RJG Automotive

16/10/2026

🔧 Vauxhall Grandland – Engine Diagnosis & Repair

This Vauxhall Grandland arrived with a flashing engine management light (EML) and a rough-running engine. It was immediately obvious that the engine was misfiring, and even during starting, there were clear signs that one cylinder was down on compression.

🔍 Diagnosis

We carried out a full diagnostic check, which identified a misfire on cylinder 1. After removing and inspecting the spark plugs and carrying out a compression test across all three cylinders, we confirmed that cylinder 1 had a compression issue.

At this stage, we spoke with the customer and explained the options:

🔹 Strip the engine down to investigate the fault and price the necessary repairs once we knew the full extent of the damage.

🔹 Source and fit a second-hand replacement engine.

The customer opted for the first option, allowing us to investigate the problem properly before deciding on the best course of action.

🔧 Finding the Fault

With the cylinder head removed, we found the culprit: a burned exhaust valve on cylinder 1, which was allowing compression to escape and causing the misfire.

The cylinder head was sent to a specialist machine shop for repair. During their inspection, they also identified slight damage to one of the camshaft lobes. Rather than refit a damaged component, the decision was made to replace the camshaft while everything was apart.

✅ Putting It Back Together

Once the cylinder head repairs were complete, we reassembled the engine using:

✔️ Repaired cylinder head
✔️ Replacement camshaft
✔️ New gaskets and bolts
✔️ New timing belt kit
✔️ New auxiliary belt
✔️ New water pump belt
✔️ Fresh engine oil and oil filter
✔️ Fresh antifreeze

With the engine apart, it made sense to renew the associated service items and belts rather than refit old components and risk having to revisit the job later.

Another example of why proper diagnosis is important before jumping straight to replacing parts. By investigating the original engine, we were able to identify the actual cause of the fault and carry out the necessary repairs.

And the only thing missing? A nice completed picture of the engine bay! 😂

Unfortunately, it was Friday, and getting the job finished took priority over remembering to take photos!

📍 RJG Automotive – Moorfield Garage, Gatehead Road, Kilmarnock, KA2 0AH

📞 01563 621981

For diagnostics, servicing and repairs, get in touch with the team at RJG Automotive.

13/10/2026

🔧 BMW 1 SERIES – FROM OIL LEAK DIAGNOSIS TO FULL REPAIR! 🔧

This BMW 1 Series came into RJG Automotive for an oil leak investigation, a general health check and, if everything checked out, a possible MOT.

As always, we carried out a thorough inspection rather than simply dealing with the original complaint. Unfortunately, we uncovered a few more issues that needed attention before this BMW was safe and ready for the road. 👀

🔍 DIAGNOSIS & INSPECTION FINDINGS

🛢️ Engine oil leak – Traced to the crankshaft seal cover, where the plastic housing had worn and was allowing oil to seep through. Given the vehicle’s history of a previously snapped auxiliary belt, this may have contributed to the damage.

⚠️ Front suspension – The front suspension arm ball joint had a dangerous amount of play and required replacement to restore safe suspension operation.

🛑 Front brakes – The brake discs were worn below their minimum permitted thickness and in poor condition, meaning replacement was essential.

💨 Exhaust system – The exhaust flexi section had completely detached from the diesel particulate filter (DPF), requiring a replacement section to be fitted.

🛞 Rear tyres – Both rear tyres were right on the legal limit, leaving very little tread remaining and making replacement an important consideration.

We reported our findings to the customer, explained the work required and provided a quote before carrying out any repairs. Once we had the go-ahead, we got stuck in! 💪

🔧 WORK COMPLETED IN-HOUSE

✅ Replaced the front brake discs and pads
✅ Replaced the faulty front suspension arm
✅ Welded a replacement flexi section into the DPF
✅ Replaced the crankshaft pulley
✅ Replaced the crankshaft oil seal and seal cover
✅ Fitted a new auxiliary belt
✅ Carried out a full service
✅ Completed the MOT

All the necessary repairs, servicing and MOT work were carried out here at RJG Automotive, meaning the customer could have everything dealt with under one roof.

