Can I use a trickle charger without disconnecting the battery

My Porsche 944 S2 Driver's Manual states: "Prior to charging the battery with a 'Quick Charger', disconnect the battery to prevent destruction of the alternator". As I only use the car infrequently, is...

I'm a trader and I sold a car with a stolen engine, unknown to me.

I'm an independent car trader and I buy and sell two to four cars a month as well as doing my day job. I recently purchased a car from a private seller that was advertised through eBay. I carried the...

Use of high quality diesel in Volvo V60 D3?

I have just purchased a new Volvo V60 D3 (136bhp) Geartronic and having followed your advice and after two tanks full of BP Ultimate / Shell V-Power am achieving over 50mpg. However, BP and more recently...

Stopping someone making a fraudulent claim for whiplash?

My housemate and I were involved in a minor collision last Saturday (My housemates' car and she was driving). The other driver drove into our car, not at speed at a roundabout and is now claiming for whiplash,...

What car for varied driving and short runs?

Due to a change in job I now drive a total of ten miles a day. At weekends we drive around 100 miles and on visits to friends and family we will travel about 400 miles. I have a Toyota Avensis 1.8 and...

Which tyres for my Arosa?

I drive a Seat Arosa fitted with 185/55 alloys. What tyres would give me the softest ride?

What compensation can I expect while my screen is fixed?

I recently bought a BMW 5 Series brand new. After a couple weeks I noticed the windscreen was cracked on the inside and BMW agreed it had been installed wrong. They let me drive it until it smashed two...

Problems buying an import Civic?

I am thinking of buying a new Honda Civic 1.4 import with SE+ spec. Any obvious problems other than no spare wheel provided. Can this problem be solved in some way?

How should I sell my Corsa?

I want to sell my 2007 56 plate 3dr Vauxhall 1.4 Corsa Club a/c, but I am in a quandary as to which selling route to go down. The problem is that there is now so much advice out there that is easy to...

Did you use different wheel bolts when you got your winter steel wheels for Fiat 500?

In the blog http://goo.gl/nsGTj you talked about ordering wheel bolts from Fiat dealer. In exact same situation putting 14" steel winter wheels on 2012 500 Lounge with standard alloys. Do I need different...

Low budget for long commute - what should I get?

Can you suggest a car for a commute of about 90 miles a day? I don't want to spend more than £1500? Quite happy to change after a year or so.

car not starting

I have a Mercedes-Benz E320 CDI which is not starting. Over 2 visits to my garage we have replaced the glow plugs, pre and main engine bay fuel pumps, filters, all hoses, fuel sensor, starter motor, injector...

Tricky electrics on an old Wolseley 1500

I`ve recently bought a 1961 Wolseley 1500. When I viewed the car the battery was flat and the owner and his mate, tried jump starting it from a Nissan Micra. I watched them do this but they had no joy....

Is this a scam?

How do I verify legitimate dealers? Responded to advert from 'cars4salepublic', who purport to deal with repossessed vehicles. I received no reply from their contact desk when I enquired if payment was...

Hand brake problems on a 306

I Have an R reg Peugeot 306 GLX Auto and it seems when I pull the hand brake on one of the sides on the rear of the car lifts up. Also, just to get the hand brake to respond, I have to pull it up to the...

Keyfob has become slow to unlock my Mondeo

A year ago my keyfob began to take several goes to lock/unlock the car. The main dealer changed the battery (in the fob) but the problem persists. Is it easily fixed, or does it imply the sort of bill...

Bought a car with it's particulate filter remooved.

A month a go I bought a used car from a dealer. The dealer gave a written warranty for 'major mechanical failures.' The next morning I noticed the car was vibrating violently and was spewing out a lot...

Buying a medium-sized 4-door saloon, petrol auto transmission. Is there such a thing?

I want to downsize from an "executive saloon" to a new 4-door saloon, petrol, automatic, similar trim: leathers, electrically adjustable seats, seat memory, cruise control, etc. I cannot find such a car:...

Winter tyre sizes on a BMW

This year a purchased a 2005 BMW 530d M Sport Auto. I am looking to purchase a set of winter wheels and am somewhat confused as to which size of tyre would be best. My car currently has Goodyear Eagle...

Corolla loss of power - could turbo be the issue.

The engine malfunction light came on and there was immediate loss of power (no revs when pressing the accelerator). It was diagnosed as the EGR valve. It was cleaned up and was then fine for about 3 months....

Yeti 'Engine Fault' warning

We love our two year old Yeti 4x4 diesel (or at least we did). A couple of weeks ago after a couple of hours at a steady 70mph on the A1 the glow plug warning light started to flash and the warning: 'Engine...

MGF engine over revving when hot and stopped in traffic.

I have an MGF. The engine starts OK and runs smooth at speed but when I come to a stop at the lights or enter a garage the revs go up and down between 900 and 1200rpm. Can still get the gears with no grating. Some...

Buying a car to replace a van

I currently have a Volkswagen Transporter van I use for kids buggys, bikes, carts etc. but we are moving to a new development where vans are not allowed. I'm looking for a reliable car, most likely an...

Getting rid of a second car

My wife and I drive between us a 4 year old Clio Dynamique S (19,000miles) and a 3 year old Grand Vitara DDIS SZ5 (17,000Miles) used to tow our 1325kg MTPLM caravan. Since retirement our annual mileage...

Bangernomics reliable diesel needed.

