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• Wot car? 22 Oct 2001 (Forum)
  I'm thinking 95/96 BMW 520, Volvo 850 ( not sure about the front wheel drive and the alleged leaky oil seal problem. Vauxhall Omega unreliable? Scorpio? Any thoughts folks?
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  Can I claim against the council for speed hump damage to my Volkswagen Golf? 18 May 2013 (Ask HJ)
  I wondered if you think it worth making a claim for compensation to a local council regarding damage to my car caused by a particular set of speed humps?...
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  Di-saab-ster zone 25 Jul 2009 (Ask HJ)
  I am coming to you for some advice as an avid reader of your column. My sister purchased a Saab 9-3 TID Sport (150bhp) in January of this year. From the...
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  Garage musing 24 Apr 2010 (Ask HJ)
  I was a little concerned to read that a Ford dealership in Bristol had consulted with Ford, and suggested that seized spark plugs could be “smashed out...
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  Getout claws 21 Mar 2009 (Ask HJ)
  I have seen you recommend Warranty Direct in the past and so covered my SAAB 9-3 with one of their Extra Care warranties. This was renewed in October last...
• Mercedes Benz E Class - Mercedes Benz UK & Dealership 28 Oct 2014 (Forum)
  In July our Mercedes Benz E350 (2011) 25,000 miles went for a service at an authorised dealership. this requires a transmission oil change. Upon driving home the car made a noise under acceleration. The car was returned and after investigation the dealership took responsibility stating the oil was contaminated and they would flush and re do.
• Mazda 5 2.0D sport '06 27000k - Mazda 5 DPF Flashing, but no power loss 19 Aug 2013 (Forum)
  Yesterday after going round a sharp left bend in the road (probly way too fast) the DPF light started to flash, so rang my machanic friend up who said take it for a blast on the motorway to cycle it & clear out the DPF which I did (kept it about 3000rpm for 1/2 hr) but light was still flashing. Came home & read some forums & got worried! I have checked the OIL which was changed aprox 2500k / 9mths ago & fund it about 1/2 way between the "F" & the "X" marks. I left the car for a few hours & rechecked for the DPF light & it had gone out!
• Ford Focus (1998 - 2004) - 00 1.6 Overheat Problem 19 Jul 2012 (Forum)
  He has since had the car for 6 weeks, replaced all 4 pistons and got a new block. He advised me to replace the oil and filter which I did this morning, then took it out for a test drive. As soon as I hit 50mph the same thing with the temp guage happened again. I drove it home extremely slowly. I am not mechanically minded (the oil filter change is the top of my abilities!)
• Saving fuel: Car vs House 2 Oct 2008 (Forum)
  The most obvious way to do this is to put economic pressure on the motorist to use less fuel. HOWEVER, very little seems to be done to persuade householders to use less fuel (i.e. heating oil) - and indeed, to use less heating generally, since about 75% (or so I am told) of the UK?s electricity is generated from the combustion of fossil fuels. In my efforts to conserve fuel, I changed my driving habits in May, and have seen considerable improvement in the mileage that I am getting.
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  Mondeo losing power under acceleration 1 Dec 2014 (Ask HJ)
  My 2012 Ford Mondeo (39,000 miles) 140 TDCI is losing power under medium to hard acceleration. When accelerating from 1900rpm onwards the car intermittently...
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  Need a car with high suspension and comfortable seats - what do you recommend? 24 Feb 2014 (Ask HJ)
  I am in my early fifties and have degenerating spinal problems. I currently drive a 2002 Skoda Octavia Elegance 1.9tdi, with 128,000 miles on the clock....
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  My Volkswagen Golf broke down because the servicing dealer did not change the DSG fluid - is he responsible for repairing it? 3 Apr 2011 (Ask HJ)
  I have a Volkswagen Golf Hatch 2.0 TDI GT (Automatic). The car does approximately 500 miles a week and has been serviced every 10,000 miles by the supplying...
• 1999 Honda Civic MB6 shaped 1.8 VTi - Air Conditioning is cycling on and off 12 Jul 2013 (Forum)
  I thought maybe it might have been a low, or high pressure trip, but when you look at the system with the manifold gauge set, the needles look ok, and stay consistent, only changing when the compressor changes state from clutched in and clutched out. Can anyone out there make comment to whether this is normal or not? Is the compressor supposed to stay clutched in all the time once the AC button has been pressed in the cabin or toggle as mine is doing?
• Volkswagen Bora (1999 - 2006) - 02 1.9 tdi power loss / limp home mode 22 Mar 2011 (Forum)
  Kind regards. {Header changed - no need to SHOUT!}
• 2008 OPEL COMBO 1.3 CDTI COMBO-C-VAN 1245cc 75hp - 08 COMBO 1.3 CDTI Wooshing sound while driving 11 Jul 2021 (Forum)
  Also disappears / greatly lessens when increasing the trottle, but then builds back up quickly when holding the new trottle state. Started after a long highway trip (~100km) at 5th gear and about 3000-3500 rpm. Recent oil change, (not that i suspect that to be a factor really)  Stopped briefly to check, no leaks of any fluid, no visible changes under the bonnet. Dripped some water on the turbo, no heat. I wonder if that is right though, if it souldnt be at least a bit hot after a long trip at 3000 - 3500 rpm ?
• Abarth 595C - My NEW car is actually 15months old 30 Oct 2020 (Forum)
  I now know why there are these issues, the car has sat filthy and un cared for for nearly a year and a half. This to me is not a NEW car despite being new at first registration.  What to do? I changed car so all the trim and parts are fresh and will not need changing. I feel I was totally mis sold and would have never bought this car knowing it's age. My old car was 2.5 years old when this was made so why would I want it?
• Mazda 3 1.6 tdi - At a loss as to what to do now! 22 Oct 2019 (Forum)
  There is nothing obvious (such as leaking pipes, faulty wires or broken hoses in the engine) no lights ever illuminate on the dashboard when the problem happens or afterwards. I have changed the fuel filter, oil filter, air filter, MAF sensor, all 4 injectors had new seals, o-rings and seating rings, and ran some redex thru the system. The car previously had a split in the turbo intake pipe but the section was replaced and problem remained and has been getting gradually worse..
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  Why is my Volkswagen Passat juddering when I start it? 24 Aug 2017 (Ask HJ)
  I have a 2010 Volkswagen Passat CC automatic diesel. It's started to judder when I start it. Any ideas what it could be? It's driving me mad.
• BMW 320D M Sport Cab 2011 - Not serviced until 56k? 29 Jul 2017 (Forum)
  If it was a reps car it'd be motorway miles which aren't so tough on cars; or are they? But then surely it'd be regularly serviced? If the engine was damaged for want of an oil change in its early life would it definitely be irreparably damaged? I'm due to see it this Monday so advice and questions welcome, as always Thanks
• Ford Focus - Fod Focus MK2 petrol - 1.6, 1.8 or 2.0? 23 Jul 2015 (Forum)
  Engine felt underpowered in general for the body and really felt like it needed another gear on the motorway The car was looked after, serviced, oil changed etc. I even changed the coil packs and had the valve clearances checked (bucket and shim on this one). I don't fancy risking buying a diesel for this age/price range due to potential reliablility issues.