first to spot the new arrival and immediately took the reigns. “I’ll take it Kev.” First we checked through Mr C’s history and we saw that the last time he had been to KAM he’d had an alternator changed. That was two months ago and before that a battery had been changed. These had been necessary replacements and we also observed the work that we had suggested be undertaken. Last time he had come to KAM we had observed early signs of a possible fuel leak and we had relayed these fears to Mr C. We told him that work could be undertaken to prevent the leak but unfortunately due to the recession and difficult financial times Mr C had been unable to have the work done. But it’s never too late and we were determined to find the problem and fix it at the lowest possible cost. Dan plugged the car into our state of the art electrical diagnostic machines and after a short time the famous words rang through the garage. “I’ve got it Kev.” It so transpired that the starter motor had become faulty and that was the reason that the car would not start. After the last visit diesel had started to leak behind the gearbox and into the starter motor. This had caused damage to the starter motor and now we would need to call our fantastic suppliers to replace it. They arrived and Dan soon got to work replacing the faulty part. He then steam cleaned the engine and now came the moment of truth. As the bonnet was slammed shut and Dan assumed his position behind the steering wheel, the boys waited in anticipation. Dan slowly turned the key and after a few seconds… a rapturous raw resonated from the car as it bounced back to life. “We did it Kev.” Shouted Dan from inside the car.
Later Mr C arrived to pick up his car and was relieved to see his car bought back from the brink. “Wow Kev, you resurrected my car and here I was thinking Halloween was next week.”
It was another mystery solved by the KAM team and we would like to take this opportunity to advise our loyal customers to come and see us if any problems occur within their car. With the winter on its way it is more important than ever to get your car fit and ready for the ensuing snow.
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Sutton, Long Eaton, Bulwell and Belper are open ever day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley and Heanor workshops are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.

Mr C's Suspicious Behaviour Puzzles The KAM team

2010-04-28T03:58:00.000-07:00

Hello faithful readers and welcome to another week of adventures from the KAM team. We have been very busy this week as you continue to heed the call and more and more of your cars are being restored to perfect health. We have seen a surge in sales for Maxxi’s tyres due to our competitive prices which are still much lower than our competitors.
This week we got a visit from Mr C whose car had endured a nasty accident and it was in dire need of repair. However Mr C was scarce with the details of the accident and was reluctant to give many details. He also talked with a great matter of urgency when enquiring the estimated time in which the car would be restored. The car in question was a green Jaguar X type which up until the accident had been in pristine shape. Now there was a scratch on the right front door, a dint in the bonnet and the back was in less than desirable condition. ‘So when can you have it done for Kev? Its just that I need it done in 2 weeks if that’s possible’ With no further explanation after taking Mr C’s details we dispatched him in one of our courtesy cars and got to work.
Now this is not one of our usual stories in which we have to find out the problem but
instead this was a case for our body repair work shop. Yet the mystery of Mr C’s shady behaviour remained. Why the urgency and reluctance for detail?
A week later the work on the Jaguar was complete and we called Mr C and he was thrilled. ‘Wow I wasn’t expecting it to be done so quickly I’ll be down as soon as possible’. After picking up his car Mr C still did not divulge any details but we had a satisfied customer and that’s what we aim for here at KAM.
A few weeks later we got a visit form an older gentleman and upon asking for his details it was revealed that he was the father of Mr C. He had recently seen expenses made on his wife’s credit card to KAM servicing and had come to investigate. ‘I just came to say what a great job you did on my car, when I returned from my holiday recently I found that the scratch on the side and dint on the front had been repaired’. The mystery was explained, the first Mr C being unfamiliar with an automatic accidentally reversed into the garage resulting in the disfigurement of his father’s beloved Jaguar. In a panic Mr C bought it to our reliable garage in the hope of getting it repaired before his parent’s return. Mrs C wanting to help her son, and gave him the payment details needed just so long as the car received a prompt recovery. Thankfully Mr C senior saw the funny side and was so happy with the work we had done he booked it in for an MOT and service.
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Heanor, Sutton and Long Eaton, along with our bodywork shop are open ever day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley workshop and Sutton car sales are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.
Until next week faithful reader, drive safely and keep it shiny side up.

