Trending topics in September 2012
Questions from September 2012
I was thinking of selling my Galaxy and going back to a super duper Mondeo estate. My only concern is the back seat - the Galaxy sort of has three separate seats. Do you think the bench seat in the Mondeo...
I bought a new C4 Grand Picasso diesel car in 2009 and have now done 59000 miles. Every year I had got it serviced by authorised dealers but exceeded the mileage intervals (should have been every 12500...
Engine fault codes P0251, P1211, P2288 showed up when my Mondeo diesel 2.0TDCI cut out a couple of months ago, three times within a mile after I had left the cross-channel ferry coming back from France....
My Toyota Prius T Spirit is fitted with 17" wheels. I am having great difficulty locating steel wheels to fit replacement winter tyres. I believe that the T3 and T4 are fitted with 16" wheels and thought...
I have the opportunity, as I work and live abroad in Europe for most of the time, to buy a UK registered LHD Audi TT coupe, 180 BHP, 44,000 miles on a 2000 X registration for £3650. Or I could buy a Toyota...
Occasionally, when trying to dip headlights, they do not dip but the indicators come on randomly, proving both embarrassing and dangerous. It is not caused by moving the stalk incorrectly. Our Alfa dealer...
My daughter and I were involved in a side on accident in my Berlingo multispace 1.6 and it's looking likely the car will be written off.
The other driver has admitted full responsibility and my car is...
I have issues with my S40, which it has had from new. Engine revs or surges at 1200 revs in first gear & reverse. Dealership says the onboard computer will put it right after about 3 months. 700 miles...
My friend currently has a five and a half year old Fiat Panda which is for sale. The friend has also just bought a new Ford Fiesta. The complimentry insurance on the new car is drawing to a close and the...
This firm provided me with a update for my Audi S8. I had problems with the disc but they replaced it without question. Highly recommended at a sensible price as well!
Satnav Updates
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I have a 1.9TDI Golf with about 112,00 miles on it which I use for towing a caravan and find it excellent. I will need to replace it and would prefer something of a similar size. I like diesels as they...
I need a second hand automatic for a new driver - price approximately £1500. What would you recommend?
I see that you are often being asked about alternative tyre sizes and makes for comfort, wear or performance.
I am actually quite content with the 245/40ZR18 size Goodyear Eagle F1 currently fitted to...
I have just bought a brand new Hyundai i20 1.1 75PS Active. The marketing documentation claims that the car will achieve 61.4 mpg (urban) 83.1 mpg (extra urban) or 74.3 (combined).
If the car does not...
Our car was recently "rear ended" sitting at a roundabount. The car went in for repair and as soon as we got it back we noticed the door open waring light and interior light would come on whenever we reversed...
Antilock braking system warning light on intermittently on a Mazda MX5 1990 - possible causes?
My car is a Lexus IS250, 2008, with 225/45/R17 tyres (front) and 245/45/R17 (rear).
I recognise that 16 inch rims may have been better but, with the existing 17 inch wheels, which tyres will give the...
My Audi A4 B6 has recently had a vibration/ noise at tickover and other engine speeds, although at some speeds the car seems normal. It has done 106k miles and this has recently started. I have a fault...
I am interested in a new Fiat 500, but it must be automatic. Does FIAT make the 500 with an automatic gearbox, and what sort of auto box do they use?
I am a very happy Hyundai i30 1.6 auto (2007) owner, my Father-in-law says I should always put the transmission into N while stopped at traffic lights, but I've read that the gearbox is designed with that...
I am struggling to decide between a Ford Fiesta Ambiente 1.6 TDCi (minimal specs) and the Kia Rio 1.25 Petrol (Slightly higher spec - add. Trip computer, cruise control, electric windows front and back,...
On my Citroen C5 2.0 diesel the DPF light intermittently comes on. At the same time, cruise control stopped working.
We have a Honda Jazz on a 58 - great car but hard ride. How can we improve on this?
Cars we are considering; Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra, Audi A3, Hyundai i30 and Mazda 3.
Our budget is £15K. Mileage...
We have owned a Fiesta 1.25 Zetec for 5 years and it has done 26000 miles. It is used for a daily commute of 8 miles each way. We are wondering what will need doing to the car in the future?
It has been...
I am having an intermittent problem starting my 2007 Boxster. I turn the key (clutch depressed), I hear the solenoid click but nothing happens.
After 2 or 3 tries it fires up normally. My Porsche dealer...
