Questions from November 2012
I have a 2007 Renault Kangoo customised for wheelchair accessibility and am thinking of changing to a newer car with a bit more power. I was looking at the Peugeot Partner or Citroen Berlingo, but then...
A civil parking charge notice was left on my car door window yesterday. The sign which displayed details of the parking restrictions (which I had never seen before) was mounted eight feet high on a wall,...
Good Morning, I liked your video interview on "What gets my goat": telegraph.co.uk/motoring/motoringvideo/9587196/Honest-John-what-gets-my-goat.html
At the risk of raising your blood pressure even further,...
I have a budget of around £25k to buy an executive saloon. My criteria are as follows:
- Diesel, over 45 combined mpg
- Auto preferable but manual okay
- Extras to include sat-nav, leather, heated seats
-...
My firend who is insured used my car and while opening the door, bumped the door into someone else's car. The driver was apparently furious, insisting on how expensive his car was, that it was going to...
While we can see the total number of Real MPG submissions for a given car model, we can't see what portion of that total make up the individual engine choices for that car.
EG: 2011 Ford Focus has 256...
Having experienced too many punctures and splits with my Ford S Max 235/45 tyres I wish to replace the wheels and tyres with something more appropriate and long lasting. Could you recommend a wheel size...
I bought an R-reg Peugeot 106 12 days ago. Yesterday I took it to a garage as the oil was incredibly low, he filled it up for me - and noticed I had an oil leak and that there was oil in the water resevoir....
Oil warnings in my 2007 Toyota Auris TR VVT-1-S-A 1600cc Auto. The car has been regularly serviced by Toyota Mail Dealer. Without any "warnings" the car failed to start. We called the breakdown service,...
In August I bought a (new to me) three year old (59 Reg) Skoda Fabia 3 Automatic 1.6 Estate car. It is fitted with 205/45/R16 Bridgestone "Turanga" tyres. Inside the petrol filler flap there is a sticker...
My 1998 Audi A3 Turbo has loud rattle under middle; exhaust checked, worse downhill and even worse with clutch depressed, gone going up hill. Engine is fine. Had to go over speed bumps recently! Any...
Two days ago I received a Parking Charge Notice from Excel Parking on my vehicle after parking at Meole Brace retail park in Shrewsbury. I am not the registered owner of this vehicle, it is my girlfriend's....
I took my wife's Seat Altea 2.0 TDI DSG for a special offer £129.00 service. The service was completed, but at the service desk, I was informed that the fronts pads were 80% worn. I was fine with that,...
I bought a 2009 Q5 in August 2012, and took out a Platinum two-year contract with Warranties 2000. Have changed the car in the last 10 days - to an Audi Allroad (2009). Before I did the deal, I asked Warranty...
I bought a V-registered Peugeot 206 a week ago for my daughter from a local garage - I paid £500 cash, and now the car will not start or drive. Can I ask for my money back?
I have just retaxed my wife's Volkswagen Golf Mark 5 Bluemotion, and my own 1997 Audi A4 TDI 110, both of which we've owned from new. Despite the fact that they run on similar 1.9-litre TDI engines, I...
I've just spent six hours driving a motorway route (A55), which normally takes two. The motorway was closed by the Police due to floods, and we were diverted onto the A470 to Betws-y-Coed and A5 to Bangor....
I have a 1.6-litre Renault Megane Coupe, which lost power recently while I was driving. When i started it back up, there was a knocking noise from the rocker cover, and it sounds like it now has an exhaust...
I hired a car in Portugal via a UK-based broker with prepayment voucher. Reported within 24 hours that car seemed to be low on oil. Local firm refused to collect car and replace. Told me to buy oil and...
I had a new tyre fitted yesterday and the garage told me that, although it was a different make (ToyotaR1) it would be fine with my other three existing Bridgestone tyres.
It was fitted on the back...
My new BMW 3-Series has R18 run-flat tyres fitted as standard. BMW offers R17 run-flat winter tyres and wheels; would that be better than an independent supplier fitting R18 run-flat winter tyres only...
When cold, there is a pronounced transmission whine in first and to a lesser extent second gear; this reduces considerably to just noticeable when warm.
Mileage is 32,000...
My Jaguar XK8 has a disable ABS button. The manual says it is okay to drive without ABS. In particular if ABS fails. As this warning appears even if ABS is turned off, the EU MoT rule that a warning will...
My van was parked in lane outside my home, and was caught in flood water running down the road. It was washed several meters along the lane ending against a clump of trees facing into the torrent.
Water...
