Not very scientific, but I thought this was interesting. My wife’s ‘dirty’ 2011 Golf 2.0 TDI diesel has just passed its MOT and has 105,000 miles on the clock. It meets Euro 5 emissions regs, so should we venture to London or other urban centres in it, we’d likely have to fork out for some sort of ULEZ charge. It has a DPF which appears to be serving its intended function, as wiping a finger inside the end of the exhaust doesn’t result in a mucky/sooty finger.

My 2020 ‘clean’ Kuga 2.5 PHEV with a petrol engine and plug in hybrid capability is Euro 6 and deemed sufficiently clean to dodge any ULEZ money grabs. However, if I run my finger round the end of the exhaust, it comes out covered in soot! Clearly it doesn’t have any form of petrol GPF and it shows! I guess the idea is that the battery is charged and used for urban running to improve local air quality, but I was surprised quite how much filth was lining the exhaust pipe. Read more

I bought a 2011 Golf Plus 4 weeks ago from a private seller. Last week the clutch went, following a few weeks of the motor over-revving. It was doing that as I drove the car back from the seller's house but didn't recognise it as being a potential clutch issue, and got a lot worse suddenly last week (the seller has refused to contribute to the cost).

Anyway, I've been quoted between £550 and £1200, depending on whether the flywheel is replaced as well as the clutch. Garages are saying that they won't give me a warranty if the flywheel isn't replaced. However my usual garage is the only one saying they'll provide a warranty after just replacing the clutch and not the flywheel.... Read more

Hello, I am about to buy a Suzuki Ignis for my daughter. I service my older motorbikes and cars. Are any self-service manuals available so that I can at least undertake the simpler tasks such as changing oil, filters and replace service parts such as brake pads and shoes. Read more