Mechanic advice from Bob, a UK-qualified mechanic with 32 years on the tools running a DVSA-approved workshop in Birnam, Perthshire. Use the self-service fault code, MOT history and recall tools to research your problem, then get a paid written answer about your own car from £14.99 within 6 hours, money back if it doesn’t help.
Advice from somebody who does the job
Bob has spent 32 years on the tools and runs a DVSA-approved workshop in Birnam, Perthshire. The advice here is written from what actually comes through the workshop doors, not from a content brief.
Use the free self-service tools first — fault code lookup, MOT history, recall check, symptom guides. They will get most people to an answer without spending anything.
When free research is not enough
If you have read the guides and still cannot tell whether the noise is a wheel bearing or a tyre, or whether a £900 quote is fair, that is the point to get a paid answer on your specific car. £14.99, written reply within six hours, money back if it does not help.
That is deliberately not free. Free advice gets skimmed, hedged and generalised. A paid answer means Bob reads your registration, your mileage and your description properly and commits to an opinion.
The advice that saves the most money
Fix advisories while they are advisories. A corroded brake pipe advisory is a £60 job; a failed brake pipe with corrosion spread along the run is several hundred.
Service the car on time with the right oil specification. Modern engines with variable valve timing, turbochargers and DPFs are unforgiving of long oil intervals and the wrong grade.
Get a second opinion on any quote over about £500. It costs almost nothing and it very regularly changes the number.
Never let anybody replace parts to see if it helps. That is not diagnosis, it is you funding a process of elimination.
Frequently asked questions
Do you give free mechanic advice?
The guides, fault code lookup, MOT history and recall tools are all free. Advice about your specific vehicle is a paid written answer from £14.99.
Who writes the advice?
Bob, a qualified UK mechanic with 32 years on the tools, running a DVSA-approved workshop in Birnam, Dunkeld, Perthshire.
Can you tell me if my garage is overcharging?
Yes. Send the quote with the registration and mileage and you will get an honest assessment of the price and whether the work is needed.
How fast is the reply?
Within six hours, 24/7, excluding 10pm to 7am overnight.