December 2, 2025 • 16 mins
Relebogile Mabotja speaks to Nicol Louw a Technical Expert about oil viscosity and what those numbers on the oil can actually mean.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Seven o two the car Feature Car Feature Time, and
today we're joined by technical car expert Nickel Lowe.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
We take your calls on O double one double.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Through your seven o two and the WhatsApp line oh
seven two seven oh two one seven o two, get
all your technical car questions in for Nickel, and we
will then be jumping into chatting about oil.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Nickel, how are you doing?
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Our listeners all good than yourself?
Speaker 1 (00:31):
I'm doing while Nickel chat to us about oil viscosity.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Yes, so a lot of people buy oil, but I
don't really know what the numbers on the oil can mean.
So I know we talk about teen W forty or
five W tween D.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
Have you got a clue?
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Listen? None whatsoever?
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Okay, So viscosity is a term.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
The the meaning of this viscosity of explanation is it
is basically the resistance against flow. So to put it
in layment terms, So honey will have a high viscosity
and water will have a low viscosity. So when it
flows easy, the viscosity is low. When it's sort of honey,
(01:19):
then it's a high viscosity. So the problem with oil
is it really reacts in a similar way with temperature.
So when oil gets hot, the viscosity gets lower or
it flows easier. When it's cold, and are talking about
even like minus temperatures, then then the oil sort of
solidifies and it becomes more difficult for it to flow.
(01:41):
Now that is a big problem in your in your
vehicle because your engine is at starts at cold and
then goes to operating temperature, and you want that the
oil to do its job at all temperatures. So in
a good old days you had a monograde oil. We
call it like a SIE thirty or SAE forty, which
(02:04):
means it was a monograde. It was only behaving like
a single vescosity oil. So back in the day that
was like tough luck, that's what you've got. But now
with multi grade oils. That's why I have two numbers.
So the ten W forty, the number in front of
the W means the winter temperature. How the oil will
react under cold conditions, and we're talking about minus eighteen degrees,
(02:28):
So if it's cold, that oil will react like a
SAE ten, So a lowers cost the oil, so at
cold temperatures it will flow easier. That's the easy, easy
way of thinking of it, and then when the engine
is at operating temperature, which is between about ninety to
one hundred degrees oil temperature, then.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
That oil will react as a sie.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Forty so it's actually then reacts as a thicker oil
at the higher temperatures. So to give you the same
the same qualities, the same the same why it protects
your engine. So what is also interesting to notice that
you will see the numbers getting lower and lower with
tim so we get like a zero W fifteen oil now,
(03:12):
And the reason for that is the viscosity is getting
lower and lower modern engines, the tolerances aren't getting less
and less, smaller and smaller. So what they're trying to
do is to lessen the frictional losses in the engine
by having a lower viscosity oil, so there's less friction losses.
The engine is becoming more efficient. That's what we all want,
better fuel economy. The problem is if you've got a
(03:35):
vehicle that's an old classic vehicle, or it's a vehicle
that's done a lot of miles over three hundred thousand kilometers,
the tolerance is in the engines much larger than it
will used to be when it's new and obviously the
classic cars andever ad tight tolerances in the first place.
Never they use one of these new low viscosity oils
in an engine with high mileage or an old classic vehicle,
(03:57):
because the viscosity is too low to give you the
protection that you actually need. In that case, it's better
to go to the higher viscosity oils like your twin
W twenty W fifty to give you that protection, even
whether engine with the larger or higher tolerances.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Yeah, those are interesting things that we were many of
us were completely not aware of, so thank you so
much for educating us.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Nickel. We're going to take a break.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
When we come back, we continue with our car feature
and we open up the lines to you for all
of your technical car questions. OH double one w A
three oh seven oh two the Whatsap line oh seven
two seven oh two one seven.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
O two seven O two The Car Feature.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Thirteen minutes two three o'clock. We continue with our car feature.
We're together with Nickel Low our technical car expert. The
lines are open for all of your technical car issues.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Get in touch with us.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
OH double one WA three H seven oh two in
the Whatsap line OH seven two seven two one seven two.
All right, first question for you, Nickel, my tig one
automatically goes off at certain traffic lights.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
What could be the problem going off?
Speaker 3 (05:17):
So shutting down? Sorry, just a question?
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Oh okay, let me repeat that my tig one automatically
goes off at certain traffic lights.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
What could be the problem?
