Questions from July 2010
I have my Volkswagen Jetta insured through a major insurance company. As a man in his mid-50s the premium was only around £290. When I notified the company that I was moving from my rented flat where the...
I have a 2005 Jaguar S-Type 2.7 diesel sports version (lowered, stiffened and with spoilers). I have some well-worn Pirellis on the front and 30,000-mile Goodyears on the rear, all size 245/40/ZR18. I...
I bought an ex-demonstrator 59-plate Ford Focus TDCI in March. Ever since I bought the car the cooling fan runs on for around 20-30 minutes after the car is turned off. This happens two or three times...
We have recently had our car serviced and was told that our pollen filter needed cleaning. My wife has been coughing ever since with hayfever symptoms that disappear when she is outside! Speaking to someone...
My mum has a 10-year-old 1.8 Mazda MX-5 Icon. It's been looked after very well, and is in generally good condition, though it doesn't go very far. She has had a problem though recently. The car is not...
I have a Citroen C1 diesel which I've owned from new. After 2.5 years the starter motor burned out and was replaced under warranty. Recently it burned out again, although it is now four months out of warranty....
I just suffered a total brake failure on my Peugeot 406. I pumped the brake as fast as I could and yanked on the handbrake, then the brakes went back to normal. My mechanic friend thinks the master cylinder...
My daughter finds my Fiat Doblo ideal for all her needs. The problem is the seats. She finds them most uncomfortable, especially on long journeys. Is there something we can do about it? I am prepared to...
Me and my husband have been saving up to replace our old diesel Fiesta and have been offered a three and a half-year-old diesel 2.2-litre Honda Civic for £6000 by a relative. It has 68,000 miles on the...
I have recently bought an Audi A4 2.0-litre petrol saloon on a 2004 plate. It has come with different wheels and tyres to standard, hence this request for help. Tyres fitted are Sunew 235 Z40 R18 95W....
I was recently driving my Volkswagen Golf MkIV on the motorway and I lost all power, and white smoke was billowing out, but the car would still drive. I replaced the turbo and, after replacing the turbo,...
We have a problem with an insurer who has revoked an insurance contract issued to us on the 16th of July. My partner, who wanted to transfer her non-claims bonus from Germany, signed up for a non-claims...
I'm trying to decide on a one or two-year-old coupe that I can use to drive long distance, especially to ski resorts in Europe, so 4wd would be an advantage. The Audi A5 3.0 Quattro coupe seems ideal,...
My 2005 Peugeot 407 SW has done 106,000km. I've fitted a Chip Express "chip" which works very well, making the car smoother, more powerful and with better fuel consumption, down from 5.8 to 5.3 l/100km...
Can you tell me how much a 'Cat D' 2007 Vauxhall Corsa 1.2i 16v 5-door Club petrol is worth? The damage has been repaired.
You say "the supplier must be given three chances to rectify the fault for which the goods are rejected and must have failed to do so". Does this have to be the same fault every time? I've taken an Astra...
I have a 2.0-litre 2002 Ford Mondeo TDCI 130BHP and had a message saying 'P2339 Cylinder #4 above knock threshold' on the ECU diagnostics check. The car starts fine, but is giving off a lot of blue smoke...
I have been told I need to spend £240 on a new electronic key for my 1997 Mercedes-Benz C-Class as the main key stopped working suddenly. Isn't there anywhere I can get the existing key re-programmed without...
I am on the verge of buying a car that is on a 2001 plate. It has an MOT till September 2010 but is SORN and a Cat C write-off. The problems with the car are that it needs a new door, wing and front bumper,...
The up and down arrows in this feature on the MFD are very distracting, particularly at night. Is there any way of switching it off? I can't find anything in the driver's handbook.
What is the best way to solve starting difficulties due to "low fuel pressure delivery" (per diagnostic machine) in my August 2000 BMW 530D SE Auto Touring?
We are hunting for a replacement for our written-off Fiesta and have read your review and decided to go for a 2004 Toyota Yaris diesel with 32,000 miles. We saw one this week for sale from trader, which...
I have always had BMW saloons or estate cars but, due to increasing hip problems, I am finding it more and more difficult and painful to get in and out of my beloved 10-year-old 530 Touring. I don't like...
I have a 2006 Ford Focus automatic estate which is red. However, I cannot find out which red - I have looked at the car registration disc as advised but can find nothing there. Somewhere I assume there...
