Trending topics in February 2015
Questions from February 2015
I have received a £100 fine from Parking Eye for not paying to park in a small open air car park in Peterborough.
I did pay but put in wrong car reg. AK47YTX instead of AK62YTX.
I only realised this...
Time and a back problem are now compelling me to think about selling my beloved Porsche Boxster S. It is a 2002 3.2L model in good condition with full FSH (main dealer and specialist independent). I don't...
My car has been inoperable for two weeks now. I had a total power failure. RAC and local garage tested battery etc. - all normal. Once stripped back it transpires that the connection between the positive...
I have leased a Ford Transit Custom. It has been damaged in an accident (in January) and is immobile. Ford are unable to supply the parts until mid April so the van will be off the road for at least 3...
I am looking to buy a reasonably economical and highly reliable executive car for under £4000. My daily commute to work is a 30 mile round trip so I can't imagine it would make a huge difference between...
I get the impression your not a particular fan of these systems. Is it due to reliability problems?
I am about to take delivery of a new BMW 320d Touring. Are the inclusive service plans worthwhile or should I pay as I go?
I am looking to replace my Volkswagen Golf Plus. Unfortunately it is no longer being made. Can you please recommend a suitable replacement that will give me the same upright driving position, size and...
We have a Skoda Octavia Estate diesel (1999) with a water leak in the front passenger foot well. We have had the car since 2001 and it has been serviced every year at 10,000 miles. We can hear water gushing...
What's your advice regarding retro fitting of cruise control? I've found a firm who clam that this is feasible, but am a little worred about safety.
I take delivery of a new Audi A4 1.8 TFSI next week. Mindful of the oil consumption issues I would like to know your though on how to run this engine in. It seems you suggest that higher revs need to be...
Dear HJ, We brought our 57 plate Mercedes E-class Estate with has rear facing seats in the boot brought in anticipation adding to our two children. However, whilst they are okay for occasional use we...
Ive run my car for 4 years it has 2 oil changes and a service every year at a Nissan dealer are there any tips to keep it going another 5 years as we love the car. It is run on Shell V power all the time...
I am looking at buying a new SUV. I do about 10,000 miles a year and my daily drive to work is 25 miles each way. I really like the Honda CR-V, but the petrol version is thirsty and high in tax. I also...
I'm replacing all four runflats (195/55 R16 87H) on my MINI Cooper Convertible (2010) with non-runflats to reduce costs and improve driving comfort. I'm looking at 'Goodyear Efficient Grip Performance'...
I'm about to take delivery of a new Mercedes-Benz E300 Estate. Should I be looking at any additional items in regards to security
I am the 'owner' on paper of two vehicles and my wife the owner of the third. On each vehicle we have legal cover and no claims cover. Do we have to do this three times or is it possible to get all the...
My Honda Civic 1.8 auto (2010) unexpectedly suffered a flat battery and the garage could find nothing wrong. Ten days later it happened again. The garage says it may be the alarm system which will cost...
I have a very small paint chip on my two year old BMW 2 Series. It's only 2mm in size, what's the best method for repairing it?
I bought a used car from a trader recently, only to later discover it is a Cat D. Is this legal? Surely the trader should have told me about this?
Having now retired, I want to swap my Jaguar XF (brilliant car) for something with more boot space. I have thought about the Honda CR-V as I need space, comfort, style and reliability with an automatic....
I bought a van at auction with warranted miles. I've since sold it, but the owner has come back and said the van has been clocked. What are my options?
I purchased a BMW 520D SE Touring 2011 from BMW in June 2014. Last week the drive chain failed. The car has done 74000, all serviced at BMW. They are fixing the issue, but they will not extend the warranty...
My son's 2009 Seat Ibiza sport 1.4 3-door has an intermittent problem whereby the windows and sunroof open when the car is parked.
Owner forums suggest various causes; we have tried disconnecting the...
Hello HJ,
The chain drive to the oil pump on my Audi A4 S-Line 55 Plate has snapped whilst driving; the oil low pressure light came on flashing and I had the car collected by my breakdown company.
