Trending topics in September 2010
Questions from September 2010
My wife and I drive a 1997 Mercedes-Benz C240 Elegance. We plan to keep the C240 and buy a more modern car with more luggage space for grandchildren. With no VAT, the Skoda Octavia Elegance Estate looks...
I was stopped on 30 August 2010 and the police officer said my licence was revoked in 2004. I have been stopped numerous times before and have always been legal. They impounded my car, even though my father...
I just went to the local Nissan dealer to trade in my Nissan, and purchased a Vauxhall. I saw the Vauxhall on Sunday and everything looked ok. I went into the office to finalise the paperwork today and...
The clutch on my Renault Laguna has now developed a rattle. Any ideas what this could be?
I am interested in a Ford Kuga Diesel, but have read that it may have an Eolys additive system on it. Going on various friends' bad experiences with this sort of set-up, I absolutely will not buy a diesel...
I'm thinking of buying a 52-reg Vauxhall Vectra 2.0 DTI diesel. It's in excellent condition and has done 97,000 miles. Everything works as it should and it's £1500, with a 12-month MOT and tax until December....
I bought a secondhand Renault Clio not too long ago, to learn to drive in. I was driving around a corner (very slow!) when the car just cut out, and there was a slight hiss sound (not for long, about two...
I've been told the diagnostic point on my 1999 Volkswagen Golf is located beneath the heater controls but I cannot see it. Can you help?
I am a 28-year-old female, living in North Yorkshire and looking to purchase my first car after just passing my driving test. Budget is my main priority. Concerning both vehicle and insurance, are there...
I'll be driving to Austria in December and I have been offered four winter tyres (225-45-17) in very good condition. I have an Alfa Romeo 159 SW 1.9 JTD with 225-50-17 tyres. Will the different tyre section,...
My 1995 Volkswagen Corrado's tailgate needs new or renewed gas struts. In a fairly recent article you recommended that they can be refilled. Can you provide details?
I have a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 2005. I purchased a new clutch kit (cover, friction plate, release bearing) together with a new OE flywheel and bolts from a specialist UK supplier. Fitting of the clutch...
I have just a purchased an Audi A6 Avant (08) 3.0 TDI quattro that has factory-fitted Michelin 255/35ZR19. Over 40mph, these tyres have a very obvious resonance which really is annoying. I'm not a great...
What things are necessary to take with you when motoring in France and Italy ?
I have noticed from some of your articles that diesel particulate filters are likely to cause problems, especially in low mileage vehicles used for short journeys. I have a Ford Focus 1.6 LX TDCI registered...
Whilst climbing a moderate gradient in a queue with a driver and four passengers in our Ford Focus, suddenly a horrible gassy smell filled the car. The smell remained for the next two weeks. We are the...
You repeatedly recommend to change the engine oil more frequently, ie every six months. On your website under 'Running in a diesel' you say "Leave factory fill of oil for the first year or 10,000 miles."...
I bought a Toyota Avensis 2003 from a trader. It was for sale "sold as seen". Upon receipt of the vehicle I noticed the engine temperature gauge was faulty. Am I entitled to my money back?
In the last couple of years or so, our 2004, 44,000-mile MG ZS 110 (based on the Rover 416) loses coolant and needs topping up every fortnight or so, prompted by the level warning light in the dash. There...
I took my Hyundai i20 for a service a couple of months back and while it was in for its first service I asked the garage to look at my juddering clutch. I know you'll need to generalise but have you roughly...
I have a P-reg 1997 Volkswagen Golf. The head lining and seat are wet and the footwell has a puddle in the passenger's side. I think its coming in through the sunroof. Do I need to replace the rubber or...
I'm looking to replace my ageing Astra with a used family estate car (I need something a big bigger than the Astra due to a growing family!). My budget is up to £5000 and after lots of searching I've come...
I am debating buying a Peugeot 207 as a replacement for our second car in the family. I had narrowed it down to the 1.6 diesel 90, however these tend to be sought after and hence prices hold up. I have...
How do I reset my 2004 SEAT Alhambra's 'Service Now' light which appears on the computer screen?
I am considering going from a two-car family to one car as my wife and I seldom use both cars together. Our mileage has dropped substantially from when the cars were bought and we now only do 6000 miles...