How do I empty the water out of my 2002 Fiat Punto's radiator?
I need to get type approval for a Honda Element I brought to the UK with me from the USA. Assuming this is possible, any idea what the cheapest/fastest way to do this is?
I've bought a Volkswagen LT35 and someone has pulled the HT leads off the dizzy cap and the plugs. I don't know how to put them back and in what order - please help.
I need a new car which cannot be wider than 64 inches. My garage door is only 68 inches wide. I want the safest rated car possible, please. What can you recommend?
My 2003 Ford Fiesta has been making a high pitched noise, a squeaky rubbing noise, which happens almost constantly at various frequencies. It only stops when the brakes and clutch are applied together...
My Volkswagen Passat 1.9TDI 130 Sport is throwing out white smoke, oil and water. Have you any ideas? Can I try injector cleaner?
I have been looking around for a car for my son and have found a Ford Fiesta 2006 Ghia 1.4 five-door with 31,000 miles, petrol engine and manual gearbox. The asking price is £5000 - do you think this reasonable...
I run a Skoda Octavia diesel estate and need to replace the front tyres, which seem to create a lot of road noise. I appreciate our roads are not in a good state but wondered if there is a brand which...
I have a 2002 4.0L Grand Cherokee. I work offshore and each time I come home my battery is flat. Until now there has been some life in the battery but not enough to turn it over, so I jump-start it off...
I cannot achieve Mercedes-Benz's quoted fuel consumption figures for my new C250 CDi. Despite many of my trips being long distance, the average fuel consumption is 34mpg. Mercedes-Benz specification lists...
I am retired, 74 years old, and drive about 13,000 miles per annum. This is leisure driving, country lanes to motorways and all roads in between. I drive a Golf Mk4. When I come to replace it, putting...
My wife currently drives a 2002 three-door Peugeot 206 which has 30,000 miles, but she would like to purchase a four-door car that can cope with a pushchair and a seat for our grandson. We have looked...
I have a 2008 Volkswagen Jetta six-speed with very few miles on the clock. The car is like new. I have experienced an issue with the synchromesh, where the gears clash on changing into fifth. Has anyone...
I have a five-year-old Mondeo in excellent condition. What do you consider would be the best time, this year, to seek a part-exchange at a franchised dealer? Now, or after the introduction of the new yearly...
I have a Peugeot 306 diesel turbo and I can not find the head gasket in my country. The dealer tells me they are finished. Where else can I get them?
I have been trying to find my car's details in order to identify the paint. I have entered the VIN number into various sites. One informed me that my 2006 Ford Focus Estate was a 3-door Focus van and other...
I have a 1987 Mk1 Karman Golf that cut out suddenly and I haven't been able to get it started since. I called out a roadside rescue mechanic who checked the distributor and rotator arm, and he cleaned...
I have a new Vauxhall Meriva with a push button brake. Three times now we have pranged it when moving off on an incline. On one occasion I had to get out and wave the traffic behind to pass. Then, when...
Is there an alternative (in East Anglia) to getting a 2006 Peugeot 206 key cut, rather than the quoted main dealer price of between £100 - £150?
I have a Toyota RAV4 XTR 2.0L petrol, automatic, 57 plate with 20,000 miles. I need to replace the tyres. Whilst I am happy with the Yokohama Geolanders currently on the car, are there any better tyres...
My Ford Focus 2006 1.6 Zetec 115ps has an intermittent hunting/cutting out problem. It is worse when the engine is warm, especially after a a warm start. The car will not idle and when driving along at...
I have bought a Ford Mondeo Titanium X TDCI reg Nov 09. It has voice activation for ridiculous things like switching on the CD player. I now wish that I could have the same facility for switching on my...
Can you explain the workings of the EGC gearbox on the HDi 110 engine? The CO2 is only 130 vs 137 for the manual version (the HDi 163 that I originally favoured omits 173). Can one just leave it in automatic...
My elderly parents have a dilemma. Their BMW 318is is now eight years old and, to date, has been reliable save for a few minor problems. They are after advice as to whether they should run the car into...
I have owned my current car, a Rover 75 2.5L V6, for 10 years and have found it be extremely comfortable and trouble-free. However, now that I have retired, I feel a change is due and I would like to purchase...
I've placed an order for a Hyundai Santa Fe Premium for delivery on 1 September. I've read nothing but praise for the car on your and other review sites, yet I've just seen it down as the third least reliable...
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