Mr D recieves winning service from KAM

2010-04-28T03:47:00.000-07:00

Hello faithful readers and welcome to another week of adventures from the KAM team. We have been very busy this week as you continue to heed the call and more and more of your cars are being restored to perfect health. You can leave your comments, questions and here or our twitter at www.twitter.com/dr_kev.
This week’s diagnostic dilemma comes courtesy of Mr D who visited our Heanor depot for the first time. Mr D, a plumber had been experiencing some problems with his Vauxhall Vivaro and through a recommendation had landed on our doorstop. ‘Hi Dr Kev my neighbour said you can fix any problem and my van is of full of them’.
The problem at hand was an appearance from the EML (engine management light) and the car cutting out intermittently when Mr D was driving. ‘I don’t know what’s going on with it I have to travel to people’s houses and this is a major disruption’ said Mr D exasperated. Now before we could let Mr D drive off in our courtesy car we had to get all the details. The possible cause for the problem became instantly apparent when all the details were given. Mr D explained ‘well I took it to a garage recently for an oil and filter change, it was a very cheap price so I didn’t really think twice’. It so transpired that just minutes after driving away from the garage the EML had appeared and the cutting out began. Mr D further explained how after returning to the garage to explain the problem they offered no additional help. They were not fully equipped to check and fix the problem. ‘They were a tyre, exhaust and lubrication centre and they said that I would need to go to a garage to fix the problem. They were most unhelpful’ Mr D added.
Well there would be no such treatment from our dedicated KAM team and our Vauxhall expert Big Al got straight to work. Firstly hooking up the van to our state of the art diagnostic machines and awaiting the results. After just 10 minutes Big Al returned to the reception with a grin across his face. ‘Come on Kev that was just too easy’ he said. The machine showed that the EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) valve was stuck open causing a vacuum leak resulting in the stalling and cutting out of the van and appearance of the EML. The EGR valve helps the car to burn fuel efficiently by recirculating a portion of your exhaust and running it through the combustion process again. The open EGR floods the combustion chamber resulting in the car suffering a number of faults. This occurred as the previous centre had used a diesel flush to flush the cars system. Too much of the diesel treatment had caused the EGR valve to open and stay jammed allowing NOX gases to build up. So the mystery was solved. Big Al gave the EGR a clean and placed it in the right position. The EML needed a simple reset, after a road test and a clean from Dynamo Dhillan the van was back to perfect health.
Mr D returned but was rightfully sceptical as he had been mistreated before by a garage and we promised him that he id not have to pay if the problem was not fixed. After taking the car for a test drive to make sure all was well a smile adorned Mr D’s face. ‘Wow I can’t believe it; it drives like its brand new, I can’t believe it thank you so much Dr Kev.
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Sutton and Long Eaton, along with our bodywork shop are open ever day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley and Heanor workshops and Sutton car sales are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.

Mr G's Brake Teaser

2010-04-28T03:36:00.000-07:00

Hello faithful readers and welcome to another week of adventures from the KAM team. We have been very busy this week as you continue to heed the call and more and more of your cars are being restored to perfect health. You can leave your comments, questions and queries here or on our twitter at www.twitter.com/dr_kev.
This week’s story comes courtesy of Mr G who visited our Heanor depot in his Ford Fiesta. ‘Kev help my car is losing major fluid, I don’t know where it’s going. You have to fix it’. It turned out that on weekly inspections of his car’s levels the hydraulic fluid level had continued to decrease. This had lead to Mr G having to top up once a week and going through a lot of hydraulic fluid along the way. He continued ‘the problem has persisted for over 6 months now; I thought it would go away but its still happening’. Mr G was losing money from all the hydraulic fluid he had bought over the last 6 months and now needed a solution to this costly problem.
Strong Arm Steve was elected to take on the mammoth mystery and got straight to work. The first task was to check the brake performance to see if they were affected by the loss of fluids. This involves checking the test metres and general use of the brakes. The tests were done and Freddy passed with flying colours, the brakes were working fine. So what was the cause of the leakage? We would need to investigate further. We then removed the wheels to visually inspect the breaks at the front and rear. Again we were surprised as the breaks looked brand new, so where to look now? It seemed as though we were never going to find the problem, the brake fluid was leaking but there was no problem with the brakes. This was a conundrum and the team were running out of ideas. We have never let a mystery go unsolved and this would not be a first. So it was time to bring in the big guns our very own ‘Ghostbusters’, the elite motor team- myself, Super Shaun and Diagnostic Dan. Dan who has been consistently unravelling mysteries since his arrival here at KAM was ready to take on the car gremlin. He attached the car to one of our state of the art machines and proceeded to do a pressure test on the breaking system. After half an hour he came back looking deflated and relayed the results ‘nothing, not so much as drip. There is no leaking’. ‘Oh no Dan have you failed to find the problem. That is a surprise’ said Shaun jokingly.
So another dead end and we were no nearer to finding out the actual problem. Now here at KAM we do refrain from doing a road test if the brakes are faulty. This is for the safety of us and others on the road in case of possible accidents. However the brakes were in good working condition and so a road test could be done. Dan, still eager to find the problem was first behind the wheel and off he went. He returned in 10 minutes hoisted the car up on the ramp and proclaimed ‘I’ve found it Kev, I know what the problem is’. We were slightly sceptical after hours of inconclusive testing had he really found the problem in 10 minutes? ‘It turned out that the brake problem was actually a clutch problem’ said Dan. Just to get technical for a moment the break and clutch share the same hydraulic fluid reservoir. This means that there was a leak but it was not due to the brake, but the clutch. The leak was coming between the gear box and the engine and the fluid was being lost through the clutch. We removed the gear box and we found the clutch slave cylinder to be leaking. So all along the problem had been the clutch which Dan had recognised as not being in good working order on the road test. The clutch was replaced and then after a wash from Dynamo Dhillan, Freddy was ready for collection. Yet it was till a mystery how Mr G had not noticed the clutch to be awkward when driving. ‘I suppose I had just gotten used it. I don’t drive very much. I’m so glad you’ve fixed it and saved me so much money. Thanks Dr Kev’
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Sutton and Long Eaton, along with our bodywork shop are open ever day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley and Heanor workshops and Sutton car sales are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.

