Questions from June 2010
I note your advice to hit 4500 rpm through the gears several times a week. Does this apply to all engines? At only 4000 rpm in my 2008 Citroen C5 2.0HDI I'm doing 40 mph in second gear and 65-70 mph in...
A couple of weeks ago I had my car serviced at my local garage, then yesterday I parked up and with my wheels at an angle I noticed something dangling from the suspension behind the wheel arch which looked...
I have a 2004 Vauxhall Meriva which has just has £1200 spent on it for a new steering column and other steering and gear-related work. I am considering a new Meriva SE 140ps to replace it. I have been...
My wife and I live in Portugal but are in UK from time to time, when we usually rent a car. Now we're thinking of buying small runaround which we can leave in UK when not here, and this would mean it standing...
I've just been fortunate enough to have been given a Westfield SEiW fitted with Ford 1800 engine. The car was built in 2004/5 and first registered in December 2005, and has covered just under 500 miles...
On a recent Saturday, two days before I was to attend hospital to be prepared for the removal of a cancerous tumour from my thigh, the turbo on my 2004 Nissan diesel X-Trail failed. I was able to get it...
I recently bought an 04-reg Ford StreetKA from a dealer. One week later the power steering failed. I stopped as I thought I had a puncture. It was like driving a tractor. I started the engine again and...
My BMW 320d saloon is still under warranty as a 57 reg. It had an oil change at 40,196 miles and has now done 47,000. The services indicator behaved normally moving from 21,000 to 15,000 until recently,...
My wife's 53-reg Mazda 2 Sport (old boxy model) is a decent enough car, but runs on rather low profile tyres (195/50 R15) and generates loads of road/tyre noise. Currently it has Firestone Firehawks all...
My 17-year-old son is about to take his driving test. I have a Space Wagon so obviously it would be impossible to insure him on that. I am looking to buy him a small runaround, but the insurance quotes...
At about 1500 revs, from cold at about 20/30 mph and with the temperature about half/two thirds to optimum, my Hyundau i30 diesel automatic hesitates as though it is low on fuel, needs to change gear,...
Having driven a Citroen XM, then a Mercedes-Benz E-Class and then Jaguar XJ diesel saloons for the last 20 years, I am now looking for a small, luxurious but economical 4-seater that will provide the same...
I've just bought a new Fiat Panda 4x4 (1.24 petrol version on your advice) having been delighted with my first one which fetched a good price. That first car (a 2005 model) was labelled as being a Fiat...
I have a Toyota Picnic 1998 2.0-litre petrol manual and it's driving me to an early grave. After £700 spent it's still got the same fault. For some time now the engine would cut out for no reason when...
Believe it or not, I was stopped for driving too well. The police pulled me over as I was driving at 29 mph and they suspected I could be under the influence of alcohol (which I was not). But they did...
Having read your report I bought a used (55 plate) Volkswagen Transporter 2.5 diesel, and so far so good. But in your articles you often refer to a particular vehicle's manufacturer being aware of a particular...
My elderly neighbour drives an old Fiesta and is finding it more difficult to get in and out of it these days. What should she be looking at buying in the 'Fiesta' segment of cars?
I have just taken delivery of a new Jeep Grand Cherokee Tech. The dealer had no stock and had to order it from Chrysler UK. As the model was only launched in March this year I assumed that the build date...
My 2006 Mercedes-Benz ML320 Sport has developed a leak of power steering fluid from the steering rack after four years. They have said the steering rack should be replaced at a cost of £3000 plus labour,...
I have a V-reg Vauxhall Vectra 1800cc petrol and have no air conditioning. The compressor did always kick in but no longer does so. Also none of the buttons light up, ie the air conditioning light, snowflake...
I own an Alfa Romeo 156 diesel which was bought through the local dealership. I have maintained a full service history through the dealership and the car is now six years old with 66,000 on the clock....
I have a problem with my 2003 Nissan Primera. Lately I've been getting a grinding sound soon after taking off, which disappears when the car is in motion. Now the grinding sound is also coming on during...
What is the best car one can hope to buy at the moment for £2000 - a Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus or larger - with a view to owning it for three years? Fuel consumption is not really a concern, so no diesels.
I recently purchased an OEM rubber pad to replace the worn-out pad for my 2003 Vauxhall Astra's clutch pedal. However I'm having great difficulties trying to fix it to the pedal. The rubber pad is rather...
