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• Ford Fiesta (1995 - 1999) - 1999 1.3l - will i ever have music again!! 29 Mar 2008 (Forum)
  hi, im really hoping someone can help me, i have a 1999 ford fiesta and the stereo in it has died on me... i got a flat battery a few weeks back and asked a friend to come out n jump start me...i assumed he knew what he was doing but got suspicious when spark and smoke started coming off my engine...i think he'd either let the leads touch or wired them up wrong...anyway after a small panic we finally got my car going and everything is fine except that my radio just does not work now it doesnt even switch on to allow me to put the code in or anything...i changed the fuse in the box to the bottom right of the steering wheel...i went to halford who got radio out for me (it was factory fitted) and recommended getting a new radio from a scrap yard...
• Renault Clio II (2001 - 2007) - 02 Clio Locking/Unlocking & Starting problem 9 Nov 2007 (Forum)
  1.4 16V Dynamique+ 2002 Clio (petrol). Over 1year ago spare remote key fob ceased working although nothing wrong with battery, and I am sure that I now have to stand closer to the car for the working key to operate (anyone else had this or is it me?). In past few weeks have experienced intermittent inability to either: a) lock the car with remote fob; taking up to 10 attempts of turning car on/off/pressing fob b) start car - turn key in ignition all dash lights/stereo etc switch on but engine does nothing.
• Peugeot 405 Diesel (1988 - 1996) - 96 TD Central Locking Problem 4 Sep 2007 (Forum)
  The car had been standing for a couple of weeks whilst I was away, and when I came back I changed the batteries in the keyfob, as I had been locking and unlocking the car using the key for the last year or so. After using the remote to unlock the car (for the first time since I had been back) it began developing a fault - only the front doors would lock and unlock with the central locking using either the remote or the key, and then it wouldn't lock and unlock at all using the remote, and when using the key - only the front door that you used the key in would unlock.
• Galaxy Air Con 22 Feb 2007 (Forum)
  A garage he went to removed the clutch from the end of the compressor and told him this was the problem so this was the first thing I decided to check. As there was no power to the comp. I rigged uo a lead from a battery and low and behold, the clutch on the comp. moves in and out as it should so I am going to discount this?. I have checked all the fuses which are ok and am now at a bit of a loss as to where to look now.
• 4x4's & sports cars priced off the road 19 Jan 2007 (Forum)
  Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas will instead impose on car manufacturers such stringent carbon emission targets that it will become near-impossible for them to build the things. It may be his dream to see the whole of Europe tootling around in battery-powered dodgems, but this will, we predict, end in tears. A politician ? even one of the unelected, unaccountable Brussels variety ? comes between a motorist and his brake horse-power at his peril.
• Electrical problems Skoda Fabia tdi 7 Sep 2006 (Forum)
  leaving the engine running as I knew the problem would go away if I stopped it. After head scratching they decided that the fault lay in a damaged electrical lead from the battery to somewhere?, replaced it and all seemed well. We drove to the UK & back, 6000 km inc. running around there and happily tootled around locally here for a total of about 10,000km since the "fix" until the problem re-surfaced a week or so ago.
• Audi A4 Tdi (90BHP) no boost & noisy 4 May 2006 (Forum)
  I pulled over and disconnected the plug, no difference, left the car for a while, no change. Disconnected the battery...no change. I'm at the loss..as I'm not to sure what this valve does or what state is should be in.....can anyone pleaseeeee help....... I have looked in the haynes and it basically tells me nothing, it refers to the Boost Valve and a charge valve, are these the same thing.
• protecting new car 23 Jan 2006 (Forum)
  Is there anything else that I should be doing, while it's still reasonably clean and rust free? Any protection that I should apply in the engine bay? Such as applying vasoline on battery contacts or WD40 in the engine bay (and if so, I've absolutely no idea where, or if this would actually harm electrics)... Also, are products that claim to keep windows free of moisture worth applying, or are they just gimmicks?
