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• Ford Focus - When to change the car 6 Jun 2010 (Forum)
   At the moment the 8yr old Focus 1.8 estate is running sweetly and continues to give good service. It's just passed the MOT with no remarks, had new brake discs last year, cambelt 2 years ago etc. and basically been well maintained.  However, as the children approach teenage years more loadspace and legroom would be an advantage. What strategy does the BR suggest I take to planning the transition to keep costs minimum and risk low.
• Peugeot 306 - Any suggestions on how I can tart up my 306? 20 Mar 2010 (Forum)
  I've already had some work done on it by my loving boyfriend. He's lowered the suspension, painted the brake callipers red, fitted flared wheel arches to accommodate the wider alloys, tinted the windows, a full colour coded body kit that matches the custom paint job, HID bulbs, and smoked rear light lenses, a tuned 2.0 turbo engine with dump valve and big bore exhaust.
• Citroen C4 (2004 - ) - 09 1.6 Fitting a towbar - "Trailer Stability Progr 30 Jan 2010 (Forum)
  I assume Citroën have actually gone to the trouble of recognising that a car behaves differently when towing a 5m trailer weighing a tonne plus, and if/when the driver has to brake hard or swerve, have worked out the safest way for the the car to respond, which will different from when without a trailer. And consequently by-passing this safety feature is irresponsible and could upset insurers in event of a big claim.
• Isuzu Trooper (1992 to 1998) - 96 3059 ABS G Sensor 27 Jan 2010 (Forum)
  Obviously, this takes the ABS off-line when it fails (which is during the driving off self-test, 100m or so from setting off) There are odd mentions of these failing on other imports (yes, I have Googled). Does any listmember have a suggestion as to what I can do? Driving backwards rapidly, then braking sharply seems to clear the fault, which points to something inside the switch, rather than the cabling, as does the fact that the ABS fail light will come typically when the vehicle has moved off the horizontal, sometimes even slightly.
• The 155mph electronic limiter. 23 Dec 2009 (Forum)
  With some of the most powerful saloons reportedly capable of 200+mph (M5, RS6 et al), are these cars actually engineered to cope with these speeds. I mean, in terms of brakes and suspension etc, a car that can do 200mph will need much more heavy-duty kit than one that will do 155mph. Do manufacturers actually design these cars with 200mph in mind and then fit a limiter?
• Porsche Boxster 986 + Boxster S (1996 - 2004) - Advice before I consider buying?! 14 Dec 2009 (Forum)
  Porsche main dealers quote £400 for annual servicing on the current Boxster, so I assume that a specialist would be cheaper. Parts also look fairly reasonable on general items like brake pads etc. What should I be aware of and wary of? Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated. Spottsy
• New car? Rover has come to the end of the road... 8 Dec 2009 (Forum)
  which has cost us a couple of hundred pounds a year on average to keep roadworthy, in addition to MOT and regular servicing costs. However - after some brake problems, the local indy has said that we're looking at £600 to get it through the next MOT, which is not due till May. I can only imagine that it'll be an upward spiral from here. So - bite the bullet and keep with a banger that costs us quite a bit to maintain, but has literally no value left to lose?
• After 40 years - first NIP 27 Nov 2009 (Forum)
  speed cameras also) and as I approached lights changed from green. One of those situations - shall I brake harshly or shall I go on - decided to go on - obviously a mistake. Probably the 1.31 seconds it took me to make the decision. Ironically, I am so often the one to be at the front of the queue that my wife mocks me about it and I have been known to stop at green lights because I assume they will always be red for me.
• Nissan Qashqai (2007 - ) - My QQ is OK 4 Nov 2009 (Forum)
  I picked up my QQ 1.5 Pure Drive DCI Accenta in early August this year and have clocked nearly 3000 miles and so far not had any probs. 6 gears took a little bit of getting used to but soon got the hang of it. 6th gear 80mph all day if it could and approx 49 mpg ain't at all bad for the size of the car. Hand brake now needs taking up a bit but thats no hassle. Fold away for parking W/Mirrors are handy as I have seen what sloppy drivers can do. Big W/Mirrors combined with the parking sensor are enough to get over the rear view, or lack of it.
• Audi A3 + S3 (2003 - 2008) - 07 2.0 Unusual throttle response 3 Nov 2009 (Forum)
  If I try it with the new one when I back off the throttle the engine revs stay the same and I have to hit the brake to prevent me from overshooting. I haven't tried it with the Stability Programme switched off yet but this does not seem a safe situation. Have any others out there experienced the same thing? I also notice that this engine is similar to the old types of turbo diesels whereby there is no response until about 1800 revs and then it goes very well.
