Car Repairs in Salcombe

Salcombe's very steep, narrow streets, limited parking and heavy holiday traffic make life hard for a car. Constant hill starts, slow queues and tight manoeuvres work the clutch, the cooling system and the engine more than the average commute.

At Automaster we repair petrol and diesel cars from our garage at Longcombe Cross near Totnes. This page covers the engine jobs Salcombe drivers ask about, with plain explanations of symptoms and what affects the work.

How do Salcombe's hills and slow queues affect an engine?

Repeated climbs from standing and long crawls in traffic keep the engine hot while airflow is low. That exposes weak coolant hoses, sluggish thermostats, marginal fans and ageing radiators. It also puts stress on turbos, which spin fast on hills.

If the car feels flat, runs hot or smells of coolant or oil, do not wait for the next holiday week to find out how bad it is.

Because parking is tight and visitors fill the town in summer, a car that will not start or overheats can quickly become a nuisance for everyone. Early diagnosis keeps the problem small.

• Coolant smell after a climb
• Fan running constantly
• Hesitation pulling away
• Visible drips on your parking spot

Why is a cambelt and water pump replacement a combined job?

The belt and pump often share the same drive, and the access work is identical. Combined, you pay for the labour once. Separately, you pay twice, and an old pump can fail and take the new belt with it.

Follow the manufacturer's interval in your handbook, which depends on age as well as use. Engines with timing chains are treated differently, and we check them for noise and wear.

What do I do if my engine overheats in a Salcombe queue?

Switch off in a safe place as soon as possible. If you keep going, you risk head gasket failure and warped metal. Wait until it has cooled and do not undo the cap while it is hot.

Then bring it in. Causes include coolant leaks, a faulty fan, a stuck thermostat, a blocked radiator and a failing pump, and we locate the fault with testing.

What are the signs of turbo wear, oil leaks and injector trouble?

A turbo that is wearing tends to whistle, smoke and lose its push. Oil leaks show as drips, a burning smell and a falling dipstick reading. Injector or fuel-system trouble gives rough idling, smoke, a fuel smell or poor economy.

We inspect the car before recommending repairs, and where a repair is not worthwhile, we say so.

Oil leaks are worth special attention on slopes, since oil can run to a different part of the engine bay and mislead a casual look. We clean the area and trace the true source.

Do you cover Salcombe, and how do I get my car to Automaster?

We do. Salcombe drivers, along with those from Kingsbridge, Thurlestone, Loddiswell and Bantham, come to Longcombe Cross, near Totnes. Ask for a quote and describe what the car is doing.

Where the fault means the car is unsafe, with severe overheating or heavy oil loss, please do not drive it. Ring the quote line and we will advise.