Questions from June 2012
I have a BMW X5 4.0d from new, bought in September 2010. At the first service, today, I am told that I need four new tyres at 18,800 miles. They are Continental 285/45 R19 run flat. Can this be right?
My...
A car cut in front of me causing an accident. The driver admitted to me and my wife that her driving was "rubbish". My insurance company has passed me onto Swift Claim who is pushing to claim from the...
I would love to have a 5 Series being offered to me for free by a friend, but I am not sure it is worth going over to Ireland, filling in all the import forms, taxing it I don't know what the emissions...
We have had some success with this locally , so if your readers have had a ticket for going over 2hrs and under 3hrs its possible to cite the Wrexham store as an example of policy change - and they cancelled...
I have 2001 (51) Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 SXI 16v. It has an ecotec engine, can you tell me if it has a timing belt or timing chain?
I am looking for some suggestions, as I would like to replace my current car within the next 6 months. I currently own a 05 plate Mazda 6 (1.8l petrol) with 105k on the clock. The car is superb to drive...
360 days into our (second-hand - 58 plate, Nov 2008) ownership of a 308SW HDI FAP, the clutch pedal sank to the floor and stayed there. The AA duly towed us to a nearby recovery garage in East Anglia...
Drive a few gentle miles in any weather or terrain and the radiator cooling fan is running flat out on my MINI Cooper S. Doesn't stop.
The dealership has bled the system for air locks and changed thermostat...
Three questions. My lovely BMW 330i SE Touring first reg 05/02/2001. Mileage 116,000 is now turning into money pit. Various sensors replaced etc.
Steering Angle Sensor now needs replacing and re-coding....
We have wLand Rover Freelander (97 plate) key fobs. One has ceased working and the second is looking iffy. The main dealer insists they need 'reprogramming' at a cost of about £200, however it seems it’s...
I have received a parking charge notice from parking eye, for parking for 19 minutes on private land, which is a permit /authorised vehicle only car park, at St Catherines retail park service yard, in...
My daughter has been quoted £1200 + VAT for a new ABS pump by a Ford main dealer on her 4 year old Focus. Is this reasonable? Are there any other options?
It has passed its MoT at the same garage not...
I am looking for a petrol manual 4/5 door car for 4K/5K miles. Reliability and economy are important to me. What models/manufacturers should I look at?
My wife's Focus 'W' reg petrol Zetec 1.8 with 73,500 miles, full service history, everything fully working and with a few corner scratches is due for replacing.
She does around 5,000 miles or less annually...
What car would you recommend for a young family for poor quality roads? Fuel type doesnt matter.
I paid £9 at Oxford station ticket office for a car parking ticket and the receipt was timed at 9.25am.
I travelled to London by train and on return found that I had a Civil Parking Notice from APCOA...
My nephew has recently purchased a brand new 2012 Corsa. It has been back in the garage five times due to what they are calling 'blocked filters' caused by the fact he's not doing enough milage in the...
2009 Avensis Tourer will not keep straight line on motorway. Centring very variable. Have Hunter checked 4 wheel alignment as you recommended (very good service). All OK. But problem persists.
I see...
My central locking has stopped operating from the key buttons several times and a local garage has reprogrammed but suggests if it recurs then the module probably needs replacing and can be expensive....
A friend of mine received a parking fine from NCP of £50 (£100 if not paid within 14 days). She went to pay it online and noticed that the registration was incorrect by one digit. If she ignores it will...
I made a verbal agreement with my local VW dealer to purchase a used Polo with mats and Autoglym included for free in the negotiation. He offered me £400 for my X reg Ford Fiesta which I told him had dodgy...
Volvo V50 2-litre diesel has a fuel pump that is more of a suction pump mounted on the engine after the fuel filter. If air gets into this line then the pump ends up trying to pump air and does nothing....
I parked my wife's car in a shopping area which previously had not been subject to parking restrictions. I was not aware of the notices. My wife has received demands for payment from UKPC and Debt Recovery...
I bought a car off a friend, the agreed price was £800 for an 02 plate Punto.
I paid her £450 when I picked it up and we agreed another £350 when I get paid at the end of this month. I have relocated...
Not sure which of these two cars I should buy.
The 2006 citroen C3 1.4 Desire petrol, manual has 7,000 miles on the clock. The 2004 Toyota Corolla 1.6 VVT-iT2 petrol has 40,000 miles on the clock....
