VOLVO specialist garage Martin Matthewson is among the first in Hampshire to offer a new service that can improve motorists’ fuel consumption.

The 20-year-old business, based at Pensdell Farm, on Farleigh Road, Cliddesden, offers TerraClean, which was developed by scientists in Canada.

Owner Martin Matthewson said TerraClean is a by-product of research carried out by environmentally-conscious Canadian physicists in their attempts to create an ultra low emission internal combustion engine.

“It’s a process where we can clear up carbon in the engine,” said Martin.

“If you can get the carbon out of the injectors, cylinders and valves, then it makes the engine run more efficiently.

“In doing this cleaning process, it can improve a car’s engine to obtain a better fuel consumption just like when it was new.”

And Martin, who deals with all makes of cars, has been impressed with the results his customers have noticed.

“I had one customer who said the fuel economy of his old diesel Volvo improved no end,” he said. “He’s been telling me how much more he gets out of the tank.”

Martin saw the TerraClean system at a classic car show and has been using it for two months.

Being in the trade, he finds that the benefits for certain tools and equipment that he is offered can often be overstated, but not in this case.

“This is one of those rare occasions where it actually does what it says it’s going to do,” said Martin, with a certain amount of satisfaction.

Martin anticipates that TerraClean will become a service that will seen at a lot of garages up and down the country.