Speaker 4 (05:28):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (05:28):
I can just imagine the engine is shutting down. There's
the only thing I can think of, which is an
interesting one. Obviously, at that's an idle condition. If you
had the traffic light, and obviously it's automatic, so you
would be in drive, which put a bit of extra
resistance on the engine. So maybe the idle condition is
the problem. So the idle condition of an engine is
(05:50):
a very delicate process because it's obviously very little.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
Load going through the engine, and.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
It's a very very little air going in, a very
little fuel, and then obviously your your spark. So first
of all, the vehicle must be fully serviced that at
least know that everything is fine in the engine. But
then what I would say is concentrate on the idle
condition because it's either shutting down because it's not getting
spark or fuel or air. The area is normally controlled
(06:18):
by idle control valve, which can also become dirty and
then doesn't let the air through and the right amounts
to the fuel, and then it can die. So also
check your idle speed, even if it's not in dry,
if it's in neutral, just check that it's stable, that
the idle speed is stable, that the needle is completely stable.
If it's a bit erratic, you know that that is
(06:39):
the problem. So if it's erratic, it goes up and down.
And sometimes if you say in normally idols at eight
hundred rpm and it goes to five hundred rpm, you
know it's it's quite close to actually shutting down or
just just dying.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
You have to restart.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
So yeah, I would say a technician should be able
to sort that out. Maybe you can also do a
diagnostic check to see if there's any faulty scene and
so on. A long shot is also obviously if the
transmission is putting too much drag on the engine that
is actually dragging it down. But I don't I don't
think it's that. I think it's water in stable idle condition.
That can be a result of either some dirt somewhere
(07:15):
or a sensor that's not right, something like that that's
causing it.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Okay, thank you so much for that question. The next
one says, is there a formula to guide you when
your car is starting to become too expensive to keep?
I e. Cost of annual breakdowns versus car value. Oh,
and I'm sure many people want to know that, Nickel.
What is your advice?
Speaker 3 (07:40):
That is always the interesting one because I think in
the back of our minds, we all want new calls,
so we sometimes start to skew the equation so that
it will look like no, no, no, I definitely need
to get another car. I can't afford another back.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
It's as the same as cell phones.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Where are you here here there's a new upgrade cut
then they need like it's.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
But there is. There is sometimes a tipping point where
you just need to say, okay. But what I would
say is the new cass are so expensive now. So
if you work out what a new car will cost
you in monthly repayments and don't go for those balloon
payments and those kind of things. I'm not a financial expert,
but I'm just talking my opinion. If you go for
(08:26):
the massive balloon payment and aim you actually cannot afford
the car in the first place. So if you go
with the standard repayment scheme over five years, what is
your monthly payment? And yeah, then it depends on what
are you what are you paying to keep your your
card that you've got now on the road. Where I
see a tipping point is when, for example, if you're
(08:47):
driving a German car full luxury con is now getting
old and those calls are starting to get really expensive
to keep on the road because there's a lot of
electronics and the German is one thing. I mean, it's
all the luxury cars.
Speaker 4 (08:59):
Really.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
If it's a high in luxury car that's getting now
fifteen years old, twenty years old, there's just statistically so
many things that can go wrong and so many things
that will cost your money that they will be at
apting point where you start you're spending x amount per month,
and for that that amount, if you're spending it continuously
month after month, then you might as well just for
(09:22):
if the repayment is lowered and that's figured, it might
complete sense to buy a newer car. But then also
think of the newer car you're buying. It all depends obviously,
it will be will have a service plan and so far.
If you're warranty, that will help. But after that, you
again in a situation we're going to pay for the
pairs yourself. So maybe you're running a luxury car now
(09:43):
and it's costing an arm and a leg. Maybe that
will point you towards your new car need to be
a simpler care. Maybe it's a cheaper car, it's maybe
a car from Japan or Korea, but you know, historically
it has been reliable. It hasn't got all the fancy features.
It also is not so fancy if you pitch up
at a party, but it will in the long run
(10:04):
save you a lot of money. There's also a point
where you can maybe think, maybe I just need to
buy a newer second nd Core that's maybe more reliable.
So that's the other question as well. Shouldn't you just
look at something that is maybe a year or two
years old but will be more reliable. So it is
a calculation that's a tricky one. You need to figure
(10:24):
it out for yourself. But note let that urge of
a new Core skew the equation.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
All right, thank you so so much for that question. Hi,
I have a the new BMW X three. My car
basically shut off while driving on the highway. One day,
my fuel tank showed half tank still. When it's went
to BMW for diagnostics, they said, my field censor came
off in the tank.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Please explain how is this possible?
