Refine by channel:  Ask HJ (4850)    Forum (3079)    News (1038)    Article (78)    productReview (77)    FAQs (16)    Good Garages (7)  

Sort by: Relevance | Newest first | Oldest first

• Toyota Avensis, Honda Accord - Auto Avensis, Accord or something else for <£3k 12 Oct 2014 (Forum)
    I'm tired of driving small hatches and now want something with a smooth ride, a comfy and spacious interior, decent acceleration, but still reliable, economical and relatively low maintenance. Oh yes, and it must be automatic. I am planning to keep the car until it runs out of steam completely so am not worried too much about resale value. So far, I am thinking of buying a large engined petrol and then converting it to LPG after a few months.
• Renault Grand Scenic 6 years old, 60000miles - Renault Scenic loss of power/handbrake fault 30 Aug 2014 (Forum)
   The only issue I've noticed on the rest of the drive was that my driver side windo would only move in small movements and wouldn;t shut automatically when the car was locked.   the AA checked the alternator, which was fine, and just suggested I get a new battery which I will do today.   Any thoughts on if this sounds like a battery issue or something more serious?.
• Skoda Yeti 4x4 140/Skoda Octavia 1.6 Estate - General 1 Aug 2014 (Forum)
  It has more than enough power, is very quiet and smooth particularly with the 7 speed DSG box and the money saved over the 2.0 is sufficient to go for Elegance trim which gives satnav, bluetooth and a decent DAB radio plus automatic wipers and headlights. Added to which it is beautifully built and frankly I prefer mine to a new Audi A4 Estate which we also have at work. The cost saving vv the Audi is of course is a no brainer.
• Ford Tourneo Connect - Ford Tourneo Connect 28 Jun 2014 (Forum)
  Surely the powertrain is used for much higher weights on other Ford products. Is the rear end of a TC made of plasticine?  Oh and what happened to the automatic version which got mentioned in the pre-launch publicity but doesn't appear in the UK brochure?
• Travelling to buy a (used approved) car? 22 May 2014 (Forum)
  What are peoples opinions on travelling for a used car?  It seems all the best ones (Toyota Avensis, Estate, Automatic) are 150-200 miles from me, and a 2.5-3 hour journey away.   How does this work? Do you negotiate over the phone, then travel down, test drive, (and if all is ok) leave your old car with them and drive the new one home?
• Any Make or Model - Tagging for Disqualified Drivers and Car Thieves 15 Jan 2014 (Forum)
  Adressing the theme of how can we use technology to the benefit of 'decent, honest hardworking Familes' (to paraphrase DC) then two items in the Birmingham Mail gave me an idea for discussion in the HJ Forum, namely those offenders associated with habitual crimes such as car theft, or dangerous driving/driving whilst disqualified could be fitted with an electronic tag that automatically imobilises any car they attempt to drive - in the same way that all modern cars are imobilised until the valid ignition key is detected/inserted by the built in security systems. The two links below are posted as examples and to encourage you to give your support to demand the introduction of this or similar technology:   http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/dudley-man-jailed-after-100mph-6466448 http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/man-arrested-over-100k-car-6467945 The socio-political argument might go something like this: "Whilst habitual criminals have human rights and the right to a normal family life, the general law - abiding public also have the right to a much better level of protection from the harm and distress caused by the failure of our judicial system to properly and effectively deal with these types of offender" 
• Volvo V70 - Which Volvo estate, or something else? 11 Jan 2014 (Forum)
  This would be a budget taxi for the growing brood, but I still enjoy driving and have a special love of Volvos, having lived in Sweden. My thoughts are to look for: Classic 2.4 petrol, 170bhp, automatic, maybe with the 7 seat option, with as much fsh and as low mileage as I can find, then to keep it going ... forever! Some questions which you may be able to help me with please: 1.
• Dexron III instead of Dexron II 1 Oct 2013 (Forum)
  At some point I will be changing the transmission fluid on my 1995 Toyota Celica 2.0i 16v (175bhp) Automatic. It is a 4-speed arranged as 3plus O/drive button, as Ithink most Toyota autos are. It is 6th Generation Celica (one with 4 separate headlights) The car is a grey import by the way ( I am not sure if transmissions differ to UK spec Celica.)