This is exactly why a proper inspection matters. A vehicle might come in with one obvious problem, but a thorough check can uncover other issues that affect safety, reliability and roadworthiness.

At RJG Automotive, we believe in honest advice, quality workmanship and doing the job properly. We explain what we find, discuss the options with the customer and only proceed with the agreed work.

One visit, a full list of repairs and a BMW brought back up to the standard it needs to be. 🔧🚗

📍 RJG Automotive
Moorfield Garage, Gatehead Road, Kilmarnock, KA2 0AH

📞 01563 621981

📩 Get in touch to book your vehicle in for servicing, diagnostics, repairs or an MOT.

09/10/2026

🔧 KEEPING ANOTHER CLASSIC MERCEDES ON THE ROAD! 🚗

This older Mercedes came to us after failing its MOT due to corrosion around the offside front (OSF) suspension spring cup.

At RJG Automotive, we believe in doing repairs properly, keeping quality high and preserving older vehicles wherever possible.

✅ Supplied and fitted a genuine Mercedes spring cup
✅ Cut out the original corroded section
✅ New spring cup plug welded into position
✅ Seams sealed to help protect against moisture ingress
✅ Treated with Dinitrol underbody sealant for added corrosion protection

We don’t believe in cutting corners. The repair was carried out properly using a genuine Mercedes part, with protection applied to help keep corrosion at bay for the future.

Another quality repair completed, another MOT failure rectified, and another classic Mercedes back where it belongs — on the road! 🙌

Happy customer, quality workmanship, and another older vehicle kept going for a few more years. ❤️

📍 RJG Automotive – Moorfield Garage, Gatehead Road, Kilmarnock, KA2 0AH
📞 01563 621981

02/10/2026

🚨 MOT DUE? DON’T LEAVE IT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE! 🚨

🔧 DAILY MOT SLOTS AVAILABLE AT RJG AUTOMOTIVE! 🔧

We have MOT appointments available every day, 9am–5pm — making it easy to get your vehicle tested without the long wait.

Whether it’s your daily driver, family car, classic, performance car or van, we’ve got you covered. 🚗💨

✅ MOT testing
✅ Servicing & repairs
✅ Diagnostics
✅ All makes & models
✅ Repairs carried out in-house
✅ Honest advice & quality workmanship

And if your vehicle needs repairs following its MOT, we can take care of them here at RJG Automotive, saving you the hassle of finding another garage.

📞 CALL NOW: 01563 621981

📍 RJG Automotive
Moorfield Garage
Gatehead Road
Kilmarnock
KA2 0AH

⏰ MOTs available 9am–5pm daily

DON’T WAIT FOR THE “MOT EXPIRES TOMORROW” PANIC! 😂

📞 Give us a call and get booked in!

16/09/2026

🚗🔧 BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND – WE’RE OPEN! 🔧🚗

While everyone else is enjoying the long weekend, we’ll be here keeping you and your car moving! 😎

RJG Automotive will be OPEN this Friday AND Monday, with MOTs available on both days. So if your MOT is due, why not get it booked in and take one less thing off your mind?

Whether it’s an MOT, servicing, diagnostics or repairs, give us a call and get your car booked in.

📍 RJG Automotive – Moorfield Garage
📞 01563 621981

Spaces are limited, so get in touch to secure your slot! 🔧🚗

19/08/2026

First Day Back — Straight Into Diagnostics 🔧

First day back after the holiday and we’re straight back into it with a diagnostic fault on this Peugeot Partner.

The vehicle arrived with multiple warning lights showing, including:

🚨 ABS
🚨 Hill Assist
🚨 EML
🚨 TPMS

Our diagnostic checks pointed towards a fault with the rear right ABS sensor. However, on inspection, we found the sensor had already been replaced.

Rather than simply fitting another sensor and hoping for the best, we carried out proper electrical testing. We checked the power supply and grounds and found no power reaching the sensor.

