Questions from June 2010
For the last week I've been helping my son look for another car. He drives a lot of miles, but has a wife and child to support on a minimal income, and £1,000 was his absolute maximum (unlike most of his...
I have my 1965 Triumph Spitfire Mk2 advertised on a classic car website. I have been inundated with emails and phone calls by a chap in Spain desperate to buy my car, first of all unseen apart from a few...
I want to sell my Mercedes C180 Classic FG52 LFK (88,000 miles) and buy a new C220 CDI SE BlueEfficiency manual. My current car was an Irish import, flat dark blue, no A/C, 6-speed manual (from Motorpoint)...
Having recently sold my trusty 15-year-old Polo, I'm looking to replace it with something similar in size. I only do about 1000 miles pa and the car is used for shopping, local trips and the occasional...
I have received by post, a Parking Charge Notice for parking for two hours on a site jointly used by Aldi and a Travelodge. The permitted time was 90 minutes. Cameras confirmed my entering and leaving...
My Renault is mystifying my local Renault garage and various experts. It intermittently looses power and the diagnostic is clear. It is being suggested I replace the gearbox oil at £80/ltr with a total...
I bought a van from an auction back in 2008. When I bought the van I registered it in my name, but as the insurance was too high we decided to register it in my ex-girlfriends dad's name so I could be...
What crossover style vehicles are there with both 2WD and 4WD?
I crashed my Nissan Terrano 2.7TD 1999 model and now it won't start. It's got fuel at the filter, got good battery power, it's not immobilised and I can't find a fuel cut-off switch. It just won't start....
I have a problem with my 2003 Peugeot 307 SW HDi. The fault is showing up as an anti-pollution fault. It comes on intermittently and the car is running very sluggish and losing power now and again. I have...
I have a 58-plate Honda Civic Type R GT and the clutch bite point seems to be almost at the floor. Is this where it should be?
I am taking my right-hand drive car from England to Spain by ferry for a short holiday break. Do I have to make any amendments to my headlights? Do I need to take a road warning sign?
A friend recommended AB Motors of Fengate, Peterborough and to my delight I could see why they had been so highly recommended. The mechanic on the case was friendly, courteous and was very genuine. He...
Any idea how frequent the ABS/ESP module fault is which affects the Volkswagen Golf V, Mazda 3, Skoda Octavia and BMW 1 Series? Is it a problem that all cars fitted with this unit will definitely suffer...
I have a 57-plate SEAT Leon with a DPF filter fitted. I recently went to my local dealer as a warning light came on my dash. I left the car with them all day, and on my return they told me that as I had...
Why do anti-roll bar link rods/ball joints start to make a noise?
Can you recommend a good streak-free interior glass cleaner please? I like to keep the inside of my windscreen clean (condensation in winter especially leaves a film after it's dried).
I have owned diesel Peugeots (309/306) for around 25 years and found them brilliant, doing 18-20,000 miles a year. Having now retired, my mileage is down to about 6000 a year, most of which are 20-30 mile...
I’ve a second car with two years' NCD. The policy runs out at the end of June so I should now have three years' NCD at renewal. Last November, I’m driving home and a pedestrian runs off the road and clatters...
I have a BMW N-reg and the mileage display partly works, by which I mean you get half the display. If you hit the dash it works for a while, but has been getting worse. It is an electronic display. Any...
I may have option to purchase a silver Peugeot 206, 5-door, 2005, 1300cc engine with 17,000 miles on the clock for about £3000. Is this a good price? Mechanic says it's in good order, just done MoT, a...
I bought a new Ford Fiesta in November 2009. In March 2010 I noticed a bad steering vibration. This was checked at the Ford dealer who reported both front alloy wheels and one rear were buckled. Both front...
I bought a 2004 Audi A4 1.8t Avant S Line with 75,000 on the clock from a dealer in Doncaster. I paid £8500 which included six months' tax. After a couple of days I noticed a whining noise and have since...
I am buying a 1982 Mercedes-Benz W123 200E. It is in superb condition, having only covered 99,000 miles. Would it be better to run it with unleaded fuel and add lead-type additive, or is normal unleaded...
