Questions from September 2011
Yesterday my wife was driving down a dual carriageway in our 2005 Renault Megane 1.5 DCI.
When she changed to fifth there was a whistling noise and suddenly the engine lost power. We tried to move slowly...
I am looking to but a three/four year old diesel. I want leather seats and a small saloon and after some research have settled on either a Volvo S40 SE or a Saab 9-3.
Which do you recomend as a better...
A friend of mine has a 1 Series BMW with runflat tyres and I have a 3 Series with them. He was recently stuck in France due to the lack of availability of these tyres following a puncture. He called the...
My daughter has a Toyota Yaris, which she was driving for four years over short to medium distances. Now she is taking up job in Walthamstow (Herts) shortly and needs to commute from home in Chorleywood...
A couple of years ago, I sent the following suggestion to the Editor of the Daily Telegraph, who promptly ignored it. I still think it has some merit. What do you think?
“I see from yesterday's edition...
I have been issued with a charge of £80 by CP Plus for overstaying my welcome at Forton services on the M6 by three hours eight minutes. In fact, we had broken down (or at least the vehicle was undrivable)...
I am considering changing my 2009 diesel Honda CR-V for a new petrol CR-V. Is there an annual mileage limit whereby it makes it more economical to run a petrol rather than a diesel, and are there any other...
Our BMW 1 Series has done 40,000 miles and the warning lights for brakes and DTC have come on. My local, excellent independent garage, B&D Specialist Cars, has diagnosed a rear ABS/DTC module unit fault....
I have been experiencing an intermittent problem with my Mazda 3 1.6d TS2 engine that suddenly loses power as the car comes out of a corner in second gear. The local Mazda garage says the code arising...
We'd welcome your advice on our slightly unusual problem. We live in a remote rural position 3/4 mile down a steepish unmade bridlepath and in winter we struggle to get out to work and leave our VW Tiguan...
My son has just bought a 1.9TDI Golf and has the following vehicle for sale: SEAT Ibiza Cupra 20 Valve Turbo. Petrol. 2001Y. 89k miles. MOT March 2012. Tax August 2012. Approx 200hp. Stainless steel exhaust....
Having recently purchased a Hyundai i10, an ex demonstrator 6 months old, and being told VED was £20, as you state in your reply to HM. I have received V11 from Swansea, which tells me the annual road...
I am in the process of sourcing a C220CDI or E220CDI estate from the BCA auction network but am undecided about manual as opposed to auto gearbox. I read your columns in the Saturday Telegraph every week....
I'm about to take delivery of a new, manual drive BMW 320 SE, saloon. Should I invest in a mechanical car security device (‘Krooklock’) or will it be redundant with the standard security features on the...
Our Lexus RX300 Navigator is getting old, like us. We love the comfort, space and style, but maintenance and repair costs make our eyes water. We do low annual mileage (8,000) so have ruled out a diesel....
Last week when driving my 2002 Mercedes E Class automatic up the M23 I depressed the accelerator on and incline and there was no response; the car then started to slow down. I pulled off onto a side road,...
I don't know where SP of Narborough gets his information about volcanoes negating every effort of mankind to control CO2 emissions. Like too many who enter the climate change debate, he doesn't identify...
If one wanted to be patriotic and buy something made here in the UK, can you identify (in a very small space) which models (Golf-sized, say) are made here?
I drove a Volkswagen Golf for years before...
A few weeks ago I sent you an email regarding the curious sensation on my Mazda steering, which only occurred after I had driven a few miles and I assumed was temperature related. I have since had the...
My elderly mother needs to replace her Nissan Micra variomatic as it is getting a bit long in the tooth. She needs a similar car, small but roomy enough for three in the back, automatic and with a good...
I am writing to thank you for my new car. Way back in the early sixties I drove a Fiat Abarth so have been lusting for a new 500 since they appeared. I really thought that it would not materialise, but...
I have been quoted over £80 by BMW for changing the air filter for the cabin for my 3-year old 530d. This seems a very high price for ensuring the cabin is free of smells and pollen so, unless there is...
I have had a telepeage 'gizmo' for several years for use on French autoroutes. It is great and can save a lot of time, but there are very few toll booths with the technology that allows you to drive through...
I have a 2008 Vauxhall Vectra Estate 2.0 SRI fitted with low profile 235/35 R19 tyres that are costing me a small fortune. I average 15,000 miles a year, and every year all tyres have to be replaced. Is...
Some 4 years ago I acted on your advice and bought a Toyota Avensis hatchback, 2.2 diesel. We live in an attractive part of the Scottish Highlands and most of my average of 14,000 miles pa is long distance,...