This is where proper diagnostics pays off. 👇

PSA vehicles are well known for issues with wiring corrosion, so we traced the wiring loom back from the sensor until we located the culprit — a damaged/corroded section of wiring.

The wiring was repaired using the correct repair procedure, properly protected and taped up before the vehicle was road tested.

✅ Fault rectified
✅ Warning lights cleared
✅ Road tested
✅ System confirmed working correctly

This is a perfect example of why proper diagnosis is so important.

Throwing parts at a problem can quickly become expensive, especially when the part itself isn’t actually at fault.

At RJG Automotive, we diagnose the problem properly before replacing parts — saving you unnecessary expense and getting you back on the road correctly. 🔧

📍 RJG Automotive
Moorfield Garage, Gatehead Road, Kilmarnock
KA2 0AH

📞 01563 621981

MOT • Servicing • Diagnostics • Repairs

06/08/2026

We’re hanging up the spanners for a well-earned break! 🔧☀️

RJG Automotive will be closed and will reopen on Wednesday 19th August.

After a busy period keeping everyone’s cars safe, serviced and back on the road, it’s time for us to recharge the batteries (ours this time—not your car’s! 😄).

We’d like to thank all of our customers for your continued support. We really do appreciate every booking, recommendation and visit to the workshop.

If your MOT, service or repairs are due shortly after we return, we’d recommend getting in touch now to secure your booking, as appointments are expected to fill up quickly.

We look forward to seeing you all again from 19th August, refreshed, recharged and ready to get back to doing what we do best.

RJG Automotive
📍 Moorfield Garage, Gatehead Road, Kilmarnock, KA2 0AH
📞 01563 621981

Enjoy the sunshine, drive safely, and try not to break anything while we’re away… if you can! 😅

30/07/2026

🚨 THIS IS WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW WHO YOU’RE TRUSTING WITH YOUR CAR. 🚨

We’re not interested in naming and shaming anyone — but when we find workmanship like this on a vehicle that has already been back on the road, we feel it’s important to show exactly why quality workmanship matters.

This car came to us after having rear discs and pads fitted only a matter of weeks ago.

The customer also reported a knocking noise from the front end and asked us to carry out an inspection.

What we found was genuinely concerning. 👇

🔴 REAR BRAKES — RECENTLY REPLACED

The rear brake work had been carried out to a very poor standard.

The caliper pistons had been wound back without properly checking the dust seals were free from the piston. The seals had been torn as a result.

Once a dust seal is damaged, water and contamination can enter the caliper, potentially causing corrosion, piston seizure and the brake to bind on.

We also found the caliper carriers had not been properly cleaned.

Brake pads need to move freely in their carriers. Corrosion and debris can cause the pads to stick, leading to uneven braking, overheating, premature wear and potentially reduced braking performance.

For something that had only been done weeks earlier, this is simply not good enough.

🔴 NOW FOR THE FRONT…

This is where things became seriously concerning.

The vehicle had recently had:

🔧 2 new shock absorbers
🔧 2 new springs
🔧 2 new drop links

The standard of installation was, quite frankly, shocking.

OSF — OFFSIDE FRONT:

❌ Shock absorber-to-hub bolt completely missing.

This is not a minor issue. This bolt secures the suspension strut to the hub assembly. With it missing, the suspension is not correctly secured and can move when it shouldn’t.

That can affect steering, suspension geometry and vehicle stability — with the potential for catastrophic failure.

❌ Brake flexi hose not clipped into its retaining bracket.

A brake hose is not something that should be left loose. Incorrect routing can allow it to stretch, chafe or become damaged during steering and suspension movement.

Damage to a brake hose can result in brake fluid loss and potentially a serious loss of braking performance.

❌ ABS wiring routed incorrectly and left hanging.

ABS wiring needs to be correctly routed and secured away from moving components.

Leave it hanging around and it can become stretched, chafed or damaged — potentially resulting in ABS and stability-control faults.

❌ Coil spring rubbing against the inner wheel arch at full lock.