My car was recently hit from behind and I have a feeling it will be written off. Car is a Volkswagen Polo 1998 R-reg, in very good condition before the accident. Anyone know what a good settlement price...
I wondered if you were able to advise me on the best route to sell my Mercedes-Benz Vito. It's a 2005 white panel van with 109,000 miles, which has been upgraded with colour match paint, windows, smart...
My (June) '03-registered BMW M3 has developed several small bubbles on the paintwork of the boot lid (on the rear-facing surface). These appear to be early areas of rust. One area is associated with a...
My daughter's car has been on a SORN for a couple of years and is not covered by any insurance. She wants to take it for an MOT in order to trade-in on Nissan's extended scrappage scheme (worth £2000 off...
I visit the States twice a year for approx three months at a time. I have an old Lincoln town car there for which my insurance is reduced by half when the vehicle is not being used on public roads. I have...
I have a Golf 1.9 diesel DSG on an '05 plate. It has done 82,000 miles. We do between 15-18,000 miles a year. We get it serviced every year and it has just had new rear discs and pads, plus an oil change....
I have a five-year-old Honda Accord 2L EX automatic. If I use Hometune, is the filter and oil consistent with the Honda specified products, or should I pay the extra at a Honda main dealer?
Where in the Midlands or Northern England can I find an engineering company that can modify a narrow angle Volkswagen V6 engine for high performance? Many thanks.
I need a car that has rear folding seats to make a bed for occasional nights away with reasonable headroom, but not so tall that I can't easily get ladders on and off the roof. I have between £2000 and...
What is the average lifetime of a Range Rover 3.0 diesel in mileage? Would it be worth buying 1 with 100,000miles on the clock or would a 4.0 petrol be more suitable with an lpg conversion?
I have a four-year-old Porsche Boxster which is about to end its extended warranty. Do I stick with Porsche for a mechanical breakdown cover at £904 or should I look for a cheaper alternative?
My son has just passed his test and wants a good secondhand vehicle for £1000-£1250. He is an adventurous lad and will probably drive it to the south of France and back. He is interested in a Peugeot 106...
I am considering buying a new Audi TT from my local main dealer. The deal on offer is: Purchase new Audi TT Coupe 2.0T FSi Quattro Sport S Tronic. List price £29,420, options: Metallic paint £500, Bluetooth...
After running two 3.0Tdi Phaetons, the lease deals that attracted me are no longer available. I have loved running the Phaetons but the time has come to change. I have considered leasing a Volkswagen Passat...
Our estate car was classed as a category D write-off. We have had it repaired at our own expense (two new N/S doors and the rear wheel arch repaired) and are now claiming off the third party's insurance....
I have a new Chrysler 300C. Fabulous value for money car but unfortunately, I had an accident in March. To my frustration, no one seems to be able to supply a new front bumper - they are on "worldwide...
I bought a Fiat Ducato Maxi Van in 2007 through a specialist van dealer in Bolton, and was sold it with a 3-year 100,000-mile warranty. It's in its third year now and the slave cylinder has gone on the...
My son went into the back of another vehicle a few weeks ago. The car he hit sustained a small scratch - nothing else. His car sustained some damage to the front bonnet and bumper on the drivers side....
What do you think about buying an ex-police car? I guess it would be well maintained but possibly hammered? The one I'm looking at is a 2004 Skoda Octavia with 100,000 on the clock.
My wife's Volvo C30 2.0D has just suffered a flywheel failure at 2.5 years old, 21,000 miles. Volvo are replacing it under warranty but she is concerned about the cause, and whether there likely to be...
Can you apply to have points removed early to help you get a driving job?
My 2004-registered Mercedes-Benz 320 CDI E Class estate (Elegance) is producing a rattling, knocking sound from somewhere in the front whenever I go over even the smallest of bumps. The car has done 82,000...
I have been offered a Land Rover Freelander 2 GS, including metallic paint, for £23,000 on the road with £12,000 part exchange for a RAV4 '07-plate with 36,000 miles on the clock. I understand the Land...
I'm going to look at a 2001 Citroen Xsara Picasso 2.0HDi at an independent dealer tomorrow. It's advertised as "Full Service History, 8 Stamps In Service Book" with a mileage of 80,000. First question,...
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