Speaker 1 (10:50):
It said drive terrain error as well, and the vehicle
didn't want to start.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
That's a very strange one, I wonder. Doesn't say petrol.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Or diesel They didn't specify.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
Okay, so there isn't really a fuel sensor that can
fall of in the tank. The only sensor that's in
the tank itself is a fuel level, which measures obviously
the volume of fuel in the tank. That also realizes
the message to your instrument cluster is showing you the
level of fuel. Now, if it's a diesel vehicle, there
(11:27):
is sort of a run dry prevention that when when
it actually runs dry, it will shut off the engine
and won't allow you to restart. And that's actually to
protect your injectors and your eyepreager pumps on the diesel engines,
so not to get any air in there, because the
fuel is also your librication the diesel. So in that sense,
if somehow that scenes have filed and it told the
(11:47):
engine control unit that the tank is completely empty. It
might actually go through that routine where it will shut
down the engine and not allow it to restart. Normally,
that's only in a diesel. It won't happen in the petrols. Unfortunately,
we don't know in this case it was petrol or diesel.
But yeah, if it's the other thing is if it
shuts down. Only reason the engine will shut down by itself,
(12:10):
if it's not getting fuel, it's not getting air, or
it's not getting if it's a petrol engine spark electronics,
that's the only reason why it will shut down. So
if they if they say it is a it's a
fuel problem. There's quite a few reasons why the fuel
would not get to the engine. It can be from
the petrol pump or the fuel pump, the diesel pump.
It is even be the fuel faulter that gets clocked.
(12:33):
There's a lot of reasons why fuel will not get
to the engine. But it can also be a sensor problem,
the one on the transmission. The other fault that was
there is also interesting because sometimes there's a protection strategy
that will also maybe it can limit talk home function.
I don't know if it will quite shut down the
engine though, and the reason why that it didn't want
(12:54):
to restart. That's another clue. So the sense of falling
off into the tank, I don't really quite believe that.
Maybe it's a faulty sensor.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Okay, thank you so so much for that question. Everybody's
chosen to be anonymous today, Nickel for some reason. The
next one says, I drive an LDA three to one
point I'm not sure one point zero thirty TFSI I
have a warning light that says gearbox malfunction. Continue to
(13:26):
drive to switch the engine off. The cars on two
hundred and sixty thousand kilometers. What can I replace the
cost or running?
Speaker 3 (13:34):
Well, that's an interesting one. I would take it for
a diagnostics caran because if the message is on the
instrument class, there's definitely a code locked. I would expecting
this will be an automatic, so it might be the eestronic,
which is the dual clutch transmission. In BW speak, it
will be DSG, so.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
It might be there's something wrong with a.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
Transmission that was picked up and a gnostic code will
tell you exactly what it is. It's just interesting that
the cost still driving one hundred percent fine, with that
fault present, what a diagnostic what they can do if
they pluck the tool in is I can clear that
fault and see if it returns. So maybe something happened
to the transmission. I thinks something went wrong. It sits
(14:20):
the code, it's displayed the message. But maybe the problem
went away and it's not present anymore. Because you expect
something to be wrong with the transmission. It's either jerky
or you won't get full power from the engine because
it's a limp and function that's invoked. So I would
say I definitely get the code checked out. What it
exactly is, get it cleared, see if it comes back.
(14:41):
If it doesn't come back, then it's all fine.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
All right. Last one, very quickly, we've got a voice note.
Speaker 5 (14:48):
Hi Nica, please advise where I can get to the
SPC pump or mescets bands W two eleven.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
Thank you, Yo. He mentioned the pump sp pump.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
I couldn't quite.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Make the code out SBC pump SPC.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Yeah, I'm not one hundred percent sure what that might be.
The code sound be more like one of the more
classic messidi sism. Maybe that is the problem why it's
looking for it. Maybe the dealership don't stock it anymore.
What I would find with especially if it's second ND
parts that you need, is a lot of online places
will sell second ND parts and even something like Facebook
(15:34):
marketplace became a brecareful of cameras, but that can help.
But what I also found very useful if you join
a group, a Facebook group with your specific model, even
if it's just a drenalized messid its not Africa group,
But then there's quite a few of these owners group
on specific models and you can ask the question there
and and there's definitely people with more knowledge than myself.
