Car Mechanics

Car Mechanics is the UK's only car magazine with essential advice on maintaining and repairing popular makes and models. It’s an invaluable motoring resource that appeals to both the DIY car enthusiast and the more experienced motor trade professional. Car Mechanics has helped save money for our readers every month since 1958. Each issue includes a wide range of in-depth features written in a clear, straightforward manner: • Readers’ motoring-related problems answered for FREE • Real-life motoring dilemmas from our man in the garage trade • Electronic diagnostics delves inside a different modern vehicle each month to explain its management system • Survival Guide looks at new and used component prices for a particular vehicle • Used Car Focus is an in-depth buying guide on a specific make and model • Service Bay covers a full service with close-up images and comprehensive descriptions • Project cars are a major part of the structure of the magazine as we buy, fix and sell different vehicles over a period of months So if you're into saving money and being a home technician, Car Mechanics will help you out - guaranteed!

Editorial

CAR MECHANICS

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems • As DIYers can endanger themselves and their passengers, by not appreciating how repairs influence ADAS, Rob Marshall demystifies what it all means and what the home mechanic should consider to keep safe.

CM Insider • Ben Hackney-Williams brings you another month of news and reviews from the automotive industry

News in Brief

The Peter Simpson COLUMN • Modern cars need service histories, but there are sometimes ways a missing one can be found…

Tales from the workshop • Fixing advice from our garage proprietor Steve Rothwell

Chain reaction • PART THREE: Andrew Everett takes us through a fairly straightforward timing chain swap on our 1.2 petrol engine. Nissan and Renault owners take note!

The last few jobs • PART SIX: The pressure’s on to get the final jobs ticked off in the last episode of our Clubman project. Rob Hawkins tries to remain calm as more troubles arise.

CTEK CSFree Battery Charger • After years of battery chargers gaining features, CTEK’s new CSFree has ditched a biggie – its power lead.

Dealer’s Diary • Peter Simpson and Rebecca Chaplin brings us car trading news as we slowly move out of lockdown.

TOP 40 USED CARS FOR UNDER £4000

HATCHBACKS • There are literally hundreds of hatchbacks available for our £4000 budget, and we’ve had to be quite selective to narrow it down to just eight for this section. Options range from frugal diesels that offer fantastic mpg and cheap motoring, through to hot-hatches with powerful engines and grin-inducing handling. It’s all a matter of horses for courses, but we’ve chosen what we feel is a great selection of the kind of cars available; some names you’ll expect to see, some will make you look twice, and one or two may even get you thinking outside of the box too.

One we found

SALOONS • Thought a moderate budget of just £4000 means you’re destined for a world of cheap-hatches and throw-away family wagons? Think again. For just a few hundred quid, you can get into some big, well-built saloons these days; cars that will comfortably waft along the motorway effortlessly munching up the miles. But spend that £4000 wisely, and you can bag yourself a pukka executive machine that’s fully-loaded with all the toys and modern creature comforts – something that would have cost well over £50k when new. Here’s just a handful of our top picks...

One we found

One we found

ESTATES • Need extra space? No worries, there are plenty of decent estate models on the secondhand market well within our £4000 budget. Whether it’s a no frills, function-over-form, utilitarian load-lugger you...