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• 
  Should the location of police speed traps be displayed on signage? 6 Jul 2013 (Ask HJ)
  I have been led to believe that police speed traps (of the hand-held variety, not fixed camera) could only be conducted where there was clear signage that...
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  Fuel pump failure with ultra-low-sulfur diesel 30 Jun 2013 (Ask HJ)
  My distributor type fuel pump on my Renault Kangoo van has failed at 98,000 miles. The fault has been put down to ultra-low-sulfur diesel - apparently...
• Volkswagen Touran 2008 - VW woes :-( 16 May 2013 (Forum)
  But approx. 20 month on (March/April 2013) I notice rust on the drivers door. Away from the edges and seams, approx 4" from the bottom of the door + 4" away from the leading edge of the door. - Take it to a VW bodyshop who tell me its had paintwork, filler is sinking and rust has appeared. Poor repairwork. My corrosion warranty is invalid due to damage/repair.
• Colorado property manager threatens Obama-voters-r 24 Apr 2013 (Forum)
  Then there is the CEO of Papa John’s, John Schnatter, who said the cost of “Obamacare” will lead to an extra 11 to 14 cents being added to pizzas to cover the extra costs. Sources

  My daughter's Corsa was very easy to restart after storage. 3 Oct 2012 (Ask HJ)
  I was surprised that my daughter's car, having been parked up for more than four weeks, outside her home, on the street started first time. It's a three-cylinder...
• VW Polo 1.2 2002 - Polo failed MOT on high CO 16 Sep 2011 (Forum)
  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. I cleared the code (ELM327 box + a laptop), replaced the sensor and it was fine for a while.
• Citroen C5 - Compensation for faulty car 13 Jun 2011 (Forum)
    I feel that the turbo charger and engine of the car should not have failed at 70,000 miles and their suggestion that the engine needed to be replaced leads me to believe that the vehicle was not of satisfactory quality, as laid down by the law. I requested a refund, an exchange or repair of the car, as I had not taken possession of the car they described in the paperwork.
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  Can I fit smaller wheels and tyres to my Skoda Superb II? 27 Aug 2010 (Ask HJ)
  My Skoda Superb II Elegance is a magnificent car, fully justifying its name. But tyre wear is heavier than on the Superb I by about 60 per cent. My local...
• Ford Fusion - Garage liable for mechanical damage? 25 May 2010 (Forum)
  We're still on pretty good terms, as I don't want to fall out with the staff at the garage over this but I'm annoyed that their judgement to drive the car without checking the alternator over has lead to me facing a huge repair bill. Does anyone have similar experiences, or advice to offer? Do you think the garage should admit liability, partly or fully? I'm wondering if it is down to them to claim for this on their professional insurance?
• How many tools and accessories do you keep in car 21 Dec 2009 (Forum)
  I charge it every 2 months Selection of bulbs and fuses Foot pump and separate LCD gauge 2 litres of water Tool kit with screwdrivers, sockets, insulating tape, pliers etc etc Jump leads WD40 Inspection light Full gown that came with Duckhams Hyper Grade oil about 20 years ago. 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.
• Hyundai i20 (2009) - A worthwhile deal? 10 Nov 2009 (Forum)
  I have read the CBC breakdown as well as checked other well-known motoring sites and it seems to get a generally good press, with some odd comments about the headrests jutting into the back of the neck. Picking up on another thread, it might not be at the leading edge of driving dynamics, but then you don't really need that going to Tesco?s. What we do need is a cheap, economical, safe runabout which can be used for the occasional longer, motorway trip and even the odd run down to the south of France.
• Chrysler PT Cruiser: what it's like 16 Aug 2009 (Forum)
  It's running sweetly at 55,000 miles, distinctly better after being booted a bit on the road, but a slight fluffiness from time to time suggests that new plugs and leads might not be a bad idea. These come in cheap and expensive options, and there's a coil pack - also a bit dear - which is supposed to give a couple of extra horses. K&N air filter might be another sensible change.
