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• Peugeot 306 diesel been swimming 26 Nov 2006 (Forum)
  I havent examined it yet but Im told its running on 3 cylinders (and so it should be cheap. )I wondered if anybody had experience of water damage - I suppose if somehow water got down the air intake because the bow wave was like that of a cross chanel ferry it could be a big problem. (bent con rod ?) On the other hand is it possible that one of the common rail injectors has packed in?
• Which diesel saloon for around £2,500? 11 Nov 2006 (Forum)
  I did post on here recently about a 1999 Laguna 1.9TD estate I saw on ebay but rapidly lost my enthusiasm after reading everyone's comments! I'd like something reliable and economical with air con, ABS and a CD player, in other words, a lot of car for not a lot of money! TIA.
• How much to spend on a first time driver 20 Sep 2006 (Forum)
  Now my problem is I know most people say get an old banger if its her first car cos she will probably crash it, and she can use the bangeer to get experience before getting her a proper car.......but if she does have a crash I don't want her to be in some tin can! Also if she is gonna be driving me around, i need air con, and I hate the idea of her driving around in a potentially lethal tin can with no creature comforst whatsoever.! So should I buy her a banger (£500-£1000), or maybe spend around £2-3k on her first car.
• Renault Scenic Tdci auxilliary belt 9 Jan 2006 (Forum)
  Anyone out there tried to change the auxilliary (serpentine) belt on an '02 Scenic dci with air-con. A friend had a garage fit the above belt which a few days later decided to throw itself off the pulleys. Upon looking, it appears the belt was fitted one ridge misaligned over the pulley flange/tensioner as one rib had seperated from the belt and then caused the whole belt to jump and wind itself around the crank pulley - all this at motorway speeds.
• Ford Focus 1.8 TDDi zetec 2001 Query 17 May 2005 (Forum)
  My son has looked around and finally decided he would like a Ford Focus 1.8 TDDi Zetec 2001 51 reg with 67k miles.Silver, FSH, sun roof, CD player (multi) but no air con. The car is in good condition apart from a knocking sound under the rear when test driven. The guy who owns the garage that is selling it says that will be sorted. He has a very good reputation locally, is quite elderly and one of 'the old school'which is very pleasant!
• Audi A6 2.5tdi Quattro?Watch out! 12 May 2005 (Forum)
  Its got 131000 miles with full Audi service history. Is this asking price reasonable? (the car does have full leather,climate control,air con,alloys etc) Also what sort of mileages can these cars realistically run to? What do I need to watch out on this car Also never had an AUdi Quattro before so what do i need to watch/listen out for?
• HJ's bias against 'imports'? 4 Dec 2003 (Forum)
  MX5s built for the Japanese market (correctly named Eunos Roadsters) are actually much better equipped than their UK counterparts. Generally a Roadster will come with standard leather and air con, sometimes with abs too. Also, the Japanese appear to drive their cars 'less' so average mileage is much lower. So why stay away from an import? Mechanically virtually the same, the only real differences are the shape of the rear number plate and a kph speedo!
• Omega...Worth a try? 18 Jun 2003 (Forum)
  I'm pretty poor so I'm only looking to spend around £1000 to £1500 max, but I don't do a huge amount of miles per annum..less than 8000 a year. I'd like something with lots of toys, like air con and stuff, and I've started looking at Vauxhall Omegas, cos I like the styling and I've heard they are a nice drive. I've seen lots of nice looking examples in my price range...for instance, I saw a nice N reg 2.5 CD model with 100K miles for £1200...but it sold before I got a chance to look at it.
• 306 cutting out 27 Jan 2003 (Forum)
  When i am driving the car it will cut out with no warning, all of the power goes, the radio turns off and i am then stranded until the car rolls to a stop. The car will then turn over and start up with no problems. It seems worse when i am running the air con, a little extra load on the engine seems to cause this fault. I took in back to the garage yesterday 29/08/02 for 20000 miles service and still the cutting off problem. What a suprise they could not find any problems, they now want the car for a week to try and find out what is causing this fault.
• Ka3 a/c glitch 23 Sep 2002 (Forum)
  Hello All, I'd appreciate some techies input on this problem please. The car is a '98 Ka3 and has just developed an air con problem. Until recently it was perfect but it ain't getting cold any more! When I turn on the a/c, the orange light comes on on the button and I can hear the compressor kicking in (or trying to).
• focus estate problems any advice please 18 Feb 2002 (Forum)
  with my new second hand focus i have a few problems can anyone please offer advice on the following: 1 creaking rear offside door. when you close the door it makes terrrible creaking noise. oil? or structural? 2 air con smells of chemicals - is this dangerous? how can i get rid of 3 rear hatch doesnt open fully - gas lift problem? or just oiling bits? 4 front driver electric window opens all the way despite very short press on the control. passenger side only opens all way if hold swithc down momentarily 5 rear hatch makes terrible slam noise when closing - does lock need adjusting or are they all like this?
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  Should I mention my warranty to Volkswagen before they complete my Golf's ABS/ESP repair? 31 Jul 2010 (Ask HJ)
  Returning on Saturday from shopping in our 55-reg Golf Plus (46,000 miles), I noticed the ESP light was on. Ironically, on returning home, I opened the...
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  Can I claim for a punctured radiator under warranty? 9 May 2022 (Ask HJ)
  I have a three week old car. It showed that the coolant was low so I took it in to a dealer for a check. "Oh it's a new car", they said. "We've topped...
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  Have you heard that fast charging fries EV batteries after 40 charges? 11 Dec 2020 (Ask HJ)
  I've done a lot of reading by various car writers on the subject of EV range and how it differs a lot from the makers' figures. The thing I'm more interested...
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  I recently wrecked my car's engine by driving through a flood - how should I have approached it? 4 Jan 2018 (Ask HJ)
  I was driving through a flooded part of a road I use regularly, confident my 2015 Mercedes E-Class would be okay as it's a diesel engine. However, the...
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  Could you suggest a large replacement for my Hyundai i30? 21 Jun 2017 (Ask HJ)
  I think the time has come to replace my 2008 diesel Hyundai i30 2.0-litre CRDI. Over the last two years the fuel pump failed, then the turbo and now the...
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  Why was I advised to fit a child seat to my Mercedes-Benz SL that turns off the airbag? 17 Aug 2013 (Ask HJ)
  I own a Mercedes-Benz SL and when I needed a car seat for my grandson who is now eight years old, I was told by Mercedes I had to buy a seat to fit that...
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  Where can I sell my 1991 BMW E30 cabriolet? 3 Aug 2013 (Ask HJ)
  The time has come to let go my 1991 J-reg E30 BMW cabriolet with leather seats, sports auto gear box, electric hood and air con that I have owned for 16...
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  Mystery oil leak after a collision? 8 Jun 2013 (Ask HJ)
  I was in a shunt with the car in front, max 15 mph. My vehicle was driveable. 50 miles later there was smoke from oil burning on exhaust manifold, with...
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  The old ’un rule 26 Jun 2010 (Ask HJ)
  I am 16 years-old and I am currently trying to help my mum buy a new car. Sadly, our trusty Vauxhall Vectra 2.0 GLS requires major engine repairs or possibly...