Questions from August 2010
Do automatic transmissions have or need dual mass flywheels? How do I know if a car has one?
My wife has a 2006 Nissan Micra 1.6 Sport, so it's just 6 months or so out of its 3-year warranty. The other day when she started it up the brake warning and the ABS warning lights and the ESP off warning...
I have just completed a 3,000-mile trip around Europe, and travelling quite fast on the autobahn the TPMS warned of a puncture. It was Saturday afternoon and no garages open, so I took it easy for the...
Yesterday I took delivery of a new BMW 320i convertible. However I am quite upset with the noticeable 'orange peel' (literally in this case, as the car is a shade of orange/red). Although I looked the...
Back in January this year I year I e-mailed for advice on the Skoda 1.2 TSI 105 engine in the Yeti SE as I was concerned about the power for a large car, having driven nothing smaller than a 1.9 engine...
I've taken your advice and won't deal with a Swedish buyer for my car who wants to pay be bank transfer and have his agent pick the car up. However I am curious to know how the money would be taken back...
You have occasionally commented on electric cars, but I guess you are unlikely to be fully aware of the future influence of such vehicles, specifically their impact within the context of global warming...
The rear fog light indicator on the dash of my Golf Mk IV can be seen pulsating faintly although it is not switched on. This occurs only when the right hand turn signal is being made. Could this be a bad...
An elderly friend bought within the last few months from a recognised retailer a Vauxhall Vectra for £1,400. The car has now had to be taken to the workshops for a reconditioned gearbox at a cost of about...
Your readers might be interested in my recent experience of renewing my membership of the AA (of which I am a long-term member). Their renewal letter quoted a premium of £194 (covering Relay and Family)....
Having been persuaded to fit a Honda reversing sensor kit to my 2005 Accord by local Honda I Guernsey, rather than buying from and having fitted by the dealer from where the car was bought, just over 2...
I am being constantly blinded in the last few weeks by new Skodas, Mercedes and Audis with unfocused, super bright LEDs presumably used as 'always on' daylight running lights. These are much brighter than...
Today I received my car insurance renewal and was asked for a 25% increase in premium. This in spite of having nine years 'protected' no-claims discount. I have been driving since 1963 and have never had...
I have a Land Rover Freelander with 18-inch rims. In order to fit winter tyres, can I put on 16-inch or 17-inch rims on, or not because of the brakes etc?
We had a problem with a knocking sound on our 2005 Toyota Avensis. We extended the warranty in September 2009, and had the car serviced and MOTd under their terms. We were shocked to hear that we would...
My Renault Megane Dynamique has done 28,000 miles and one rear wheel bearing has had to be replaced, as the other does now. Is this normal?
I recall reading about vibrations from the driveshaft on the CVT automatic Honda Jazz. Is this a problem that Honda is aware of?
My 2001 Honda Civic SE automatic has been diagnosed as needing a new low pressure pipe and/or condenser. £500 is the quote for whole job. The Honda official agent has said he can do just the pipe for £160,...
I wonder if you have looked at the Auto Bild 100,000km tests? They ran a Golf and an Astra to 200,000km and the results make me wonder if manufacturer's oil change intervals are perfectly adequate after...
We have a four-year-old Volkswagen Golf MkV 1.6 FSI petrol. I'm told today by my local non-franchised Volkswagen specialist that the rattling that developed two days ago is the inside of the catalytic...
I am about to change my car and would welcome some advice. I can spend £3500 tops. The car has to be automatic, have five doors, be a hatchback because of the dogs, and no larger than 1.4-litre. The bigger...
Does the piston hit the valves if a cam belt snaps on a Lexus IS200 1999? If there is a small 6mm washer in the piston would it just rattle around or would it damage the engine?
My Ford Mondeo is a 2003 TDCi 130bhp Ghia. Since last week, as I apply acceleration to my car gently from 0 up till 85mph, it feels like it is losing power but it never cuts out fully. But, if I accelerate...
I have a Vauxhall Meriva 1.7CDTi. When I depress the clutch slightly I hear a small noise. Is that normal?
I have an almost new Alfa Romeo 159 TI. I have no complaints with the car other than a battery problem. There are occasions when I have to attend conferences abroad, leaving the car in the open air car...