My 2003 Volkswagen Golf is currently in the garage awaiting repair. The problem I'm told is that the Camshaft has failed and damaged the Cam Followers. As a result a new shaft, eight new followers, etc....
I received a ticket from APCOA for illegal parking - the only thing is, I didn't know I couldn't park there. The ticket was some time ago, and since then, I have received a letter from their debt collectors...
I've been advised to replace the DPF filter on my 2006 Passat by Volkswagen for a price of £1850 - but I am not convinced that this will improve matters.
The car went into limp-home mode in July, and...
After much thought I've decided to buy a secondhand Kia-approved Cee'd Ecodynamics for just over £10,000. The brand new seven-year warranty is obviously tempting, but does it cover the DPF/injection issues...
One month ago I bought a three month old Ford Grand C-MAX Powershift. I didn't notice anything during the test drive, which was driven in a busy city location.
Subsequently there is a substantial whining...
Is it feasible to change the wheels and tyres from the standard 6.5 x 16 running 195/45s to the base models 5.5 x 14 running 175 x 65s?
If so, will I have to have the engine remapped and will there be...
My wife owns a 2011 Kia Venga, which has been back to the garage three times, as the ISG stop-start isn't working properly. The garage keeps giving her what appear silly reasons - the first was not enough...
A friend recently dropped off her family at Stansted airport. She went to the new express drop off area, and on to the pay station to find out how to get her ticket. While reading the numerous notices,...
I don't have owner's manual for my 2002 1.3-litre litre petrol Volkswagen Lupo. I need to identify the engine number of my car - where do I find it on the engine block?
For several weeks, I've had an intermitent hesitation under acceleration on my Vauxhall Zafira B 1.8-litre petrol. I have been told to perform a pedal test and I have the ECN code of 036504 come up. What...
I hope that you might be able to help with an intermittent problem on my partner's 54-plate Volkswagen Polo with around 80,000 miles.
The engine will cut out, or the revs drop dramatically, without any...
My 2002 Honda Accord Executive driver's footwell fills with water. I have removed the pollen filter, but the problem persists.
I passed my driving test in 1986, but DVLA say it doesn't have a record of that - how can I prove that I did?
I've just bought a 2001 Jaguar-X Type. I paid £2000. My age 63, full NCB, and this is my second car (the first is an XKR). I'm insured with LV, and I'm paying £500 for the X-Type's insurance (two children...
I own a 1994 Honda Civic, and I think I need to top up the coolant in the engine as the tank next to the radiator is hovering around the minimum level when the engine is cold. What type of coolant do I...
I had cause to call out the AA because my car wouldn’t start on the morning of 12 October 2012. The patrol diagnosed the problem as a flooded engine and decided to remove the spark plugs.
The Patrolman...
I arranged insurance with LV for my new car. I asked for two named drivers to be added. Was asked if they had any claims or convictions, and the answer was no.
However, there was an 'incident' sustained...
Will weekly runs of 20 miles out, two hours rest, and 20 miles back be enough to burn off diesel particulates. The rest of the week the car does 8-10 miles daily, and once a year 1500 miles, with 10 days...
My car is powered by a Volkswagen 140bhp diesel engine, code BRT. I need to know whether this engine has a DPF. The reason is that the oil is Volkswagen-spec 50501 if not, but 50700 if it is. Seems to...
I understand tyre sealants (Air-Seal, OKO, Ultraseal, Slime) are preventative and will instantly seal a small puncture, and the seal will remain good for the life of the tyre. What is your view, please,...
My car, a Mazda 6 TS2 Diesel 2.2, is kept in the Alps during the winter at a height of 1300 meters. In February for two weeks, the temperatures ranged between -19c and -10c. The first part of any journey...
Mercedes-Benz is recommending that the automatic transmission oil and filters are changed at 37,500 miles, It's a 55-'plate CDi C-Class Coupe. Is this really necessary?
It will cost around £220, and this...
I bought an Espace from CCS Garage, Chapelhall, Airdrie. I paid £3500 and was assured it would be fully inspected before going out. Problems arose from day one, with locks not working, rear wiper missing,...
I've read in your column that it's worth disconnecting the connector and reconnecting, to reset my airbag warning light. It's under the passenger seat - stupid question, but where? And how do I get to...
I have been reading more reviews about driving in a high gear at low speeds to achieve fuel economy. I have tried this since and can happily plod along at 30mph in 5th gear (manual) on a reasonably level...
I assisted a colleague of mine a few months ago after a no-fault accident he was involved in. He was T-boned by a young motorcyclist as he turned right into a side road, the motorcyclist had overtaken...
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