I was stupid enough to park in a 'first 2 hours free' car park at a shopping centre today forgetting to take and display the ticket from the machine....

So when I went back to my car it had a 'Parking charge notice' stuck on the driver's window. This asks me to pay £25 within 14 days (£50 otherwise).... Read more

I have a Fiat Brava P reg 1.6 and it when I press the foot brake the car pulls to the right. Sometimes I hear a single knocking noise when I turn a corner or go over a bump. The left wheel also has a lot of heat coming off it when driving. Can anyone shed some light on what is causing this and how to fix it. Read more

have a 99 Audi A3 1.8T petrol (AGU engine) the car has just done 100,000 miles

I have recently been having an intermittent problem.

I can be driving along normally then for no apparent reason when I accelerate the car hesitates and feels as if its missfiring, it lasts for varying amounts of time then disappears. When the car is stationary with the bonnet up I can see the engine appear to misfire causing it to jerk every so often causing a popping/spluttering noise from the exhaust. This doesnt always happen so cant put my finger on what it is. It doesnt seem to be there when travelling at motorway speeds, only when I put my foot down to pick up speed. A couple of times I have been sat at lights and the revs drop to almost stall point but then it corrects itself. last week it was really bad causing the mpg reading to drop to 14mpg but has gradually risen back to normal since then!

My dad is a retired police mechanic and he cant figure it out. He has a snap on diagnostic machine which doesnt pick up any problems, neither do I get any warning lights on the dash.

I have been trying to fix the problem but I am running out of time, money and patience as it isnt a consistent problem.

Not sure if it means anything but it has been worse since I serviced it a week ago, I changed the oil & filter, air filter & spark plugs.

Sinced the problem started I have checked the coil packs, changed the MAF sensor and the pre cat lambda sensor but still havnt cured it!

Any ideas? Read more

I have noticed that Parkers Guide and What Car seem to over-estimate the value of cars. Is there a better guide out there? Read more

Now the VW PD diesel sounds just fine to me (see below). Had a 1.9 100ps and now a 2.0 140ps and I love them both.
If the overpowering road noise could just be removed I could hear that characterful PD growl in my Octavia.
Talking of non-sweet sounding diesels. I was in the engine room of my fathers ship at about 8 years old. I was (am) interested in engines, and my father, the Chief Engineer, told me to stay put while the full starting sequence (required by Lloyds insurance) for all the auxiliary generators and compressors, then the main engine was run through. By the time the main engine was running, a two stroke blown British Polar, I was absolutely deafened (no ear defenders in the 1950s) and could not really hear anything but could feel the air throbbing. Amazed that Dad was not deafened after decades at sea.

My uncle who was the Chief in much larger, quieter, vessels dismissed the Polar as a rock crusher!... Read more