Ask Honest John

Honest John Ask Honest John » August 2010
Trending topics in August 2010
automatics buying dealers diesels dpf electrical faults engine problem fuel economy insurance legal and consumer advice loss of power maintenance and servicing model changes owning reliability repairs small cars technical issues warranties wheels and tyres
Questions from August 2010
3 or 4 Saturdays ago you advised owners of Corsas to get a certain part checked at each service. My wife has a Corsa and I meant to cut out this piece of information but I forgot to do so. Can you please...
My wife's Toyota Yaris 1.4 D-4D TR is now one year old but has only covered 3,500 miles in a mixture of short runs to the supermarket and longer runs of up to 100 miles. Should we change the engine oil...
My wife recently purchased a 2009 Ford Fiesta Zetec S fitted with 4 stud, 205/40 ZR 17 sized wheels and tyres. Unfortunately it came with a compressor and can of sealant, and not a spacesaver spare wheel,...
We drove our classic Riley 300 miles to Cornwall to be the bridal car for a friend's wedding, only for some idiot, who was clearly driving without due care and attention, to reverse into us, stoving in...
The ABS/ESP on my 56-plate Skoda Octavia 2.0 FSI failed at 32,000 miles, four months out of manufacturer's warranty and just eleven days after the expiry of the one-year used-car dealership warranty. I...
How can I tell when my diesel particulate filter needs its 'automatic regeneration process' "supporting"? I don't wish to unnecessarily drive in lower gears and raise my fuel consumption. I typically...
My wife and I are downsizing and the new house has room for one car on the drive and one car in front. If this second car is not to block the first, it will have to be not much more than 7ft 6ins long....
I have a new Polo and find that on switching on the ignition the headlights come on. I then drive the car all the time with headlights on. Surely sidelights only would be sufficient to meet the new rules...
My local garage expertly services and maintains my Mercedes-Benz E200 Kompressor estate. However, as it is not a Mercedes-Benz dealer, they cannot switch off the message that comes up saying: 'Main inspection...
Ford tells me that my 50,000-mile 2005 Focus 1.6TIVCT does not need the cam belt changing until 100,000 miles or 10 years. I have read the discussion but there seems to be conflicting advice. What would...
I am looking for a Vauxhall Astra and have found a 2007 model which only has 11,000 miles on the clock. The bodywork needs some attention but I am worried that, as the owner has only driven 11,000 in three...
I live in Tokyo right now and I think I will be living in the UK for a period of time as well as living in Tokyo. Im still 15 and I probably won't have £10,000 pounds when I'm 17, but I was always curious...
Well done, HJ! Great to hear your contribution on the radio this morning. The other chap did not seem to have any answers to your points. Keep up the good work.
The rear parcel shelf on my MINI has warped or bent such that it will not fit over the rear wiper motor cowl. When the hatch is shut it now forces the shelf under the motor cowl. I can use card board...
Good to hear you on Radio 4's The Today Programme this morning. I have a good example of the revenue-earning motives of the police and safety partnerships. About two years ago, a stretch of the A5 in North...
A pal of mine is now on his third new Porsche, a second generation 997 4S Cabriolet. It's about two years old, bought brand new from a main agent and it's driven by his wife. The clutch has failed twice...
I travel in my Motability car from London to Poland and wish to drive to Ukraine, but at the border they refuse me entry, saying the logbook of car is not correct. Because the car is on the Motability...
I am looking at buying a BMW E36 323i or 328i Touring. What are the bad points and what do I have to watch for?
I am a 39-year-old man with a family of five. I just passed my test two hours ago. I am kind of confused on which affordable used car to buy for my family. I have twins of 11 months and a little boy of...
Six years ago I bought, on your recommendation, a Daihatsu Sirion F-Speed. Yesterday, after six years of uneventful motoring, I part exchanged it for an Hyundai i10. All I have bought for the Daihatsu...
I've just received a letter from the police saying that i was caught (by a camera van) doing 81mph on a motorway in Scotland. From memory, the road was pretty dry, the sun had just come out and there was...
I just want to know whether you can tell me about the common faults on the 2007 Saab 9-3TDi Vector, and whether overall it is recommended to go for a Saab?
I find the RDS traffic updates through my car radio frequently 'behind the times', leading to being stuck in jams when I would prefer not to be. I am aware of the TrafficMaster QBusta but this looks to...
John, you state in your car-by-car entry on the Mercedes-Benz W202 C180 that the bodywork has a 30 year warranty! I called Mercedes-Benz, who said it is only three years. What is the real situation? Is...
