Questions from August 2010
Is the VAG 1.2 TSI 85/105bhp engine chain or belt cam drive?
My 60-year-old mother is going to buy a new car and is trying to decide between an automatic Volkswagen Golf 1.6 and an automatic Ford Focus 1.6. I drive a Volkswagen Polo, which is great for me as I'm...
I read recently about a chap who had inadvertently driven down a private road, turned around at a convenient spot and made an exit from the area. He noticed he was being filmed doing this. Later he received...
Can these accurately pick out one car in a line of cars? I was caught exceeding the speed limit when in a line of cars that had overtaken another vehicle on a straight stretch of road. The mobile unit...
My daughter is thinking of buying a 2004 Vauxhall Meriva 1.6 Life. Are they reliable?
I bought a 2005 Vauxhall Meriva in March this year. The car recently died on me, so I coasted off the road. The temperature looked ok. I saw steam or smoke coming from under the bonnet. I lifted it to...
I am looking to buy a new Mazda MX-5 Roadster Powershift. Some of the best deals I have found are through online car brokers. However, on checking these companies they register the car to a fleet to obtain...
My dad's looking to buy a old 1998 Rover 200 1.6 auto. The seller isn't sure if it has the Honda engine or not. How can we find out?
My intercooler has been contaminated with oil and bits of turbo. I asked my warranty company whether, if a piece of the old turbo gets into the new turbo e.g from the intercooler, I would be covered in...
Our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle 1303S is struggling to pull away. When you accelerate it feels as though petrol is not getting through, as the car jerks and is very difficult to drive. Do you have any ideas...
I have read about problems with the "Teves ESP unit" on Volkswagen cars, in particular the Touran. How can I find out which model of unit I have on my 58-reg Touran?
I'm having a problem with my Nissan Primera 2-litre diesel estate. The engine management light came on, the car cut out and now won't start.
After travelling about 300 miles, I parked my Renault Master 2.2 DCi for two days, went to start it and it won't start. I checked the fuel and it's coming through, but I have seen on the control panel...
I've seen a P-reg BMW 320i Cabriolet E36 with 237,000 miles, which looks alright and has a full BMW service history and MoT. The seller says it drives fine. Can these easily do more miles, or is this a...
I would like to get a used Jaguar X-Type estate. I have £8000 and wondered which would be the best for my money. It would be used as a family car and would do less than 10,000 miles a year, mostly urban....
I love my X-reg 1.25 Fiesta Zetec, but it's definitely starting to show its age and I think it's about time I replaced it. Ideally I'd like to buy a new Fiesta, but I'm not sure which spec would best suit...
My warranty company has now agreed to pay for a blown turbochrger but not the intercooler, which the garage says now has oil in it. My policy states that the intercooler is covered but the warranty company...
There are two relays in the engine compartment of my Peugeot 206. They are in the wiring loom behind the nearside headlight in grey connectors. One has burnt out but I can't find out what they do. Can...
We bought a used Toyota Yaris T3 last November as a second car with one previous owner. We are now thinking of passing it on. It is a five-door model with a full Toyota service history. It is a 55-plate,...
I'm considering buying a delivery mileage (400 miles) car that is now 13 months old. I'm told it's an ex-management car, and so has been parked up. I asked about fluid change and salesman says it's not...
Have you heard of anyone who may have pursued rectification of the ABS module problem on MkV Volkswagen Golfs through the "Sale of Goods Act 1979" as this is obviously an inherent fault? The reason I ask...
My daughter bought a Corsa 1.2 on an 05 plate with 24,000 miles. l have noticed that the engine is quite noisy when we are driving - is this normal?
Why does my 2006 Ford Mondeo keep blowing back light bulbs?
I am looking for advice on buying a cheap (fully depreciated) but reliable workhorse for very occasional trips to garden centres and still capable of (very infrequently) ferrying four people in comfort....
My car was written off as a Category D. It was stolen and recovered, then just returned to me after four months. The insurance company never paid out, so now I have a Cat D car and I don't know what to...