At...
We have a Volkswagen Touareg 3.0 TDI eight-speed DSG 'box (2010), which has started hesitating when pushed hard, especially in Sport mode. Do you think this is a common fault and is something that Volkswagen...
I would like to improve my winter caravan towing performance by fitting all season tyres to my car. I know that they would not be as good as winter specific tyres but they would be much less expensive...
We are looking at buying a used automatic city car and like the latest generation Kia Picanto and Hyundai i10. What's the difference between the two cars?
I am thinking of purchasing a five year old Mazda 6 2.2 diesel. I've identified a few for £7000 that have around 70,000 miles on the clock. Would you count these cars as good buys? I'm a little bit confused...
My local Ford dealer has a C-Max available on new plates. However, the car itself has been on stock for nine months. Is this car safe to buy, considering potential tire deformation and A/C not used for...
Dear John my mother has a volkswagen polo 1.2 (C) 2008 model and has had pronounced noise from the vehicle. On vistng local Kwik fit, she has been qouted £450 labour and costs, is this reasonable in your...
I am looking for the most economical 4x4 to tow a trailer with two horses. It must be automatic, low tax and cheap to insure. Any ideas?
My Citroen C5 Estate has not got enough leg room in the back. In the opinion of the HJ team, what should I be looking at to replace it? We are four retired adults who do a lot of touring with our dogs.
I took my Fiat Panda (2006) for a service last week. I was advised to have a chain replacement which I agreed to. From the first time I drove the car following the service and ever since I have heard water...
From time to time my 2014 MINI Cooper refuses to start, which means I have to rock the car in gear before it will start again. Any idea why this is happening?
I have a 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan diesel automatic, but I am getting different conflicting information on the gearbox. Is it a DSG? Should the oil and filter be changed? I've taken it to a specialist and...
I own a Ford Transit (2000 model). Recently, I've noticed white smoke and a loss of coolant. In fact, all of the coolant has gone, even though the van shows no signs of overheating. Any idea what the fault...
My Lexus IS was a pre-registered model, for a good discount, so I had no choice of wheel size. The 18-inch wheels as fitted produce a very hard and jiggly ride. There are websites offering new alloys for...
I'm thinking about buying a Land Rover Defender 110 or 90SW. Will the value go up in years to come?
I have a four year old (2011) Mazda 6 Sport (180) diesel tourer. I've had it from new, covering 126,000 miles and love the car. I've seen a 2012 reg "Venture" Edition for £11,000 with only 16,000 miles...
The driver's door on my Renault Scenic will not unlock, even on the inside. Any ideas?
I am looking to buy a second hand crossover. The two that come to mind is the Skoda Yeti and the Nissan Qashqai. I don't do many miles, so want a petrol. Which model should I buy?
I'm looking to buy my first car but I'm undecided as to whether to get a 2009 Seat Ibiza 1.4 SE, 2009 Volkswagen Polo 1.2 S, 2008 Ford Fiesta 1.25 Zetec or a 2010 Suzuki Swift 1.3 SZ2. My favourite out...
I went to start my 2011 Ford Focus 1.6 diesel today and it refused to go. The dash came up with 'engine malfunction - service due'. Any idea what's wrong?
Are the diesel Ford Fiestas after 2008 any good? I need a car for covering 9000 miles a year and like the bodykit on the upmarket Fiestas. However, it's not available on the 1.25 petrol and I dont want...
What would you consider a fair private sale price for a 2005 Toyota Avensis TSpirit 2.0? The car has 110,000 miles and is in very good condition.
I am looking to trade my 2004 BMW Z4 3.0iSE (with 55,500 miles) for a 1986 Porsche 911 Targa with 129,000 miles on the clock. The car is £17,500 - will it be a good investment?
My stepfather needs a pick-up which can tow a cattle trailer and return decent economy (30+mpg) for his normal day job. He has £8000 to spend and needs four-wheel drive. Any ideas?
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