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  • N/A - Norway to ban all fossil fuelled cars by 2025. 5 Jun 2016 (Forum)
    A bit hypocritical IMHO seeing as Norway is a large oil producer - they will be quite happy to take the oil revenues from their oilfields in the North Sea but ban petrol and diesel fuelled cars from their roads.
  • Ford Focus - Ford Focus 2001 1.8TDCI Starting Issues 20 Feb 2015 (Forum)
    When I first start in the morning, it turns over for a good few seconds before it eventually coughs out a load of black smoke, and comes to life. I had it serviced about 2000 miles ago - oil filter & oil change done. It has been sat due to unforseen circumstances for around 4 months, however I had been going out once every week or so to turn the engine over.    Any suggestions/help/previous experience much appreciated!
  • VW Lupo 1.4 - top end rattle on start up 7 Nov 2012 (Forum)
    Car presently at 163,000 miles. Full VW history, oil changed every 5k. Over the last 20k, our car has started to rattle a bit from the top end. It's particularly noticeable when starting from cold, even with fresh oil. Once warmed up and ticking over, most of the noise disappears leaving just one constant, quieter click/tap occurring at the frequency of approx twice to three times per second.
  • Nissan Terran II 2.4l - HT Cables 27 Aug 2010 (Forum)
    Long story short.  Went on holiday drove over 1000miles, started ticking, hardly any oil so added more.  Car started smoking and no power and misfirering.  Garage said to much oil and changed start plugs.  Drove a further 200 miles and started misfiring again. Replaced ht leads but may be faulty as still misfiring.
  • Ford Mondeo Ghia x 2.0 Petrol Duratec Engine - Where is the EGR Valve on a Mondeo? 20 Aug 2010 (Forum)
    I recently bought one and it judders and jerks at low revs around 1000 - 1500 revs. I have been told that a new air filter, new oil filter, new fuel filter and an oil change should sort the problem and it should give more MPG - I am only adveraging around 23MPG. But I was also told that it is worth cleaning the EGR valve. Thanks      
  • Ford Focus II (2004 - 2007) - 07 1.8 diesel - first service!! 9 Jan 2009 (Forum)
    It's got 38k on it but it didn't have its first service until it had covered nearly 21k miles (at 9 months from first registration) !! The manual states that it should be serviced at 12.5k miles! Should I walk away or has oil and engine technology moved on so much of late that this is acceptable? Does the first oil change on a new engine not have to be done at 500/1000 miles anymore?
  • Fluids into wrong car orifices 29 Jul 2007 (Forum)
    I mean, despite all the warnings, petrol is still being put into common rail diesels, diesel into petrol cars. One of my colleagues put screenwash into the antifreeze..... Has anyone been changing their oil on the drive and poured the coffee -brought out by SWMBO- straight into the oil filler? It just seems that *if its possible at all, even by forcing*, its going to happen, somewhere.....
  • What max budget? Repairs to my Fiesta 3 Feb 2007 (Forum)
    I am taking her in tomorrow for a service but I suspect the following may need doing:- 1) Curing a rattle from the camshaft area, as discussed on another thread oil change should help or fix this. 2) Brake pads 3) Valve clearances checked 4)Tappets adjusted 5) New oil, filter and plugs. How much would this cost me? Is spending £200 on a car I have just paid £400 for stupid?
  • carisma gdi tappett noise 21 Aug 2006 (Forum)
    The only time it settles down is when the car is idling, and even then not all the time. I am using quite a good quality oil and have also tried a hydraulic lifter additive to no avail. Obviously i will be carrying out another oil change now but im wandering if this is a common problem and if there are any known cures.
  • Can spark plugs improve fuel efficiency? 24 Jul 2006 (Forum)
    This is substantially higher than what it has been achieving pre-service (35mpg, average). Apart from standard fluid changes (coolant/oil etc - which have never affected fuel efficiency before) the only thing replaced were spark plugs. I kept the oil topped up anyway, so I was wondering if this reduced drinking habit could really have come from something as cheap to replace as spark plugs?
