Questions from September 2011
My car insurance with the RAC recently came up for renewal, the price jacked up by over £100 since last year. I went back to my old insurer, Direct Line, who gave a quote lower than the last time I insured...
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...
As well as washing the screen washer reservoir out with a hose pipe to remove sediment I have for a few years been using the distilled water from my tumble dryer to fill the washer bottle and also adding...
My girlfriend has an old shape 1989 Mercedes-Benz 500SL roadster, with hard and soft tops, with 31,000 on the clock in pretty reasonable nick. We would appreciate some advice where is the best place to...
My daughter owns a 2004 Vauxhall Corsa which has done sterling service on her horrendous commute to work for the last few years. Only 18 miles round trip (Sydenham to Battersea), but it involves all of...
We have just returned from Spain, where we were robbed on the autopista near Valencia. We parked at the services and went for a coffee, and someone presumably stuck a nail in the back tyre during our absence....
Having driven over Tower Bridge for many years, at all times of day and night and first being made aware of the 20 mph restriction (after first reading about it in your column I think?), I managed to forget...
I have seen your letters on parking difficulties and wonder if you have any information or advice about the notice described below. My elderly relatives have lived on an unadopted residential cul-de-sac...
My son bought a 2002 Corsa from a local dealer (operating from his home) on 31 August. We have now found that the radio and head unit are not in good working order -the volume control on the radio cannot...
I'll be selling one of our two cars soon. The insurance on the car is due on 01-11-11. I want to sell it before I have to renew the insurance. If I don't sell it before then, will it be possible for me...
Sadly the majority of motorists seem to forget the Highway Code. 90 per cent of them use the footbrake to remain stationary at traffic lights, not the handbrake, even though they will have a wait of several...
I have been driving a Honda Civic 1.4 (petrol, manual) for five years and it is time to replace it. The car has returned 50mpg on average, mainly because of the sixth gear. Are there other cars of comparable...
I have read your comments as to credit hire and it was something I took into account in renewing with a well-known mutual. However the guaranteed courtesy car was an add-on extra which I refused. I thought...
Can you tell me why some motor spares cost so much? My four-year-old Nissan Note has air-con trouble. It needs a compressor, a pipe and two hoses. Quotes vary, but typical is £975 for the compressor and...
My wife and I are intending to travel to Slovakia from the UK by car. The TomTom tells us that the quickest route will mean travelling for a while in France. However I believe that I read a response from...
It looks as if we are going to have to have controls for the brake and accelerator attached to the steering column. No problem, there is a firm near us in South Molton called Adaptor Car who appear to...
I currently have an Audi A4 S Line diesel that will come to the end of its manufacturer’s 3-year warranty on 19 Sept 2011 with a mileage of 16,000. Do you think it would be wise to take further warranty...
In May of this year I purchased a 2007 Citroen C4 Grand Picasso from a Lexus dealer in the north-west for £8800, financed by Lexus. Included in the price was a comprehensive 12-month warranty. About a...
My friend has had some problems with his Mk4 Golf running rough on idle and misfiring.
It's an 02 1.6, and he's fed up so is thinking of replacing it.
He's now doing a long commute and looking at diesels,...
Our Peugeot is a diesel, so the next service is about 12,500 miles away. It has just been serviced, and we are told we shall need one new tyre, and new brake pads when we return from France in mid October.
We...
I have a 99 Ford Focus.
There is a very loud rattle coming from the exhaust area when hot. The exhaust isnt loose and has no holes in it. I have been told it might be the cat, have you any ideas?
I drive an Audi A4 TDI 130SE (2002 owned from new) and do approx 14K per year, I am thinking of an SUV with higher driving position, but not a full-sized 4x4.
Please can you put in order what you would...
I have been told the law has now changed and I can't transfer my motorcycle no claims over when insuring a micro car using my b1 full motorcycle licence. Is this right?
I bought a Renault Clio Dynamique S 1.2T new three years ago. It has been correctly serviced by the dealer since. I have just had to replace three tyres due to the inside tyre walls showing exposed reinforcement....
I wondered what the best car would be and how much it would be to insure for my 18 year old son.
He he passed his test 2 days after his 17th and has also got an HGV licence. I would like one (doesn't...
Reading my Mazda MX-5 handbook and it says that if I am involved in an accident, I should NOT ring my insurance company but ring Mazda instead.
Is this a good idea? Surely it would be my responsibility...
I have a 1998 Vauxhall Omege Elite estate with the 2.5tdi (sourced from) BMW 6 cylinder Turbodiesel engine .
Although this is a good engine (in a BMW ) I find it rather disappointing as regards "pulling...
My car engine rattles when you first start it up, only for a few seconds and then it runs fine. Can you advise as to why this may be?
I bought a 2nd hand car from Evans halshaw hartlepool after seeing an advert on Auto Trader, in the advert it stated the car had keyless entry (an optional extra the previous owner would have had to pay...
Just bought a 2005 1.8 Barchetta for high days and holidays. Excellent condition 34,000 mile, full history etc. Just driven 2000 miles, not hard, over 40 mpg, but used 1.5 to 2 litre of oil. No leaks,...
I am planning to buy a new crossover, hopefully 4WD. Which is the best option?
I am thinking about Skoda Yeti vs Nissan Qashqai, what do you recommend? And which engine?
I am more in favour of the...
For some time you have suggested that using Shell V Power unleaded is well worth the extra cost due to general improved performance and mpg.
As Shell has launched "Shell fuel save" unleaded, do you still...
I have recently noticed fairly significant rust on three of the four wheel arches and around the boot lock.
Firstly, have I got a chance of getting this fixed by MB. It is a 52 plate and had its last...
I recently purchased a used car from an independent garage. During the sale process I was told that all of the paperwork was with a Director and that I could see it prior to purchase.
I agreed a price...
I have been offered a BMW 320SE diesel with an 06 plate, but as I do a lot of local mileage interspersed with some longer journeys, I do not think it will be the right car for me if it has a particulate...
I'm considering winter tyres this year as my partner drives about 50 miles a day and I want her to be as safe as possible during the colder months.
I saw in various other posts that you rate the Michelin...
I seem to remember seeing an HJ answer about the BMW X3 needing significant upgrades when being equipped for towing. I think an improved cooling fan and oil cooler for the automatic gearbox, costing about...
I'm buying an A5 3.0 Quattro Sport. I guess I'm looking towards the higher end of the options range (DVD nav, B&O stereo, AMI), not concerned either way by leather/alloy upgrades.
My budget is £18,500...
I am shortly changing my 1.4 VW Polo automatic and wish to upgrade - not fussy as to make but do need 50 mpg, automatic, boot space for lightweight folding wheelchair and also my wife's spacious golf bag...
Ive not yet passed my test but I have been looking around for months to try and find the cheapest insurance. I am 18 years old in a full time job and I am looking to insure a Daewoo Matiz SE. I am getting...
I recently parked in a railway station car park operated by NCP. On my return I found a Parking Contravention Charge Notice had been issued because I had not parked between the bay space markings. This...
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