I have an eight-month-old Octavia hatchback 1.9TDI. At 68-70mph there is a noise that can only be described as like blowing across the top of a bottle, but quite loud. The dealer has said that it is 'wind...
Ford has given me an incredibly complicated template for dipped lights in Europe, but the accessory shop sells small (AA-approved, I think) plastic tear-shaped panels - nothing like the Ford offering....
I've just had a new steering rack installed, and then had to have the power steering sensor replaced. Now a warning light comes up on the dashboard and the steering is heavy at low speed and light at high...
I am tempted to buy a '98 BMW 318i E46 manual from a dealer here in Singapore. I drove a E30 316i manual for few years about 15 years ago and like the 'BMW manual feel". How do you rate this car?
The engine auto light is on in my Peugeot 307. The display shows 'Anti-Pollution Fault'. Can you help?
Help! can you please tell me where I can get a user manual for my 51-plate Citroen Xsara Picasso?
Can you tell me all about the 2001 Citroen Xsara Picasso 8v petrol?
My UK car insurer will insure me, while in Europe, for 90 days as standard plus another 90 for an extra premium. I wish to be in Europe (Spain, France & Portugal only) for 270 days. Can you suggest an...
My granddaughter has a 2007 Polo 1.4. Two days ago she started the car as usual and endeavoured to drive off. She released the handbrake and found that the car would not move (it seemed to be straining...
I have recently taken delivery of a nearly-new, 4900-mile Fiesta 1.6TDCi Titanium. After only a few days, I noticed that two warning lights, the engine management and power steering lights, did not go...
My Volkswagen Passat 1.9 TDI is juddering. The ESP light is on, along with the emissions workshop light. What could be causing this?
A high pitched whine from the lower front of the engine compartment of my 2005 Passat Highline 2.0 TDi (77,000 miles) was diagnosed by my Volkswagen dealer as a faulty air conditioning compressor, in which...
I have had my Alfa Romeo MiTo serviced this week. It is it's first service. It was bought in May 2009 and has done just short of 20,000 miles. I took it for its service and when I came to pay the total...
I have a V-reg Ford Focus 1.8 TDi. The turbo went and covered the whole engine in oil, so I had that replaced and the engine cleaned off, but now i have a problem where I will be driving and the only way...
I set off in my 55-plate Ford Ka in first gear, and found the engine roared and the gear took a few seconds to engage. A few minutes later on the motorway, when changing from fourth to fifth, it happened...
I currently run a five-year-old Peugeot 206 SW which has been fine, but I would like to consider changing to something of a similar size that would provide a better (softer) ride, as my wife and I are...
We have twin boys who will be 17 in September. Obviously they would like to learn to drive. However, insurance is likely to be a big issue. Would it be better to name them both as learner drivers on our...
We bought a 2006 SEAT Leon 2.0 TDi Stylance in January 2010. It's an excellent car, but there's a horrendous loud rumbling from the rear tyres. It's at it's worst at 50mph, so if you're say on the M4 in...
We have just purchased an S-reg Mitsubishi Shogun Challenger 3.0 6V and find that the fan is running constantly. We contacted the dealer we purchased it from who informs us that this is normal for this...
My partner has a Volkswagen Eos 2.0 TDI 140 PS DSG and I have a Volkswagen Passat Estate 2.0 TDI 140 PS Manual. She pays £200 a year car tax and I pay £155. We did wonder why the car tax should be different....
My local dealer is giving a good discount on the Volkswagen Jetta 1.4.TSI 160ps. This seems to be a lot of power from a small engine. Are there any reliability or longevity problems with this engine?
I have had a Ford Fiesta 1.6 TDCI Titanium purchased new in February of this year. After four or five weeks, I could hear a quiet-ish ticking noise when the engine speed reached 1500 rpm (in any gear)....
With a comprehensive car insurance policy do I need legal assistance as an extra? If I take out legal assistance, is it related to the car and that policy, or to the named individuals on that policy? If...
My car went into a local garage for a replacement radiator. When I collected the car the air conditioning wasn't working and the next day a coolant warning light came on. I took the car back to the garage...
I would appreciate your advice on sourcing a replacement cup holder unit for my 2004 BMW 5 Series 525i. I have managed to get the existing broken unit out near the driver's side and wish to buy a replacement....
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