Benny replaced the primary and balancer chain on my 2004 Zafira (The YAK) last friday.

There was a bit of a question mark over the service history of The YAK. The car has relatively low mileage (43k) and came with a fully stamped service book, but the condition of the oil and filter led me to believe that either the service history was a fabrication, or the garage the previous owner used (non-VX) didn't do a very good job... The fuel filter, though, was nice and shiny and the brake fluid seemed clean, so it had at least had some attention.

Any way, immediately on purchase I carried out an engine service using non VX, but apparently OE spec filters... I'll come back to that later. A couple of months on, the car started making the dreaded diesel engine noise on start up. The noise would also reappear sometimes when the engine was partly warmed, so I feared the worst - cam chain on the way out.

I usually budget to replace a cambelt on any used car I buy unless absolutely sure that the belt has been replaced by the previous owner. I didn't feel too be-grieved, then, at the prospect of paying to have the chain done on the YAK, although I hadn't really planned for it.

Having read all about the cam chain issues on this forum, it was clear that Benny was something of a seasoned and well regarded expert in all things timing chain related. Benny responded to my PM quite quickly and a date was agreed an so on.

Benny is based in Wolverhampton, not a million miles away from my parents, so despite driving up from Kent, I at least got to spend the weekend with family once Benny had worked his magic.

So any way, Benny set to work on the car at about 1pm, eating his lunch 'on the fly' and generally making light work of taking the engine to pieces. It is always great to be able to watch a professional at work - Benny clearly knows the Z22SE engine (and cars generally) very well. He must be something of an oracle locally as his phone went several times when I was there, with other mechanics calling for advice.

It turned out that the tensioner was stuck in the YAK causing the noise described. Benny thought this may have been caused by the sub-standard filter I had used back in November 2010. The genuine filter Benny used was clearly a superior item - everything about it was quality. The VX filter is actually made by Hengst - useful to know if your local dealer parts department are as unhelpful as mine! I have ordered a couple of Hengst filters from ECP ready for the 1,000mile post chain oil change - ECP seem to stock Hengst at the moment, but their supplies vary, in my experience, hence why buying a filter for the future at the same time.

Benny also advised that I should be using 10w40 semi-synth oil, preferably from GM (he had several big drums of the stuff and sent me on my way with 10l for the future...). Apparently fully synth can cause the valves to stick in the guides (or something).

So any way, Benny soon had it all back together again despite my constant questions (including 'just why did brian cox get an OBE?') and the engine started without the slightest hint of chain rattle. I was soon on my way to my parents with a car fit for reliable service and with lots of knowledge and top-tips from Benny. In fact - it was a top afternoon out!

Thanks Benny - all the best for the future!