Midlands Mazda - Paul Dowling Automotive

Midlands Mazda - Paul Dowling Automotive We are a vehicle repair centre who specialise in Mazda branded vehicles. However, we service & repair all makes & models.

Mazda - 2.2, Skyactiv-D We received a call over the weekend. The owner of this Mazda had broken down and was letting us ...
28/08/2026

Mazda - 2.2, Skyactiv-D

We received a call over the weekend. The owner of this Mazda had broken down and was letting us know it's been recovered to the garage.

We asked what happened, and they told us the alternator belt had failed (a known issue). Once we got work on Monday, we took a look and found the belt in one piece 🤔, usually they snap.

After a closer look, we noticed the alternator pulley didn't look right. We found it has loads of sideways movement. We removed the alternator and found the pulley bearing had collapsed.

We also looked at the belt tensioner, and found wear to the pulley. We informed the owner that they needed a new pulley, belt, and tensioner. With the owners authorisation, we ordered the parts.

It's worth noting these parts from Mazda are over £600. We have a good reliable source for OEM parts at a fraction of the cost.

Once all the parts arrived, we got them fitted, rebuilt the car and ensured everything worked ok 👍.


Renault Megan - Airbag light.We had this Megan come in with an SRS light. We plugged in and found a code for Left side i...
28/08/2026

Renault Megan - Airbag light.

We had this Megan come in with an SRS light. We plugged in and found a code for Left side impact squib.

We checked the live data and found the unit had 25 Ohms resistnce (open circuit), a good example would be 2.5 Ohms.

We used an airbag emulator to help narrow down the issue. We installed the emulator in the seatbase harness, and found the resistance dropped to 2.5 Ohms. This tells us the wiring is ok between the SRS unit and seat.

Then we partially stripped the seat, and installed the emulator into the squib connector. The value remained high, this told us we had a broken wire in the seat wiring itself.

The next step was to remove the seat and resistance test the wiring. We found 1 wire between the seatbase plug and squib was broken. We decided the best option was to repair the saet harness. So, we replaced both wires to the squib using approved crimp connections.

Once we repaired the seat, we reinstalled, checked the value was good and cleared any stored codes. Happily, the warning lights were gone and we carried out an MOT 👍.



Omex 600 Project.It's been a while since we did any updates on this one. Just to make it clear, we built the loom, got t...
27/08/2026

Omex 600 Project.

It's been a while since we did any updates on this one.

Just to make it clear, we built the loom, got the car running, fitted new fuel pump and pipes, and fitted new brakes. However, we did find an issue with the transmission. Unfortunately, we lost all the photos of the project when the phones got hacked the other month 😡.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EGHd9zj3s/

However, the car was returned back to the owner, where he removed the gearbox and brought it back for investigation. We stripped the box and found a single roll pin was the culprit.

We cleaned the cases, sorted the roll pin issue, and rebuilt with all new gaskets and seals. Once Lee from LS Autobodys (the owner) returns from his holiday, he can collect the box and get it put back in 👍.

Once the car is rebuilt and driveable, we will have it back in to sort the interia, electric windows, and finally get it ready for the road 👌.

Vauxhall Combo - Adblue corrections. We were contacted by Wayne from W.D Autos. He had this Combo 1.5d in with Adblue is...
25/08/2026

Vauxhall Combo - Adblue corrections.

We were contacted by Wayne from W.D Autos. He had this Combo 1.5d in with Adblue issues.

We carried out the necessary ECU calibrations, and now the issue is resolved (permanently).

Toyota Aygo X - Full service.We had this little Toyota in for a full service. The owner was refered by another customer....
25/08/2026

Toyota Aygo X - Full service.

We had this little Toyota in for a full service. The owner was refered by another customer. She has had this car from new and covered 90k miles in just 3 years.

It has always been to another garage for the service's however, they never provided any proof of service or invoice 🤔. As we didn't know the exact history, we decided to do a full service, including brake strip and adjustment. Plus, gear oil, and brake fluid.

At least now the owner knows exactly what the car has had done to it. All backed up with a service sheet and itemised invoice 👍.


Fiat 500 - Recovery Job.We received a call from a young couple. They have this Fiat 500, which has some issues. They hav...
25/08/2026

Fiat 500 - Recovery Job.