I had an inch-wide one meter scratch across the rear door of my 2009 BMW 3 Series. Can you recommend a specialist to repair this who uses BMW OEM water-based paint and has a concealed spray booth? Also,...
My girlfriend owns a 54-plate Vauxhall Corsa 1.2. We have noticed that after a bit of rain, the next time she drives the car water sloshes into the passenger footwell when turning left for the first couple...
I've signed the paperwork to buy a new car on the basis of a very generous trade-in valuation. I think the dealer may have made an error, despite the price being agreed by the sales manager and being shown...
Have just returned from picking my car up after MOT and have been told that my rear tyres have slightly uneven tread blocks. The mechanic says it is due to the budget tyres that are on there and if I only...
I have a Vauxhall Corsa 1.4 auto Design. It cuts out when hot then, when it cools down, it starts up again. If I hold the revs at 2000rpm it will still cut out, but will start on Easystart for the duration...
I'm after information regarding my 1.7 VCT Ford Puma. I have had bad running issues for some time now. Basically, when I start the car from cold the engine revs up to around 3000rpm and slowly settles...
Why do you always have the same hat on in every single video?
I have an Audi A3 which I bought new in 2007 and now has done 19,000 miles. The car has recently developed a noise at the front, so I took it into an Audi dealership for investigative work. They discovered...
My teenage son has been given a fixed penalty notice for exceeding a 30mph limit by a policeman checking with a hand-held speed camera. The notice shows my son's date of birth as 30 June 2010 - this would...
Should I buy this 2001/51 Renault Megane? It's an ex-police car with all service history etc, but they say its stuck in limp mode. It's priced at £595. Is it a dud if their mechanics can't solve the problem?
How do you set up the lights on a Vauxhall Vectra? I need distance and height to set lights up against a wall.
I have just paid a £200 cash deposit on a used car at a trader's premises. We test drove it and the car appeared ok. At the time I had no internet access, however on return home I carried out a VOSA MOT...
I have a Ford Fiesta 1.2 Finesse 04 plate, petrol engine. When the fuel level goes below 1/4 of a tank, the car starts stuttering, like it's losing power, then suddenly gets it back again. The lower the...
My 2005 Ford Galaxy 1.9 TDI's temperature gauge sits at 90 degrees at 60mph, and once up to 65-70mph it shoots up to 130 degrees. The dash says 'Stop - check coolant'. When I slow down to under 60mph the...
I run my own furnishing business and cover about 50,000 miles per year. I currently have a 2006 Skoda Octavia Mk2 1.9TDI estate which is coming up to 165,000 miles. It has been very good, but the driver's...
We are looking to spend £3500-£4000 on an estate-type car - a runaround used for a daily commute of only three miles and longer journeys at weekends with our dog. We're looking to keep running costs reasonably...
We bought a 2001 Citroen Xsara Picasso HDi on your recommendation in 2006. It's a great car, but now we are looking for something a little bigger to transport two people, two dogs, camping gear and our...
I'm considering buying a 2007 Alfa 156 Selespeed Twinspark (1970cc). This is one of a small number of twinsparks that were sold by Alfa after the introduction of the JTS engine. I believe the CO2 emissions...
I bought a 2004 Jaguar X-Type estate a year ago from a private dealer. Last week I turned on the ignition and the passenger seat airbag and the passenger side curtain airbag engaged. There was no impact...
There is an online car broker which is advertising new 2010 1.0-litre Kia Picantos for £6593, representing a £632 discount off the RRP. They state that the colour white is the default colour. However,...
I have a Suzuki Baleno 1.6 which keeps stalling when coming to a halt or pulling away, and then the engine light comes on. I am going to service it but I think it might need more than a service. I hear...
Last week I signed a purchase order from the local Vauxhall main agent for a new Astra "Exclusiv" 1.4i. I subsequently discovered that this description covers two versions of the same engine, one with...
My S-reg Vauxhall Vectra 1.8's engine management light has been on for a week. Does anyone know why?
My Audi A4 recently developed a misfire on number two cylinder. I've replaced the spark plugs but that didn't resolve it. I checked the coil pack and leads, and they seem ok. I even changed the injectors...
I've just been told by my garage that my 1998 Volkswagen Golf SE should have a new cam belt. He claims that when changing this, the water pump sometimes gets damaged so they sell the process of replacing...
We have a 2006 Ford Transit Connect which passed its MOT two days ago, but now it has no power. It feels as if there is no boost from the turbo. I've checked all intercooler hoses and found them to be...
 

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