Questions from August 2011
I have a 2006 Ford Focus 1.8 TDCI, just recently the air con has stopped working.
I took it to a garage to have it regassed and was told gas levels were ok.
Since then I have checked fuses - all ok.
The...
Bought this car for my wife about 6mths ago and when we first got it every month or so the spanner light comes on and it goes into limp mode, once you switch engine off and back on again it was fine for...
The electric fan of my car does not switch off after having been driven even very short distances, and sometimes when I have just switched on the ignition and then off without even starting the engine...
Using premium fuel (Shell V-Power) seems to be the only way to avoid particle filter problems with AUDI A3 in the UK.
What grade Diesel do I need to purchase on Mainland Europe to avoid the same problem?
We purchased an SL55 6 years ago & paid £67,000.
Since then the car has had numerous problems and we have only driven it 20,000 miles as the engine cuts out locking the car and nearly causing a fatal...
I live in New Malden (SW London/North Surrey) and have just bought a BMW 530d M Sport (2008/08). A few years ago when I bought an Audi you recommended Wheelbase garage in Hersham to me and they were brilliant...
I have seen you advise many times that people avoid some of the larger wheels that cars come with today.
I am looking at purchasing a new XC90 Executive, it comes with 19" as standard.
I went to the dealer...
My local BMW dealer is heavily pushing some "extras" at me prior to taking a new delivery. I would value your opinion if they are worth spending any money on. The products are BMW's Seal and Protect...
The problem is intermittent, but it has been narrowed down to happen when the car is driving with the windscreen wiper on, rain or not.
There is an amber light to warn of a fault with the lights, and...
I have problems with shoulders, upper back and need a car with very light steering. I also need high seating and a standard automatic box.
I had advice from you a year ago on this subject and bought...
As I have just retired, what practical new or used hatchback (budget £10,000 -£11,000 would you recommend that would be as much fun to drive as my long loved MX-5 from four years ago?
We have an old Suzuki Vitara for local and off-road use (which it does lots of) and we've been really pleased with it.
We need another car for some commuting and longer runs but we live at the end of...
Does the SAAB 2003 Convertible have a timing chain or timing belt; NB after a 2007 model
Any problems to look out for?
I've just put down the deposit on a pre-registered Hyundai iX35. Although it only has 10 miles on the clock it was registered in April 2011 so I'm guessing it has been sitting on the forecourt for most...
I wrote to you last year whilst we were deliberating as to what to do following an accident that resulted in our car being declared a total loss by the insurer.
Well, this is how it played out: The car,...
I was considering buying an electric car (EV), but couldn’t find any site on the Internet to tell me what the total CO2 emissions were for these vehicles.
So, as an engineer, I did it myself. For diesel...
A Range Rover, dealer is advertising new Diesel Range Rover 4.4 TD V.8, cash price: £68,995, deposit: £41,436, pay after 24 months £27,549, or give the car back to the dealer. Rate of interest is 0%. This...
A few weeks ago a correspondent wrote saying he was replacing a couple of tyres on his car and was moving the front wheels to the rear axle and having the new tyres fitted on the wheels at the front.
It...
I recently went to Europe with my Audi A6 Avant Quattro 2.5 TDI and, notwithstanding that the car had been fully serviced by Audi Liverpool before I left, the car broke down in the middle of France with...
Presently I drive a 2006 Mercedes 220CDi CLC which I enjoy but I really need a 5-door economical, easy access vehicle as I am retiring soon and I am considering a small hybrid.
Whatever I buy has to...
I have recently sold a XC90 and bought a Mercedes E class Estate. I am delighted with it but wary of another winter of snow. The XC90 coped well last year but I am aware that a rear drive Automatic could...
We have recently bought a 2002 Toyota RAV-4 petrol 4-speed automatic and we are getting mixed messages regarding the use of the overdrive. The manual states that 4th/overdrive should remain switched on...
For years I've yearned a Porsche Boxster and have now reached a time in life when it becomes practical. I can't stretch to a brand new one so I'm looking at a 2 or 3 year-old version. The two options I'm...
I was delighted with the duplicate key service from www.lkmonline.com , which you recommended to me. To get the three keys back so soon, already re-programmed is impressive. They arrived today (Tuesday)...
I have a 2009 Mercedes ML 320CDI still under warranty. If I leave it for over a day, when I come to start, it misfires very badly. When it does start, the car is engulfed in fumes. It has been back to...
Two Mondays ago a Tesco delivery van reversed into me and smashed up the front of my Volvo estate. The driver admitted that it was his fault. He gave me a letter saying that Tesco will mend the car free...
