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• New Family Car/SUV advice 28 Mar 2023 (Forum)
  Ideal features: keyless rear/360 cameras heated seats Large screen display/Nav Android auto (nice to have) Digital Dash (nice to have) Hybrid would be good Not Diesel - we only drive shorter distances Automatic lights nice interior/seats I am going round in circles on autotrader looking at: VW Tiguan or Allspace (concerns about DSG gearboxes is it?)
• Getting a car's alternator to charge the battery 20 Nov 2020 (Forum)
  I did hear *somewhere* (I can't remember where) someone saying that normal driving without a big current draw (such as the lights) may not automatically get the alternator topping up the battery.  When my last battery failed in the summer, the RAC man checked the alternator and found it to be working fine.
• N/A - LFB Left foot braking autos HJ column 15 Oct 2019 (Forum)
  Left foot braking is the only way to remain fully in control of an automatic two-pedal car at all times. You have two feet. The car has two pedals. What could be more stupid than using one foot to control two pedals and leaving the other foot redundant? Why allow the car to travel for a second or two under power and out of control while you move your right foot from accelerator to brake?
• Smart Forfour - Smart Forfour 454 Engine Trouble 10 May 2019 (Forum)
  Hi guys, so this is a recent issue, but honest to god I'm struggling. Simply put, my 2004 Smart (automatic gearbox) wouldn't start one morning. Two attempts produced very weak coughing followed by death, the third one didn't even get the engine rolling. I'm very diligent about checking my lights are off and stuff whenever I leave the car, but a dead battery was still my first idea.
• 7 seater family car 5 Jul 2013 (Forum)
    Also, I need 1.8 Petrol Automatic (2.0 only as a last resort)   So far I have considered:   Toyota - Corolla Verso Toyota - Verso Mazda 5   One of friend recently bought Mazda 5 (manual) and he is happy with it.
• Ford Focus (1998 - 2004) - 00 1.6 Overheat Problem 19 Jul 2012 (Forum)
  Would love some advice on an overheat problem my automatic Focus is having. Short summary of story so far : Was advised engine was knackered (as in replacement engine required), but found a place who said they could repair it, 2 new pistons and piston rings.
• First Time Buyer Need Advice 9 Feb 2011 (Forum)
  Also I am somewhat tall (6'2) and I really dont fit too well inside very small cars like a Twingo, 107, Fox, or  C1. Also the car MUST have an AUTOMATIC transmission, not manual or robotic manual (like the Honda Jazz II) otherwise the wife cannot legally drive it in France. I have only driven two cars myself a Volvo 240GS Stationwagon (manual) and currently a Citroen C3 at the auto school.
• small 6-7 seat MPV - Best used small MPV (£5k - £10k) 4 Aug 2010 (Forum)
    Would it be worth getting the Touran with a DSG, as I've heard that the DMF can fail (and doesn't on the automatics?).  How is the reliability though as VW has less than a glowing reputation in the last 10 years. I've always liked Honda and had a 03-08 Accord Tourer for a month recently which was great.
• Jeep Cherokee (2002 - 2007) - 05 2.8 Torque converter recall woes. 4 Dec 2009 (Forum)
  What I'd like to know and can't seem to find and answer to is: If the torque converter replacement was done incorrectly could it within a couple of hundred miles have wrecked my gearbox? As I understand it the converter is a clutch mechanism on an automatic diesel vehicle. If the vehicle was incorrectly calibrated (chipped?) after the work could this have been a factor. Apologies for not having great technical knowledge about this, but I think I've had poor service here and the wool's being pulled over my eyes.
• Toyota - Servicing my 4WD Toyota Hiace camper 27 Jul 2009 (Forum)
  Not exactly rocket-science, but while the engine in this van (3.0 TD) was used in some UK-spec Toyotas, access is a little more difficult in the mid-engine of the Hiace, plus the combination of 4WD and an automatic gearbox will be unfamiliar to those used to working on UK-spec Toyotas. Once I decided to look around for other garages, I remembered that I know a rather impressive garage here in Bradford which operates mainly as a van and car-hire outfit.
• Volvo C30 (2006 - 2009) - Poor fuel economy. 2 Jun 2009 (Forum)
  I am in the main, highly deleighted with the car except for its appaling fuel economy. I purchased this car after owning a MkV Golf 1.9 TDI DSG (Automatic), owing to the Volvo's stunning good looks (in my opinion lol) and chose the engine and gerabox being as near to my Golf's spec as possible. The Golf always returned very near to the government figures ie over all consumption of 48 MPG.