We received a call from a young couple. They have this Fiat 500, which has some issues. They haven't used the car since January however, they have recently decided to use it again.

They arranged witb their usual garage to collect the car and MOT it. However, when they turned up they drove off the drive and the engine cut out. The mechanic told them that the engine had seized up with standing 🤔.

As i maintain other family members cars, they were pointed in my direction. I attended the car and found someone has already fitted a new battery and starter motor, yet it still wouldn't start.

After a quick check i wasn't convinced the engine had seized. I suspected a possible clutch failure as there was no clutch pedal, which is the reason the car was parked in the first place. I arranged for recovery back to HQ.

Once the car arrived and the car wasn't dug in gravel. We put it in gear and rocked the car, we found that the engine did turn over easily. This ruled out the engine and gearbox at the same time.

Now we looked elsewhere and found the alternator was cracked. We cut off the drive belt and immediately the engine fired into life 👍. We now knew the alternator had seized up and prevented the engine from turning on its own.

We informed the owner, who was delighted by the news. We then looked at the clutch issue, and found the one time union had failed, causing fluid to leak out.

The owner authorised us to replace the alternator, drive belt, clutch master and slave cylinder. Once we had carried out the repairs, we them performed its MOT. Now the car has been returned as a perfectly working vehicle.


Mazda 6 - Carbon clean.We had this Mazda in a few weeks ago. The owner returned the vehicle, and left it with us while o...
19/08/2026

Mazda 6 - Carbon clean.

We had this Mazda in a few weeks ago. The owner returned the vehicle, and left it with us while on holiday.

We stripped the intake system and found carbon build up mostly arround the ISV, and EGR's. However, we gave everywhere a clean (Walnut blasting).

Once we cleaned everywhere, we rebuilt using all new gaskets. Then carried out the required data resets/initialise, then we started the engine. We found a huge amount of black smoke on initial start. This is due to the fact the engine can breathe properly, and it spat out all the soot that built up.

We then roadtested the car and found the black smoke started to subside.




Fiat 500 - Timing chain.We were called out a couple of weeks ago for a DPF clean on this one. At the time we noticed the...
19/08/2026

Fiat 500 - Timing chain.

We were called out a couple of weeks ago for a DPF clean on this one. At the time we noticed the timing chain was noisey.

The following week the owner requested a replacement chain. So. This week we had it in and carried out the replacement. Unfortunately, the owner has recently brought this car and feels like she's been sold a lemon 🍋.

Sadly, i had to agree. After a quick inspection, we found huge amounts of oil all over the engine. It also appears the engine has been replaced previous. We stripped it down, and upon removal of the sump, we found it barely stuck on and all the bolt threads were destroyed. At least now we know why it leaked oil everywhere.

Once stripped we, cleaned and replaced the chain kit. We also, cleaned the sump and repaired the bolt threads. Hopefully, the sump will be held on and not leak anymore 🤞.


Ford Transit - Wet beltsWe had 2 Transits in this week for belts. They both belong to the same company. They had both a ...
19/08/2026

Ford Transit - Wet belts

We had 2 Transits in this week for belts. They both belong to the same company. They had both a front wheel drive (FWD), and a rear wheel drive (RWD).

They brought the RWD in for an oil leak. After an investigation, we found it was the crank seal. However, the van has done 60K miles so, the owner requested a new belt.

The owner provided their own parts which was a mixture of OE and aftermarket parts. We would usually provide OE parts but, the onwer provided them so they can claim the tax back.

Once the RWD was completed they requested a belt on the FWD as it too was nearing 60k miles.

We were happy to oblige, and carried out the work 👍.



Mazda 6 - InspectionWe had a suprise visit today. The new owner of this 6 had just taken delivery from a local car deale...
14/08/2026

Mazda 6 - Inspection

We had a suprise visit today. The new owner of this 6 had just taken delivery from a local car dealership. However, i got the impression he wasn't too confident in them. So, he dropped in to request an independent inspection.

We carried out a full and detailed inspection for the new owner. These checks included

✅️ Full vehicle inspection
✅️ Brake report, including performance test.
✅️ Tyre report
✅️ Full DTC report
✅️ Emissions test.

The owner was pleased that the car was given a clean bill of health, ready for his trip back to Aberdeenshire.

Address

21 Mayor Street
Stoke-on-Trent
ST12JB

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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