Questions from July 2010
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 am approaching 70, still alert, etc., but I would like to find an easy
way to have an independent assessment of my driving. I want to find out if my driving style is safe and sensible, rather than if...
There is a lot of talk and action regarding the future of electric/hybrid cars as if this technology is going to save the world. To my mind, pure electric cars are unsuitable for anything other than short...
I bought a Hyundai i10 on 1st September last year. The reason I bought it was the praise attributed by the motoring press, particularly yourself. On the whole I agree with the accolades. However, I have...
My wife and I are after a good car for long journeys, including touring Europe; something that we could drive 400 – 500 miles per day and still enjoy a nice meal out in a good hotel in the evening, rather...
My son has just turned sixteen and I have offered him car driving lessons for a birthday present. He is a pretty good 'back seat' driver, but I would like him to get some safe but realistic experience...
In our local area, Walton upon Thames, drivers are now regularly prosecuted for parking on the zig zag lines either side of the crossing in the High Street. This is done by CCTV: you get a picture of your...
My son bought a 2005 Honda Civic Type R from a dealer three weeks ago. The nearside headlight unit held condensation and we asked an independent motor engineer friend to replace it. Whilst completing the...
My wife has a Volkswagen Polo S 1.2 64PS registered 06. The VW dealer has told her that she should have the cambelt changed as the car is 4 years old. But it has only done 30,000 miles and I thought the...
We have a 1,200cc petrol) Panda that is 6 years old this month and has done about 45,000 miles. Should the cam belt be replaced at this mileage? There is some confusion about this. Also the dealer said...
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 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,...
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...
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...
Following a prang, my car was classed as a write off and was sent to be stored at a salvage compound. The insurance company refused to settle the claim and say they advised me by voicemail to collect car...
I would like to buy a used Jaguar X-Type 2.0-litre diesel estate with full leather seats. Do I need to worry about the expense to replace clogged particulate filters? What is the advantage of the Euro...
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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 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 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 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...
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 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 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...
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 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...
I have a newly-bought 1995 Ford Fiesta 1.3 plate. I checked the coolant level and it was empty, so I topped it up and all is well, the fan kicks in and the car does not overheat. I have no visible water...
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