I am considering buying this '91 Merc. with only 39,000m, one owner, full MB service history, pristine, etc at just under £12,000.
Beautiful car but has anyone any experience of this model or comments that can assist.
I would appreciate any advice.
Regards, David. Read more

My 205 GTI runs really eratically on tickover, I understand that this is caused by the fly wheel which on the 1.6's is actually too small, and this worsens as the car ages, Peugeot corrected this problem on the 1.9's with a larger fly wheel. The only thing I have heard of to smooth out tickover is an ecotec valve, which I can get hold of, but is there nothing else to be done? Can you help?
From a girl who loves cars. Read more

I have read with fascination the pieces in Backroom and on your Telegraph page about the use of salad oil instead of diesel. However, I looked up Auto Bild on the web and went into their archive. I couldn't find any test of a Polo using salad oil over a long period (though there was material about a diesel Polo and its fuel economy) and I think all this must emanate from the following article, which I have pasted in - in both the original German and a Babelfish computer translation, which has a certain surreal quality.

The thing people might note about this is that the test, getting from Hamburg to Alicante on Aldi supermarket's salad oil, involved using an old diesel Golf that had covered nearly 500,000 km - about 300,000 miles - and the engine had done about 250,000 km .
The author tested other oils too - fish oil stank too much and corn oil produced clouds of smoke.
Salad oil apparently made th car slower in traffic and it was difficult to start and noisy - and when the driver and his photographer stopped the night near Barcelona they had awful trouble getting the car started in the morning (they eventually succeeded with a can of aerosol starting aid).

Much as I hate paying taxes and love to beat the system, I hesitate to pour salad oil into my Audi TDI. I wonder if it might have the same effect as early city diesel, which had to have a lubricant added to stop it wrecking people's engines. It might be okay in a clapped-out '84 Golf, but would it be okay perhaps mixed with real diesel in a more valuable and modern car?




Von Aldi nach Alicante
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
...und zurück. Volle Kante. Eine Wahnsinnstour. Und das alles mit Salatöl
"Völlig verrückt!" "Technisch total unmöglich!" So oder ähnlich klangen die Kommentare von Kollegen, Freunden, Experten, als ich neulich von meinem Vorhaben erzählte: Hamburg-Südspanien und zurück. Mit meinem klapprigen Golf Turbodiesel Baujahr 1984. 428000 Kilometer auf der Uhr. Der Motor immerhin eine viertel Million gelaufen. Und im Tank nichts anderes als Speiseöl.

