AlcoMoto - Bespoke Vehicle Solutions - Waterlooville

AlcoMoto - Bespoke Vehicle Solutions - Waterlooville The South’s Premier GO TO Performance, Prestige, Diagnostics, V.A.G, Security, EV & Hybrid Specialist
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- General repairs & maintenance
- Hybrid and electric vehicle maintenance
- Minor, Intermediate & Major Servicing
- Diagnostics & fault finding
- Air conditioning repairs & servicing
- Wiring repairs
- MOTs
- Welding
- Performance enhancements
- Fleet servicing and management

🤔 How cool is it to see a Mitsubishi Evo 8 like this still coming through the workshop?We absolutely love seeing perform...
16/09/2026

🤔 How cool is it to see a Mitsubishi Evo 8 like this still coming through the workshop?

We absolutely love seeing performance cars come through Alcomoto, and this Evo 8 is a seriously cool example. 🔥

This particular build has been fitted with loads of Mitsubishi Ralliart parts, giving it that proper rally inspired look and making it a really interesting car to see up close.

It came into us for some diagnostic work, so while Alex was getting stuck into that, we had to take a moment to appreciate the build!

From the Ralliart parts to all the little details, there is plenty to check out on this one. 👀

We work on everything from everyday vehicles to some seriously special performance cars, so it is always great to see something like this come through the doors.

Have a look through the pictures and check out this awesome Evo 8! 🇯🇵🔥

13/09/2026

🤔 Could a huge amount of carbon build up be the reason this Volkswagen GTI is running so badly?

Welcome back to Part 2 of our GTI diagnostic mini series, and this time Alex has uncovered something pretty worrying.

Once we got further into the investigation, we found a massive amount of carbon build up around the valve stems, valve seats and behind the valves.

With this much carbon build up present, it can affect the way the valves are able to operate and potentially disrupt the correct flow of air into the engine, which could contribute to the poor running and rich mixture we were seeing.

We also spotted a small amount of pitting, but with so much carbon build up covering the area, it was difficult to determine whether there was any underlying damage or whether what we were seeing was simply carbon.

So rather than immediately throwing parts at the car, we are going to clean everything properly first.

Once the carbon has been removed, we can inspect everything again and determine whether there is any genuine damage that needs addressing.

Hopefully, this GTI simply needs a really good clean and we can get to the bottom of the original running issue without having to go any further. 🤞

This is exactly why proper diagnostics matter. Sometimes you need to clean away the evidence before you can see the real problem underneath.

12/09/2026

🤔 Why would a Volkswagen GTI run perfectly when cold, but completely fall apart once the engine gets hot?

This GTI came into us with a rather strange running issue. When the engine was cold, it would run absolutely fine, but as soon as it reached operating temperature, things changed dramatically.

The engine would start spluttering, backfiring and running incredibly poorly. You could also see and smell that the engine was running extremely rich.

So Alex got straight to work with the diagnostics to find out exactly what was going on.

In Part 1, we start by checking the injectors and seeing whether any of them are leaking when they shouldn’t be.

But this is only the beginning of the investigation…

👀 In Part 2, we uncover some more worrying findings and reach a conclusion on what we think needs to be tackled first before going any further.

This one turned into a really interesting little diagnostic series, so make sure you watch Part 1 and stay tuned for Part 2!

🤔 Why pay main dealer prices when you can get a better level of care from an independent garage?We love getting the oppo...
10/09/2026

🤔 Why pay main dealer prices when you can get a better level of care from an independent garage?

We love getting the opportunity to look after prestigious cars here at Alcomoto, and this Bentley was no exception. 👌

This one came into us for a full service and a fresh MOT, giving us the opportunity to make sure everything was checked over properly and the car was ready for another year on the road.

The service and MOT have now been completed, and this Bentley is back with its owner and ready to go. 🚗

It’s cars like this that really highlight what we love about being an independent garage. We can provide dealer level care and attention, without the main dealer price tag, while still building that personal relationship with our customers.

Whether it’s a Bentley, a supercar, a performance car or your everyday vehicle, we treat every car with the same level of care.

That combination of specialist knowledge, personal service and independent pricing is what makes Alcomoto different.

It’s always a pleasure to see these cars come through the doors, and even better when they keep coming back. ❤️

08/09/2026

🤔 Did you know your tyre pressure sensors have batteries inside them?

This Porsche came into us with its original tyre pressure sensors, and after around 10 years, the batteries inside the sensors were starting to become weak.

The sensors were still producing a signal, but it wasn’t strong enough for the vehicle’s electronic control units to reliably pick them up all the time.

So Alex replaced the tyre pressure sensors and then reprogrammed them to the vehicle.

Once everything was programmed correctly, the system was communicating properly again and this Porsche was back up and running! 🔧

Nothing too complicated this time, just one of those little behind the scenes jobs that you might never think about until something stops working properly.