I bought a 2008 Audi A4 Avant S-line just over a year ago but have always found that on roads with uneven surfaces (not rough surfaces) it has a tendency to wander and is easily deflected by white lines....
My Dodge Nitro is shod with 245/50/20 tyres but at £300 per tyre I'd like to put a different size of wheel and tyre to make it more cost effective. What size can I downsize to without impacting the ABS...
On 30th April my wife had a crash in her Discovery 3 (her fault she pulled out on a 3 tn truck) and was struck at 50mph on the OSF wheel. The car suffered extensive damage and was recovered to our insurers...
On 15th August I bought a 2008 Lexus Approved RX400h with 19k on the clock from a main dealer. I had a towbar fitted and was informed by the fitter that the rear bumper had been damaged and badly repaired....
My son’s Peugeot 307 diesel particle filter additive low-level warning light has come on. Is this a major problem that only Peugeot can deal with? Or are there alternative mechanics that might be able...
We currently own a Hyundai Matrix automatic which is two and a half years old with 19,000 miles. Since we both appreciate relatively high seating we thought this was an appropriate vehicle for us. Unfortunately...
I am thinking of changing my Renault Scenic 2004 and wonder what you might recommend? I like the high seating position but I don't like the electric handbrake, and I would like an automatic gearbox. Is...
My husband has a Hyundai i10 and is now looking to buy another car, but will keep the Hyundai as our second car. I would prefer a manual as I have never driven an automatic and, as we are both in our seventies,...
My new company car is a 2012 Audi A4 TDI 136 and I am extremely disappointed with the fuel economy. The book states that the car should achieve 65.7mpg on the combined cycle, whereas my long term average...
We own a 2009 Ford Fiesta that was in perfect condition with just over 10,000 miles on the clock. In mid-May, whilst stationary at traffic lights with the handbrake on, a Transit van smashed into the rear...
If speed indicator signs are deliberately set to show false speeds just because most speedometers do, then they are a danger in themselves, and surely illegal? Police radar guns and installed speed cameras...
Will you kindly recommend smallish four-door family saloons (smaller than the Mondeo/Passat) with ease of entry a priority, as drivers and passengers are in their eighties. Annual mileage is likely to...
In my police service we often turned away those who called at the police station wanting a breath test before they drove their car. The reason we refused was because a breath test only deals with your...
Two days ago I found a parking ticket on my windscreen from UKPC parking control at a TK Max store for not parking correctly within the markings of the parking space (my car was an inch or two over the...
I recently bought a 1.4 Vauxhall Meriva which ticked all my boxes, including a miles per gallon claim of 47. Having tested it over the first 1500 miles of mixed journeys I only achieved 37mpg. I went to...
I'm swapping my ten-year-old Ford Mondeo TDCI estate with 140,000 miles, which I've owned from new. It has been virtually faultless with no clutch or DMF problems. I have been offered, from a Jaguar main...
Avis is not the only hire company to install transponders in their cars to deal with the toll charges on the Algarve motorway (A22). They were beaten to it earlier this year by a small local company in...
I have been offered a new Volvo V60 ES D3 (163 hp) geartronic with metalic paint for £22000. They have offered me £750 for my Volvo S80 Auto, Y reg. Is this a good deal?
I need a replacement for a 2010 Skoda TDi Octavia Scout (which has been a very good car - have loved the elevated seating position which is a must in my new car).
I am looking now as the Scout took over...
I'm almost 63 years of age and I've been a car nut all my life. I currently run a 10-year-old BMW 318 Touring and my wife's 2005 MINI Cooper. I love them both. However, I really want something exciting,...
I own a 2009 Skoda Superb 170 TDI DSG which has 225/40 R18 low profile tyres fitted, and these tyres wear much more quickly than the tyres on my four previous Skodas. It is also very easy to damage the...
My wife and I are both nearly 70. I don't understand the terms 'CVT' and 'torque converter'. What matters to us is how hill starts are carried out. Could you please spare the time to explain?
My daughter is planning to replace her Chrysler Voyager with a similar seven-seater vehicle. She has looked at the Volkswagen Sharan but thinks it's a bit pricey.
I have a 2001 Volkswagen Passat 1.9 TDI diesel. I understand that the car needs to travel a reasonable distance, say 20 or 30 miles, to ensure that the DPF does not clog. Do I presume that the diesel particles...
My son has owned a 2006 Mercedes-Benz B180 diesel automatic from new, now showing 80,000 miles. A fault has developed where the car will not change gear and the dashboard message refers the car to a workshop...
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