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• Ford Fiesta (1995 - 1999) - My Fiesta - now more confused. 4 Jan 2009 (Forum)
  I paid £350 for it, spent £200 on it including drive shaft gaitor, two new decent tyres, new brake fluid float switch, oil change and tow bar removal. Underneath is a little rusty but solid, I cannot see anything bad enough to even warrant an advisory on the MOT and the new sills are still completly solid and showing no signs of rust.
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  What's the best second-hand long wheelbase van? 18 Jun 2018 (Ask HJ)
  I want to buy a second-hand long wheelbase van such as a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter or Renault Master and want advice as to the best make for reliability,...
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  Bought a car with a new engine without realising. 21 Sep 2012 (Ask HJ)
  I've bought a used 2010 Skoda Octavia VRS. When purchased, I purchased on the assumption that at 21,000 miles the car was on its original engine. I...
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  Problem with car bought 2 months ago 3 Nov 2011 (Ask HJ)
  Hi HJ, let me know your favourite charity and I'll bung a few quid if you can advise me. Bought a Volvo S40 1.6D, Dec 07 model, 38k miles from an Evans...
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  Fined us keepers 14 Feb 2009 (Ask HJ)
  My son died in September 2008. In February 2008 his Mazda RX8 Reg WV 04 WG had struck a metal object on the M4 Motorway that ripped the bottom out with...
• Vectra cdti - 150 Need help egr ecu troubles. Pulling hair out 22 Jun 2017 (Forum)
  All looks good and sealed. Put everything back together,  serviced it at same time. Fuel filters oil ect. Reset timing with vx timing tool. Time comes to start it up and see if she runs. It eventually chuffed and huffed and sparked into life wit a puff of smoke. Happy days. However ! Here is now my issues.
• VW TDI crankshaft problems 10 Sep 2003 (Forum)
  Treat her like my baby with regard to condition/service etc. 85k mileage always taken in to VW dealers for service (prior to service interval dates) always run on premium Mobil one oil etc etc. taken into dealer for 60k cambelt change (at 56k - early)got car back - all seemed above board etc. Over the next 20k noticed car not quite a \'sharp\' as used tobe but put it down to ever increasing mileage etc. decided to change dealer (for service) at 80k service (done early at 76k)because unhappy with original dealer for putting additional items on service that were not carried out.
• Peugeot 106 1.5d 1995 - Peugeot 106 1.5d 1995 starts, runs but cuts out? 12 Sep 2019 (Forum)
  I squeezed the duel primer bulb which was soft and after three squeezes it goes hard and then starts first time. Thinking an air leak maybe? Engine has always had synthetic oil, serviced on the dot and prior to this has been perfect. Oh we had a professionally reconditioned diesel pump when we first bought it so not that. I think there is a fuel pump in the tank from what I have read but don't know much about that, has never been done while we have had it.
• RAV4 vs Outlander 19 Aug 2016 (Forum)
  Having read extensively both seem to have very reliable engines and appear to be vehicles that will last as long as they are maintained correctly, There's no issue with that as I am fastidious with servicing and do an interim oil change at 6k myself so I'd expect long life from them. I do around 17k miles a year mainly motorway with weekly return trips to Cumbria from Manchester so no likely issues with DPFs etc (I hope).
• From HJ - Maintenance in the Uk 12 Jun 2016 (Forum)
  Our 97,000 kilometre Honda Jazz in Thailand was due for a 10,000 kilometre oil change. 'Fully synthetic', plus filter, properly drained from the sump and the engine cleaned up with an air-line all for £42. A rear offside wheel bearing became noisy.
• Mitsubishi Shogun - Bought auto 4wd with warranty, blamed for failure 22 Jul 2015 (Forum)
  Hi all any advise gratefully received: Bought a Shogun recently for just under £3,000 came with 1 month warranty.  From point I collected the car I found issues Airbag light on oil leak no 4wd loud squealing on acceleration if pedal pushed more than halfway down Shortly afterwards it started stalling when pulling up at junctions or parking I contacted the dealer to take it in and he agreed, he then changed the date which I again agreed to.
