Questions from July 2010
A friend has decided to ditch his 2003 X-Trail diesel after its fuel pump failed. I am advising him on his next purchase. He travels 25,000 miles each year as he is an avid hill walker. 4x4 preferable...
I bought a nine-month old Vauxhall Vectra 2.2 litre automatic (mileage 10,000) in September 2004 from main Vauxhall dealer. In January of this year, still at only 37,000 miles, the car broke down. The...
Could you advise me as to the best car to buy for use as a mini cab? I need an automatic to save on my clutch leg; however, I've been getting conflicting advise as to whether to go for a diesel or petrol...
While my car was parked on my drive it was hit by a young driver who it seems fell asleep at the wheel. The police were called, and after testing that he had not been drinking are happy to let the insurance...
I have owned a series of S-Class Mercedes. At least ten in a row, all wonderful, and all petrol. Recently, against my better judgement, I bought an ex-demonstrator diesel: a S320 CDI LWB, with 9,000 miles...
I must report to you an alarming trend that I have noticed over the last two years. When we have a police incident, they shut the road down for anything up to two days. Last week I was going home to Shere,...
I have recently been quoted £230 by BMW, to change the oil on my 123d M Sport Coupe. This is the first service as indicated by the on board computer. A colleague put me in touch with a BMW trained specialist...
I have a 1999 Mercedes SLK 230 Kompressor with a genuine mileage of 26,000. As I know very little about car engines could you advise me whether this car has a cam belt which will need replacing in due...
Family members are the victim of the diesel particle filter fiasco.
They have a '56 registered Vauxhall Zafira 1.9CDtI SRI150 with 40,000 miles on the clock. They drive regularly from Lancashire to Norfolk,...
My wife has reluctantly decided to give up driving and even more reluctantly to sell her old Clio, which has served her well for many years. It is an 1994L 1.4 RT 5-door hatchback automatic, has been serviced...
I am looking for advice on motor insurance. Last week I made a claim on my motor insurance policy with RIAS. The claim was made over the phone, and during the conversation I obviously mentioned that I...
A friend is thinking of changing her 3-year-old Ford Focus Diesel manual for another car. Could you advise what types of similar mid range cars are available (including the Focus) but with an automatic...
I purchased a new A4 from an Audi dealer on 10/1/2005 for £23,000.
The car was brand new and came with a 3-year warranty. On 3/8/2007 I took a further warranty through the dealer for a further 3 years...
My current car is a 2006 Volvo S40 1.6D. It has 17' wheels with 205 x 50 x R17 93w tyres fitted. I have no complaints except that the ride is a little hard. Would it improve if I fitted 16" wheels and,...
I have a 2006 VW Polo Sport 1.9TDI so it is now 4 years old and has done 18,000 miles. It is about to go in for its annual service and MOT and the garage is recommending changing the cambelt. Is this really...
I have a 2002 Mercedes E430 Avantgarde auto Estate, mileage now 175,000. I have owned the car since new and do not have any finance outstanding. I have always serviced the car with Mercedes. My car is...
I own a 2003 Ford Mondeo Ghia Estate 2.0 TDCi (130). The car has run very well since I acquired it when 12 months old. Last year I hit a pothole that resulted in the front offside spring fracturing. I...
I refer to you an item in Sundays lifestyle regarding VAG`s 2.0 litre
Diesel engines. For the benefit of someone who is non technical could you explain the benefits of the PD engine against the similarly...
I need a good-sized 5-seater with occasional seats for 7 to replace my VW Touran. We have test driven both the Ford S-Max and Hyundai Santa Fe but cannot decide. Which is better in terms of refinement...
I am about to buy a 2007 1.6 Focus Estate. Could you please advise me on the pros and cons of the 1.6 chain-cam 100ps and the 1.6 belt-cam 115ps engines?
The time has come to part with my Integra R. It has done 79,700 miles without serious problems and I have owned it since March 2001, the second owner. The car was bought new in the UK by the first owner...
Can anyone recommend a cheap fault code scanner for my 2004 Ford Focus, that will save me having to pay diagnostic charges? I have seen a few on eBay that are handheld or laptop-based like the T40, U480...
I have a Ford Fiesta 58-reg, and have only 2500 miles on the clock. The fascia panel around the radio and air vents has cracked for no apparent reason and the crack is creeping right around this panel....
My daughter's 2004 Nissan Micra's brakes failed as she reversed down the drive. It was nothing to do with overheating as it was from a cold start. We just had a call from the garage to say they can't find...
My daughter had the bonnet on her '54 Alfa Romeo 147 blow back, which damaged the roof and smashed the windscreen while driving on the M6. She was ok and there was no other car involved. The insurance...
