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• VW Touran 1.6 TDI - Engine mount and cam belt 20 Aug 2022 (Forum)
    When the car was dropped at the garage they suggested that they would not have had to remove much to install the cambelt - so indicating it was probably not them.  The only good news is the engine still runs, but very concerned about the damage that may have been cause with the engine dropping down on one side.  Thanks
• Mazda 3, 2.0 skyactiv petrol, 2015 - Fuel economy- short trips 13 Jun 2022 (Forum)
  We’ve had our car for just over a year, but it’s really poor on fuel on short journeys, if we don’t have a motorway trip on a full tank full then it averages below 25mpg, this is checked by amount of miles to fuel used, not through the cars reading, it’s fully serviced with the correct oil, filters and spark plugs, non of the brakes are bing either, I’m wondering if it’s just the short runs that cause this or if I should be looking for any other issues, motorway journeys average 45mpg, we never had this problem with our 1.8 mk8 civic.
• Victory! 8 May 2022 (Forum)
  Thanks to VW’s inability to give us a build date let alone a delivery date on swmbo’s new ID3, I have managed to talk her into buying a good used petrol or diesel car more akin to my motoring beliefs instead. The search is ongoing but I’m running into the usual problem of almost every used car I look at having b***** awful poor quality paint repairs, missing or incomplete service histories and/or obviously wound back mileages. I can’t believe the condition Honda are allowing their dealers to present so-called approved used stock in.
• Peugeot 107 - Strange one 27 Feb 2022 (Forum)
  Difficult to diagnosis a fault when I'm so far away but anyone ( Doc) got any thoughts? Just to be clear the cars running as normal now.  
• Skoda Superb Estate - Petrol or Plug-in Hybrid Superb estate? 12 Feb 2022 (Forum)
  I can't decide which one is better, a superb estate petrol only or a plugin hybrid?  Both are less worry about range, but I am concerned about upfront cost, running cost, and maintenance costs. Insurance group and road tax is also different between the two. Upfront cost seems higher for plugin hybrid. But does it break even (battery will get worse over time especially with uk climate) ?
• SEAT Ibiza - Returning a car to dealership - legal rights 14 Jul 2021 (Forum)
  Hello, Recently I bought a Seat Ibiza (2009) for my first car, in the first 10 days of driving, a fuel injector has gone. I’ve decided to completely return and refund the car which was bought from a family run garage. At first they said there is a 25p charge for every mile I have put on, and then it went up to 45p and now they’re trying 75p. In any case this wouldn’t be a big deal, however I have put 700 miles on (which they know).
• MG TF - space saver wheels 5 May 2021 (Forum)
  Problem the TF has different width tyres front(195) and back(215) plus the tyres are directional meaning four spare wheels. Can I have one spare wheel 195 tyre to match the more important front end that can run in either direction, paint it black and add a 50mph sticker to mimic a space saver. Does anyone have any idea of the legalities involved  
• Honda Accord - Windscreen lack trim detraching 3 Mar 2021 (Forum)
  I  run a September 2009 1.8 Auto. I took it with mileage of 29 in Feb 2000, it had been sitting on a dealer forecourt for close on six months, so I got a good price. I've always followed Hon John's advice and changed the oil every 5k or six months and the car has never let me down in 173k.The trim that seals the front screen to the body now protrudes at both front top corners.
• Ford fiesta 1.6 zetec s - Can I put new mintex m1144 pads on used brake disc 23 Feb 2021 (Forum)
  They look pretty much brand new and have no abnormal wear or vibration issues or anything. Would I be alright to put new mintex m1144 pads on those discs? Would I run into any issues? Thank you for any advice/help. 
• Vauxhall Astra F (1991 - 1998) - 96 1.4 Engine fires but will not start. 11 Feb 2021 (Forum)
  I hope a motor repair Guru out there can help me before I loose it and scrap the car, but it's only got around 60,000 on the clock and the engine when running is sweet.
