Questions from August 2010
A lifetime friend has just died, leaving a 2004 Brotherwood converted Mercedes Vaneo 1.9 automatic petrol with 35,000 miles. The conversion comprises lowered floor, slide sideways rear seats, a drop down...
It’s time to change our car and we finally decided on a Peugeot 308S 1.6 petrol. We are looking for a fairly new low mileage vehicle. Most of the 308s advertised on the Peugeot dealers' website are 1.4...
I have just acquired a rural property access to which will involve about 2 miles along first a semi gravel road and then an unmade dirt track to the house entrance. The visits I have made already suggest...
What please is the ‘Credit Hire Racket’? What frightened me was that VC had, apparently received a written assurance from his Insurance that all was ‘done and dusted.’
I own an 8-year-old Mercedes CLK Cabriolet. It has become increasingly difficult to keep the soft top clean even though I have tried different options. The problem appears to be a green moss/fungus that...
I have a 2007/57 Vectra estate with the 1800 petrol engine. At low revs in 1st/2nd gear I sometimes get a power loss for a few seconds. It then needs some revs to get going. After reading a few articles...
My son-in-law mentioned that he is considering having a chip installed in his Audi two litre diesel engine. It is a 2007 model. It seems that a chip will increase both horsepower and economy. I read something...
I drive a 2000W BMW 318SE that I really enjoy but it has not been without problems. It has done 90,000 miles. My wife drives an 06 reg Nissan Note 1.4SE that has done 40,000 miles. Its load carrying capability...
In March I wrote, “My 23-year-old daughter is to return to car ownership after four car-free years as a student. The usual advice from all quarters was steering her towards a 4 or 5-year-old Fiesta, given...
I was recently prosecuted for speeding by the North Wales police and fined for the third time in my 50 years of driving. However, I feel that I must join this technological age and provide myself with...
With reference to the email from FM printed on May 29th I have a love hate relationship with the Honda Jazz. The 08 Jazz I loved.
The 010 I absolutely hate. 1: The transmissions are dangerous in 1st and...
I unwittingly drove down a dead end in Dalston and used a factory entrance to turn round. I noticed a man in uniform filming me. About a month later I got a bill for £300, for trespassing on private property....
My brother-in-law has an 8-year-old BMW X5 diesel from new (85k miles). It has always been serviced by the same garage he bought it from in Surrey. Four days ago he was told that his A/C was “shot”, and...
On 23 October 2009 I purchased a 2002 Golf 130 TDI from an established dealer for £4,500. It had 97,500 miles on the clock, but single owner and FSH, main dealer to 88,000. It came with a warranty from...
I have recently bought a one owner 1999 Mercedes 230SLK with 40,000 miles on the clock for a bit of summer motoring. It's a lovely car and I paid £7,995 for it from a good dealer but not a specific Mercedes...
Regarding left foot braking of automatics, my first licence was obtained in 1939 on two wheels, then in 1940 on four. Then the next
30 years of manual followed by 20 years of manual and autos and the final...
Your advice to KS who was speeding to his pregnant wife fortuitously comes after a report in the Daily Telegraph of a police officer caught driving at 68mph in a 30mph zone because his baby was sick. He...
I live Guangxi (South China). Just about all the traffic lights here have countdowns with them. Also they are LED types and very bright. They are positioned above the roads and the other side of the junctions...
Our 18-year-old son is about to take his driving test and needs a car. He has been offered a Vauxhall Corsa 1.2i 16v Design Twinport 3 door with 54 plate for £2,800. The car is from reliable friends so...
I have spoken to VW about the failed ESP module on my Golf. They wont help me because I don’t have a full VW service history. But this is a manufacture’s defect and should be the subject of a recall on...
I saw your explanation of indicator etiquette at roundabouts, but felt that it was rather vague and didn’t really answer the question as to which approach lane you should be in. My interest stems from...
Now the hot weather season has descended on us, it has also brought with it idiots that leave dogs in their cars with insufficient ventilation. I witnessed this yesterday in the car park at Burnham Bridges...
If a policeman stops you and asks to see your insurance documents, and does NOT give you any written piece of paper to ask you to take them along to the local police station, but, asks you to 'pop in'...
About six weeks ago, whilst washing my two-year-old Honda CRV, I noticed that the front offside foglight measuring 8cm across was broken. I thought no more of it and replaced it at a cost of £220. Last...
I would be grateful of any thoughts you might have on this issue. The company I work for has started using "Driving Monitor" to manage staff risk when driving on company business. We are all required to...