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  Should I start my own garage? 24 Sep 2014 (Ask HJ)
  I am a qualified mechanic currently working in a garage. I feel it is time to further my career and start my own business. I was hoping to begin as a mobile...
• Peugeot 307 2.0 hdi 51 plate, 90BHP, E/no DYDM3013 - car sluggish in Peugeot 307 2.0HDI GLX 29 Jan 2012 (Forum)
    Anyway, thats not my the main problem. My car now has 97K on it. Its had a timing belt changed, air filter, diesel filter and oil filter. Over the last 7k the car has become incresingly sluggish. To the point now, fully loaded transit vans fly past me when im travelling up inclines on the motorway.
• Peugeot 406 HDi - Peugeot 406 2.0 HDI anti polution fault 5 Dec 2011 (Forum)
  (see similar threads from   Whatdowepayourroadtaxfor 8 Dec 2008) EVERY time any service garage changes the oil filter, the message " anti polution fault" appears when I drive away, the engine management light stays on, the car goes into "slow" mode (max 3000rpm, then later it's allowed full revs but still with fault on), the engine 'runs on' after switch off, and the garage guy says "..just give it a long hard run and it'll be OK..."!
• Ford Focus III (2008 - ) - Just spent 30 times normal budget on car 20 Nov 2009 (Forum)
  All the manuals are in Italian, can someone confirm that a brand new ford Focus does not need a service until 20,000 KMs ( 12,000 miles ). nothing about a oil change at 600 miles, or is that just a motorcyle thing. also the big black plastic engine cover that covers everything interesting, no visible screws to remove so how does it come off ? Thanks
• Vauxhall Astra F (1991 - 1998) - 94 1.4 non starter 10 Aug 2009 (Forum)
  Not as simple as it may sound! Had a serious head gasket failure. Replaced the gasket and checked and rechecked the timing! Changed oil and filter Engine started first turn of the key. Found considerable hesitancy when throttle floored. Did 50 miles like this and then started to think what trouble could be. Seemed like bad plugs or leads and replaced these, slight improvement.
• Volkswagen Beetle (1998 - ) - 2001 2.0 engine emissions warning lamp 30 Dec 2008 (Forum)
  The light did come on some while ago (c. 40k miles) after VW had installed new piston rings (under warranty) to 'cure' high oil consumption (it didn't cure it at all!). On that occasion they took the car in for 15 minutes and, I believe, did something with the lambda sensor. Could be the same again I guess... Would a fault with the air mass flow meter put it into limp home mode?
• Citroen Saxo (1997 - 2003) - 1997 1.1 - Limp Home Mode? 23 Aug 2008 (Forum)
  So I thought it was a spark plug change needed. As I said, I've only just got the car back and I think the servicing etc has been neglected. The plugs that came out were a beautiful tan color - no issue there then. The auto part I bought was a Denso K20TXR, which seems to be the right plug.
• Renault Megane (1996 - 1998) - 96 1.4 (8v) Failure to start after running fine - 5 Aug 2008 (Forum)
  It didn't seem to pick up cleanly from idle, and the mechanic thought it sounded as though it was running rich. I have recently changed the oil and filter plus new spark plugs 6 weeks ago. It's done about 5000 since the air filter has been replaced. He suggested that perhaps one of the engine management sensors (e.g. CPS) might be faulty, so I've booked it in for a diagnostic plug-in at my local garage.
• Peugeot 306 (1993 - 2001) - 1998 2.0d - conrod failure. 5 May 2008 (Forum)
  Since this day my "Polly Peugeot" has been serviced by the book and treated with TLC I went to Salsibury on Saturday in it (about 150 miles from home), checked oil, water etc before I left!). Just got into Salisbury and BANG - conrod through the side of the block, smashing radiator and starter motor........ no warnings, no lights came on, no change in engine noise - thought I had run over something until I looked in my rear view mirror!!!!!!