Mr G's Astra Attack

2010-03-18T06:55:00.000-07:00

Hello faithful readers and welcome to another week of adventures from the KAM team. We have been very busy this week as you continue to heed the call and more and more of your cars are being restored to perfect health. You can leave your comments, questions on our twitter at www.twitter.com/dr_kev.
This week we received a visit from Mr G who as a long time customer here at KAM came straight to our Heanor depot with his mechanical conundrum. As he burst through the door a startled Supreme Sunny was first to ask what problems beseeched Mr G’s Vauxhall Astra. He had been in for a service just 6 months ago, what could be the problem? Had our team failed to notice something? ‘It’s using a lot more fuel recently, much more than usual and I am making the same amount of journeys. I don’t understand’ said Mr G looking puzzled. After further enquiry Mr G also revealed that a roaring noise had also been resonating from the car recently and maybe these two problems could be connected. When all the details were taken we dispatched Mr G off in one of our courtesy cars and got to work.
Tasmanian Trev was on hand to fix this week’s problem and hoisted the car up onto our state of the art ramps and began to take a gander. First the Vauxhall Astra was hooked up to our state of the art diagnostic machines and the mystery started to unravel. This week there was no Diagnostic Dan as he was off on a breakdown call and so we would have to solve this one without him. A short while passed and Tasmanian Trev had a familiar look upon his face as he announced ‘this is easy Kev, the exhaust is blown. I’ll get right to fixing it’. After another look round a look of disbelief adorned Trev’s face, as another car dilemma presented itself. The exhaust catalyst which is held into place by 3 bolts was holding on by a thread with 2 bolts missing. Now I must bestow some cautionary words for all drivers as there has been an increase in exhaust catalyst thefts. This is due to there worth which can be very high and their valuable metal components which can be very lucrative to a wannabe thief. So this is just a warning to be careful about where to park your car and to keep an eye on it if possible. The tell tale signs were there on Mr G’s car and it became obvious that someone had tried to take the catalyst converter, but luckily had been interrupted. Super Shaun got to work first by welding the exhaust to the exhaust catalyst, which was in need of refitting and bolting back up. We did this to save Mr G money as other garages would have simply replaced the components we at KAM think about the customers needs first.
The exhaust catalyst is used to control the emissions that are released from the car and due to a faulty wire leading to the O2 sensor the fuel problem could be explained. As the O2 sensor was faulty and so the ECU was using more fuel than usual. The roaring noise was explained by the loose exhaust catalyst. With all the work done and a clean from Dynamo Dhillan we were ready to see if we had succeeded. As Supreme Sunny turned the key a gentle purring resounded from the engine and the boys look on relieved.
When Mr G came to pick up the car he was thrilled to see the car in good working order and thanked the KAM team for their unflinching dedication to the job. ‘Thanks so much Dr Kev, I’m so glad you fixed it so quickly’. We also explained the threat of thieves and that if he saw anything suspicious then to report it to the police. ‘Wow you really are my heroes’ he laughed and with that he was off.
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Sutton and Long Eaton, along with our bodywork shop are open ever day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley and Heanor workshops and Sutton car sales are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.

Your Dedicated KAM team

2010-03-18T06:17:00.000-07:00

I have been on the Good Garage Scheme website recently and would just like to thank all of our faithful customers for the plethora of wonderful comments made. They have praised our hard working staff, our low prices and our efficient and thorough service. Remember we are here to cater to all your motoring needs whether that be a cam belt catastrophe or a simple service KAM is here to do it all. We are also armed with a team of specialist just waiting to attack those car gremlins and make your cars road worthy once gain. So if you are looking for low prices, a dedicated team that will solve any diagnostic dilemma look no further than KAM. A garage for all ages that won't take advantage of our ever growing customer base. For all of our great comments from all of our depots on the good garage scheme visit the site here at:
http://www.goodgaragescheme.co.uk/search_detail.php?recordID=4230