I have a comprehensive 'platinum' warranty on my MG-ZT-T that I use to tow our caravan. Prior to leaving for a 5-week trip to France I had a pre-trip check carried out by my specialist MG Rover repairer....
I need a car to commute about 400 miles per week with my job. I can only afford about £5k and want to buy something that is ultra reliable, comfortable with some carry space, economical, cheap to run with...
My husband drives an Audi A1 automatic, which has a stop/start system. The engine will automatically cut out when the vehicle stops, and when you take your foot off the brake, the car will start again....
As a pensioner my aged and trusted Mondeo is on its last legs. A local garage has a low mileage 2003/03 Rover 75 18T numbered. One mechanic at the garage I attend said leave it alone, while the other tells...
Back in April you ran an email about ‘Sunpass Tolls’ on US roads. Having been to Orlando where all the roads surrounding the airport are Toll roads, I obtained a $5 Sunpass from the local supermarket-Publix...
I have just received a charge for £70 from Valid Parking Ltd because my wife parked in the Majestic wine car park in Davenport one evening in June, when the store was closed, to go to a meeting in the...
My husband and I both work full time and normally each of us requires a vehicle. We have a 2007/07 S-Max 2-litre TDCI, which we have owned from new, and a 2009/09 VW Caravelle. For the next 2 years - and...
I need to buy a mobility car that is suitable for loss of leg. Can you recommend a car for disabilities that is not too expensive?
I purchased a new motorhome in March of this year, top of the range and the company’s flagship model. I have had nothing but irritating problems, including specification not as ordered, a £700 alarm system...
Because we live out in the country, we are thinking of buying a four wheel drive. We have been recommended a 2009 Jeep Cherokee 2.8.CRD Limited 5-door Automatic with 14,300 miles on the clock priced at...
Last week my daughter together with her two small children returned to London via the M1 after visiting me in Stockton. Some way down the motorway the car started vibrating and the steering wheel shuddering....
We recently saw an item in a Saturday edition of the Telegraph about insurance for first time car buyers. Unfortunately the paper has been thrown out. My grandson is taking his driving test soon and will...
We recently purchased a 2004/54 Vauxhall Vectra 2.2 diesel estate car from a dealer at a cost of £4,200. A nice car and suitable for what we wanted, reliable for all the family to drive.
An intermittent...
Can you inform your readers of this EU directive relating to claimed 'zero emissions' electric cars?
One point that may be of interest to you is the 2005 EU Consumer Practices Directive incorporated into UK law in 2008 (Ref: 2005/29/EC). As I understand it, within your context, it means that any commercial...
I saw your item on www.giveacar.co.uk on Saturday morning and contacted them by e-mail on Saturday afternoon to ask them if they would like my 1996 Daewoo Leganza 2.0 auto. At 10:30am on Tuesday they rang...
I wonder if you can explain this. We have a FIAT Multipla 1.9 JTD Eleganza, 58 Reg, 15,000 miles on the clock. Last Thursday while my wife was driving, the EOBD Injection Warning Light came on amber and...
Renewal quotes for 2010 BMW 318 SE Business Edition £317 from Saga £452 from BMW Insurance. Both comprehensive, both de facto 5 Star. Key difference is that with BMW (they say) car will always be repaired...
I've read several of letters in your column recently regarding the requirement to inform your insurance company of changes to a car from standard. This has included changes to wheels and tyres. With increasing...
I have a 2006 Vauxhall Meriva 1.7 CTDI which reverses up our drive easily. I recently test-drove the new Meriva. But because of its long front overhang it could not reverse up the drive, which has quite...
I drive a Ford Mondeo, but I am now having to drive long distances. A more restful car to drive would be welcome. Would a Mercedes C-Class fill the bill or should I consider a BMW 5 series or a Jaguar...
I am sure that I have read in your column that if a fault which was present when the car was purchased, despite being just out of warranty, and the fault has not been rectified by the selling dealer, then...
Last week the 7-speed DSG box of our March 2009 Volkswagen Touran Diesel packed up, having done 53,000 miles. As you can see from the mileage we do mostly distance driving and little in city traffic, moreover...
Whilst having a business meeting with a colleague at Leigh Delamere service area (westbound) on the M4, we had a nice cup of coffee and a cinnamon swirl, and sat down in comfortable chairs in the cafe....
In early July a friend who has a five year old Ford Focus noticed a "dank drain-like" smell in the car. The intervening eight weeks has not seen it diminish. In fact it has got worse, even permeating into...
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