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• Modern diesel engines - looking after one to get the best out of it 20 Mar 2013 (Forum)
  I'm just wondering what best practice/good habits are for a modern diesel?  I'll be changing the oil every 8000miles (MB interval is around 16000 - TOO long to my mind!), and using a Bosch filter and low ash oil (to spec mb229.5).  Even though the car does not have a DPF fitted, I've been told that the low ash oil is the best to use/more refined (correct  ?).
• Removing Oil Filters 30 Jul 2008 (Forum)
  To remove the oil filter during my next oil change I decided life would be easier, when lying under the car, if I bought an appropriate socket cap that fits over the end and facilitates its unscrewing using a 3/8 square ratchet spanner inserted into the end of the cap.
• Peugeot 205 (1983 - 1997) - TU3 - oil in water & source for engine. 15 Aug 2007 (Forum)
  Hi guys, I have recently decided to bring my old Peugeot 205 XS back to life after roughly 2 or 3 years of sitting around collecting dust (amonst other bits of green bits!!). I know for a little while before it was parked up, it seemed to pass a very small amount of oil into the water and also a little bit of oil into the spark plugs on the 2nd and 3rd bore. I'm fairly certain that the head gasket will need changing but there are a few questions I have before I attempt this 1: Is there a chance that after a while the head may have warped slightly ( I have heard rumours this "may" happen).
• Lupo 1.4 16V - oil deposits and idle. 19 Sep 2003 (Forum)
  I thought the cable had snapped so fitted a new one, and this involved removing the top of the airbox and filter to gain access to the clutch cable. I noticed that there is quite a bit of oil on the \'downstream\' side of the air filter, especially around the edges and leading toward the throttle body. Is this usual, or does it indicate a problem? There is a rubber pipe leading from this section of the airbox which I had assumed was the brake servo vacuum, but could it be an oil breather?
• Astra 1.4i Merit 1992 - Burbling 4 Jun 2003 (Forum)
  One other factor the engine block area (at the gearbox end) is often wet (beaded type wet rather than flooding type wet and it is water not oil) - is this early signs of head gasket failure? (I am not losing anything significant from expansion tank - nor is there any oil in the expansion tank). The engine oil is clean and bright. Andrew fancy a trip to the coast?
• Oil burning VTEC Accord? 3 Feb 2003 (Forum)
  I need the car for work so can't afford to have it blow up, I work out on the road alot, but don't want to change it for 5-6 months? Any opinions about the car and the next service?
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  Should I buy a high mileage Citroen C3? 5 Dec 2022 (Ask HJ)
  I live in France and I am considering a 2016 Citroen C3 68hp petrol for a young driver. It has a full service history, one owner and recent cam belt change....
• Rover 25 1.6 2003 - Reverse gear grind help 24 Jun 2014 (Forum)
  It takes a while to get into reverse gear a bit embrassing when trying to do turn in the road .what could the problem be and what is the solution? Car has only done 52000 miles and it is cable clutch system. Will changing the gear oil make a difference , or is this problem a sign gear oil is low? Problem 2 The brake pedal vibrates sometimes randomly. I changed the front brake discs and brake pads thinking the discs and pads were causing the problem.
• Peugeot 306 Engine problems 25 Jun 2011 (Forum)
  I've recently read your forum and saw the topic on additives to help this problem. On that note I flushed and changed the oil (15W/40 p/synth) and added the Wynn's tappet additive (yellow stuff), no change. Car is using 1.5 litres of oil (approx half dipstick) every 300 mile. I know my options are to do valve stem seals and new tappets but this means spending £££'s on a car that isnt even worth a grand. 2.
• Mercedes S-class 16 Sep 2004 (Forum)
  Assuming I do all the work myself. 2) Would the under-usage and under-service have fundamentally damaged the car to the point where no amount of servicing (multiple oil changes then oil change every 3 months, "italian tune-up", ATF change, etc.) can revive it? 3) What should I do and, more importantly, not-do if I take up his car? Any advice welcome. I guess worst case scenario is to scrap the car but I do not want to have started reviving it and find it to be a bottomless pit.
• Vectra 2.0 16v - Help engine trouble 26 Nov 2004 (Forum)
  I take it in to an independant garage and they carryout the work part warranty (£400) and the rest (£500)I paid. It turns out there was a problem with the head and they had it repaired (welded I think)changed all the timing belt mechanism, did an oil change and coolant change and I am told it would be a long term fix. Anyway all work done, no overheating, coolant levels fine and all was dandy. I got in the car this morning and set off to work and got half way and the car just cuts out.
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  Audi TT quattro rear differential damage 14 Jun 2016 (Ask HJ)
  I own a Audi TT quattro. The car is six years old and have 48,000 miles on the clock. Recently I had the car serviced at a VW and Audi specialist workshop....
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  Ford Focus - Warranty on DPF which has failed 9 Jan 2011 (Ask HJ)
  In Nov 2009 an error message on my Ford Focus TDCI (56 plate, 65k miles) subsequently indicated that i needed the Diesel Particulate Oil changing. My local...
• Citroen C3 1.4 HDi - Wheel Bearings and Engine Oil lid left open. 19 Feb 2011 (Forum)
  Thats nearly half a day's work! A separate point is that I discovered that after the service the person had changed the engine oil but left the lid open. So the entire engine area was splashed with oil. I only discovered this by accident one week (and after driving 800 miles) when I lifted the bonnet to fill windscreen wipe fluid.
• Filthy Car - thanks Caltex! 7 Jul 2004 (Forum)
  ... " ... the spray of crude oil was caused when water accidentally mixed with hot crude oil, causing pressure to increase and the safety valve to pop. This caused a cloud of steam and oil to billow from the stack and spread over the Table View area ...
• Honda Accord UK (1998 - 2003) - 01 2.0 auto 24k - Change the spark plugs ? 15 Jan 2008 (Forum)
  World's most infantile question coming up: I now have a Honda Accord 2.0 automatic, which is 7 years old, has 24k on the clock, and has been serviced once in its lifetime. It was used primarily for short journeys and I did an oil and fluids change the moment I got it. However, the fuel economy is absolutely appalling (even for an auto), with it struggling to get 28mpg on A-roads. Having never owned a petrol car before, do these things still need spark plugs changing occasionally?
• Polo 1.4 tdi pd - How much is this immaculate old car worth 31 Oct 2017 (Forum)
  It really is in an imaculate condition not even a scuff mark  inside or out, the only repair work done on it has been 2 close MOT failures for broken front coil suspension springs (possibly a bad batch). Since the third year dealer service I have changed the oil and filters every year myself even though the the years mileage have been as low as 600/900. As I have done the oil changes myself I have no service record to show but I do have the oil and filter bills for each year.
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  Buying a used Q5 - what should I look out for? 2 Feb 2015 (Ask HJ)
  I am considering Audi Q5 with the 2.0 TFSI engine, year 2011, with 75,000 on the clock. The car has been regularly serviced, but some of the cylinders...
• Ford Galaxy (2006 - ) - Total engine failure after 27k, Ford won't pay 5 Oct 2009 (Forum)
  I don't know if Ford/the dealer are duping me - can the lack of oil change on a car 7 months old really be so fatal? Or was there an underlying problem with the engine build quality? Who is responsible? the car supermarket , The AA inspection team, Ford or me?
• Audi A5 maintenance - advice 11 Mar 2018 (Forum)
  Hi guys im looking to purchase a 2013 tdi 177 s tronic diesel, ive seen a car and queried the gearbox oil which needs doing but this car i want know does the cam belt need changing after 5 years if so how much is that to replace   Thanks