Sicher, im Stadtverkehr bin ich schon länger mit Fritten-Fahne unterwegs. Und zwar mehr schlecht als recht: Der VW springt morgens kaum an, nagelt selbst bei warmem Motor wie ein Sack Nüsse. Und trotzdem so eine mörderische Odyssee? Gerade deshalb! Schnell noch bei Aldi 160 Liter Brölio-Rapsöl (weitere Markennamen: Bellasan, Buttella, Gut+Billig, TIP) geladen, Kilometerstand notiert und los.
Südlich der Hansestadt, bei Kilometer 31, ist Vollgas angesagt. Schnell zeigt sich: Im hochtourigen Langstreckenbetrieb ist der ungewöhnliche Kraftstoff, der sonst Grünzeug geschmeidig macht, voll in seinem Element. Der Golf rennt, als hätte er irgendein Doping-Diesel im Tank.
Kurz vor Frankfurt ergreift Fotograf Sven Krieger das Lenkrad, gibt Stoff. Aber viel passiert nicht. Nur noch 130 Spitze. War's das? War's nicht. Ich kenne mein Auto, ziehe die Fußmatte unter dem Gaspedal heraus. Weiter geht es mit Tacho 180.
Es funktioniert also. Nur wie lange noch? Und in welchen Situationen? Wir beschließen, dem geölten Blitz die Knute zu geben. Neues Etappenziel: die Ortlerhaus-Straße in Italien. Eine Route der Superlative. Keine Alpenstraße ist steiler (35 Prozent), keine erreicht eine solche Höhe. Wer bis zum Gipfel kommt, hat seinen Allradler oder seine Enduro perfekt im Griff, schreibt der Große Alpenstraßen-Führer (Denzel-Verlag) mit erhobenem Zeigefinger.
Kurz hinter dem Umbrail-Pass (2 (2501 Meter) beginnt die martialische Piste. Die, heute schneefrei, ihr wahres Gesicht zeigt: ein löchriger Schotterweg, steiler als manche Garagenauffahrt. Dagegen der Golf: voll beladen. Kaum Leistung wegen der dünnen Luft. Null Grad Lufttemperatur, die den kälteempfindlichen Treibstoff zäh wie Honig macht. Das Wunder geschieht, der Almauftrieb klappt problemlos. Wir stehen 3030 Meter über dem Meer, mitten im Sommer-Skigebiet. Und können es kaum fassen. Wie später die Bremsen, die beim Abstieg vom Stilfser Joch auf dem letzten Loch pfeifen.
Bei Kilometer 1513 ist die Brenner-Autobahn erreicht, und es heißt wieder Distanzen fressen: anspruchlose Betonpisten bis zum Ziel. Mailand, Monaco, Marseille, Montpellier - der Golf läuft und läuft, das gelbliche Gebräu fließt und fließt.
Bis zur Schlafpause bei Kilometer 3221, südlich von Barcelona. Am nächsten Morgen springt der Golf nicht mehr an. Starthilfe bringt nichts, und Anschleppen ist in Spanien verboten. Also Startpilot, der Feuerteufel aus der Sprühdose. Ein kleiner Spritzer hilft, und weiter geht es. Bei Kilometer 3624 ist Alicante erreicht. Ein schnelles Foto - und ab nach Hause.

Geschafft: Zieleinlauf an der Costa Blanca. Die Zwischenbilanz: 3624 Kilometer gefressen, 234 Liter Salatöl verfeuert, 151 Mark Straßenmaut geblecht, 17 Mülltonnen mit Ölflaschen gefüttert
2431 Kilometer bis nach Hamburg - na und? Was kann jetzt noch schief gehen? Wir beschließen, nacheinander alles zu tanken, was die Regale der Supermärkte hergeben. Ergebnis: Olivenöl sorgt für laue Leistung, Maiskeimöl macht dunkle Wolken, Sojaöl ist zu teuer, Fischöl-Abgas stinkt gemein. Dagegen ohne Abstriche zu empfehlen: Rapsöl und Sonnenblumenöl. Doch letztendlich geht alles, nichts kann bislang das Triebwerk töten.
Wieder in Deutschland, klappt das Gaspedal nach unten. Wo erlaubt, zeigt die Tachonadel 160 und mehr. Und der Motor hält. Nach 85 Stunden Fahrt und 6047 Kilometern ist wieder der Start erreicht. Wir haben es geschafft.
Und vor allem der Golf, der sich jetzt eine Belohnung verdient hat: eine Tankfüllung Diesel. Doch der nächste Test wartet schon: Salatöl im Stadtverkehr. Bis zum Exitus?
W. Blaube


