Questions from November 2010
I own an 'R' Reg Nissan Micra 1.0 Passion which has recently started giving me a problem. It will start perfectly when cold but after about 15 minutes it switches off even in an idle position. It will...
I have an ex-driving school car, the protective film on the roof to protect the paint has become discoloured and is now white and very visable, it is also starting to crack. I have tried methylated spirits...
I have just been offered a job with a company that has a company car scheme and provides an allowance of £550.00 per month for me buy and maintain a car. I expect my annual mileage to be around 15-20K....
I am having problems starting my car when it is cold in the mornings, it takes several attempts before it will turn over. My pre heating light some times comes on, but goes off very quick, it said in the...
Getting the wax and silicone deposit off windscreens?
I just got this car for the model's economy and reliability - it seems fine other than a reluctance to rev at around 2500rpm under a little load. The fuel consumption is also higher than I expected, low...
I think I recently saw some wireless parking sensors advertised. I am hoping to get a new Vauxhall Insignia which will need them. Can you recommend an alternative to the factory fitted option, and how...
From a personal perspective I only discovered this resource last Friday, much too late to help me personally but I do feel a responsibility to draw to your attention that Hyundai are acting irresponsibly...
My car is having difficulty engaging in the gears. I bought this car (1999 Zafira) 5 months ago on finance. Can I get warranty on this?
I have a N reg Polo 1.4 injection - petrol keeps getting in my oil. I have changed the injectors.
I'm looking to buy a car, and I'm nearly 20, and have had my licence for over 2 years. I cannot understand how insurance quotes are worked out. I am wanting to slightly modify the car but only with alloys...
I run a 2001 Ford Mondeo estate Ghia X, 2.0 petrol manual. I bought it in 2002 on the Ford Direct scheme. It has now done 85,000 miles and has been a fantastic car. I have it serviced annually at a Ford...
I've owned a fairly high spec 2006 BMW 535 ‘M’ Sport for some 18 months and one of the important extras I sought was the satellite navigation system. I had a simple Garmin system in my previous car. It...
I recently sought advice about the BMW 5 and Audi A6 3.0 diesel estate cars. Being a police officer able to drive BMW 5 Series, I know how good they are to drive and how safe they are should you have a...
I have used Shell and BP petrol and diesel fuels for their higher detergent and lubricity respectively. Other than more power, what advantages do V Power/Ultimate offer to justify the higher price, compared...
We need to replace our elderly 3-door Golf that we use for local journeys. Ideally we would like something nippy to cope with the country lanes and steep hills, will happily park (and drive away from)...
I went to Ireland recently with my car. I travelled Stenna Line from Holyhead to Dublin. When I was there some years ago there was a toll on the M50 and one paid at the tollbooth. This year, although all...
If buying trade for say £2,500, is the garage legally obliged to provide a warranty for the car and what is the normal period that can be expected at this price?
Whilst travelling on the Kenton Road, Harrow on 13 August 2010, we had to turn into a junction to turn around dipping into the bus lane for a couple of metres. This involved no stopping or any inconvenience...
Further to our discussion about the FIAT 500 TwinAir, ‘Autocar’ only got 37mpg out of the car on its first drive of the Lounge and 35.7 mpg on the full Autocar test, which is far worse than you get in...
I would like to add some comments to recent emails regarding the Mercedes-Benz W124 estate. My 16-year-old E-Class diesel estate was stolen in October 2006 and recovered via a tracking device. There was...
I own two Honda cars which, at 18 years old, are now coming to the end of their economic lives. So I now need a new or secondhand car to replace one of them - probably the Legend. The other is a 1.6i Civic....
I often read your positive comments about the Mercedes-Benz C200CDI Classic SE base model, and your thoughts that this is a solid car probably good for 1,000,000 miles. I am also aware that it is not advisable...
I need a new economical hatchback, but with plenty of luggage space and top of the range spec. I am looking at the Hyundai i30, Suzuki Swift, Renault Modus or Seat Ibiza and would be grateful for your...
My son has recently returned from abroad and is looking to buy a car, possibly new. He seems attracted by the website Autoebid as says that he could get a vehicle at least £1,000 cheaper than buying from...