Mrs Y's Fabia Fiasco

2010-03-18T06:11:00.000-07:00

Hello faithful readers and welcome to another week of adventures from the KAM team. We have been very busy this week as you continue to heed the call and more and more of your cars are being restored to perfect health. You can leave your comments, questions and queries at http://drkev-kamsurgery.blogspot.com or on our twitter at www.twitter.com/dr_kev.
This week we received a visit from Mrs Y who as a long standing devoted customer to the KAM team had called in with her Skoda Fabia which was suffering from steering problems. ‘The steering is light one minute, and then heavy the next and the power steering has gone completely. You have to help me Dr Kev’. Those infamous words uttered yet again and our team would step up to the challenge. However after taking Mrs Y’s details one problem remained as on that very day the KAM garage was absent of all courtesy cars. Due to our busy schedule all had been loaned out and Mrs Y was in dire need as she had a compulsory hospital appointment. The Skoda would have to wait as we needed to get Mrs Y an alternative means of travel. Now other garages would simply suggest taking the bus or maybe even a taxi but here at KAM the customer is our main priority. As we scanned the workshop everyone’s eyes fell on Super Shaun as Mrs Y’s saviour. Shaun’s car was fully insured and safe for Mrs Y to drive and so being the gentleman he is he kindly offered. With Mrs Y happy at her day not being disrupted we dispatched her off in Shaun’s car and got straight to work.
Diagnostic Dan our very own German car specialist (Skoda is now part of the VW family) had been lurking in the background with a knowing look adorning his face. ‘Let me guess Dan you know what it is, you know you should use your powers to fight crime’ joked Shaun. ‘Well Shaun electronic diagnostics is about the art of following eliminating procedures’ he proclaimed while rifling in his tool box for his multimetre. With the all knowing Dan accompanied by Dynamo Dhillan this was sure to be a quick diagnostics mission. As the two got to work testing the car’s electric pump and the sensors the problem became quickly apparent. While undertaking the electric test which is carried out to test the resistance of the sensors it turned out to be a faulty angle sensor.
We were able to source a new angle sensor from our wonderful suppliers and the power steering was returned to normal. Dynamo Dhillan who is becoming our very own protégé finished the car off with a car wash and it was ready for collection. Mrs Y who had herself been given a clean bill of health returned to pick up her prized possession and was delighted at the swiftness of our team. ‘Wow Kev you really have helped me, my day has been disruption free and its all thanks to you and your team’. ‘Would it be awfully rude of me to ask one more thing Dr Kev’ she probed. ‘Ask away Mrs Y’ I responded curious as to what she was going to ask. It so transpired that Mrs Y’s petrol lawn mower had been giving her some problems and now she needed her dedicated KAM team to help. Super Shaun got behind the wheel of ‘da twuck with da fwashing lights’ and followed Mrs Y home to fix her faulty lawn mower. She returned later on to thank the KAM team for being so helpful and promised to leave us some favourable comments on the Good Garage Scheme website. Another day and another customer satisfied by your enthusiastic KAM team who is your one stop shop for all your motoring needs.
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Sutton and Long Eaton, along with our bodywork shop are open ever day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley and Heanor workshops and Sutton car sales are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.

Mr D's Brain Problem

2010-01-14T06:04:00.000-08:00

Hello faithful readers and welcome to this week’s adventures from the KAM team. With more and more of you gifting us with your car gremlins we have been as busy as ever as we strive to be your number 1-car repair specialists. You can leave your comments, questions and queries on our blog at www.drkev-kam.blogspot.com and our twitter account at www.twitter.com/dr_kev
This week we received a visit from Mr D at our Long Eaton branch. He came into complain of a possible flat battery in his Jaguar X type and said he had just about managed to make it to the garage. ‘The car wouldn’t start this morning, I had to get my neighbour to jump start it for me’ said Mr D. We explained to Mr D that we offer a free pick up service but he was just eager for the problem to be fixed. Another problem followed as Mr D explained that straight after the jump start, a light had appeared on the dashboard. So we had two problems to fix and after taking Mr D’s details we sent him off in one of our courtesy cars.
The battery task was assigned to Superman Sundeep who did a battery check and the battery was in fact defective. This was simple to fix as a new battery was all that was needed. Now to the second problem, the light that had appeared had been the EML (Engine Management Light). We connected our state of the art diagnostic machines to the car and I suspected that some of the electrical components had blown out from the jump start. Modern cars should not be jump started without a serge protector as there are so many electrical components connected to the ECU (engine control unit). The ECU acts like the brain to the car and controls a lot of the car’s parameters. ‘We need to test the brain’ I told the boys. ‘Oh there is no need to talk about Steve like that’ replied Shaun laughing. We have our own unique ECU testing equipment which allows for better, faster results and keeps prices low. Sundeep undertook the testing and it was soon uncovered that the ECU was damaged. The extra surges of electricity from the jump start had blown the ECU beyond repair. The car was in ‘limp’ mode which is the emergency mode for cars just before they are about to break down. Mr D had come just in time if he had left any longer the car most certainly would have broken down and caused MR D even more inconvenience. After a call to our fantastic suppliers we were able to source a reconditioned ECU at a fraction of the price of our competitors.
Sundeep Sunny was the mystery solver this week and as he started to assemble the new ECU along came diagnostic Dan. ‘Are you sure you don’t want a second opinion?’ he questioned. ‘We are fine, you just stick to your German cars and will stick to the right diagnosis’ Sundeep replied with confidence. Is there some in- house rivalry brewing? The ECU was assembled, and the codes were reset to within the correct parameters. All that remained was to turn on the engine and hopefully witness the disappearance of the EML. We waited as Shaun turned the key ‘it’s off’ he bellowed from the car. The car was repaired and after a clean from Dynamo Dhillan was back to its previous vigour. Mr D pulled up to the garage and saw his shiny Jaguar sitting on the forecourt and a smile adorned his face. ‘Wow thanks Dr Kev’ beamed Mr D. ‘That car is my pride and joy and now it’s back to its best thanks to you’
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Sutton and Long Eaton, along with our bodywork shop are open ever day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley and Heanor workshops and Sutton car sales are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.