• Nissan X-Trail 2017 - Engine failure 10 Feb 2021 (Forum)
  Just wondered if this is something we just have to suck up and move on or can we take it any further for the failure at such low mileage. It wasn’t run low on oil or abused, just started knocking one morning after a cold start and then stopped. Any advice would be much appreciated. 
• 2005 VW Polo 1.2 - P0172 - Fuel Trim too Rich 1 Feb 2021 (Forum)
  I replaced the catalytic converter two weeks ago, along with the pre and post lambda sensors - the converter had a hole in it so needed doing. Brand new OEM parts were used. The car has been running perfectly since (it was very sluggish and used tons of fuel). I now have error code P0172 coming up. The car is again noticeably sluggish when accelerating between 1500 and 2000 RPM. Fuel economy seems fine.
• Inspirational or a disaster ? - DeLorean 31 Jan 2021 (Forum)
  Essentially an engineer but with a flair for marketing he pulled off some amazing projects when at GM making them a fortune in the process. He later complained that GM was run by too many bean counters and not enough engineers .  But what wasn’t clear was the role of Graham Chapman and Fred Bushell from Lotus. And whether the project was responsible for their demise ?
• EVERYONE WHO BOUGHT IN LAST 2 YEARS or LOOKING NOW 3 Jan 2021 (Forum)
  Dear All, happy new year!! I am running a survey to try to understand more about the car buying process for a potential idea I had. I would be MASSIVELY grateful if those who have bought a car in the past 2 years or are currently looking now could kindly take this survey.
• citroen g4 picasso - stop start 14 Dec 2020 (Forum)
  So far I've seen stuff about alternator , belt tensioners, starter motor and battery which all make sense , however the question I have is if fixed under warranty ( great ) but is it worth the overall hassle that may come from stop start wear and tear and so far in my research questionable savings and that maybe just turn it off for good AND is it ok to turn it off in the long run.  regards  tom
• Any - Light Duty Impact Wrench 11 Sep 2020 (Forum)
        (Apologies for the Chinese, though Chinese isn't really my fault.) As long as it isn’t complete junk. a cheap light duty impact wrench that runs off a car battery makes sense for very infrequent DIY use, though it makes no commercial sense if its only available in Taiwan, where the market for such a thing will be tiny. Someone on the local expat forum bought one for a job on his scooter, which it did, but havn't heard anything more.
• Chevrolet Spark - Brake pipe corroded and Front Suspension arm brush 9 Sep 2020 (Forum)
  Hi, I gave my chevrolet spark 2012, 33k run for MOT, I got below advisories Nearside Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material front to rear (1.1.11 (c)) Offside Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material front to rear (1.1.11 (c)) Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i)) Our mechanic gave a quote of £80 (labour + parts) for the brake pipe corrosion and £80 (parts alone) for the front suspension.
• 1976 Earls Court motor show (Thames TV) 6 Sep 2020 (Forum)
  Highlights for me were the Lancia Gamma and Monte Carlo, and the Colt Sigma (family friend had one, metallic brown of course) "which will happily run on two star petrol"!. Also didn't realise that Vauxhall were in such a precarious position? And of course given the current market, the electric car near the end has to be mentioned, not so much for the car itself, but for the hopelessly optimistic future predictions of battery range and tehnology (within the next 10 years), a car capable of 80mph with a 500 mile range........!!
• Skoda Octavia Mk3 1.5 TSI DSG hatch - New Car Oil & Filter Change at 1,000miles? 26 Jul 2020 (Forum)
    Is it worthwhile booking it in (and me paying for) at 1,000 mile point a simple engine oil and filter change by the Skoda dealer?   As an engineer, I fully understand that machines do need to be run in and some early wear/oil contamination is likely.  I want to keep the car for up to five years, so early care might be prudent??  What are your thoughts?  Anyone else done a similar thing?
• Tips on which used car? 2 Jun 2020 (Forum)
  Ideally we are looking for a small car for weekend use. Occasional driving on a motorway (so perhaps not a car with a 1.0 engine), cheap to run, 5 doors, and ultimately reliable. In terms of budget we are happy to go up to £5,000 BUT will go for the cheapest type of car we can get which matches what we want..... Thank you!