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• Any - Another "What to buy" thread! 16 Sep 2025 (Forum)
  Current vehicle is a diesel 2014 Audi Q3 and will be used for his daily commute and longer trips, so she is looking for a run around for local use. Must be big enough to fit two child car seats and buggy in the boot. Budget of £7.5k but could be stretched a bit, has driveway so could consider electric / PHEV.  What suggestions can we come up with?
• Fewer 'glass palaces'? 15 Feb 2025 (Forum)
  Two main dealers in Bradford - Mercedes and Audi - have recently closed (as well as smaller family owned main dealerships) and whilst in Wakefield at the weekend I noticed a couple of empty main dealer car showrooms.  Some reasons I thought why this may be the case, Glass palaces too expensive to run. New cars sales dominated by very large groups.  Stratstone (Pendragon group) and Sytner in case of Merc and Audi above. Change in buying habits and shopping online for best deals.
• Skoda Octavia SW 1.0 TSI-Peugeot 308 SW 1.5 130hp 25 Jan 2025 (Forum)
  I want to purchase a used estate car. My last car was a Renault Clio estate 1.5 90 hp, which was reliable and with reasonable running and maintenance costs. I need something bigger, roomier and more powerful.  My budget is quiet low though. What i can afford is cars like Skoda Octavia SW 1.0 TSI (before 2020) and Peugeot 308 SW 1.5 130hp.
• Cmax 1.0l ecoboost!! - It is likely my wet belt will fail without warning 18 Jan 2025 (Forum)
  Just bought a 62 plate 65m on clock and the belt hasn’t yet been done. Full service history though and runs beautifully Do I just need to get the belt done asap or can I assume some warnings such as noises/low oil pressure warning as suggested on lots of websites… Thanks for sharing your experience as to whether you’ve seen one ‘go’ without any warning!
• Any - Listening to the radio while parked 28 Aug 2024 (Forum)
  This doesn't seem to be possible with a post 2016 ICE car without running the engine. The electrics go into a sleep mode after a few minutes and turn off the audio system. Couldn't do it in my 2021 Duster. Present car is a little better, Clio E tech hybrid. If the car is put into Ready To Drive mode, the radio will stay on, with the engine firing up occasionally to keep the batteries charged up.
• Audi A3 2015. 2.0 TDI - TDI 184 main fan comes on a lot, where is CTS? 24 Oct 2023 (Forum)
  Hi all, my main cooling fan comes on when it likes, sometimes 30 seconds after running the car!   Never overheats, temp gauge rises to the middle and stays there!  My mechanic read the codes and said Coolant temp sensor no.2 shows no reading, and is U/S! I have bought both CTS anyway, PN 059919501a, the smaller one, and the other, PN 8170794RMP Where are these located, and are they easy to swap out?
• Ford cmax 1.6 tdci 2011 - Cmax over cooling 28 Dec 2022 (Forum)
  My cmax coolant reaches 85c eventually on a run then drops back to 60 it will not reach proper operating temperature without alot of revs. If I turn off the heater in the car it will then work OK until I turn it back on. I have changed the thermostat and sender.
• What happens if..? 6 Jan 2021 (Forum)
  Idly watching some of these dash cam clips on you tube which, tbh , a lot of aggro could be avoided if the dash cammer, was the bigger person and just let it go, anyhoo, I’m sure you’ve all seen the car in front takes umbridge at being honked at and decides to take action usually by brake testing the driver behind even coming to a complete stop daring the car behind to run into the back of them, so what would happen in this scenario? would there be any defence if it was shown that the other driver made a dangerous manoeuvre and the car behind ran into the back of them?
• Vauxhall Meriva 2011 - Coil Pack broken in service/MOT - who pays? 14 Jul 2020 (Forum)
  The mechanic told me that the coil pack broke (they showed it to me, and one of the arms was completely snapped off) They were a bit vague about it, but I got the impression that they were saying it broke when they were trying to do something with it, rather than that it was broken when I delivered the car. (and the car seemed to be running fine when I took it in) I haven't had the invoice yet. Who should be paying for the new coil pack? thanks.