  • Sealed for life auto gearboxes 22 Oct 2005 (Forum)
    Changed the auto gearbox oil on my W124 MB yesterday. 18k miles. It was just 'going a little dark red/lightish brown'. Considering most of the last two years has been urban driving, not too bad. Car feels smoother, but it's probably phychological.
  • Omega engine query 1 Jan 2003 (Forum)
    Visited Kwik Fit for my 5000 mile oil change yeterday. Apart from the usual "your rears are a bit low, and I wouldn't use THAT brand again Sir" (BF Goodrich, which have lasted over 20k and still have a few thou miles in them, and have been a good tyre) and "your exhaust is on it'a way out Sir, no we can't do just the middle sections we need to do the lot", one of the mechanics told me my 3.0 Omega MV6 engine is by Isuzu (sp?).
  • High Mileage Bores 2 Feb 2002 (Forum)
    Am I alone in getting fed up with the continual self satisfied crowing of those who run cars with X zillion miles on the clock, change the oil every 100 miles with DuckhamsSuperShell semi - synthetic oil purchased for 2.294FF a litre from a supermarket only 27 Km from Calais. Anyone who isn?t as wise or frugal as these sages is just plain mad.
  • VW/Beetle - Advised i need an Engine rebuild - VW Beetle 20 May 2014 (Forum)
    Big puffs of blue spoke that really stinks, so I took it to a mechanic ( a new local one) who thought that the wrong oil had been put into the car when the last service was completed - I've had to top the oil up twice now since that service in February! The Mechanic flushed the oil and replaced the oil filter and topped up with the correct oil.
  • Do I need to service my car every year if it only covers low miles? 11 Aug 2020 (Ask HJ)
    I have a 2016 Renault Twingo Dynamique S. It is serviced annually by the main dealer. The first year it did about 6000 miles but the last four years, it...
  • Interested in a 2014 car that only has two service stamps - should I be wary of it? 26 May 2020 (Ask HJ)
    My son (19) is keen on a 39,000 mileage, one owner 2014 SEAT Ibiza 1.2 but we've read some reports of engine failure on these 1.2 TSIs. Plus, it only has...
  • Revs drop without warning on my Vokswagen Polo 21 Nov 2012 (Ask HJ)
    I hope that you might be able to help with an intermittent problem on my partner's 54-plate Volkswagen Polo with around 80,000 miles. The engine will...
  • Renault Clio 1.5 DCI - A noise coming from my car while driving 11 Sep 2011 (Forum)
    I had the erg valve cleaned last year as my car lost power and spewed out black smoke. I have also changed the oil and filter my self a year ago after it was cleaned, I asked Renault about the recommended oil and they said any semi-sympathetic would do, I decided to go to GSF and get car lube as they said it was a good oil Followed by top ups with fully sympathetic, Renault actually told me I did not need it.
  • Renault Clio 1.5 Dci - A noise coming from my car while driving 8 Sep 2011 (Forum)
    Hi there at first during wet and damp conditions, my fan belt would make a squeely squeeky noise and when after driving it would quieten down. It did it again the other day but after a while the sound changed and I can't seem to figure out where it is coming from. My timing belt was changed last year and I have covered around 6k miles since then. I usually get around 60 odd mpg but recently on a long journey, or even shorter ones it has dropped about 10 mpg.
  • Renault Clio 1.5 DCI - A noise coming from my car while driving 8 Sep 2011 (Forum)
    Hi there at first during wet and damp conditions, my fan belt would make a squeely squeeky noise and when after driving it would quieten down. It did it again the other day but after a while the sound changed and I can't seem to figure out where it is coming from. My timing belt was changed last year and I have covered around 6k miles since then. I usually get around 60 odd mpg but recently on a long journey, or even shorter ones it has dropped about 10 mpg.
 

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