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• Ford Mondeo III (2000 - 2007) - 04 2.0 TDCi Split pipe 22 Sep 2008 (Forum)
  underneath the fuel rail on the left hand side of the engine, more or less level with the glow plugs.... is this the EGR? Do I need to run off the coolant to clean it out (the EGR and is it hard to do)? 5 weeks ago some divvy at Nationwide Autocentre sent it for a diagnostic at some diesel specialist who remapped the sensors and the ecu... Never been right since and cost me £196 - wouldn't have minded but NAC never asked me if it should be sent, they were meant to provide a £49.99 diagnostic for my extended warranty claim....
• My first BMW... 24 Apr 2007 (Forum)
  It drives very well, the engine is smooth, It's had a service (friendly back street garage did six plugs, oil , fueland air filters, brake fluid and coolant, plus fixed a dodgy earth to the number plate light) for £120 all in, and found no other issues. I'm not at all convinced by the 119k mileage though; it has service history up to 88k in 2001 and since then, nothing.
• Engine failure just prior to trading in. 23 Feb 2007 (Forum)
  The dealership and Saab UK insist that it's water ingestion and the only other thing I could think of was cambelt failure leading to a cracked head and coolant being sucked in and then out the airintake, thus making it wet - but the cambelt is intact. They suggest I claim on my insurance (but seeing as I didn't hit water, I can't honestly do that!). Off the record they suggest it's happened a few times with the big 3.0 diesel, but I can't see what I can reasonably expect Saab to contribute even if I managed to convince the central office to contribute towards the cost on the basis that Saab engines shouldn't just fail like that at such low mileage.
• Indestructable Peugeot 309 22 Sep 2006 (Forum)
  In fact most years, it has gone 10,000 and even 15,000 miles before oil changes. However I regularly change the coolant and use top branded antifreeze. What oil it does get is always semi-synth oil and I do keep to the schedule for fuel filter replacement intervals to protect the injection pump. Last year I replaced the cylinder head gasket as these are a known weakspot on the XU engines.
• keep 306 or s/h almera-primera-mondeo? 4 Feb 2004 (Forum)
  The interior is begging to show signs of extreme wear. Tracking needs doing as I've kerbed one of the front wheels. Brakes, cam belt, coolant was done last year. Oil is changed 3 times a year. I have done 164k miles in it in just over six years and am doing about 16-20k miles per year at the moment. This year I'll probably do the same including a 3k mile round trip to France, 18 miles per day commute and numerous 200-600 mile trips to the coast and the mountains.
• Suzuki Swift GTI - NO power below 3k rev 8 Jan 2004 (Forum)
  Leak tests have also been carried out on all inlet manifold pipes and no problems found. Chemical test on radiator coolant indicated no leaks from head gasket. ECM code 34 (air flow sensor (AFS)) is stored in EMU, but "Check Engine" light is not on during normal running. Restricting the air flow to the inlet port of the AFS (not the whole engine) causes engine to stall, so it appears to be doing at least some measuring.
• Pug 405 Oil Leak from engine mount 22 Aug 2003 (Forum)
  The addition of stop-leak in the oil has made no difference, and apart from a split hose (now remedied) I have no loss of coolant. It still pulls like a trooper too. Crankcase pressure DOES seem a little high, but all accessible breathers have been checked and are clear. The car has never used any oil between changes, and I have always used Mobil 1.
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  Our newly-bought, used Mazda CX-5 is emitting white smoke - what should we do? 9 Feb 2018 (Ask HJ)
  We've recently purchased a 2014 Mazda CX-5 2.0 petrol with 108,000 miles on the clock. On the day of the purchase, we pointed out some white smoke coming...
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  We have a garaged 1991 Mercedes-Benz 300 that we want to sell - is it worth getting it running first? 31 Jan 2018 (Ask HJ)
  We've been given a 1991 Mercedes-Benz 300 that we now wish to sell. It's been garaged for the last eight years. It has 157,000 miles on the clock and is...
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  BMW Approved Used scheme - has my car been serviced properly? 31 Mar 2013 (Ask HJ)
  I purchased an approved used BMW (2006 330i Touring M Sport) from a BMW dealer in August 2012 which I have two questions about; 1/ It has come to light...
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  Should the dealer pick up this bill? 16 Oct 2012 (Ask HJ)
  I purchased a vehicle VAUXHALL VECTRA DESIGN CDTI from Halesowen Motorhouse in the West Midlands on 2/5/2012. I had never purchased from a dealer in the...
• Vauxhall Zafira Tourer 2015 - Two interim services in a row 21 Oct 2021 (Forum)
  Vauxhall repairer  main service on /10/2019 @ 28369 miles. Pollen filter, air cleaner, brake pads front and rear, spark plugs and coolant changed. Vauxhall repairer  Interim service on 12/10/2020 @ 34146 miles - brake fluid changed. Vauxhall repairer  Interim service on 16/10/2021 @ 35933 miles - nothing changed.