This should never happen.

The spring should have adequate clearance throughout the suspension and steering movement. Contact can damage the spring, bodywork or surrounding components and can potentially affect the safe operation of the suspension and steering.

🔴 NSF — NEARSIDE FRONT:

❌ Shock absorber not fully seated into the hub.

The suspension assembly needs to be correctly positioned and securely clamped. Leaving it incorrectly seated can allow unwanted movement and compromise suspension stability and steering behaviour.

❌ ABS wiring incorrectly routed AGAIN.

And this time…

❌ The ABS wiring was actually rubbing against the wheel.

A rotating wheel can make very short work of wiring.

The cable could be chafed through or completely severed, resulting in an ABS fault and potentially affecting associated electronic safety systems.

🚨 THIS IS NOT JUST “A BIT ROUGH.” THIS IS DANGEROUS. 🚨

There is a massive difference between a job that doesn’t look pretty and work that has been carried out incorrectly on safety-critical components.

Brakes.
Suspension.
ABS.
Steering-related components.

These are the things that keep your car on the road and under control.

A vehicle should NEVER be sent back out like this.

Thankfully, the customer noticed something wasn’t right and brought the car to us for inspection.

It could have been a very different story if these faults hadn’t been found.

This is why we always say:

👉 Don’t automatically go for the cheapest quote.
👉 Ask questions.
👉 Ask what parts are being fitted.
👉 Ask who is carrying out the work.
👉 And most importantly, make sure the work is done properly.

Your car isn’t just another job — it’s what you, your family and other road users are trusting to get you home safely.

At RJG Automotive, we take that responsibility seriously.

📍 RJG Automotive – Moorfield Garage
Gatehead Road, Kilmarnock
KA2 0AH

📞 01563 621981

🔧 MOTs | Servicing | Repairs | Diagnostics | Brakes | Suspension

29/07/2026

🚗 **Another Car with a “Full Service History” — But No Cabin Filter Change!**

Yet again, we’ve had another vehicle come into the workshop with a **full service history**, only to discover that the cabin/pollen filter has **never been replaced during the vehicle’s lifetime**.

So, what exactly is a cabin filter, and why is it important?

🌬️ What is a cabin filter?

The **cabin filter**, also known as a **pollen or interior air filter**, is designed to filter the air entering your vehicle’s passenger compartment through the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system.

Depending on the vehicle and filter type, it can help trap:

• Dust and dirt
• Pollen and other airborne allergens
• Road debris and fine particles
• Soot and pollutants
• Unpleasant odours, particularly with activated-carbon filters

Over time, the filter becomes increasingly dirty and restricted.

⚠️ Why should you change it?

A neglected cabin filter can become **blocked and contaminated**, restricting airflow through the ventilation system.

This can lead to:

❌ Poor airflow from the vents
❌ Reduced heating and cooling performance
❌ Increased condensation and difficulty demisting the windows
❌ Unpleasant smells inside the vehicle
❌ A dirtier, less comfortable cabin environment
❌ Additional strain on the vehicle’s blower/ventilation system

And in some cases, a filter can become **extremely dirty despite the vehicle having a “full service history.”**

📖 Why manufacturer service schedules matter

This is exactly why it’s so important to follow the **manufacturer’s recommended servicing schedule**.

A service isn’t simply an oil and filter change. Manufacturers specify inspection and replacement intervals for a wide range of components, and these schedules are based on the vehicle’s mileage, age and operating conditions.

**A vehicle can have a full service history and still have maintenance items missed or overlooked.**

At every service, it’s worth checking that the correct maintenance has actually been carried out — rather than assuming that “full service history” automatically means **everything has been replaced when it should have been.**

Your cabin filter is a relatively small and inexpensive component, but it plays an important role in maintaining **good airflow, effective demisting and a cleaner cabin environment.**

🔧 **Don’t just service your car — service it properly.**

📍 RJG Automotive
🏡 Moorfield Garage, Gatehead Road, KA2 0AH
📞 01563 621981

21/07/2026