I'm looking for a Subaru Outback from 2001 but I want leather seats with a rear arm rest. The 2002 version I saw had no rear armrest. Which model/year would?
I returned to my car after leaving it in a residents' permit bay (Westminster) to find three parking tickets issued because the permit attached to the windscreen had fallen off onto the front passenger...
How often should the transmission fluid be changed in my 2-litre petrol Nissan Qashqai? I would have thought every two years, but the Nissan Service schedule that came with my wife's car only says 'Inspect...
My partner, who is 29, has been suffering from MS for about four years. Recently her back has got worse and has trouble with the passenger seats. She is about five feet and three inches tall, and we are...
On the hottest day of the year my stepdaughter parked her car in an open air city centre car park. Her 21-month-old son was in the car seat. He took the car keys from her and somehow the door closed. He...
On 7 April 2010 I had a car accident (not my fault, and the third party accepted liability) and my car got written off as a Category 'D'. I went direct to the third party insurers through my solicitors,...
I about to move to Germany and am thinking about getting a 2006 Saab 9-3 Vector. You have it on one of your top ten lists, but some of the reviews that I have read seem to indicate that you have to be...
I recently bought a 14-year-old Mazda Eunos. The car came with a brand new mot and 6 months tax. The MoT was carried out on 20 May 2010 and will run out on 25 June 2011. I have covered roughly 700 miles...
I bought a 2001 Ford Focus 1.6 LX just over two weeks ago. When purchased it had a fault which the RAC diagnosed as a faulty MAF sensor. Since then this has been replaced, but the car is still not driving...
Have you any more up-to-date information on the Renault Espace 2.2DCi? All I can access is 2007 or 2008.
I own a Volkswagen Polo estate TDI. While it is admittedly rubbish to drive, with no turn in feel, it has a torquey TDi engine and I am spoilt by its efficiency at around 40-60mpg. I bought it massively...
Your website's information on the Mazda 6 states that a steel full-size spare wheel is available for £70. Can you advise where I order from?
I already have a small sensible car for every day use, but I have 'oldies' to occasionally take out and about. I would like, with very limited funds, to have a bit more power, comfort and fun. I want to...
My Citroen Xsara Picasso seems to have a large sheet of hard plastic across the bottom of the engine bay. It appears to have come loose, and as I don't know what its purpose is, I don't know if I can just...
I was recently stopped for a speeding with a hand-held laser device. It registered that I was doing 41mph in a 30mph zone. I was flagged down and given a producer by the police. However, when I went to...
Can you advise if a garage is required by law to provide a warranty on the sale of a car, and if not, under what circumstances can they refuse and whether this would affect my Statutory Rights? I am contemplating...
Can you recommend a good broker/underwriter for me. I have been a named driver on my wife's car insurance policy since 2006, when I sold my car which was insured under a policy in my own name. I had at...
When I was driving my 2002 Peugeot 306 SW HDI turbo in slow traffic recently, smoke came out from bonnet which smelled like a burning clutch, and then I couldn't engage the gears at all. The engine temp...
I have received a parking charge notice from an enforcement company. Unfortunately I appealed, and whilst doing so admitted to being the driver! I think, however, I can still argue against the fact that...
I have been reading the forum items on electric parking brakes and some people are very much against them. Have you got a view?
I'm looking at a W-reg Volkswagen 1.4 Golf. Should I be worried about noisy tappets? I can hear them not just when it starts but all the time, particularly on acceleration in low gear?
I am considering trading in my Fiat Panda for a similar small narrow car, preferably one that has a similar high seating position. What are the best options?
I recently bought a policy with a leading warranty company. I have paid about £800 over the last two years to them for an 'extra care' policy (with franchised dealer repairs) for my 2002 Mercedes-Benz...
My mum ordered a car on the Motability scheme. Having waited four months to receive the car, we went to the dealer to pick up the new car which had been registered and taxed, got the keys, went outside...
I have up to £10,000 to spend on a used car for a daily round trip of 130 miles, and my criteria is reliability, economy and decent motorway performance. My preference is for an automatic gearbox. I currently...
I am the owner of a 2005 Citroen C3. I bought it on 31 January this year from a local garage. At the time of sale I also purchased a 12-month three star warranty with an insurance company. Within two months...
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