• Volvo XC60 60 - Engine replacement 6 Oct 2020 (Forum)
    Shows a pretty impressive website on first viewing and being in a desperate need for the vehicle to be back on the road and promised a 2 year warranty I put my trust in them. During the early part of lockdown and having driven no more than 1000 miles I noticed that the coolant level was low which had been a problem before. I called them and followed up with a text to the only member of staff I have ever had contact with Jack. He informed me via text they were closed due to lockdown and he would let me know when they were open.
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  My Ford Focus needs a new engine but wasn't serviced by Ford dealers - should they still fix it as part of the recall? 25 Aug 2018 (Ask HJ)
  I have a 2013 Ford Focus 1.0T. It is currently having a new engine fitted as there was a problem with the coolant, turbo and subsequent oil loss - which...
• Golf GTI Mk4 - Resurrect a Mk4 GTI or Not ? 20 Jun 2017 (Forum)
  I dont think the prices are by any means incorrect...so the question is for a 1984 8v Gti ( first of the mk2's ) special edition ( has decor seats ), 186k miles...is the car going to be worth say £1500+ after I spend the £800...BUT bear in mind the bodywork also needs tidying up ( at least one door, boot catch, window seals etc ) This is the list Totals including labour Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (7.3.B.1a) £ 110.00   Nearside Front Outer Anti-roll bar linkage rubber bush deteriorated £ 17.00   Offside Front Outer Anti-roll bar linkage rubber bush deteriorated £ 17.00   Nearside Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3) £ 75.00   earside Rear Brake hose ferrule excessively corroded £ 20.00   Nearside Rear Brake hose ferrule excessively corroded £ 15.00   Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a) £ 3.00   Offside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a) £ 3.00   Nearside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively £ 2.50   Offside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively £ 2.50   Rear Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1) £ 10.00   Nearside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d) £ 1.00   Nearside Front Tyre has a bulge £ 30.00   Offside Front Tyre has a lump, £ 30.00   Offside Rear Tyre has ply or cords exposed (4.1.D.1b) £ 30.00   Rear passenger door does not latch securely closed (6.2.B.1a) £ 10.00   Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7) £ 25.00   Nearside rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a) £ 85.00   Offside rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a) £ 85.00   discs and pads all round needed, the front with parts and labour £ 75.00   coolant change and new thermostat , with labour £ 40.00   new rocker cover gasket, with labour £ 12.00   timing belt and tensioner, new drive belt + labour £ 115.00 I know its an enthusiasts car and I am not shying away from that but my budget will be tight so I need to know that I would at least get my money back if the worst cam to the worst and I had to sell it cheers
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  Car in for warranty repair - should I have to pay for a courtesy car? 26 Sep 2013 (Ask HJ)
  Can you tell me if I should be forced to pay for a courtesy car? My 2011 Renault Megane has suffered head gasket problems and it’s going to be off the...
• VW Polo 1.2 2002 - Polo failed MOT on high CO 16 Sep 2011 (Forum)
  Got a problem with my wife's car, and thought I'd run it past you. The car's a 2002, 52 plate 1.2 65bph 3cylinder VW Polo. A few years back the coolant sensor failed, leading to the engine managment light (MIL) to come on. This was fixed, and it was fine until about 2 years ago. The light came on, with the same "Catalyst low efficiency" code.
• How many tools and accessories do you keep in car 21 Dec 2009 (Forum)
  This fits head-to-Toe and the idea is that you wear it over your smart suit if you need to change a wheel Ready mixed coolant (I have a weeping water pump) Oil Multimeter 5 metres of wire 12v inverter to 240v. Never used Non-Tools: Torch Biscuits and drinking water in case we get stuck 4 x Tesco ?Rain Poncho and Emergency Foil Blankets?
• Renault Clio 1 Petrol (1991 - 1998) - 1997 1.2 high idle and rough 31 Dec 2008 (Forum)
  Disconnecting the battery for 10 minutes to reset the ECU also fixes it, but the problem always returns. Also, I removed the coolant/engine temp. sensor and cleaned that off which fixed it temporarily. When turning the ignition off, it idles normally on restart until the throttle is pressed. When reseting the ECU it last for 5-10 minutes of driving before idleing too high.
• Pug 406 - Exactly how bad are they? 22 Nov 2004 (Forum)
  From the car-by-car then: * Light Build: Guessing this means supermarket knocks on the doors etc? * Radiators failing after 3 years. + Coolant loss leading to overheating (same problem, or does the latter relate more to hoses?) * Rear discs & parking brake trouble after 3 years: From my reading here in the backroom, this seems to be that the parking brake dies if you stop on it, and also seen that discs warp (specifically if you hold the car on the foot brake when it's hot?).