• Any - Narrowing down new car options 14 Mar 2013 (Forum)
  I intend to keep the car for at least 3 years Options so far include: Honda Civic EX - 1.8 Petrol     (Manual) Honda Accord - 2.2 Diesel     (Manual/auto) VW Golf - 2.0 Diesel     (Manual) Lexus IS220 - 2.2 Diesel     (Manual) Lexus IS250 - 2.5 Petrol     (Automatic)  
• Ford C-max 1.6 TDCI CVT - Ford CFT23 CVT (C-max or Focus) 24 May 2012 (Forum)
  Hello, I after some advice from a Automatic Gearbox Guru. My sister owns a Ford C-Max 1.6 TDCI CVT 55k miles-ish that’s packed up can get a bit of Reverse but no Drive. I drained the ATF and only about 4 litres came out I was expecting more like 6-7 based on the 8.9 litres that Ford say should be in the gearbox system.
• VW POLO Auto LHD 1.4 2001, - Rumbling noise steering left while driving 27 Mar 2012 (Forum)
  Hi there, I really would appreciate help with this. I own a VW POLO from 2001. Its automatic and Left Hand Drive. Only has 35K miles on the clock.  While driving at any speed there is a low rumble when turning left. It is also associated with a related slight vibration that I feel through the steering column.
• economical car recommendations? 13 Oct 2011 (Forum)
  I'd be really grateful for some guidance on getting a new car. My criteria are: diesel good fuel economy automatic I would prefer: cheaper end of the insurance bracket 1.6 - 2l engine (I assume that's reasonable? Don't want it to struggle on the motorways) I'd also welcome advice on leasing vs buying.
• VW/Golf 2002 1.9TDI gearbox problem - Gear Box 9 Feb 2011 (Forum)
  Hello everyone I have a golf gt tdi 130 bhp 02 plate... its done 106k... Automatic gearbox Few months ago i coudn't put the gear into reverse, i switched off/on the car then it started working.  A week ago, i was driving normally, i stopped on the side of the road to reverse and it went back few yards but felt something has slipped and car just stooped and would not engage into reverse i switched off/on the car but reverse woudn't work...Now each time I put the car in reverse it feels like the engine gets pressure but and slowly tries to move back but its like in nuetral. its a 5 speed gear box all the rest of the gear works fine with no problem   I have no idea where to go and what to do as few mechanics tell me I need to get the gear box changed completely, which seems a very expensive idea.
• VW Sharan SE 2001 - Engine Cuts off ! 6 Feb 2011 (Forum)
    Fuel is passing thorough (checked it when filter was removed).  The engine does start but then stops automatically within 5 mins. Now it no longer starts immediately. I have to leave the engine cold for nearly 30 mins before i get the coil ight on and then it will start. The delay seems to be getting longer.
• Ford Focus - LPG system failure 15 Jan 2011 (Forum)
  About 3 weeks ago the LPG system stopped working for around 2-3 days (i.e. total power loss when the engine warmed up enought to automatically switch over to LPG). Then, just as suddenly as it stopped working, it started again and worked for a few days. It then stopped working nearly 2 weeks ago and has not worked at all since then, however I must add that i'm running the car on petrol at the moment, with no problems  apart from the huge expense, doubling my fuel costs overnight!
• renaut grande espace - renaut espace electrical nightmare 26 Nov 2010 (Forum)
  IN the middle of all this when we were getting upset they admitted that they drained the battery when trying to bring the car into the garage as I left it parked outside when I dropped it. they couldn't get it to move and ended up draining battery (I assuem) na dhad to push it into garage.Then it wouldnt start. Once ECU replaced car would start but electric throughout car had gone - automatic handbreak, dashboard, AC etc. car was moved to renaut garage and has been away from us for about 8 weeks in total. We feel that this was probably caused by them although they say these things happen in such cars.
• 
  Should I renew my warranty which covers my Audi's DSG gearbox? 4 Sep 2010 (Ask HJ)
  I need to know about the long term reliability of the Volkswagen Audi DSG automatic gearbox. My car is an 06 plate with 50,000 miles and I bought it from...
• 
  What can we replace our CR-V with for towing a caravan? 29 Aug 2010 (Ask HJ)
  I currently own a Honda CR-V 2.0 ES automatic on an 02 plate. We would like to buy a caravan, but would like something more economical and better for towing....
• 
  Why does my Vauxhall Zafira started losing power? 2 Aug 2010 (Ask HJ)
  My 2002 Zafira 1.8 Elegance automatic has started losing power when being driven at a steady speed. It works well at lower speeds or in narrow country...
• 
  Who can value my Subaru Legacy taking its LPG conversion into account? 7 Jul 2010 (Ask HJ)
  My 2007 Subaru Legacy REN automatic petrol is factory-fitted for LPG fuel. It's done 37,500 miles from new, is dealership maintained and in excellent condition....