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• NEW CARS: How can I save money when buying a new car? (FAQs)
  ON-LINE IMPORT/UK BROKING SPECIALISTS WITH SUPERSITES Trade Sales of Slough , 336-338 Bath Road, Slough (Near Heathrow: J6 or J7 from M4); tel: 08701 222 980; website: www.trade-sales.co.uk Motorpoint , Chartwell Drive, West Meadows, Derby; tel: 0870 1209611; website: www.motorpoint.co.uk Motorhouse 2000, Wryly Brook Retail Park, Walkmill lane, Cannock WS11 3XE; tel: 0845 345 6777; website: www.motorhouse2000ltd.co.uk ON-LINE DISCOUNT UK SUPPLIED SPECIALISTS (Note that NONE of these are checked out.
• GAP INSURANCE: What is GAP insurance and do I really need it? (FAQs)
  A high LTV means that you’re borrowing a high proportion of the car’s new value. Cars depreciate as soon as you drive them off the forecourt, which means you could be in negative equity (where you owe more than the car is worth) for a large proportion of term of the loan and you may have to continue paying this debt if the car is stolen or written off.
• FUEL: What are the benefits of running a vehicle on Superunleaded or Superdiesel? (FAQs)
  Emissions testing of all vehicles has forced manufacturers to achieve the best results they possibly can in test laboratories (NEDC, WLTP) and, from September 2019, in Real Driving Conditions (RDE). So manufacturers 'optimise' their engines to give the best possible performance in the tests and, to achieve this, they optimise the engines to run on Super. Engines will still run on lower Octane and lower Cetane fuel, but not as efficiently, not as cleanly and will be more prone to damage from deposits such as olefins and carbon left inside the engines.
• CAR HIRE INSURANCE: What do I need to know about insuring hire cars? (FAQs)
  Rick from Toronto helpfully provided us with these useful tips: To help (and warn) when renting in Florida, I don't know how much 3rd party liability coverage is the norm in the UK but in the US it can be as little as $10,000 US (in fact that is the amount in Fla.) and rental companies often take out the legal minimum because they also sell better (more) liability coverage. Considering 1/2 the US spends time suing the other 1/2 for any indiscretion I'd be loath to drive ten feet with that coverage. With a hospital costing $25,000 a day.  By way of comparison the coverage I have is $2 Million here and we don't sue a tenth as much plus there are caps on a lot of minor ailments and things that "victims" will try to milk out of insurance.
• TOWING: Can you give me some general tips about towing?  (FAQs)
  Go rallying, a major source of information from the wealth of experience of club members let alone great enjoyment with them.. The Caravan: a) With an EMPTY VAN drive to your local public weighbridge(LPW) and write in large figures the unloaded weight of your van on the inside of the door. b) Return to the LPW with a LOADED VAN containing your usual holiday goods and chattels viz: awning, gas, food, bedding, clothes, barbecue, etc etc not forgetting kitchen sink, spare wheel, toys, bikes, pup tent.
• DIESEL v PETROL: Which is better for me?   (FAQs)
  The problems tend to start after about 3 - 4 years old but can start earlier: Dual mass flywheel failures on manuals leading to failures of drive, often incorrectly prescribed as clutch failure when in fact it is the dual mass flywheel that has failed: £800 - £1,500. Turbo and intercooler failures: £1,000 - 1,500.
• AUCTIONS: Is buying a car from an auction straightforward? (FAQs)
   If you are unsure about the car, walk away.  But if it is the car for you, bid confidently up to your budget and you could be driving the car of your dreams this Easter." BCA's top 10 tips for buying a car at auction:   * Don't buy on your first visit - sample the atmosphere and get used to the pace.
• PARKING FINES. What are my rights regarding parking penalties for parking in private carparks? (FAQs)
  THE LAW FROM 1-10-2012: A new Law from 1 st  October 2012 (part of the Protection of Freedoms Act) changed liability for parking on private land from the driver of the vehicle to the vehicle’s registered keeper, unless the keeper clearly identifies who was driving the car at the time. From figures compiled by the British Parking Association, over 2011-2012, 1,800,000 Private Parking Charge tickets were issued. Of these, 31% went unpaid, leaving 1,242,000 paid.
• JUMP STARTING: What is the correct way to jump start a car? (FAQs)
  Starting a car engine where it normally starts first time within a second or so, actually takes very little energy out of the battery and this energy is replenished within a few minutes of driving off. If an engine takes several seconds to start, then this replenishment will take longer of course. What is important, is that this quantity of electricity is not only available but can be supplied very quickly and on demand, and often is quoted in CCA or Cold Cranking Amps of a battery, as several hundred amps.
• IMPORTING A CAR: I want to import a car to the UK - what do I need to know? (FAQs)
  .   g. Once the dealer gives you a delivery date, ask him to arrange temporary insurance for you to drive the car back (this insurance will be Third Party only). A new EU rule now requires you to insure the car in the country of purchase. But if you want to arrange additional comprehensive insurance on the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) from the point of purchase back to the UK, speak to Footman James on 0121 561 4196.
• ENGINE ECU: Where can I have the Engine Control Unit (ECU) of my car re-mapped? (FAQs)
  They are also programmed to give best fuel ecomomy in the specific EU fuel consumption comparision tests performed in laboratory conditions. That means the manufacturer programme may not be ideal for the conditions in which you will be driving the car and leaves plenty of scope for improvement. 'Chipping' is the generic term for re-programming an engine's electronic management system for increased performance, different performance characteristics, better fuel economy, or to run on a different grade of fuel.
• INSURANCE WRITE OFFS: What do different insurance write off categories mean? (FAQs)
  Examples of a non-standard risk driver would be under 25 years of age or over 70 years of age, lack of driving experience (held a full driving licence for less than 12 months), occupation (e.g. Professional sportsperson, members of the Acting or Entertainment professions, Journalist, Publicans etc), convictions resulting in an unspent ban or greater than 7 points outstanding on their licence.
• GARAGE SERVICING: How can I find a reputable garage  to service or repair my car? (FAQs)
  Be careful to find a long list of repairs and replacements, none of which are covered by the warranty, but all of which must be made for the warranty to remain intact. The Drivebelt Dodge "Check auxiliary drive belts" will usually be included on a service schedule. But no mention will be made of making any adjustments to the tension of the belt, so this should be charged for at the rate for at least 15 minutes labour.
• CONSUMER RIGHTS: How do I reject a vehicle or get compensation for problems with a car? (FAQs)
  This proved to be a useful last resort for a reader who bought a used Skoda Yeti 1.2DSG from a franchised Skoda dealer. A few weeks into ownership, the car lost drive miles away from the franchised dealer and a local specialist diagnosed a failed Dual Mass Flywheel. This was replaced at a cost of £1,600, but the supplying dealer refused to meet the cost because the work had been carried out by a non franchised dealer.
• CREDIT HIRE: What is it and how can it affect me if I am involved in a crash? (FAQs)
  Generally speaking the law provides that if you suffered damage or injury wholly caused by another person you should not be disadvantaged in any way. Thus if you drive an Aston Martin which is damaged in a collision which is not your fault then you should should be provided with a vehicle of equal prestige and not asked to accept the body-shop's Micra while yours is off the road.