Questions from November 2012
I have a 2004 Ford Focus 1.6. My ignition key battery power is very low now, with 80,000 miles on the car, so that it takes three or four attempts to unlock the doors. Can you suggest where we can get...
Are the police allowed to fine you for flashing oncoming cars to warn them of a speed trap? I seem to recall that they have to prove the drivers you flashed were actually breaking the speed limit or about...
I'm looking for a new car, costing around £3500, to replace my Mazda 6. I need a diesel for long journeys with good economy, comfort and reliability. I don't do a huge mileage, so a mileage of over 80,000...
This morning I came to take my wife's 2005 Fiesta auto out of the garage and heard a horrible scraping noise. I called Green Flag and the mechanic diagnosed a fractured front offside coil spring. The car...
I remember you saying that the newest tyres on a car should be fitted to the rear wheels. Recently, in monsoon rain, my rear tyres lost grip on a corner at 30mph and the back of the car tried to overtake...
I recently renewed my annual car insurance, paying £280 for comprehensive cover on a 3-year-old Skoda Octavia vRS. Some time afterwards I rang to advise of a change of car to a nearly new vRS and was quoted...
I recently received a parking charge notice after stopping for a sleep 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....
I’m looking to purchase a big seven-seater MPV. However I would only be doing 5000 miles a year, mainly for short journeys, so I’m worried about having a diesel with a DPF. Does the 2004 Ford Galaxy 1.9...
I thought you might be interested in my saga with BMW and tyre replacement. I am the owner of a BMW X3, factory fitted with runflat tyres type Pirelli P Zero 275/40 R19 101Y, purchased from BMW Park Lane...
I'm thinking of buying a used approved 2007 BMW 330d from a main dealer. The last service was Feb 2012 with mileage recoeded at 50,002 miles.
The previous service was June 2011 at 52,000 miles, so alarm...
Need a used car for my 70 mile each way motorway commute, £25k to spend. Have dog so would prefer hatchback or estate. Needs to hold value well. I like to try to buy with a mileage of about 10k on the...
On the subject of the road fund do you have a view as to where it is going?
I'm not a fan of road tolls for existing roads.
I feel it is now highly unfair with owners of new efficient cars paying little...
I would like to what the value of my Focus C-MAX 1.8 Ghia is. It's a 2004 (54), with 76,000 miles in Panther Black. Tax 'til December 2012, MoT 'til October 2013. The car has some service history and...
I have a 2006 VW Golf 1.6 FSI SE. It has 22,760 miles on the clock and the ESP warning light is on permanently. After seeing this site I visited the VW garage, in Dundee, ready for action. They insisted...
My alarm has started going off, some times for hours. Any idea what could be causing it?
I am a lady driver living in the country side - up a mountain with a small narrow laneway up to the house.
Conditions in winter are wet, mucky and sometimes a week or two of snow and ice. There are...
I shall soon be buying a used Focus Estate for £7k to £8k. I assume around an 09 plate.
It needs to be a petrol engine I think, as two to four times per week I shall be doing two mile trips each way...
What is the best diesel fuel brand for a Ford Focus 1.6 diesel LX 2007?
A question was asked by 'president steev' on 1st November about where to source 225/60/R17 winter tyres - your correspondent noted he was having trouble locating some for his Lexus.
I don't own a Lexus,...
Last week, I had to park outside my works car park on the road, and had to leave two wheels on the pavement. When I returned to my car, there was a parking ticket on my windscreen, which had been timed...
For a dozen or so years I have had a "Trafficmaster" device on my dashboard which indicated when motorways and other major roads ahead were congested. It operated via sensors and transmitters on bridges...
I bought a 2007 Lexus LS460 from a Lexus main dealer in Nov 2011. Recently discovered bubbling rust on lower leading edge of sunroof - and it's already so far gone that flakes are falling on my head.
Lexus...
Can you please that my 59-plate VW Touran 2.0 TDI DPF Match 140PS Auto has a diesel particulate filter (DPF), and how best to look after this? I use premium diesel, should I expect problems? If so at what...
I have read that adding two-stroke oil to diesel helps keep the pump and injectors lubricated. is this true and would you advocate this. My car is a Skoda Superb 1.9TDI PD130.
I have lost the key to my 2005 Toyota Yaris and no spare is availble and the doors are locked with handbook etc inside. My Toyota dealer has quoted about £800 to put a completely new system on the car...
Peugeot have recalled 307s for a fault causing headlights to switch off unexpectedly. I'd not previously heard of this problem, but I do now!