(15:56):
We would tell you exactly where you can find parts
like that.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
All right, thank you so much for your questions. Nicola
will be back together with you soon
Seven o two the car Feature Car Feature Time, and
today we're joined by technical car expert Nickel Lowe.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
We take your calls on O double one double.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Through your seven o two and the WhatsApp line oh
seven two seven oh two one seven o two, get
all your technical car questions in for Nickel, and we
will then be jumping into chatting about oil.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Nickel, how are you doing?
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Our listeners all good than yourself?
Speaker 1 (00:31):
I'm doing while Nickel chat to us about oil viscosity.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Yes, so a lot of people buy oil, but I
don't really know what the numbers on the oil can mean.
So I know we talk about teen W forty or
five W tween D.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
Have you got a clue?
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Listen? None whatsoever?
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Okay, So viscosity is a term.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
The the meaning of this viscosity of explanation is it
is basically the resistance against flow. So to put it
in layment terms, So honey will have a high viscosity
and water will have a low viscosity. So when it
flows easy, the viscosity is low. When it's sort of honey,
(01:19):
then it's a high viscosity. So the problem with oil
is it really reacts in a similar way with temperature.
So when oil gets hot, the viscosity gets lower or
it flows easier. When it's cold, and are talking about
even like minus temperatures, then then the oil sort of
solidifies and it becomes more difficult for it to flow.
(01:41):
Now that is a big problem in your in your
vehicle because your engine is at starts at cold and
then goes to operating temperature, and you want that the
oil to do its job at all temperatures. So in
a good old days you had a monograde oil. We
call it like a SIE thirty or SAE forty, which
(02:04):
means it was a monograde. It was only behaving like
a single vescosity oil. So back in the day that
was like tough luck, that's what you've got. But now
with multi grade oils. That's why I have two numbers.
So the ten W forty, the number in front of
the W means the winter temperature. How the oil will
react under cold conditions, and we're talking about minus eighteen degrees,
(02:28):
So if it's cold, that oil will react like a
SAE ten, So a lowers cost the oil, so at
cold temperatures it will flow easier. That's the easy, easy
way of thinking of it, and then when the engine
is at operating temperature, which is between about ninety to
one hundred degrees oil temperature, then.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
That oil will react as a sie.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Forty so it's actually then reacts as a thicker oil
at the higher temperatures. So to give you the same
the same qualities, the same the same why it protects
your engine. So what is also interesting to notice that
you will see the numbers getting lower and lower with
tim so we get like a zero W fifteen oil now,
(03:12):
And the reason for that is the viscosity is getting
lower and lower modern engines, the tolerances aren't getting less
and less, smaller and smaller. So what they're trying to
do is to lessen the frictional losses in the engine
by having a lower viscosity oil, so there's less friction losses.
The engine is becoming more efficient. That's what we all want,
better fuel economy. The problem is if you've got a
(03:35):
vehicle that's an old classic vehicle, or it's a vehicle
that's done a lot of miles over three hundred thousand kilometers,
the tolerance is in the engines much larger than it
will used to be when it's new and obviously the
classic cars andever ad tight tolerances in the first place.
Never they use one of these new low viscosity oils
in an engine with high mileage or an old classic vehicle,
(03:57):
because the viscosity is too low to give you the
protection that you actually need. In that case, it's better
to go to the higher viscosity oils like your twin
W twenty W fifty to give you that protection, even
whether engine with the larger or higher tolerances.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Yeah, those are interesting things that we were many of
us were completely not aware of, so thank you so
much for educating us.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Nickel. We're going to take a break.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
When we come back, we continue with our car feature
and we open up the lines to you for all
of your technical car questions. OH double one w A
three oh seven oh two the Whatsap line oh seven
two seven oh two one seven.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
O two seven O two The Car Feature.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Thirteen minutes two three o'clock. We continue with our car feature.
We're together with Nickel Low our technical car expert. The
lines are open for all of your technical car issues.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Get in touch with us.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
OH double one WA three H seven oh two in
the Whatsap line OH seven two seven two one seven two.
All right, first question for you, Nickel, my tig one
automatically goes off at certain traffic lights.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
What could be the problem going off?
Speaker 3 (05:17):
So shutting down? Sorry, just a question?
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Oh okay, let me repeat that my tig one automatically
goes off at certain traffic lights.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
What could be the problem?