Weather

2010-01-14T05:43:00.000-08:00

Now we all know how bad the weather has become. What started as a nice addition to christmas and added to the spirit and all round ambience of the winter months has quickly become a nuisance. With icy roads and freezing temperatures the car gremlins are out in force attacking your cars. But never fear your dediacted KAM team is here to solve all your motoring needs and our dediacted team of specialists will work tirelessly to keep your cars on the road. The ice is no match for us here at KAM. However please be advised to drive carefully and to be safe. Our team can fix your cars but you'll need a proper Dr if you get into an accident. So be careful faithful readers and call into your nearest depot if you experience any problems with your car. Our new look website will also be running soon so visit it at www.kamservicing.com. Our twitter is aslo up and running so to find out about the day to day actions of our heroic team visit us at www.twitter.com/dr_kev.
Till next time faithful readers
Dr Kev

Mr H's Double Dillema

2010-01-14T05:29:00.000-08:00

Hello faithful readers and welcome to another week of adventures from the KAM team. We have been very busy this week as you continue to heed the call and more and more of your cars are being restored to perfect health. We have seen a surge in sales for Maxxi’s tyres due to our competitive prices which are still much lower than our competitors. You can leave your comments, questions and queries at our twitter at www.twitter.com/dr_kev.
This week we received a visit from Mr H who came to our Heanor depot early Sunday morning. Mr H has been a loyal customer to the KAM team gifting us with all his car gremlins. As he pulled up in Renault Megane Scenic he appeared to be driving very tentatively and let out a sigh of relief as his car came to a standstill. He rushed to the reception ‘Hi Dr Kev I think I’m the latest victim of the dreaded cam belt, I keep reading about them and from that awful noise I think mine is about to break’. We took Mr H’s details and quickly dispatched him off in one of our courtesy cars so he could get back to work as car salesman.
Our first task was to take the car for a road test and this job was delegated to Big Al who heard the knocking noise Mr H complained about. Mr H’s admission of a possible cam belt fault was strange as his car was only 3 years old and had done less then 3000 miles and so this diagnosis was doubtful. After the test drive he returned with a look of confusion adorning his face. He explained to ‘His Royal Highness Raj’ how on the test drive another noise had presented itself. Now as well as the knocking sound, a squealing noise had also surfaced. We now had two mysteries to solve. Noises in a car can be quite deceptive as sound travels along the metal and so a noise that may sound like its coming from the front could actually be coming from the back.
We hoisted the car onto our ramp and the car appeared to be brand new, everything under the bonnet was in good working order and not suffering from any visible faults. The cam belt was in perfect working condition. So where was the noise coming from? After further inspection by Big Al one mystery was solved as it tuned out the squealing noise was the result of a loose power steering belt. After tightening the belt the squealing noise was gone. Now the boys were left bewildered by the remaining noise and just when I though I might have to intervene, someone piped up. I would just like to take this opportunity to introduce a new member of the KAM team ‘Beam me up Scotty’ who is our very own Japanese and French car specialist. Back to the story, while the others had been trying to figure out the location of the noise, ‘Beam me up Scotty’ had been observing the car attentively. So we gave the new boy the floor, would he be able to find the fault on his first go? - ‘If you lift out the shock absorber you’ll find it to be broken’ he said with an air of confidence. As Big Al removed the shock absorber we were all stunned as it was revealed to be broken. So are the powers of your dedicated KAM team.
Both shock absorbers were replaced as it is advised that they are replaced as a pair. Big Al seated behind the wheel, then turned the key to ignite the car, gone were the noises that had previously troubled the car and in its place was a gentle hum. Followed by the customary car wash from Dynamo Dhillan the car was ready for collection. So no dreaded cam belt this time but Mr H was delighted with the result and promised to praise us on the Good Garage Scheme. With our experienced staff of car specialists KAM aim to be your one stop shop for all your motoring needs.
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Sutton and Long Eaton, along with our bodywork shop are open ever day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley and Heanor workshops and Sutton car sales are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.

Gear box repair centre

2009-11-26T07:33:00.000-08:00

Hello faithful readers i would just like to inform you all that we have recently ventured into opening our own gear box repair shop. This was built specifically for gear boxes and as we now have more and more coming in it will be welcome addition to our expanding workshop. This is also beneficial to the customer as we can now save you both money and time. We guarantee a price that is affordable and much cheaper than our competitors. So if you are hearing any funny noises from your car make sure you book it in.

Whether it is a cam belt horror, a clutch, gear box or even body repair your dedicated KAM team is here to help. There is no problem too big or small and make sure to take car especially in the current climate conditions. Rain, snow, ice even wind can seriously affect your car so make sure to drive safe. If you experience any problems call your local depot or visit our website at http://www.kamservicng.com/ for more details. Our twitter uis also up and running at http://www.twitter.com/dr_kev . Till next time faithful readers keep it shiny side up.
Dr Kev

KAM column

2009-11-26T07:29:00.000-08:00

Hello faithful readers i hope you are enjoying the new addition of the KAM columns straight to you on our blog. It was after many requests from people who do not have access to the papers. For those wanting print copies the KAM column can be found in the following papers:
The Derby Telegraph- Friday motor section
The Recorder
The Topper
The Derby Express
It can be found on Thursday and Fridays depending on the paper and i hope people enjoy them. If you have any comments and questions you can leave them here or contact your local depot. You can also visit the website at www.kamservicing.com.