I currently drive a 2005 Toyota Avensis which I now find is too large. I am looking for a shorter wheelbase car which also stands higher off the ground because I need to be able to get in and out more...
My son’s Volkswagen Polo gave us some trouble on the return journey form holiday last week. After running for about 80 miles the engine suddenly lost all power (just as if the engine was suffering from...
My Skoda Octavia vRS has 18-inch alloys with the usual low profile tyres. Can I get winter tyres that would fit the existing alloys? Where is the best place to find winter tyres? Should I just look at...
My S-Max 2.5T has done 60,000 miles and is due a service at 62,500. Should I get the timing belt and tensions etc changed? Ford recommends 125,000 but I think that's pushing it a bit too far, especially...
I was recently on my way home from work and got stuck in bad traffic for a large part of my journey. That night I was going to watch a football match with my sister's boyfriend. As a result of the traffic...
I recently received my renewal notice for a 2002 Rover 75 at £393.97 for two named drivers (my wife and I), both retired. After a phone call, to the company, we agreed that by reducing the annual mileage,...
Last night I experienced a very strange breakdown in my Hyundai i20. At first the revs were extremely high, making deafening sound but not much else. Soon after, a change of gears became difficult and...
I just read a letter sent to Car Mechanics magazine (Oct. page 41). It was sent by an MOT tester who went on a refresher course run by VOSA. One of the things he wrote about was that it seems as though...
You recently wrote favourably regarding RAC Foreign Travel. For over 40 years my normal cars have been an XK120 and XK150. Most breakdown firms do not cover cars of this age, although I have only ever...
I am somewhat confused by your advice to the effect that the inclusion of a courtesy car on one's insurance policy is a questionable benefit. I have just renewed my policy with Liverpool Victoria and have...
I have ordered a new Ford Mondeo Estate 2.0TDCi through Drive the Deal, and all is fine, except for the delivery date. I placed the order in May and it was originally quoted as 16-22 weeks (taking it at...
Am constrained by budget and looking to buy a medium size car about 10 years old to drive 6000 miles a year.
Hatchback petrol to seat 4 adults. Am thinking that a 1.6 Focus would fit the bill, but wonder...
I have been issued with a charge of £80 by CP Plus for overstaying my welcome at Forton services on the M6 (3 hous 8 mins).
In fact, we had broken down (or at least the vehicle was undriveable) due to...
I recently purchased a BMW 118d SE through the BMW Approved Used scheme and am very happy with it. I received an email from the dealer regarding an offer for winter wheels and tyre set. This is my first...
Back in the early 1990s, with a growing family, we bought the cheapest people carrier around then, a Mitsubishi Space Wagon. It coped with 4 children on school journeys etc round town, and then loaded...
Being arthritic, on your advice I bought a Mazda 2 Auto. After 250 miles I have to say it is the best car I have ever had. Many thanks. From time to time you have dealt with the pros an cons of using both...
My new Ford S-Max manual (p155) recommends using petrol "without additives or other engine treatments". Also supplied with the car is a leaflet saying "Ford recommends BP because BP fuels include additives...
I am contemplating the purchase of a new VW Sharan. Is Autoglym worth £399, in your view, or is it just a way for the salesman to make a bit of commision?
I have to take you to task over your answer to the fuelling problem with the Morgan 4/4 on 27-08-2011. Whilst you may be correct in thinking that the car may have been misfuelled I think the answer is...
I've just had my Toyota Urban Cruiser 1.4 D-4D’s first 10,000-mile service by the Toyota Garage that sold me the car 9 months ago. When I got home (approx 8 miles away) I pulled out the oil dipstick and...
I have been having a hell of a problem since April with a Skoda Fabia Estate diesel with a DPF, blatantly mis-sold to us and obviously "not fit for purpose".
We were told nothing about the inner city...
I thought I would mention a garage in Dalkeith, just outside Edinburgh. Mulsanne Motors Ltd (www.mulsannemotors.com), as the name implies, are Bentley and Rolls Royce specialists, but they also service...
My wife is learning to drive again after a gap of 30 years or so (and then only drove in USA). She will only have an automatic licence and she likes the look of Mazda MX5. I believe that 2nd hand automatics...
I am a taxi driver, currently running a 2004 Vectra 2.0l DTI (chain cam). What car purchased for £5,000 should be the best buy for taxi use. I am wary of dual mass fly wheel problems, and wonder if automatics...
In the Daily Telegraph recently the Transport Editor David Millward wrote about the exploitation of motorists by Local Authorities and he cited in particular Westminster Council. I have just had one of...
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