How do I check the gearbox oil in my 53-reg Vauxhall Zafira?
My girlfriend has a been provided with a courtesy car whilst awaiting her money back on a new vehicle - the dealer in question is one of the national Volkswagen franchises who have given her numerous reasons...
My 2003 Volkswagen Polo has 18,000 miles and over the last 5000 miles has developed a tapping noise from what I thought was the valve gear, as it sounded a bit like a hydraulic tappet - the noise rises/falls...
I'm thinking of buying a Volkswagen Passat CC GT TDI 170 with the following options: Park Assist, Rear View Camera, Multi Device Interface, RCD 510 Dynaudio sound pack, DAB and MP3 compatible 6 CD changer,...
I'm looking to buy a Honda Civic Type R GT as the best balance (as far as I can see) between performance, looks and practicality out there at the moment. Essentially I am looking for any buying advice...
I want to buy a BMW 840 which has done 133,000 miles. I'm not sure about the fuel consumption, as some say it does 16mpg. Can you please advise?
I am a car dealer and have recently sold a car to someone (about two months, three weeks ago). They have never contacted me until yesterday 10/08/2010 .They emailed me saying that they wanted to reject...
My wife has been driving a Suzuki Swift 1.5 for four years and is now looking to update. She ideally would like a five-door hatchback that has less road noise and is a little softer on her bones. She drives...
I have a 2008 2.0 Volkswagen Passat TDI that I have just taken for its second service with 24,000 miles on the clock. When I picked up my car, I was informed that the front discs would need replacing as...
I have a Ford Mondeo Ghia 2001. The air conditioning was working, then started to blow warm, so I got it re-gassed. Then it blew cold for a couple of days, and then warm again. There used to be a sound...
Can anyone recall which year and power output was the last non-ECU turbodiesel Mercedes-Benz? I'm looking for a low-tech, powerful diesel, with five or six cylinders for a 'project'. The less wires the...
Why is the engine in my Volkswagen bay window camper revving too much?
I replaced a six-year-old Nissan X-Trail with a new top of the range Tekna model in April 2010 and diligently read the manual to cope with all the gizmos. I found the manual was inaccurate about air con...
I'm looking at buying a Mazda MX-5 Monaco and wondered what the current valuation is? Also, what should I be looking for when viewing this model?
I have had the seal replaced on the driver's door electric window on my three-month-old new Polo SEL. A week or so after that, I noticed that whenever I drive I now get the headlights on as well as the...
We have a 55-reg Modus, a good car. It's done 30,000 miles. The main garage is saying car is overdue for a cam belt change. Is this about right? I read that you also suggest renewing other parts at the...
We have been sent a letter with photos from Ministerio Del Interior Leon Spain about a speeding fine we seem to have incurred whilst driving in Menorca. The date quoted is when we were in the area of Menorca....
I am PCO registered for private hire, and I also cater for weddings in my Morris Minors and I would be grateful if you could let me know if you know anyone that does private hire cover for such cars? There...
Can you turn off the traction control due to it not having a switch?
My Vauxhall Meriva's ESP light has been coming on and off since June 24. I phoned the RAC out three times, and they said the first and second time that the steering was ok, and then 10 minutes after the...
I have an S-reg Renault Scenic. My speedometer only works for two or three miles and then drops back down to zero, and stays there. Have you any advice?
My Renault Scenic recently had an issue where the handbrake cut in and would not allow the car to move. After contacting the dealer we were told to drive it backwards and forwards, as this would release...
I've got a couple of problems with water coming into my Renault Scenic and sitting in the driver's footwell, and in the storage holes in the back. Is there anything I can check to stop this happening?...
Should I have the fluid/oil changed in my automatic gearbox? I have a BMW 320d SE auto on a 54 plate with 76,000 miles. BMW say it's sealed for life, but I hear that it's best to ignore that and have it...
I recently fitted a new EGR valve to my Vauxhall Zafira, but since I got it done the following happens. When starting there is occasionally white smoke, followed by irregular idling until the engine is...
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