Miss E's Mini Mystery

2009-11-26T07:27:00.000-08:00

Hello faithful readers and welcome to this week’s adventures from the KAM team. With more and more of you gifting us with your car gremlins we have been as busy as ever as we strive to be your number 1-car repair specialists. You can leave your comments, questions and queries on our twitter account at www.twitter.com/dr_kev
This week’s column takes place within the realm our Long Eaton depot where we received a visit from our very glamorous customer Miss E. Miss E has been a customer of ours for over 4 years and as the owner of her own salon knows the pressures of running a business. As she entered the reception she was met by Cool Hand Luke, to whom she regaled her Mini Cooper’s failures. ‘It’s ridiculous Luke I’ve had two new batteries fitted in my car in the last 6 months’ she said visibly frustrated. As Miss E continued it so transpired that her car’s battery had been flat and after taking it to her local garage they ensured her that a new battery was all that was needed. However the battery went flat again after 3 months and the garage gave her the same reason and no further exploration was undertaken. We at KAM do not recommend this way of treating cars and will make thorough checks to ensure all problems are fixed. ‘You see Luke I can’t go back there so they can just do half a job, I need you to fix it, plus I’ve got clients waiting’ continued Miss E. When all the details had been given we dispatched her off in one of our courtesy cars, as we did not want to further disrupt her day, she like us had people depending on her for those hair disasters.
We got to work straight away as Superman Sundeep undertook the task assisted by Strong Arm Steve. After two minutes Sundeep yelled across the workshop ‘I’ve found the problem’. It turned out that due to negligence by the previous garage the wrong battery had been fitted in the car. The Mini Cooper has a smart charge battery, but the garage had fitted a normal budget battery. After replacing this with the right one the boys were happy, yet I was not convinced. The solution was too easily found. Was there an underlying cause to the battery draining out so quickly? I needed an answer.
Superman Sundeep armed with his multiimeters prepared to do a drain test. This is to see whether there is any current running from the battery to a component in the car that maybe left on. ‘Kev you were right’ said Sundeep as the results of the drain test showed the drain to be excessive. The battery was giving off excessive current but where to? We scanned the car’s history and the problem became quickly apparent. It appeared that approximately 6 months ago Miss E had had a new stereo fitted into her car, the same time that the problem had presented itself. In conclusion we found that the stereo would stay on even when the car was off and so had persisted to drain the battery. The stereo had been wired wrong so the live feed was always on. Strong Arm Steve rewired the stereo system resulting in the battery drain parameters returning to normal and the car back to its best. Mystery Solved. We then carried out all the necessary checks to ensure no car gremlins were lurking and after a wash from Dynamo Dhillan the car was ready for collection.
I did still wonder about the stereo and asked Miss E who had fitted it for her as they had failed to do a professional job. First she showed her gratitude for our team doing such a great job then started to laugh. ‘It was my dad Kev, he bought me a stereo for my birthday and fitted it as a surprise, I’ll tell him to leave it to the experts next time hey’.
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Sutton and Long Eaton, along with our bodywork shop are open ever day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley and Heanor workshops and Sutton car sales are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.

Mrs H does the maths

2009-11-26T07:21:00.000-08:00

Hello faithful readers and welcome to the adventures of the KAM team. It appears that you are listening to my musings and are continuing to keep our ramps busy as we restore your car’s to perfect health.
This week we had a visit from Mrs H who dropped into our Long Eaton branch to enquire about tyre prices. As a maths teacher and an avid car fan she had done her research and wanted a specific type of Maxxi’s tyres. These are now original equipment on a lot of new vehicles with manufacturers such as Peugeot and Toyota leading the way. She seemed presently surprised at our competitive prices as we beat out all the opposition. We have our own warehouse for which to supply to all of our depots and in turn our running costs are lower than those of the multinational corporations.
While at our Long Eaton branch Mrs H’s Ford Mondeo seemed to be having some problems. She explained how her husband had replaced her starter motor a total of three times in the last eighteen months. She added that the last one he had replaced it with had been a second hand motor from eBay and now she wanted to know the reason for these continuing failings. After taking Mrs H’s details we dispatched her in one of our courtesy cars so she could get back to school to teach. After fitting the Maxxi tyres ‘Tasmanian’ Trev then got to work on the starter motor. The investigations started by Trev undertaking many tests on the starter motor and sure enough the results were poor. The results showed that the problem lay not just inside the starter motor but there was a gremlin elsewhere in the car and we would have to locate it.
So where to start? The starter motor off course could we find some vital evidence to piece together the missing part of this diagnostic puzzle? Upon removal we found gatherings of dust in the starter motor and the bearings were worn. Now just to get technical for a moment the starter motor starts the engine and turns the fly wheel. On a Ford Mondeo however it is a dual- fast fly wheel and this had been damaged, in turn causing damage to the starter motor.
We had to ring Mrs H for her consent to fix the car and she gave it willingly hoping for a speedy recover. The Fly wheel is situated in the gear box and so the gear box would have to be removed and thanks to our fantastic suppliers the parts were ordered and arrived in a short amount of time. The task entailed ‘Strong arm’ Steve having to replace the clutch, starter motor and fly wheel. Mystery solved and another car ready for the road. When Mrs H arrived to pick up her car she was delighted at the efficiency of the service. Moreover she really appreciated being kept up to date on all the progress made during her car’s recovery. ‘Kev I don’t get this kind of service anywhere else also I’ve been adding up the numbers and compared to other quotes I got, you were 30% cheaper than your local competitors’. For unbeatable prices and winning customer service make sure to call in at your nearest depot.
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Heanor, Sutton and Long Eaton, along with our bodywork shop are open ever day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley workshop and Sutton car sales are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.
Until next week faithful reader, drive safely and keep it shiny side up.