In brief. My headlights switch off randomly while driving...
Could you please tell me if the 2000 Chrsyler PT Cruiser have a chain or rubber cam belt?
My friend who is 15 was hit by a car while on his bike. The car drove off without stopping leaving him on the ground.
The witness and the boy himself managed to get the VRN and told the police three weeks...
How can I defrost my car windscreen (VW Caravelle) on cold mornings without running the engine for 20 minutes and waking the family?
Or how do I stop it freezing in the first place?
An elderly friend went to a major garage concern in Glasgow with her sister to buy the sister's new car. While there it was mentioned she was also considering a small automatic secondhand. She was offered...
I currently own an Audi A6 with 235 35 R19 summer tyres on. I decided to change them to a 225 50 R17 winter/all season tyres. On informing my insurance company (Esure), they are asking me to pay an additional...
My Ford Focus 1.8 petrol Zetec 2010 has done 20,000 miles and will take us to the French Alps in December. If we cruise on the French motorways at 85 mph the engine will be reving at approx 3900 in top...
My daughter's 11 year old car was run into over five weeks ago. The impact was so severe the rear valance was embedded in the rear tyres, the bumper and tailgate crushed, the C-post and front and rear...
I have been considering the Suzuki SX4 1.6 petrol SZ5 and new Panda petrol twinair 4x4. I'm looking for a small-ish vehicle with some off-road capacity and good ground clearance in order to cope with rutted...
I bought a Ford Mondeo yesterday from a private seller, who said there were no advisory items on the last MoT (which he showed me).
Later, I looked on the VOSA website, and it shows some serious advisories....
Mercedes-Benz approved insurers have just quoted me £840 annually to extend the warranty on my five year old, 53,000 mile diesel E-Class, even though components such as power steering and brake pipes and...
I am cancelling my personal car lease agreement early. I have been told that I am being charged 50% of the outstanding rentals + VAT on that amount. Should I really be charged VAT on a service that I...
In August I had the misfortune to damage an alloy wheel, tyre and tracking geometry when I accidentally ran into one of Sheffields notorious 'pot holes' in the highway. I have completed the claim forms...
I had Koni FSD shock absorbers fitted to my Saab 9-3 Aero approximately five years (30,000 miles) ago. The car has now been sold, but the new owner reports that the piston rod associated one of the shock...
I have been tasked with selling my son's 05 plate Mazda RX-8. Where would it be best to sell this type of car - through someone like Autotrader or through a specialist auction house?
Does the Jaguar XF have a DPF and if yes, are you aware of any problems? We have had problems with our current Vauxhall Insignia and don't want a repeat.
A couple of months ago I bought a 15,000 2008 BMW 330i SE Auto (E90) from my local main dealer. Upon collection, I noticed a number of noises from the engine area which were cause for concern. In addition,...
I recently bought a brand new Hyundai i10 1.2. I've done 1100 miles so far and I'm really disappointed with its fuel consumption. It's getting 40-43mpg. It should be 50mpg urban and over 60mpg combined.
I...
I have just purchased a 2009, Ford C-MAX 2.0-litre auto petrol. We have had the car for less than a week, and have noticed that the temperature gauge rises to 90 degrees within 1-2 minutes of starting...
We have two choices in our price range, the 1.4-litre petrol or 1.0-litre Ecoboost, both in Zetec form. Which is the best choice? We mostly do short local journeys of less than 10 miles, plus a few holiday...
I am seriously thinking of buying a Peugeot 406 Coupe 3.0-litre V6, registered in March 2001 with 70,000 miles on the clock. It seems in good condition and will be used mainly on long journeys at weekends.
Is...
My Passat 2.5-litre V6 TDI has 110k on clock. Following engine failure, four new camshafts, followers, etc, were fitted. At the same time, six new Bosch injectors were also fitted. On cold start, the engine...
I am looking at a secondhand Honda Jazz 1.4DSI that is on a 04-plate. The car has 91,000 miles on the clock, and the price is £2690. I will be a weekend driver with a mixture of short and long runs.
But...
My daughter commutes 90 miles a day mostly on motorways. She currently has a 2007 Ford Fiesta 1.4DCI, and gets about 60mpg. She likes the Fiesta and the low running costs, low road tax and fuel consumption,...
I'd like to replace my Nissan Qashqai 2.0dCi with a Honda Civic 1.8. The diesel Civics are not an option due to unavailability of low sulphur diesel. I regularly drive about 1000km to and from the nearest...
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