• Fiat Ducato 2007 2.2 Diesel Turbo 86k - Diesel Blow By! 26 Jun 2020 (Forum)
  All was working great with decent service history. however when performing a blow by test (taking the engine cap off when running engine on idle) it was producing a fair amount of smoke..No smoke coming out of exhaust at all. Is this normal or way to much to be healthy? Could it indicate failure of injectors, valves?  Video links attached.
• Driver smashed my already half functioning mirror 15 Apr 2020 (Forum)
  Now a car smashed into it and completely knocked it off. They smashed the mirror glass aswell. Hit and run, but I have a witness with VRN. Witness says that perpetrator took picture of damage and drove off, so presumably some tape will be visible. My question is what am I entitled to as far as claiming from their insurance?
• Daily hill start: revs and gear selection 23 Feb 2020 (Forum)
  It doesn't sound like a big deal but as it's something I'll be doing almost daily, I could really do damage in the long run if I'm doing it wrong.
• BMW i3 - An icon gets a reprieve 20 Feb 2020 (Forum)
  With a body made carbon fibre, sets made from recycled bottles, even the key is made from castor beans in a factory powered by hydro it should be renamed the Greta. I loved the idea of the BMW motorcycycle engine in the rear just in case the charge runs out, this car is an icon. Brilliant performance but expensive to make, even the £31,850 price tag with the government grant which dissapears soon, doesn't cover the manufacturing costs.
• Pugeot 3008 2.0hdi auto Mk1 - are they any good? 4 Feb 2020 (Forum)
  As I will covering over 15k per annum with the bulk on motorways, I am erring to the 2 litre as it will be less stressed for the longer runs. I was thinking of a kuga, but I have read bad things about the powershift boxes Are there any other makes and models I should be considering, a Mokka or IX35?
• 2006 Kia Carens Diesel 27 Dec 2019 (Forum)
  My question is would this car with a diesel engine be ok for a daily commute round trip of 15 miles or do you think the DPF would get clogged in the long run? Thanks as always for your help peeps and enjoy the rest of your Christmas!! :)  
• Vauxhall Corsa - Engine needs gas to start 16 Dec 2019 (Forum)
  When I turn the key in the ignition I need to give the car some gas in order for it to start. This seems to happen every time I start the car. Other than that the car seems to be running well but I must be honest, I am clueless when it comes to cars! My husband tells me this shouldn't be happening. Opinions please. 
• All makes - Contaminated Fuel 15 Nov 2019 (Forum)
  The water collects in the base of the storage tank and is mixed with fuel when a delivery takes or the tank runs low. So maybe avoid any station where there is a tanker in attendance . Has anyone had problems like this which can destroy an engine and turbo ?
• Honest John questions 30 Sep 2019 (Forum)
  Gob smacked at the advice What is the best automatic diesel car for taxi use please? Skoda Superb. Great value for money, practical and cheap to run. Also consider a Vauxhall Insignia or, if you'd prefer something a bit smaller, a Honda Civic. Awful advice The trade has avoided the superb due to the cheese made automatic and higher price and parts compared to the Rapid and Octavia The trade has avoided the Vauxhall Insignia is a complete dog The trade has avoided the Honda Civic as it’s not big enough and the estate is rare and expensive There have been quite a few bits of bad advice but this one is particularly bad 
• ford connect 1,8 td 2005 - not starting 19 Feb 2019 (Forum)
  trying to start sons van, changed fuel filter has not much fuel at injector when cracked nut, changed filer which ive done meny times ,when cracking injector pipes half a turn with engine on starter no 1,2 and 4 dribble fuel out wherhas no 3 squirts out. now the van packed up a few weeks ago running rough and black smoke, then would not start, no faults showing when plugged in. now im thinking no 3 is not letting fuel in or nos 1 2 4 pipes are not pressurising, any ideas
• any - That 20mph limit 5 Oct 2018 (Forum)
    Leaving aside the question of whether they serve much purpose except at the start and end of the school day, what is the thinking (if any) as regards aerial pollution? Assuming that a car's engine runs somewhere near the optimum rev band much of the time, it seems to follow that if these limits were observed it would take cars 50% longer to cross a zone at 20mph than at 30mph, thereby polluting similarly more.