Questions from November 2011
How do you turn off the front and rear right side parking lights, which are staying on 24/7? My manual tells how to turn them on but not off. All controls in the correct positions, all lights off, indicators...
Our VW Sharan TDi 1.9. Makes a loud vibrating sound (very audible inside car). Just listening around it appears to be coming from the back of engine / steering rack area. Also it only vibrates when idling....
I've got a VW Transporter T5 1.9tdi and it's just started blowing cold air when it's sitting idling, but when I bring the revs up or drive it blows hot. When I slow down or stop at the traffic lights it...
The temperature of my engine flux between 90 to 110 dregrees celsius is this normal? The water reservoir is at minimum level. I have topped the reservoir up, drove the car around and temperature still...
Over the past 6 months my 2003 Golf has been sporadically cutting out while I am driving it.
I have had it in the garage for a total of 3 weeks and their response is "sorry, as it's not running any codes...
I would appreciate your advice on the use of snow chains as the season to be miserable approaches. If the tyre treads become filled with compacted snow why don't the chains become likewise affected?
In...
The turbo isn't functioning. Can the car be driven (200 miles home)?
I want to know if my 2005 Ford Fiesta 1.6 Trend has a timing chain or belt? If it's a chain when must it be replaced?
Based on your recommendation, I have ordered winter tyres on steel wheels for my Ford Fiesta. However, I cannot get a delivery forecast from the company and having waited since 31 Oct I am beginning to...
My girlfriend's freelander has had the propshaft removed by her ex. Is there a common fault with these vehicles which would be cured by removing the propshaft? At the moment it's a FWD vehicle . Any comments...
The solution to the particulate filters dislike of cold engines is to fit a diesel-fueled water heater.
Webasto and Eberspecher.
Hello. I am thinking of buying a Mercedes saloon between 10-20 years old. Pardon my ignorance but I dont know much about CO2. Is the car bound to fail MoT if it does not have a catlytic converter fitted?...
Having been around for some years now, what is HJ's general opinion of DSG transmissions: for or against?
Whilst driving to work today, I had to pull in sharply to let someone pass on a narrow road which meant I went into a fairly large pot hole (2-3 inches deep - photo taken).
It damaged both of my passenger...
I've had trouble with the emission warning light on my Y reg 1.6 SE Honda Civic, 45,000 miles ( family owned from new ). This year, on three occasions, I've lost power/acceleration when the engine light...
I recently had winter tyres fitted to my Mercedes 230 by my local Mercedes-Benz dealership. Recollecting your advice I telephoned our brokers to inform the insurance company of the change. The brokers...
I was wondering if you would be able to recommend a 4x4.
We did look at a pick up like the L200, HiLux or Rodeo but we need the towing capacity to be 3.5ton as with the weight of the trailer and a load...
What would you recommend in the way of a cheap used 4x4 to tow a boat & trailer, combined weight 15-1600 kg? Must be cheap to buy, fuel consumption less important, as mileages are likely to be small.
I own a 2004 118d BMW. Lovely car.
I am 29, have been driving for 12 years with 9 years no claims. I have 3 points on my license for going thriugh a red light a year ago. I also live in London.
My insurance...
I had an accident, £6K of damage to my 1 year old car.
Repairs done well and no visible difference to the car. The other driver's insurance have agreed I was not at fault and offered me my £100.00 excess...
Whiich winter tyres do you think would be most suitable for my Mazda6 2.2 diesel sport? Are they better on a 16 inch steel wheel as opposed to my 18 inch alloys?
I read a bit about changes coming to the MoT test in January 2012, one of which is to do with the airbag light.
Apparently, if the light is on the car will fail the test under the new rules. I'm concerned...
I'm thinking of buying a MG ZT-T diesel 135.
In a previous answer you suggested a reader consider buying a pre-facelift MGZT-T - any reasons? Is the post-facelift 2004 model not as good? Anything to watch...
I have a BMW 318d, 2006 model, and at 80mph there is a bad vibration coming from the rear. I had the tyres tracked and balanced, but to no effect. What could be the problem?