I own an Audi A4 2.0 TDI S-Line 09/09. The car has now done 25,500 miles. Last weekend the service indicator warned me that the oil would need changing in a further 1,600 miles. This surprised me somewhat...
As a result of ill health, my good friend is considering selling his
Jaguar XK120, which he has owned for 56 years. It is in superb roadworthy condition with some racing history and is used on a fairly...
Is it possible for a management warning light to come on and no faults be detected on a diagnostic machine? I have had a recent nightmare with my Citroen C3. The flashing MIL light came on and four unknown...
My son has just graduated and is starting his first job, which will involve driving approximately 15,000 miles pa. He is to be given a car allowance of £400p/m and 0.17p per business mile. I'd like to...
After towing my caravan with my Jeep Commander for a day, the next day I find that the power steering is very stiff and seems to grind for about 200 yards. Then all seems OK. Any ideas why?
For many years I've insured cars (Ford Mondeos) through a leading insurance company. I reached the age of 70 last year and my annual quote increased by some 30 per cent, although it reduced a bit after...
I have a Ford Fiesta 1.3 OHV G reg 1989/1990. It starts on the button and runs ok, but will not idle. If you come to a junction and remove your foot from the accelerator, the engine stalls. I have cleaned...
We have a Ford Mondeo estate. It has always gone pretty well. We went out on Saturday and it drove fine. Stayed at home Sunday and on Monday morning went out to start it up. Nothing. No electrics at all,...
I have a 2002 Peugeot 206 1.4HDI. A couple of weeks ago the engine management light started flickering on and off, and the speedo and the rev counter will read 0 one second them will read 120 miles an...
Can I tow a car back to the dealer? The car in question has been on SORN and it has a current MOT, but I'm insured on the car that would do the towing.
I am trying to find the list of minor traffic offences according to British Law. Is there any legal document or guide available where all minor traffic offences are listed?
I have a 2009 BMW 330d touring with many extras which I bought for £46,000 list new (it now has 16,000 miles). In April of this year it began to run very rough on startup from cold, and didn't go as well...
I have a Nissan Micra 2001 1.3 SE. The keys came with with a small pen-like thing - I dont know what this is for?
I got pulled over by police last year, and I came back on the check as licence revoked. The Kent officer then took my car and my driving licence. However, at the time I had fully comp insurance and the...
I bought a 55-plate Ford Focus with 51,000 miles on the clock back in February 2009 for £6500. It has now developed an engine fault that my local Ford dealership tell me will cost either £400 plus VAT...
I recently purchased a 2008 Ford Fiesta Style and, to my amazement, the car came with a key which looks very much like what my grandmother had for her car 15 years ago, a simple plastic thing with no remote...
The dealer has had my car for engine repairs for a month - what can I do to speed the process along?
I bought my car from a dealership in 2009. It's an one-year-old ex-demo with low mileage. No problems with previous service history. This year in Feb it started having problems. The engine indicator lights...
My Ford Puma 1.7 1999 V reg has been misfiring lately. Over the last few days it cuts out when I brake and misfires at low revs. When idling I have to keep revving to stop it cutting out. The car seems...
I bought a 2002 Volkswagen Golf automatic in June 2006 for £6500. Milage was only 16,000. I used it for the last four years and added 20,000 miles on it, so it has 35,000 miles now. During the last few...
I am thinking of purchasing a new motor prior to my retirement. At present I use an old Rover 416 automatic and having been looking at a Kia Cee'd and Skoda Fabia. Both would probably suit my wife and...
I have a 51 reg Saab 9-3 SE TiD with half-leather trim, I have owned it for the last seven years. I have kept it much longer than planned but it keeps going very happily. My daughter says it has an odour...
I had an unfortunate incident yesterday in my work's car park. My car wouldn't start so I had to push it back to get the start leads to the engine. When I was getting pushed back my brakes didn't work...
My 2004 Ford Fiesta 04 Flame 1.4's battery has died, so I tried to jump-start the car and a red padlock light started flashing and the car wouldn't start. I've been told its something to do with the immobiliser...
I've recently changed my 2001 Peugeot 306's water pump but the coolant doesn't seem to circulate. I've even removed the thermostat. One of the radiator pipes is very hot and the other is cold. I've checked...
I have a Peugeot 207 SW with just 30,000 miles on the clock. It is still within its three-year warranty and at 29,000 miles the clutch went. Peugeot would not repair this under warranty and the new clutch...
Elsewhere on 