Speaker 4 (05:28):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (05:28):
I can just imagine the engine is shutting down. There's
the only thing I can think of, which is an
interesting one. Obviously, at that's an idle condition. If you
had the traffic light, and obviously it's automatic, so you
would be in drive, which put a bit of extra
resistance on the engine. So maybe the idle condition is
the problem. So the idle condition of an engine is
(05:50):
a very delicate process because it's obviously very little.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
Load going through the engine, and.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
It's a very very little air going in, a very
little fuel, and then obviously your your spark. So first
of all, the vehicle must be fully serviced that at
least know that everything is fine in the engine. But
then what I would say is concentrate on the idle
condition because it's either shutting down because it's not getting
spark or fuel or air. The area is normally controlled
(06:18):
by idle control valve, which can also become dirty and
then doesn't let the air through and the right amounts
to the fuel, and then it can die. So also
check your idle speed, even if it's not in dry,
if it's in neutral, just check that it's stable, that
the idle speed is stable, that the needle is completely stable.
If it's a bit erratic, you know that that is
(06:39):
the problem. So if it's erratic, it goes up and down.
And sometimes if you say in normally idols at eight
hundred rpm and it goes to five hundred rpm, you
know it's it's quite close to actually shutting down or
just just dying.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
You have to restart.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
So yeah, I would say a technician should be able
to sort that out. Maybe you can also do a
diagnostic check to see if there's any faulty scene and
so on. A long shot is also obviously if the
transmission is putting too much drag on the engine that
is actually dragging it down. But I don't I don't
think it's that. I think it's water in stable idle condition.
That can be a result of either some dirt somewhere
(07:15):
or a sensor that's not right, something like that that's
causing it.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Okay, thank you so much for that question. The next
one says, is there a formula to guide you when
your car is starting to become too expensive to keep?
I e. Cost of annual breakdowns versus car value. Oh,
and I'm sure many people want to know that, Nickel.
What is your advice?
Speaker 3 (07:40):
That is always the interesting one because I think in
the back of our minds, we all want new calls,
so we sometimes start to skew the equation so that
it will look like no, no, no, I definitely need
to get another car. I can't afford another back.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
It's as the same as cell phones.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Where are you here here there's a new upgrade cut
then they need like it's.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
But there is. There is sometimes a tipping point where
you just need to say, okay. But what I would
say is the new cass are so expensive now. So
if you work out what a new car will cost
you in monthly repayments and don't go for those balloon
payments and those kind of things. I'm not a financial expert,
but I'm just talking my opinion. If you go for
(08:26):
the massive balloon payment and aim you actually cannot afford
the car in the first place. So if you go
with the standard repayment scheme over five years, what is
your monthly payment? And yeah, then it depends on what
are you what are you paying to keep your your
card that you've got now on the road. Where I
see a tipping point is when, for example, if you're
(08:47):
driving a German car full luxury con is now getting
old and those calls are starting to get really expensive
to keep on the road because there's a lot of
electronics and the German is one thing. I mean, it's
all the luxury cars.
Speaker 4 (08:59):
Really.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
If it's a high in luxury car that's getting now
fifteen years old, twenty years old, there's just statistically so
many things that can go wrong and so many things
that will cost your money that they will be at
apting point where you start you're spending x amount per month,
and for that that amount, if you're spending it continuously
month after month, then you might as well just for
(09:22):
if the repayment is lowered and that's figured, it might
complete sense to buy a newer car. But then also
think of the newer car you're buying. It all depends obviously,
it will be will have a service plan and so far.
If you're warranty, that will help. But after that, you
again in a situation we're going to pay for the
pairs yourself. So maybe you're running a luxury car now
(09:43):
and it's costing an arm and a leg. Maybe that
will point you towards your new car need to be
a simpler care. Maybe it's a cheaper car, it's maybe
a car from Japan or Korea, but you know, historically
it has been reliable. It hasn't got all the fancy features.
It also is not so fancy if you pitch up
at a party, but it will in the long run
(10:04):
save you a lot of money. There's also a point
where you can maybe think, maybe I just need to
buy a newer second nd Core that's maybe more reliable.
So that's the other question as well. Shouldn't you just
look at something that is maybe a year or two
years old but will be more reliable. So it is
a calculation that's a tricky one. You need to figure
(10:24):
it out for yourself. But note let that urge of
a new Core skew the equation.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
All right, thank you so so much for that question. Hi,
I have a the new BMW X three. My car
basically shut off while driving on the highway. One day,
my fuel tank showed half tank still. When it's went
to BMW for diagnostics, they said, my field censor came
off in the tank.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Please explain how is this possible?