I'm looking to buy a secondhand reliable and economical family car, budget upto £5.5k/£6k. It should have no more than 75/80k on the clock ideally, so I've narrowed it down to Mazda 6, Skoda Octavia, Toyota...
I have just had new tyres fitted and took the opprtunity to check brake discs and pads.
The front pads still have 5mm left... so that's 125,000 miles on the original pads and discs front! Rear and only...
I have just bought a 2008 Peugeot 207 1.4 SE, there seems to be a whining noise from the engine while driving. The car has only covered 25,000 miles. I thought maybe one of the belts was making the sound,...
I was hit up the rear by a lorry while driving in Southampton. It was going faster than me and my car was pushed along the road. The lorry (a car transporter) would not stop and drove into the docks where...
At the moment there seems to be a campaign by the motor trade to inform drivers about the benefits of fitting winter tyres.
My question is: if they are so much better than normal tyres, even in dry...
I wonder if the "Grip Control" on cars like the Peueot 3008 replaces the requirement to use snow tyres in countries that require them, such as Switzerland and Germany?
I've a Golf MK3 1994. When car is warmed up the engine struggles when the revs drop down. There's a popping sound from the carb? On open roads the car is fine.
Just in and around town it plays about....
The manual does not show which fuses apply to the map lights or the cubby hole lights. The agents are at a loss to explain this.
I'm having a few problems with my Golf - I broke down a few months ago when my car boiled over so I changed the thermostat as the bottom rad hose was cold.
It ran fine for about 2 weeks then I noticed...
The current Volvo XC90 has been around since 2002, when are Volvo planning to launch a completely new model rather than the minor specification tweaks that they have been doing for the last few years (looking...
I bought a Mazda 2 in mid-2007 and have only done about 14,000 miles, including a lot of short runs from cold.
I am aware of the risk of clogging injectors and DPF etc, but it is difficult to do the...
My 57 Honda Civic recently came to a halt and had to be recovered. Roadside diagnosis was fuel pump problem. My local Honda garage finally diagnosed that the high pressure pump is damaged and their expert...
We have a BMW 3 Series Coupe 02 plate, my husband wants to get a new car!
We are looking at Mondeo 2.0 Titanium X 08, how do you think this will compare to the BMW?
My Mini Cooper Diesel, 2008 model, is fitted with the Citroen/Peugeot 1.6 HDI 110HP DV6 Engine. Citroen recommends changing the timing belt at 150,000 miles or ten years. Would you say this is correct?
My son's car was seized by police. As I am not eligible on my insurance to collect the car, how can my son reclaim it without insurance?
I am looking at buying a Volvo V70 2.0d for taxi use. This comes under 160g for emmissions. What do you think of this in terms of economy and maintainance costs?
I've read your article on winter tyres in which you specifically state that ALL tyres need to be changed for winter use, not just the drive wheels.
Is this also the case for the Bridgestone A001 all weather...
How much does it de-value the price of a car with the stink and discolouration of the inside?
I currently own a 51-plate Rover 25 1.6 and a 97 plate MGF 1.8vvc.
The MGF was bought as the fun car and I love driving it. Time has come to consider selling both but I hate the thought of losing the...
I have a MINI Countryman D All4, I'm going to drive it to the Alps for skiing and am having difficulty finding winter tyres or chains that fit - it has size 205/55/R17 on at present, any ideas? Should...
Front brake discs and pads replaced by BMW 18 months/approx 12,000 miles ago.
Now they appear to have warped, causing vibration/juddering when braking at speeds above 50 mph.
Independent garage says...
Can my son collect things from his car that has been seized by the police?
We love the confidence given by the power of our Peugeot 206 Hdi Glx (1.9 cc. diesel) when overtaking or pulling out at junctions, but now at 10 years old it is time to replace it.
I'm picking between...
I bought a Ford Galaxy a few months of a private seller who advertised it as 'excellent condition throught'. He also failed to flag up some problems and engine parts that had been removed or replaced.
These...
Our Y reg Zafira 2.0 DTi is getting to the point of replacement and I have spotted 2x Kia Carens on offer at a local dealers, both for £6495 each.
The GS has 18,000 miles on it whilst the S variant has...
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