• Ford Focus (1998 - 2004) - Should dealer repair faults? 27 Mar 2009 (Forum)
  Hi, I wonder if anyone can offer any advice on this: I test drove a used (2001) Ford Focus (Automatic) earlier this week, which was for sale at a local independent garage - it was advertised as having "remote central locking" on AutoTrader... When I test drove the car, the keyfob was missing a battery so the remote part of the central locking didn't work.
• MOT new plate regulations 1st Oct 2007 29 Oct 2007 (Forum)
  Source: http://tinyurl.com/yrh6nv (Auto Express: MoT clampdown on reg plates) QUOTE: "Plates fitted to models registered after 1 September 2001 that arent embossed with the name and postcode of the supplier and BS AU145d British Standard symbol will result in an automatic failure. The move is designed to make it easy for testers to spot non-road-legal show plates, as these dont have a BS symbol." Also press release at VOSA http://tinyurl.com/2qlzdy (with additional PDF document link from that page for other complying issues for plates.)
• Traffic flow vs. speed limit 14 Aug 2007 (Forum)
  In the case above where the limit went from 40 to 60, this was shortly after the M4 turnoff (going North), so it might be that the traffic flow before the junction was that much greater, and after the turn-off (say two gantries later), improved flow means they can turn the speeds up. Still, I'm not convinced that 40 can be faster than 50. And are these limits governed automatically? Does anybody know? I also think that if these limits really do improve flow, it would make sense to use SPECS cameras, as that would do a better job of keeping speeds steady, and if this ultimately makes people's journeys shorter, it's a good thing (though the problem with this is the ridiculous 10% overstate that are legally permitted on speedometers - my Volvo seems to be perfectly calibrated, but generally most cars are not).
• Company Car vs Car Allowance 18 Apr 2007 (Forum)
  Need to post a poser for my 1st post. Hope someone can help me. I currently have a Merc C Class Automatic Coupe that is petrol for my company car. I have asked for a diesel but have been told I need to run this for at least another year. I get my mileage back when on company business but obviously, not personal and its expensive as I have to drive approx 60 miles per day when not out on customer visits.
• Limits of Warranty? 5 Feb 2007 (Forum)
  I'd be interested in others BR'ers opinion on a warranty claim I'm currently pursuing. (sorry, this is a bit long!) I've had a niggly problem with the automatic shift smoothness on my c270 cdi since I bought it under approved used warranty from a Mercedes dealer last year. Basically, when the engine's cold it's 'jerky' from 1st-2nd for the first few miles or 10 mins running.
• Did you know... 18 May 2006 (Forum)
  * In 1978, another 'world-first' was the passenger compartment air filter. * In 1980, Saab introduced Automatic Performance Control (APC). * In 1983 they introduced the 16-valve turbocharged engine and introduced asbestos-free brake pads. * In 1985 SAAB pioneered direct ignition, which eliminates the distributor and spark plug wires
• Escort Auto Problems 12 Aug 2003 (Forum)
  Any thoughts on this would be very welcome as I\'d like to get it sorted out while still under warranty (and before my girlfriend gets so wound up at the sound that she drives the thing off a cliff!) 2) I know that automatics (and particularly CTX) aren\'t particularly zippy, but there doesn\'t seem to be an awful lot of power behind the kick-down acceleration. When I put the boot down, there\'s about a 1 second pause for throught before the car rather sedately takes off.
• Spot the p****** 20 Dec 2002 (Forum)
  TAILGATING ...travel behind the car in front at 75mph with only 10 meter gap or less 25 , bonus of 5 if it's raining (should 3 series drivers be exempted because that seems to be an automatic feature of that car?) 5. PHONES ... handheld receiving a call 15/ dialling one 25/texting 40 6. INDICATORS ... non-use on roundabout 15..on motorway 20 7. OVERTAKING ... within 100 yards of leaving a motorway anyway 20 8.
• Accident with a turn in the road 26 Nov 2002 (Forum)
  Even if he'd been right behind me and I'd misjudged the distance or something the first thing he should have done was to slow down to see what I was going to do? Or does it not work like this? If you do a turn in the road to you automatically not have any priority? I can't find any information about it in the highway code on the net. Thanks