Do Ford Focus diesels (1.6 and 2-litre) have cam belts or chains?
In my 2006 Peugeot 407 SW SE, diesel fuel additive should be checked at 70,000 miles and running out can lead to massive bills. Mine required three litres of additive at 65,000 miles at a cost of £75....
We have a Rover Streetwise that the head gasket went on last May. We took it to a garage for repairs at a cost of £500. Last week the head gasket went again after only around 14,000 miles. We took it back...
Is a local authority extorting money by false pretences when its pay-and-display machine takes your money and issues a ticket for a time when parking is actually not permitted? I was recently issued with...
I would value your recommendations for tyre replacements for my Audi A6 Allroad. It is on 245/40s and at present has Pirelli P Zero Rossos at the back and Dunlop Sportmaxes at the front. I find it a great...
I received a PCN for parking on private land from Civil Enforcement Limited. After reading all the various online comments about private parking and the legitimacy of the fees, I chose to write back telling...
I have a Hyundai Terracan 2.9CRDT manual. It has 118,000 miles on the clock, I'm lucky if it is worth £4000. The Terracan does 22-24mpg and I need something with better fuel economy, reasonable ground...
A few weeks ago my Audi A3's rear wiper started coming on on its own when I was using the front wipers. Now the rear wiper has stopped working altogether. Any ideas?
I currently own and drive a 1998 Audi A4 1.8. I am 23 with one child and due to get married next year. Being in the forces, I am doing a fair few miles each weekend to and from camp and the cost of petrol...
I note you recommend an oil change every 6000 miles for four-pot Saab 9-5 petrol engines. Does this apply to engines after Saab introduced a 'fix' circa 2004 for the sludge problem? As a Saab fan I half...
I have a budget of no more than £6500 and am looking for a smallish car, something like a Volkswagen Golf or Mazda 3, no more than four years old. Which of these would you recommend?
When I start my 2001 Vauxhall Corsa when the engine is cold, everything works, but once my engine has heated up the engine turns off! I try to start the car again and it starts (sometimes it won't), but...
I'm going to buy a Vauxhall or Opel Astra 1.4 Life soon. It is a 2004 model with 81,000 miles on it. I just wanted to know whether these models come with timing belts or chains? Also, are these cars generally...
In January I received a speeding ticket for an alleged offence in November. I wrote to the authorities asking for the photographic evidence they informed me they had twice, and got a reply the second time...
As winter approaches I have been trying to source some emergency snow chains. I was shown these gadgets from someone who had them in Sweden. They are very simple to use, and effectively are two metal rods...
I see that one of your readers, in reviewing a Nissan Pathfinder, says it needs a heated screen. Just a general question - does any manufacturer other than Ford do these as a standard fit? I'm talking...
I've just got my Rover 75 back from the garage. They replaced the clutch master cylinder. I drove the car home, about two miles, and noticed water coming from the cap on the radiator.
I had a summons in the post saying I had driven at 41mph in a 30mph limit, and I could plead not guilty in writing. I did so, as my wife was driving the kids to nursery (in the vehicle which was speeding)...
Does the above vehicle have a diesel particulate filter? No mention was made about this when my wife and I ordered one last month from our local Honda dealer. Neither is there any mention of this in the...
I ordered my new Hyundai ix35 some 11 weeks ago with a trade-in on my old car, a Land Rover 2. I have now sold that privately instead of trading it in. I said to the dealer that because of the long wait...
You often talk about the relationship between short journeys from cold in diesel engine cars and the premature failure of diesel particulate filters. In this context what do you class as a short journey?...
What would you say is the best option for a sub-£5000 pick-up truck?
I am considering buying a chip for my 2006 Ford Focus 2.0 TDCI Diesel (136bhp) at a cost of £395. This is suppose to improve performance to 168bhp and improve fuel economy by 20 per cent. Could you tell...
You keep talking about the problems associated with DPFs. I have a 56-reg Volkswagen Passat TDI 140 and I only do 7000 miles a year. My daily commute is a round trip of 20 miles and I would rarely do anything...
After returning home from a short break in August I received A NIP and S172 from Humberside police. The alleged offence occurred on a stretch of road we had commuted back and forth along to the coast several...
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