Reading the survey about top 10 motorists' complaints, the one that amazed me was that 70 per cent of people disliked having someone following too closely behind. I had always assumed these people never...
After your recommendations, my wife bought a Hyundai 1.4 Comfort just a year ago. It goes well. It's not as economical as the 1.2, of course, but we have had no problems. I have just received a letter...
I thought you would be interested to hear of a couple of things affecting my Audi A3s. I have a 2.0T FSI Quattro owned from new, serviced within the Audi franchise for the first three years and thereafter...
I have owned three Vauxhall Zafiras as we have four children. I have been very pleased with them but the kids are now grown up with cars of their own, so I no longer need a people carrier. I have grown...
Thank you for your advice re the Volkswagen Jetta ABS/ESP Unit. Armed with your reply to the query, I confronted Volkswagen Customer Care. The outcome was that the charge was reduced from £1,228.98 to...
In an attempt to save money, my wife, two small children and I are about to leave London and move to a rural location where the country lanes will not be gritted during winter. I will continue to work...
My son has had a 1998 Renault Megane from new, now 12 years old and 90,000 miles on clock. It keeps cutting out when driven. It starts again, but then cuts out again making it dangerous to drive. Renault...
Thanks to your advice, after a recent crash, I have had a quote from an independent garage which was quite a lot cheaper than the quote from the insurer's recommended repairers, and the insurance company...
I'm 86 years old, have been driving for 70 years and became an Advanced Motorist in 1977. I have all my faculties and my only insurance claim was three years ago, for an accident when I was driven into...
I currently drive a 2004 BMW 530D that I bought almost two years ago for £11,500. A new arrival in the family necessitates increasing size of the car. I don't like MPVs and am considering the Volvo XC90...
Thank you for your reply to my email re purchase of an automatic Audi A3. You say there are other models that are better value for money, so could you name these as I wish to consider all options before...
Skoda Octavia vRS diesel: a good car, I believe. Big boot, fastish and good economy. Which makes better sense? A 2007 with 75,000 on the clock for about nine grand (inc sat nav), or a 2008 with 20,000...
I am very pleased with my Citroen C4 HDI ESG Auto and am considering the new C4, but I note that the Renault Scenic and Megane have a new EDC Auto gearbox. Would one of these be a better option?
Sorry to keep e-mailing you with this, but I'm still receiving threatening letters from CP Plus regarding my parking fine. This one is informing me that the fine is now £120 and there is legal action pending,...
After experiencing weeks of frustration trying to buy a new car locally, I reluctantly concluded that some car salesmen at various dealers and marques simply do not want to sell cars. Unreturned phone...
A lot has been made of fixmystreet and how effective it is. I was wondering if there is a similar process for reporting junctions where the traffic lights seem to have been programmed by Stevie Wonder?...
Could you advise me upon a suitable course of action with a penalty notice I have incurred due to outstaying my welcome in a McDonalds car park? On 15 September I parked in a McDonalds car park attached...
I wrote to you about five years ago when I had just got my latest 2005 Volkswagen Sharan 1.9 SE diesel company car. This was my third. Like a lot of companies at the moment we are making our vehicles last...
The poor quality of road surfaces in this country is frequently discussed in your column. Many factors are blamed, but in my experience the surfaces of roads in towns are in a dreadful state almost entirely...
I ordered a TT Roadster in April this year. I was advised that the model was about to receive a "facelift" but I assured that I could take delivery in September. This suited me perfectly as I was not in...
My wife and I drive a CR-V EX I-VTEC auto (our third such vehicle) that was purchased as a 3-month-old demo model in October 2008. However this model was fitted with 19-inch alloy wheels and low profile...
You recommend winter tyres rather than 4wd. At the beginning of last winter I had some snow tyres fitted to my Honda Accord 2.2cdti. They were excellent and in fact managed to get me where 4wd struggled...
My elderly father has recently given up motoring and I needed to get advice on what his car was worth. It was a "53" Micra which had only done 12k, but had quite a bit of superficial body damage which...
My husband has just bought a Peugeot Partner Combi quicksilver 5 door estate 2002. We have been trying to get his insurance company to change from his old car to this new one but they are claiming they...
Do you know of any problems with auto transmission on Golfs?
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