Mr C's leaky problems

2009-11-26T07:17:00.000-08:00

Hello faithful readers and welcome to another week of epic adventure and the tales of triumph here at KAM.
This weeks we have the case of Mr C (name changed to protect identity) who is a new customer from Nottingham and works at the City hospital. He came down to our Heanor depot and said ‘Hi Kev I’ve read all about you and want to see how good you are’. It so transpired that Mr C’s Audi A3 was losing water and had to keep topping it up with at least half a pint a day. It also came to light that Mr C had taken this problem to three other garages and the dealer and each visit had been unsuccessful as all were unable to find the problem. ‘I’ve spent so much money on this leakage and now I need an answer’. He bought with him the invoices of all the other garages that had charged him for their ineffective services. From these invoices we found that the previous garages had replaced the radiator, two coolant hoses, the thermostat and housing and the last one had not found a problem but still charged Mr C (You won’t find this with us we will not rest till we have found the answer). After probing Mr C he revealed that there were no leak marks on his driveway and that sometimes when driving an unpleasant smell would arise. After taking Mr Cs details we then dispatched him in one of our courtesy cars as he needed to get to the hospital to carry out his real Dr’s duties.
I then began to undertake my sleuth like investigations and delegated the job of testing the vehicle to ‘super’ Sandeep who proceeded to carry out a coolant pressure test. This involves putting probes on the coolant system and pressurizing it to find a leak. While Sandeep set about doing the test ‘Dynamo Dhillan’ waited in the wings to give the car a dynamic clean. A while later when checking on the on going investigations I saw ‘Tasmanian’ Trev and ‘Strong Arm’ Steve looking into the Audi A3 with looks of confusion. ‘There is definitely no leaks’ bellowed Steve. Concurrently there were legs stretched out of the passenger side door and it was ‘Super’ Shaun’. Now he wasn’t doing his contortionist act but was shouting something with his head under the dashboard. As I inched closer I heard Shaun shout ‘I’ve found it, I’ve found it. The leak was coming from the heater matrix behind the dash’. Don’t worry the heater matrix is no way as confusing as the movie it just provides the heat to the car and it appeared that the jubilee clip on the matrix had broken and thus the water was leaking. The reason the test found nothing was that the water was leaking onto the passenger side carpet. We have to thank ‘Dynamo’ Dhillan for this discovery as he was preparing to clean the car from the inside and had noticed the wet carpet. In a move that shows great initiative from our budding future mechanic he reported this problem to Shaun. While everyone scratched their heads Dhillan and Shaun found the leak. A seal and clip were all that was needed to fix this problem that had already cost Mr C a lot of money. The carpet was dried out and cleaned by Dhillan and the car was back to its previous vigour.
One thing that did puzzle us was how Mr C (and the other garages) had so evidently missed the large amount of water on his passenger’s side. When he returned later he informed us that he lived alone and that he did not have a lot of passengers in his car. Well now that his car was fixed Mr C could go and save more lives in the same way we save your cars. There is no mystery too troubling for the KAM team.
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Sutton and Long Eaton, along with our bodywork shop are open ever day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley and Heanor workshop and Sutton car sales are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.

Mr S's Double Mystery

2009-11-16T06:47:00.000-08:00

Hello faithful readers and welcome again to the adventures of the KAM team. This week we have been as busy as ever as you, our loyal customers did heed the call and have had your Cam belts inspected by our dedicated team. With visits to all of our depots it would appear that my message did get across and as a result your cars are much safer and in good health.
This week’s story belongs to Mr S (name changed to protect identity) who rang our Sawley depot on Monday morning. ‘Kev, I’ve got some strange noises coming from my car and I know your good with noises’. Now Mr S has been a dedicated customer of ours for nearly 16 years and even helped to make his wife and son Kam converts. It appeared that his BMW 320 turbo diesel was making noises and after checking his vehicle history I found that we had previously advised him to get his coil springs checked as they were slowly corroding. Well mystery solved right? All we’d need to do is replace the coil spring and we would have another satisfied customer. Well as you can guess fair reader this was not to be and we were about to find out why. When Mr S bought his car in we were all startled by the deafening noise resounding from under the bonnet. As I looked over to the workshop I saw ‘Handy’ Andy, ‘Tasmanian’ Trev and the ‘Yorkie Bar Kid’ all locking their fingers into their ears. ‘Its like a jet plane has just landed’ shouted Trev over the roaring noise. ‘Well then Kev I know your good but not that good hey’ so it was not a broken coil spring but something that would require further exploration. ‘I only hear it every now and then though Kev what do you think it is’ implored Mr S. Now I was slightly baffled by Mr S statement as it was very clear that this noise was constant when the engine was running and to hear it from time to time would be very unusual indeed. At this time instead of patronizing Mr S I gave him the benefit of the doubt and asked him to go for a test drive in the car. As my own curiosity regarding Mr S and his car was ever present I was determined to get to the bottom of this case.
Driving along the noise was ubiquitous and roared out from the car all the while Mr D kept repeating, ‘Oh I can hear it, oh now its gone’. I was perplexed yet again Mr S is an upstanding member of community and would have no reason to lie so what was the problem. I suddenly remembered that at times when retaining Mr S’s details he had seemed to ignore the questions and I had to repeat myself. Was this a case for a real Dr perhaps? We dispatched Mr S in one of our courtesy cars and raised his car onto our ramp he had also asked for an MOT and service as his was to run out in a month. Big Al and the ‘Yorkie Bar Kid got to work on the MOT and service and afterwards ‘Dynamo’ Dhillan put his powers to work and deposited our customary floor mats and seat covers followed by one of his renowned car washes. The MOT showed the problem to be straight forward and revealed that the turbo had blown and after replacing it with a new one from our fantastic suppliers we rang Mr S with the good news. He seemed to communicate well on the phone and we greed a time which was most convenient for him to pick up his now healthy BMW. So the mystery of Mr S’s hearing remained till 6 o clock when he came to pick up his car. ‘Oh Kev I hope you don’t think I was being ignorant earlier on, my hearing aid was playing up but I’ve just been to get it repaired’. So two mysteries solved in one day I wasn’t going mad and neither was Mr S. With our customer and his car both repaired and a laugh over the misunderstanding on both our parts Mr S left feeling very pleased. Here at Kam we don’t discriminate and patronize and we will always get down to the bottom of whatever mysteries (human, vehicle or other) that beseech us.
Remember faithful reader, our team of dedicated and hard working staff at the branches in Heanor, Sutton and Long Eaton, along with our bodywork shop are open ever day of the week, EXCLUDING Sunday’s, while the lads at our Sawley workshop and Sutton car sales are at your service seven days a week, keeping your car where it belongs. ON THE ROAD.
Until next week faithful reader, drive safely and keep it shiny side up.
Dr. Kev.