Speaker 1 (10:50):
It said drive terrain error as well, and the vehicle
didn't want to start.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
That's a very strange one, I wonder. Doesn't say petrol.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Or diesel They didn't specify.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
Okay, so there isn't really a fuel sensor that can
fall of in the tank. The only sensor that's in
the tank itself is a fuel level, which measures obviously
the volume of fuel in the tank. That also realizes
the message to your instrument cluster is showing you the
level of fuel. Now, if it's a diesel vehicle, there
(11:27):
is sort of a run dry prevention that when when
it actually runs dry, it will shut off the engine
and won't allow you to restart. And that's actually to
protect your injectors and your eyepreager pumps on the diesel engines,
so not to get any air in there, because the
fuel is also your librication the diesel. So in that sense,
if somehow that scenes have filed and it told the
(11:47):
engine control unit that the tank is completely empty. It
might actually go through that routine where it will shut
down the engine and not allow it to restart. Normally,
that's only in a diesel. It won't happen in the petrols. Unfortunately,
we don't know in this case it was petrol or diesel.
But yeah, if it's the other thing is if it
shuts down. Only reason the engine will shut down by itself,
(12:10):
if it's not getting fuel, it's not getting air, or
it's not getting if it's a petrol engine spark electronics,
that's the only reason why it will shut down. So
if they if they say it is a it's a
fuel problem. There's quite a few reasons why the fuel
would not get to the engine. It can be from
the petrol pump or the fuel pump, the diesel pump.
It is even be the fuel faulter that gets clocked.
(12:33):
There's a lot of reasons why fuel will not get
to the engine. But it can also be a sensor problem,
the one on the transmission. The other fault that was
there is also interesting because sometimes there's a protection strategy
that will also maybe it can limit talk home function.
I don't know if it will quite shut down the
engine though, and the reason why that it didn't want
(12:54):
to restart. That's another clue. So the sense of falling
off into the tank, I don't really quite believe that.
Maybe it's a faulty sensor.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Okay, thank you so so much for that question. Everybody's
chosen to be anonymous today, Nickel for some reason. The
next one says, I drive an LDA three to one
point I'm not sure one point zero thirty TFSI I
have a warning light that says gearbox malfunction. Continue to
(13:26):
drive to switch the engine off. The cars on two
hundred and sixty thousand kilometers. What can I replace the
cost or running?
Speaker 3 (13:34):
Well, that's an interesting one. I would take it for
a diagnostics caran because if the message is on the
instrument class, there's definitely a code locked. I would expecting
this will be an automatic, so it might be the eestronic,
which is the dual clutch transmission. In BW speak, it
will be DSG, so.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
It might be there's something wrong with a.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
Transmission that was picked up and a gnostic code will
tell you exactly what it is. It's just interesting that
the cost still driving one hundred percent fine, with that
fault present, what a diagnostic what they can do if
they pluck the tool in is I can clear that
fault and see if it returns. So maybe something happened
to the transmission. I thinks something went wrong. It sits
(14:20):
the code, it's displayed the message. But maybe the problem
went away and it's not present anymore. Because you expect
something to be wrong with the transmission. It's either jerky
or you won't get full power from the engine because
it's a limp and function that's invoked. So I would
say I definitely get the code checked out. What it
exactly is, get it cleared, see if it comes back.
(14:41):
If it doesn't come back, then it's all fine.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
All right. Last one, very quickly, we've got a voice note.
Speaker 5 (14:48):
Hi Nica, please advise where I can get to the
SPC pump or mescets bands W two eleven.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
Thank you, Yo. He mentioned the pump sp pump.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
I couldn't quite.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Make the code out SBC pump SPC.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Yeah, I'm not one hundred percent sure what that might be.
The code sound be more like one of the more
classic messidi sism. Maybe that is the problem why it's
looking for it. Maybe the dealership don't stock it anymore.
What I would find with especially if it's second ND
parts that you need, is a lot of online places
will sell second ND parts and even something like Facebook
(15:34):
marketplace became a brecareful of cameras, but that can help.
But what I also found very useful if you join
a group, a Facebook group with your specific model, even
if it's just a drenalized messid its not Africa group,
But then there's quite a few of these owners group
on specific models and you can ask the question there
and and there's definitely people with more knowledge than myself.
(15:56):
We would tell you exactly where you can find parts
like that.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
All right, thank you so much for your questions. Nicola
will be back together with you soon
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