And that’s exactly why we love showing you what happens in the workshop. There’s a lot more going on behind the scenes than simply changing parts! 👀

🤔 Think driving without coolant can really damage an engine?If you haven’t seen our latest reel, here’s a closer look at...
06/09/2026

🤔 Think driving without coolant can really damage an engine?

If you haven’t seen our latest reel, here’s a closer look at the Fiat 500 we recently had in after it was driven with little to no coolant.

We’ve now stripped the engine down further, and the damage is much more obvious.

As you can see from the pictures, every single piston has suffered damage from the extreme overheating.

The piston rings themselves appear to have been subjected to so much heat that they have actually melted and suffered serious damage. We can also see damage around the very fine edge of the pistons, showing just how severe the temperatures inside this engine became.

This is why continuing to drive an overheating engine can turn what may have started as a relatively straightforward cooling system problem into a complete engine failure.

What initially started with a failed thermostat housing and coolant leak has now resulted in an engine that is beyond a simple head gasket repair.

These pictures really show just how much damage can happen inside an engine when it is allowed to overheat.

📸 Swipe through the pictures and take a closer look at the damage.

We’ll keep you updated as we continue investigating this engine and work out the best solution for the customer.

02/09/2026

🤔 Would you keep driving your car if you knew it had no coolant?

This Fiat 500 came into us after the thermostat housing had failed, allowing the engine coolant to escape.

Unfortunately, the vehicle continued to be driven with little to no coolant, and by the time it arrived with us, the engine was running extremely rough.

After carrying out our initial diagnostics, we found that the head gasket had failed. We then started stripping the engine down to assess the extent of the damage.

That’s when things got considerably worse.

The engine had become so severely overheated that we found damage to the piston rings, meaning this wasn’t simply a case of replacing the head gasket and getting the car back on the road.

The level of damage means the most sensible solution for this customer is now a replacement engine.

This is a perfect example of why you should never continue driving when you have a major coolant leak or an overheating warning.

🛑 If your coolant is leaking, your temperature is rising or you have an overheating warning, stop the vehicle and get it recovered.

A relatively straightforward cooling system repair can quickly turn into a replacement engine if the vehicle continues to be driven while overheating.

We’ll keep you updated as we work out the next steps for this Fiat 500.

01/09/2026

🤔 Did you know fitting a non genuine towbar can actually affect other systems on your car?

This Volkswagen came into us after the customer had fitted a non genuine towbar, and what happened next is a great example of just how interconnected modern vehicles have become.

Alex attempted to code the vehicle to recognise that a towbar had been fitted, but the adaptive cruise control system would not accept the new unit.

The reason? The towbar did not have the required communication and integration data for the vehicle’s systems to recognise and work with it correctly.

This can have a knock on effect on systems such as adaptive cruise control, which can require different following distances, braking strategies and other safety adaptations when a trailer is attached.

Unfortunately, in this case, the non genuine unit simply could not communicate correctly with the vehicle, meaning certain functions could not be programmed as intended.

It’s another great example of why genuine or correctly integrated parts can be so important on modern vehicles.

Cars today aren’t just mechanical machines. They’re incredibly sophisticated networks of interconnected electronic systems, and changing one component can sometimes have consequences elsewhere.

🔧 A seemingly simple towbar installation can be a lot more complicated than it looks!

26/08/2026

🤔 Would you trust a Ferrari without having it properly inspected first?

This Ferrari 612 came into us for a full vehicle health inspection and a comprehensive health report before being returned to the client.

Alex went through the car meticulously, checking everything he possibly could and documenting even the smallest issues he found.

There were a couple of things that needed attention, but that’s exactly why these inspections are so important. The aim isn’t just to find major faults. It’s about giving the client a complete picture of the vehicle and making sure nothing gets overlooked.

From mechanical components and fluids to general condition and anything that could potentially need attention in the future, Alex went through it all.

The result is a detailed vehicle health report that gives the client confidence in exactly what condition their Ferrari is in before it goes back to them.

With a car like this, attention to detail is everything. 🔍🏎️

24/08/2026

🤔 Did you know a failed turbo can cause damage long after the turbo itself has been replaced?

This customer came into us after suffering a turbo failure, and Alex is showing exactly why you cannot simply replace the turbo and send the car back out on the road.

The intercooler was full of oil, and there was also a significant amount of oil residue within the DPF.

If these components aren’t properly cleaned and checked after a turbo failure, you can end up with further problems, including the potential for diesel runaway and serious engine damage.

Thankfully, this customer came to us at the right time.

We were able to thoroughly clean the oil residue from the DPF and then put it through our specialist DPF cleaning machine to make sure it was properly cleaned and functioning as it should.

That potentially saved the customer from having to replace the DPF on top of the turbo, which could have turned an already expensive repair into a much bigger bill.

In this video, Alex talks through the vital components that need to be checked after a turbo failure and why taking the time to do the job properly really matters.

It’s a small educational insight into what happens behind the scenes when a turbo lets go, and just how important it is to check everything that could have been affected.

Thankfully, this customer was very lucky. 🔧

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41 Aston Road
Waterlooville
PO77XG

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