The KAM column

2009-11-16T06:44:00.000-08:00

hello faithful readers. Due to a few requests i shall now be distributing the KAM column online aswell. This shall be displayed after the copy in the newspaper so there will be no exclusives. But for those who have missed previous columns this will be a chance to catch up and let me know what you really think. Hope everyone enjoys the diagnostic mysteries and as always feedback is welcome. First one coming very soon!!!

Your Car Specialists Here To Help

2009-10-28T07:49:00.001-07:00

Hello faithful readers i apologise for the lack of posts recently we have been as busy as ever striving to be your number one car specialist. We have had some new additions to the team in the form of Diagnostic Dan who has already proved his worth by solving one of our diagnostic mysteries. The other is Beam me up Scotty who brings with him a breadth of knowledge. We here at KAM have specialists in all types of cars including:

Diagnostic Dan- German Car Specialist
Big Al - Ex AA trained and Vauxhall specialist
His Hignesss Raj- Ford specialist
Scotty- Japanese and French car specialist
Your vey own Dr Kev- A jack of all trades haha
Dynamo Dhillan- Car washing specialist

Together between us the KAM team can tackle any problem that is put our way and we will not stop until your car is back to its best. Please continue to read the column and to leave your comments, queries and questions here or on our twitter at www.twitter.com/dr_kev We also have a Dr Kev's KAM surgery on facebook just type Dr Kev into the search on facebook. If you aren't sick of us by then you can also visit www.kamservicing.com for details of your nearest depot. Till next time faithful readers keep it shiny side up

Dr Kev

Those dreaded Cam Belts

2009-07-11T14:38:00.000-07:00

well faithful readers while some of you have inded heeded thecall it appears that a few drifters did not and we have seen an increase in the number of cam belt casualties. Remember to check yours or pop into your nearest branch for an inspection by our dedicated team. As you may also know your car doctor has gone over to the technological dark side and i have created a twitter account. To keep up to date with all things KAM and to get all the latest from behind the scenes visit www.twitter.com/dr_kev. As always keep your questions coming and remember there is no job too big for the KAM team. till next time
Dr Kev

RIP Michael Jackson

2009-07-08T06:56:00.000-07:00

After watching the memorial last night i just wanted to pay my respects to the amazing MJ. He was a true legend and will remain so through his timeless music and his wonderful stage presence. I was lucky enough to see him three times with close friends and will never forget the experience. He is a one of a kind and the music world will never be the same. If you too are a fan then please regale your own tales. Don't forget to pick up this week's column which has a paticularly interesting story involving a fridge and a steam cleaner. till next time faithful readers keep it shiny side up.

Dr Kev

Tyres Tyres Tyres

2009-06-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

It appears that our faithful readers have heeded the call for competitively priced tyres and we are selling more than ever. With our own stock of Maxxis tyres at lower prices than our competitors and those corporate giants you are taking advantage of our great prices. so if you are in need of new tyres or if your car's health is in question remember to call or pop down to your local depot. visit our website for contact details

Car Troubles

2009-06-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

Are you having trouble with your car? Make sure you bring it to your local KAM depot and we'll fix any problems you may have. Don't forget to check out our website at http://www.kam-servicing.com/ for contact details.

Welcome Faithful readers

2009-06-02T04:46:00.000-07:00

Hello faithful readers and welcome to the Dr Kev column online. Yes in a bid to move along with the times your favourite car specialists have gone into the cyber space abyss and hope many of you follow our journey. Keep followong the blog for updates on our daily adventures and our car mysteries being solved. Keep your questions coming as we are here to help!!!