Ask Honest John

Most recently answered maintenance and servicing questions
I bought my BMW X3 new on 29 April 2006. It has done 63,000 miles and been serviced in accordance with BMWs recommendations by a BMW garage. I have a BMW fully comprehensive extended warranty that cost...
My Mini Cooper Diesel, 2008 model, is fitted with the Citroen/Peugeot 1.6 HDI 110HP DV6 Engine. Citroen recommends changing the timing belt at 150,000 miles or ten years. Would you say this is correct?
I have just purchased a S/H Galaxy. The only info I can find re changing the cambelt is at 125,000 miles/ 10 years. Surely that is too long to leave it?
My 2004 Volvo S80 2.0T Manual is nearly 7 years old and has done 61,000 trouble free miles. It is a lovely car to drive, especailly on long journeys. It is well out of its warranty period and I have it...
I’m thinking of buying a used Honda Jazz 1.4 iVTEC ES (Manual), up to two years old, to be used mostly on daily 30 mile round trips to work. At the following website drivers reported that the Jazz’s...
I recently had my Jaguar XF serviced at my local main dealer only to discover a few days later it was leaking oil - a lot of oil. Clearly I was very angry given that the service was over £400, but what...
I'm having the DPF replaced on my 2005 Ford Focus 1.6TDCI as I have a fault saying that the DPF has reached its maximum regenerations. I'm having it done by a local garage at a small fraction of what...
My 2007 Volkswagen Caravelle TDI has covered 37000 miles and has developed a partially blocked DPF following and oil overfill at the last main dealer VW service. It has taken 6 months and 5 separate...
Last year (in September) I purchased a second hand Audi A6 2.7 TD Le Mans S Line quattro that is on a 57 plate. I stipulated that I did not want to have the cost of a service for the next six months....
We run a dualogic 1.2 Panda for my mother. It was new in December 2006 and has done only 5300 miles. The dealer is saying the cam belt needs changing before five years of age. Is this correct?