I was recently driving in rain at approximately 70mph in my 2005 Seat Altea Reference 5-door 1.6 petrol with the windscreen wipers on full speed. When the wipers were moving in the direction of travel...
My 2006 Nissan Micra's power steering light has come on, and it has been towed to the garage as it cannot be driven. I have been told that I need to pay £1800 for a new unit. Do you know if I should have...
I have a 2009 Ford Mondeo Titanium X diesel auto with 17,000 miles, which was serviced a year ago when I bought the car. Two Ford garages say I need an interim service, one a major service and one says...
I need advice on buying Peugeot 206 1.9 HDI in black. It's done 78,000 miles and is good condition with one lady owner from new. The only fault it has is that the air conditioning is not working, and possibly...
I am considering purchasing a 2005 (B7?) Audi A4 3.2 FSI with only 21,000 miles, but I have concerns about the Multitronic gearbox. The 3.2 appears to be a comparative rarity, so I am not sure if the problems...
I own a Skoda Octavia vRS diesel DSG, purchased new on 25 March 2010. It went to Skoda on 10 May for investigation of a slow speed rattle when the car is in second gear, and had the gearbox replaced. The...
We currently run a 2007 Prius which has been utterly faultless in 45,000 miles. It is, however, affected by strong crosswinds and as we are considering changing it for the latest version I wondered if...
I recently purchased a 2006 Vauxhall Vectra Elite 1.9 TDCI automatic, only to find the gearbox to be in pretty bad shape. As I began to drive it it was barely pulling and very slowly reaching any type...
The oil pressure in my 2003 Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCI LX is low. It's only done 70,000 miles. I'm told it will need a new engine if the oil pump's gone. Is this true?
I have a Hyundai Accent with a 1.5-litre petrol engine which has done 125,000km. The problem is that it consumes about 500ml of engine oil for every 1000km, without any smoke trails from behind. I have...
I'm in the armed forces, currently based in Germany. I sold a tax-free car to a Ford dealer in the UK, completing the correct paperwork. I was then told by the dealer to send the change of owner paperwork...
I have a Skoda Fabia 1.4 16V Estate (Y-reg). I recently had a gas recharge done on the air conditioning as it was not cold enough. It will now only seem to work when it is a cold day - if it's warm or...
My partner currently has a 2005 Mk3 Ford Focus 1.6 automatic. The fuel economy is terrible, averaging sub-20mpg. She does several short trips per day for the school run, each trip being about 2.5 miles...
I have recently bought a Volkswagen Bora 1.9 TD 2000 on an X plate. After driving it for a few days I noticed it pulled to the left. I phoned the garage I bought it from and told them my problem. He said...
I currently drive a 2006 1.4L petrol, manual, 5-door Vauxhall Corsa Design. According to the brochures, this vehicle has a 0-60 of 10.5 seconds and a power output of 90PS. I am looking to upgrade to a...
We live in Cornwall, not the Alps, and although we did have some of the white stuff this year we managed, as we had a very nice Land Rover Discovery. Sadly it had to go as it was too costly to run, and...
I have a 2006 Audi A3 DSG Auto which has only done 46,000 miles. The car was stalling so Audi checked it on their computer and found no problems. Then they told me my flywheel needed replacing. I haven't...
I have a Peugeot 306 and I have just replaced the brake pads and discs. I noticed the hub under the right wheel arch is wet and fluid is pooled under the car by the right wheel. There is no sign in the...
I would like to service my Renault Scenic's air conditioning system before I hit the road, as it is a bit smelly and not powerful. I would like to do it myself on a budget. What do I need? I just ordered...
My 2007 Mercedes-Benz E220 CDI with 49,000 miles sometimes used to feel like it was trying to lurch forward while moving at low speed, without any change on the accelerator. For the last month it is shaking...
I have a 2004 Ford Fiesta 1.4 petrol which has developed an annoying problem. While driving, it has an intermitting problem of pulling back as if it was running short of petrol, then it will suddenly shoot...
I have been using the air conditioning on my 2006 Volkswagen Touran. When you switch it on it blows cold. Then, after a period of an hour or so, the blower can still be heard but the volume of air coming...
I have a 2002 Mercedes-Benz S-Class that has suffered premature rusting of some body panels. In March 2009 Mercedes-Benz UK agreed to repair the rust on a door panel, but it reappeared within a few weeks....
For the last 30,000 miles I've run my 2001 Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDI with 110,000 miles mainly on Shell V-Power diesel. Having done a fairly fast run down the motorway and left it parked overnight, the next...
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