I'm in need of a reliable diesel on a small budget of up to £1500. I'm afraid of a Golf (and to some extent of a Bora) due to possible DMF issues in this budget range. An estate/hatchback might be handy...

My E250 won't even meet Real MPG averages

I have a Mercedes-Benz E250 CDI Blue Efficiency. This car is supposed to give 53.3 - 57.7 mpg and the average ecoconomy shown on your Real MPG section is 41.1mpg. My problem is that I have averaged...

Should the dealer pick up this bill?

I purchased a vehicle VAUXHALL VECTRA DESIGN CDTI from Halesowen Motorhouse in the West Midlands on 2/5/2012. I had never purchased from a dealer in the past because of the greater cost however, after...

Flat load decks for hatchbacks?

Given the price differential between an estate car and a hatchback version of the same model, does anyone manufacture a removable lightweight loading deck to bring the loading height of a hatchback up...

Oil changes on current Jaguar's

Current XF's require you use Castrol Oil. This oil is only available from a Jaguar dealer. To change engine oil and filter costs £169.00. For the last 15 to 20 years have always used Mobil one. That includes...

Dissatisfied with Polo Bluetooth system

Ordered new Polo. Told it had Bluetooth. On delivery saw that it did but it's a "stick on" on top of the dash with a wire running to back of dashboard. Had to have car on the road so took delivery & complained...

Built in sat nav problem with a Ford C-MAX.

I am having problems with a Ford main agent trying to establish what is wrong with the built in sat nav in my Ford C-MAX under warranty. It's a 2011 model. They do not seem to be able to repair/ replace...

What economy from an old Mondeo auto?

How many miles per gallon would you expect an R reg Ford Mondeo Automatic to do? The car has been regularly serviced and looked after.

What estate for short journeys?

My son wants an estate car for low mileages and has been looking at the Insignia 1.8, but we have found that the MPG is not good and it is supposed to be underpowered. Are there any estate cars that you...

Rattle from a brand new Megane?

Just under two months ago, I took delivery of a brand-new 2012 Megane Hatchback. I've recently noticed a rather loud rattle that appears when closing the right rear door, and when driving over less-than...

Does my Fabia need a replacement cam belt?

My 2 1/2 year old Fabia is due for its 40,000 mile service and the local Skoda independent garage tells me that the cam belt also needs changing. Checking with the Skoda dealer from whom I bought the car,...

Headlights for LHD use

I travel regularly to France and would ask which diesel powered medium estate cars have headlights which can be switched over for LHD use to avoid the need for stick on beam deflectors.

Which small economical car?

I currently own a Skoda Fabia 1.2 54bhp Classic which has done nearly 115000 trouble free miles and will do 47 mpg when driven carefully. I'm looking towards getting this replaced soon. I travel around...

Recommend a four wheel drive?

I now have a 50 mile round trip across Woodhead Pass over the Pennines, then on some steep country roads, to visit my girlfriend. I drive 32,000 miles per year (mostly motorway) and currently own a 2011...

Worth repairing my Vectra VXR Estate?

My much-loved Vauxhall Vectra VXR estate (2007, 55,000 miles and valued about £6,500) suffered total engine failure two weeks ago. Just been told by dealer that cost of replacement engine and fitting estimated...

Audi headlight adjustment part suppy

My nearside Xenon headlamp needed adjusting and whilst at the garage the mechanic attempted to realign the unit, at which point one of the white plastic cogs which adjust the unit for Up /Down Left/Right...

Finding a front wing for a Peugeot 208

Following a relatively minor bump on a roundabout my 208 ..less thank a month old is currently off road awaiting a offside wishbone replacment offside front wing and a few other small items. I am told...

Buying a 4x4 - Jeep or Land Rover?

I'm buying a 4x4, thinking of Discovery 3, but came across Jeep Commander. They seem extremely good value for money, is there something I should know?

What should I do about an unsolved fault in a new car?

My wife bought an Evoque 28.6.12 and all was well till a couple of weeks ago (around 3k miles) at which point the stop start function stopped working and an annoying rattle developed somewhere around...

Penalised for reporting an incident to my insurer despite not making a claim.

My Insurer, LV has recorded an incident which I reported to them as a claim even though neither they or I have been contacted by the 3rd Party. The incident occurred in January 2012 and LV confirm they...

Road tax mix up on a BMW?

Can you tell me the technical reasons why a 2007 118d 3d is 123 g/km but after September it's 119 g/km when they seem identical cars? BMW could not say, only said cars manufactured after September 2007...

Can I re-use a previously punctured tyre?

I drove about half a mile before the tyre was completely flat and then another quarter mile to safety before I changed the wheel. Looks like a nail in the tread, but would you drive on it after repair?...

Five-year warranty on a Fiat Bravo (59 plate)

Your review states that a 5 year guarantee was applicable from 2008. When buying the 1.6 Eco diesel Bravo I mentioned this to the salesman and was told that the "5yr" only applied for a short period....

VW Tiguan - is it a four-wheel drive?

Are all Tiguans four-wheel drive? Is a 140 ps TDi Bluemotion Oct 2010 Mk1 two or four-wheel drive? Advertised as 4x4 by dealer, but buyer not sure.

Which type of coolant do I require for a 207CC?

which type of coolant do I require for a Sept 2009 Peugeot 207cc 1.6 VTI petrol engine?

key snapped in the ignition?

I've snapped my key in the ignition I'm wondering what a realistic price to get it fixed by a garage is and also would it be easy enough to do it myself? I'm a novice at cars.