• X Reg Corsa Starting Probs 13 Oct 2005 (Forum)
  In fact I got all the way to work and experienced no more problems. So, what should I check first, battery, starter, auto choke or something else? Hate taking car to a garage when I haven?t a clue what the fault is!! Thanks p.s. its an x reg 1.2 16v corsa
• Reprogram Avensis key - one for No Dosh? 22 Apr 2004 (Forum)
  No Dosh, didn't you have an Avensis? I just changed the batteries in one of my 1998 Avensis' black keys. Now the key will remotely lock the car, but not unlock it. It will unlock the car manually via the driver's door, but the alarm goes off when I open the door.
• Keep the bonnet shut!! 18 Mar 2004 (Forum)
  Low coolant / overheating. Yaris has no temp gauge just blue thermometer on start up and red if things overheat. Batteries sealed for life but charge indicator obviously standard. Low washer bottle contents warning e.g. Focus. So why open the bonnet? All the vehicles I have been involved with have the washer bottle in with the engine or in the front wing and you need to lift the bonnet for access.
• Towing 23 Feb 2004 (Forum)
  Oh what fun it was...to tow a SAAB 9000 with no means of clutch disengagement for nigh on seventy miles last night. Because it was only clutch actuation at fault, we left the engine idling on the SAAB so had no battery drain issues, and reassuringly for me driving and owning the car in front, full servo braking and powered steering! Solid, instant, torque from our manual gearbox V70 2.4T made the towing part a breeze, but there were a few BOING, Boing, boing, bng, bg moments along the way when I was hauling the SAAB in to the biggest roundabout gap he was ever gong to get, when the driver would then lose his nerve, stand on the brakes, and decide to wait for Christmas.
• Fiat Cinquecento problems 6 Mar 2002 (Forum)
  When this didn't work they took it in again and said that the computer kept telling them it was one fault and then the other (low battery voltage was a common theme). Nothing they tried actually worked so they can now only suggest that they take the car in and 'have a good look around' (at £40/hour!) Today I had an interesting development: when the car goes into a mad revving stage it is calmed down when I remove either of the coils (but still keeps running).
• Unbeleivable car stories. 25 Aug 2001 (Forum)
  So I looked around and thought my old Viva wasn't used, put that in the hole and slabbed over it. That was a good motor, you could dig it up now and it would only need the battery charging to start first time." He could always get anything cheap as well, till you actually said you'd have it. "Got a mate with some new video recorders, boxed and everything there for £50. (This was when they were all £400+)."
• Car breakdown woes 19 Oct 2006 (Forum)
  Once most of the way there, we noticed a strange smell, something like sulphur, and by the time we had reached our destination, having talked to the [BREAKDOWN SERVICE] who could offer no advice on route, the smell was very strong and we all felt ill. On opening the bonnet, I could see that the battery was steaming. I rang the [BREAKDOWN SERVICE] again, and they dispatched a tow truck. Within two minutes of arriving, the recovery outfit had put a voltage meter on the battery, and diagnosed that the voltage regulator on the alternator had failed, explaining the battery boiling and venting sulphuric acid.
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  The car I recently purchased has several faults - what are my rights? 8 Nov 2021 (Ask HJ)
  We’ve purchased a 2019 Nissan Qashqai and in the 10 days we've had it we've had a number of problems with it. We had tyre pressure warning light come...
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  Do tyres wear more quickly on EVs? 17 Jun 2025 (Ask HJ)
  I bought my Skoda Enyaq from a Skoda dealership this year with 7400 miles. A 12V battery issue meant a return to the dealer and to my shock they recommended...
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  Should I hold my CVT gearbox on the brake? 20 Jan 2025 (Ask HJ)
  Having replaced the earlier model we now have a Jazz CVT which does twice the mpg on narrow hilly Cornish lanes. I drive as economically as I can but wonder...
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  Can you recommend an electric SUV? 4 May 2022 (Ask HJ)
  I am contemplating changing my large automatic SUV vehicle to an electric or plug-in hybrid. I don’t quite understand the cost of charging compared to...
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  What tracker systems do you recommend? 20 Aug 2019 (Ask HJ)
  I am buying a 2016 Range Rover Sport and my insurers say I must have a tracker fitted. Is there a way to check if it already has one? Do you recommend...