This is the everyday work. Brakes, cambelts, water pumps, exhausts and batteries make up most of what comes through the door, and all of it follows the same rule: we measure it, we quote it, then we do it.
Brakes get measured rather than estimated. Pad thickness with a gauge, disc thickness with a micrometer against the minimum figure stamped on the disc itself. A disc that is still above its minimum and running true can be machined. One that is below it, or cracked, or heat-scored past the point of machining, gets replaced. A pulsing pedal usually means a warped or unevenly deposited disc rather than a pad problem, and that distinction changes the price.
Cambelts are the one job where age matters as much as distance. Rubber degrades on a timeline whether the car is driven or parked, so a five year old belt with 40 000 km on it is still a five year old belt. On an interference engine, and most modern engines are interference engines, a snapped belt drives the pistons into open valves and the repair stops being a belt and becomes a cylinder head. Check the interval in your book and treat both numbers as real.
The water pump usually shares that job. On a great many engines the cambelt drives the water pump, which means the pump sits behind the same covers and the same labour. Replacing the belt, tensioner, idlers and pump together costs a fraction of doing the pump on its own a year later. We will always tell you whether your engine is built that way.
Exhausts are often a section repair rather than a full system. If the flexi pipe has split or one box has rusted through while the rest of the system is sound, we replace the failed section and leave the good metal alone. If the manifold-back system is at the end of its life we will say that instead, with a look at it on the lift so you can see what we are describing.
Batteries get tested under load, not just checked for voltage. A tired battery can read a healthy twelve point six volts at rest and still collapse the moment the starter draws current on a cold morning. We also check that the alternator is charging properly before selling anyone a battery, because a flat battery is sometimes a charging fault wearing a disguise.
If the fault is not on this list, call anyway. We work on all makes and models, and if it is genuinely outside what we do, we will tell you that on the phone instead of booking your car in to find out.
Signs you need this looked at
- Squeal, grinding or a pulsing brake pedal
- Cambelt interval reached by mileage or by age
- Temperature gauge climbing, or coolant disappearing with no puddle
- Exhaust has gone loud, or blows on a cold start
- Slow crank in the morning, or a battery that needs a jump twice a week
What moves the price
- 01
Pads alone against pads and discs, and whether the discs are within machining limits
- 02
Cambelt access, and whether the water pump and tensioner are driven by the same belt
- 03
Section repair against a full exhaust system
We quote your car against its registration rather than reading a price off a chart. You get the number before the work starts.
Common questions
How often should the cambelt be replaced?
Check your service book, because it varies widely by engine. Both the distance figure and the time figure apply, whichever comes first, and the time figure is the one people forget.
Can my brake discs be machined instead of replaced?
Sometimes. Every disc has a minimum thickness stamped on it. If machining would take it below that figure it gets replaced. We measure and tell you which one you are looking at.
Do you work on all makes?
Yes, all makes and models. If a job needs manufacturer-specific software or tooling we do not have, we will tell you before you book rather than after.