What tyres would you recommend for longevity and low noise to replace Hancook Optimo K415 205 55R16 on my Hyundai i30, 1.6CRDi. The front tyres have survived approx 30,000 miles with which I am impressed,...
We have had a 56 reg Passat TDI140 for 4 1/2 Years and it's always averaged 45-48 mpg winter/summer and alway run really well. There has just been a recall to replace the injectors and we now find that...
I have a fault with Bank 1 sensor 1 (lambda sensor), which I believe is the pre-cat sensor. Which one is this as I can see two sensors by the exhaust manifold sitting side by side?
My friend's husband has been recently died and she has been left with the following cars:
Rover 75, Connoisseur CDTI Tour Estate, 04 reg, Mileage: 75,650, Diesel, Silver, One previous owner from new....
I am looking for a second car that will do 5000 miles a year.
Has to be a CC (metal roofed convertible). The SC430 has a magnificent interior and great touring performance, but is a bit ugly and is greedy.
The...
My wife owns a 2008 Smart fourbytwo cabrio and is thinking of taking up the Mercedes servicing offer, which constitutes one A and one B service over a period of two years. The cost works out at £480 over...
I've had my licence for 9 years but this will be the first car that I will own.
I know very little about car maintenance, or what costs are involved in driving in the UK having recently moved here. I...
My alarm has gone off of it's own accord, with no outside influence, on a regular basis since late February 2012. This has happened on at least 30 days, once 14 times in a night. It has been in to my...
My parents house was recently burgled and the car keys taken.
The car was in the garage and no attempt has been made to steal it but it is obviously vulnerable.
The local Ford dealer will change the...
I need a jack and wheel brace for my 2009 Volvo C70. Would any other Volvo's have the same equipment so I can source through ebay etc?
I have a Peugeot 307 XSi 2.0 on a 51 plate, and following a little crisis at home, left the keys in it and flattened the battery. Jump started it off the neighbours car and went to work. The car kept stalling...
I subscribe to 'What Car'. The latest (July) edition has an impressive ad by Tesco singing the praises of the quality of their fuels, and I do note that Tesco have a close relationship with 'What Car'....
I do a couple of miles each morning and evening, and do long motorway journeys every month, and a trip on the motorway each weekend. I need a 5 door small car, I want it to be comfortable on the motorway...
I am looking at buying a used Volvo, but am undecided if I should buy a 1-2 year old V70/S60 for around £17k, or a 10 year+ old V70/850/S60 for £1K-2K
Most older cars advertised have very high milage,...
I had my Skoda paintwork "Supaguarded" when I bought my car four years ago. Since then, I have washed it regularly with Autoglym but have not waxed it.
I intend now to give it a good wax before winter...
I received a fine for 120 Euros from Pisa Police due to entering a limited traffic zone. On the fine it stated that if I didn't pay or appeal within 30 days I would be charged 198 Euros. So I appealed...
I've been looking into cheap diesel transport that has no DPF or DMF. I see you have recommended the Toyota Yaris 1.4 D4D before - does the Toyota Corolla and Toyota Auris also have the same chain cam...
I have had my Civic Type R (57 plate) from new. I love him (he is even called Roger as he's a red Type R) but my 6 month old is too heavy to lift in and out of the back in her carseat.
We also have an...
We bought a new (2011) Volkswagen Polo, within a year it has developed an injector fault, the dealer has fixed the car. What compensation could we reasonably ask for, extended insurance? Are there any...
I'm replacing my 05 Jeep Cherokee, solid but now 120k and getting costly to maintain. Considering changing for either Honda CR-V Diesel, or Hyundai Sante Fe Diesel.
I am doing 25k a year on and off road,...
I recently received a parking charge notice from parking eye at burtonwood services on the M62. This was not a pay and display car park and it was dark so the driver could not be identified. After looking...
My car is misfiring in rain. Changed plugs, core plugs, leads, coil pack. It started raining again and the car is missing again.
Had the car one week. Was handed 1l of Castrol SLX Pro Longlife (now replaced by Edge 5w-30) on collection!
After approx 180 miles on second day, I checked the oil and found the level half way between...
For the second time in a year immedeately after a tyre change I have had to replace a steel wheel due to a small flaw in the inner rim which leads to deflation. The tyre fitter acknowleged the stress of...
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