• Massachusetts "right to repair" bill 20 Sep 2009 (Forum)
  http://www.patriotledger.com/opinions/x1916876377/COMMENTARY-Right-to-repair-bill-shifts-control-from-dealer-to-owner "Since the advent of congressionally mandated computers in vehicles more than 15 years ago (for emissions), cars have evolved into complex machines that are no longer just mechanical. Computers now monitor and control most systems in the car from brakes to tire pressure and all the electronics and engine fluids... [and] car manufacturers continue to hold back on some of the information that your mechanic needs in order to properly repair your car and reset your codes and warning lights...
• Ford Mondeo III (2000 - 2007) - 06 2.0Petrol hatch - shaking at Motorway speed 10 Sep 2009 (Forum)
  Its got a years warranty, but before I let a garage look at it, any ideas? Its recently had new front disk and pads, but it brakes from speed without any judder, so those should be OK. I'm thinking maybe a driveshaft is damaged, maybe its had a big clobber on a kerb at some point prior to my ownership?
• Volkswagen Polo III (2000 - 2002) - Advice please! Cat C - seller didn't declare 20 Aug 2009 (Forum)
  , liked it, had a local mechanic have a quick look at it and drive round the block - other than needing a couple of new tyres soon and some new brake pads, all looked rosie. Left a £50 deposit (overall price is £1300) - said to vendor, would need overnight to do an HPI check and pick up funds etc. Check the HPI ... and it says it is a Category C write off.
• Renault Laguna II (2001 - 2007) - 03 1.9 steering click/knock with strange torque st 15 Aug 2009 (Forum)
  . , sometimes happens when turning the steering wheel when car is stationary lock to lock. can also happen when driving straight if I put the engine under load such as quick acceleration and will then click/knock when I brake again ( engine mount maybe??) at the same time , what I just took to be torque steer ,being a fairly torquey engine is also giving cause for concern as seems to be worse know. The car pulls to the right under even light acceleration and when you come off the gas again the car pulls to the left ( tracking with new tyres just been done just incase), meanwhile feeling scarely vague. you can literally steer the car lane to lane on the motorway using only the gas pedal.
• MPG - How much is your banger costing you? 20 Jul 2009 (Forum)
  I've done the stats for my Corsa and I am getting 42mpg which is calculated from a pure city run sample. I do like to rev it a bit but I do avoid braking and drive very smoothly which is why I am probably getting a good MPG rate. My dad also drives smoothly but gets 12mpg less (his engine has lots of problems). So its all very well saying my banger costs me £500 a year in repairs (dads Fiesta) which is a lot cheaper than buying a new car but what about the fuel costs?
• Toyota Landcruiser 100 Amazon (1998 - 2008) - 96 4.5 automatic transmission "shift shock" 14 Jul 2009 (Forum)
  The 4.5 petrol model I purchased has some shift shock when the vehicle has been operated for a few miles, o.k. on first start of the morning when the transmission is cold'ish probabaly about 30 degrees C at 06:30 when off to work. The car had this problem when I purchased it, I thought a small adjustment to the brake bands would sort it out but there does not seem to be any way of tampering with this model! ouch. Does anyone have a fix? the filter has been replaced, £60 just for the bits and the oil replenished, a tube of silicone for the gasket will set you back 25 Omani Rials here, thats the thick end of £40!!!
• main dealers- service extras 8 Jun 2009 (Forum)
  Car in for a service, no faults, just a regular service. 2 hours later a 'phone call from the dealer."The brake discs are rimmed. There is a tyre nearing the safe tread limit. The cambelt is 'close' to needing to be replaced" All for a princely sum of course. So I asked if the discs are pitted. No was the answer.
• Vauxhall Vectra C (2002 - 2008) - 03 1.8 ABS system/speedo 4 Jun 2009 (Forum)
  Almost certain that it's the nearside wheel that's the > problem because some months ago it did work briefly when one mechanic > removed and cleaned the Brake Wear sensor, cleaned and replaced it. Since > changed this for a new one - no difference. Any ideas please?? > > >
• Three bulbs blown within 48 hours? Haunted car? 11 May 2009 (Forum)
  He was very proud of his acheivement until I pointed out the other tail light had gone! Anyway next day as my dad pulled up I had noticed a brake light had failed, off to petrol station new bulb in. It has been ok since (over 100 miles now) and I have checked the alternator which is reading 14.06v and peaks to around 14.15v when reved so electrical system seems fine?
• Cars are too good for most of us now. 24 Apr 2009 (Forum)
  You have been taught to abuse the clutch by your driving instructor and are too damn thick to stop doing it. And it costs you. And you whinge. Same sort of thing with firm, sporting brake setups. Mimse around town in your 911 without ever giving it a proper blast on twisty roads and the rear discs get severely corroded through total lack of use. Wouldn't most of you be happier in buses and taxis?