From Aldi to Alicante ------------------------------------------------------------------------------... and back. Full edge. An insanity route. And all this with salad oil " complete moves! " " technical totally not possibly! " So or similar the comments of colleague, friends, experts sounded, when I told recently of my project: Hamburg south Spain and back. With my klapprigen gulf turbo-Diesel year of construction 1984. 428000 kilometers on the clock. The engine nevertheless one quarter million run. And in the tank nothing different one than food oil. Tanks at the trottoir: Start preparation before the Aldi market in Hamburg Lokstedt Surely, in city traffic I am already longer with frit flag on the way. More badly than quite: The VW in the morning hardly branches to, nails even with warm engine like a bag Nuesse. And nevertheless so a moerderische odyssey? Even one therefore! Fast still with Aldi of 160 litres Broelio rapeseel oil (further label names: Bellasan, Buttella, Gut+Billig, TIP) loaded, odometer reading notes and loosely. South the Hanseatic city, with kilometer of 31, full power is announced. Fast is it shown: In the high-speed long-distance operation the unusual fuel, which makes otherwise greens supple, is full in its item. The gulf runs, as if it would have any Doping Diesel in the tank. Briefly before Frankfurt photographer Sven krieger seizes the steering wheel, gives material. But much does not occur. Only 130 point. War's that? War's not. I know my auto, pull the floor mat out under the accelerotor pedal. It continues to go with Tacho 180. It functions thus. Only as are enough still? And in which situations? We decide to give to oiled lightning the Knute. New stage target: the Ortlerhaus road in Italy. A route of the superlative. No alpine road is more steeply (35 per cent), none achieves such a height. Who comes up to the summit, has its Allradler or its Enduro perfectly in the grasp, writes the large alpine road leader (Denzel publishing house) with raised index finger. Briefly behind the Umbrail pass 2501 meters) the martialische runway begins. Those, today free of snow, their true face shows: a loechriger crushed stone way, more steeply than some garage ramp. On the other hand the gulf: load up. Hardly performance because of thin air. Zero degree of air temperature, which makes the coolingsensitive fuel tough like honey. The miracle occurs, the Almauftrieb folds problem-free. We are 3030 meters over the sea, in the middle in the summer skiing area. And can it hardly seize. As later the brakes, which whistle with the descent of the Stilfser yoke on the last hole. With kilometer of 1513 the burner motorway is achieved, and is called again distances eat: requirementless concrete runways up to the target. Milan, Monaco, Marseille, Montpellier - who runs and runs gulf, who flows and flows yellowish Gebraeu. Up to the sleep break with kilometer of 3221, south of Barcelona. On the next morning the gulf does not branch to. Starting does not bring anything, and dragging along is forbidden in Spain. Thus start pilot, the fire devil from the spray can. A small splash helps, and it continues to go. With kilometer of 3624 Alicante is achieved. A fast photo - and off home. Created: Target intake to the Costa Blanca. The trial balance: 3624 kilometers eaten, 234 litres salad oil fired, 151 Marks of road duty, fed 17 garbage cans with oelflaschen 2431 kilometers until Hamburg geblecht - well and? What can go now still inclined? We decide to refuel successively everything which the shelves of the supermarkets give. Result: Olive oil provides for laue performance, corn germ oil makes dark clouds, Sojaoel is too expensive, exhaust gasexhaust gas exhaust gas stinks commonly. On the other hand without recommending reductions: Rapeseel oil and sonnenblumenoel. But finally goes all, nothing can so far the engine kill. Again in Germany, the accelerotor pedal folds downward. Where permits, those shows TAC hone aristocracy 160 and more. And the engine holds. After 85 hours travel and 6047 kilometers is again the start achieved. We created it. And above all the gulf, that itself now one Read more

Are there any moves afoot to get the Government to realise that many company car drivers are being unfairly penalised because the "list price" of their cars when purchased is used to calculate the taxable benefit; rather than the current list price. And the difference between these prices has been (rightly) created by the pressure by the Government on the manufacturers to reduce their prices more into line with the rest of Europe, rather than the overinflated prices of so-called "Rip-Off Britain"

As an example, my car when bought 15months ago had a list price of £18K; now the list price is just over £15K. Am I unreasonable to consider I am being taxed on a benefit which will be around 15% too high - ie. paying 15% too much tax ? If the Goverment is really concerned with Rip-Off Britain, how can they justify taxing me on the previous Ripped-Off price ?

Am I at liberty to claim the list price of my car is now £15K ? Read more

I live south of Swindon, and I'm looking to buy a used BMW. Can anyone recommend a BMW specialist in my area? Read more