• Day trip to France - LD Lines 12 Aug 2009 (Forum)
  The layout is 'U' shaped so one drives on, round the U and finish up facing the rear, ready to be first off. The Upper deck is not nearly as high, one ramp, leading up to it from the lower deck and the same U layout. The problem, certainly on the top deck was that many cars did not have enough 'lock' to get round the U without making a three point turn and cars are parked so close that the passengers have to get out before the driver completes the parking.
• `Tub O lard`? or shattered glass skeleton? WW1 29 Sep 2008 (Forum)
  Foreseen. High Wood, Albert - gold spire. `The old front line` and the trap of a single track road leading towards Thiepval from Albert- ending in a crossroads of 4 roads with a crucifix on a cross at the edge of a wood. A mile long, tarmac at both ends, ultra narrow, no chance of turning, going from tarmac to crushed rock and then rough, sharp flint..
• Vauxhall Astra G Petrol (1998 - 2004) - 1999 1.6 8V Engine idle problems 18 Sep 2008 (Forum)
  Engine was running better so i figured it must be fine but after about 15 mins when the engine got hot it started to idle very roughly. I fitted new spark plugs, HT Leads, Coil Pack, Air Filter, I cleaned out the air intake pipes throttle motor and replaced the EGR Valve but still have the same problem. When the temp gets to around 90 the engine management light comes on with fault code P0505 (engine clearly struggles with idle speed going up and down and exhaust backfiring lightly every once in awhile with abit of blackish smoke).
• Long distance commute - car choice 19 Jan 2008 (Forum)
  The M40 between 10 and 9 early morning is often very congested with traffic from the M1/A43 going down one exit to the A34 Oxford/Southampton road - lots of HGVs of course. Thoughtless, pennypinching road design leads to long queues at peak time to get onto the A34, backing up onto the motorway. Inevitably there are those who cruise lane 2 in the hope of cutting in at the last minute to save queueing. However if they cant they slow down and even stop causing a severe domino effect with sometimes heavy braking and stop start motoring.
• Volkswagen Golf III (1992 - 1997) - Golf TDI -'95 starting problem 18 Nov 2007 (Forum)
  Someone suggested I should check the injection timing as it may be too far retarded. I bought myself the VAG-COM software and lead, plugged it all in and discovered the timing was indeed too retarded. A couple of weeks ago I advanced the timing and set it within the specified limits and since then it has been starting faultlessly.
• No satnav, forgot map? Ring Dad! 27 Aug 2007 (Forum)
  He is philosophical about being bullied on the A1 by some truck drivers and some BMW drivers who are too important to obey the 40mph limit under the Scotch Corner flyover; he deploys the Citroen AX's perky 50 bhp to keep up with the traffic yet he is not so lead-footed as to crucify the expected MPG. He shows IMO maturity, and appropriate assertiveness and restraint in his driving. Today, he faced a navigation challenge; to leave college in Darlington and find his way to work in Newby Wiske.
• Aftermarket Xenons Illegal... 27 Aug 2007 (Forum)
  Once fitted to the vehicle it must have headlamp cleaning and self-levelling (which can be for the headlamp or can be in the vehicle suspension - some cars have "self-levelling suspension" and that is adequate). These items are not checked at the MoT. However, failure to comply may lead to enforcement action by the police and may invalidate your insurance. Also the dipped beam must stay on with the main beam. The headlamp must be maintained in good working order, kept clean and aligned/adjusted correctly like any other headlamp.
• My scariest motoring experience to date 4 Jan 2006 (Forum)
  We left reasonably early to avoid the bad weather everyone was going on about but about 15 miles away from Cromer, it all got rather snowy. All was well until the road which leads down ("down" being the operative word here) into the town. I was driving SWMBO's car which is an automatic Nissan Almera and I've not driven a FWD car on the snow for years. "Look at that car in front" pipes up a small boy in the back.