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  Do people realise that lithium ion batteries, of the sort used in electrical cars, can be very damaging to the environment? 30 Jul 2011 (Ask HJ)
  A lot is being made of lithium ion battery cars and hybrids, but there seems to be a stumbling block on range and cost, and probably on environmental grounds....
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  Rover returns 28 Mar 2009 (Ask HJ)
  I have a Y reg Rover 75 2 litre diesel with 81,000 miles. I like the car and want to keep it. I am 77 and only do about 5,000 – 6,000 miles a year with...
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  Bat man 10 Jan 2009 (Ask HJ)
  6 weeks after buying my 2008 CR-V 2.2 EX diesel, I parked it at Gatwick Airport for a 2-week holiday. When we returned to the car, the battery was completely...
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  Why does my car's steering feel heavy sometimes? 29 Jun 2020 (Ask HJ)
  My Fiat 500's steering suddenly feels heavy when going in a straight line but feels normal when I turn the wheel. What's the issue?
• Toyota Prius - The next target for thieves? 20 Sep 2019 (Forum)
  A lady in San Francisco went to her car after it had been parked overnight to find that thieves had removed the $10.000 traction battery through the back window. All 180 pounds of it. In Prius hybrid cars, the battery is located under the backseat. Its location makes it hard to remove, as does its size. "We looked it up and the battery weighs 180 pounds," Marjory Kaplan told KTVU.
• Ford Mondeo 2.0 tdci 130 2005 - battery light stays on dashboard when driving 24 Nov 2017 (Forum)
  i got it replaced plus a new fan belt and for a couple of days it was fine,but now  the battery light is back  when driving and my front demister will not work,car is driving fine though. any ideas what problem could be.  
• BMW 3 Series Compact - Battery Starter Packs 4 Aug 2017 (Forum)
  My car battery, still under warranty, in an old 3 Series BMW seems to be playing up. Tested by the supplier (it is a Varta brand) it usually shows as "battery good, needs charge" even after being charged fully (CTEK-MX5) a few days earlier.
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  Why won't my car start? 19 Jul 2017 (Ask HJ)
  My Vauxhall Vectra won't start when I turn the key. All I get is a ticking noise. Can you please help?
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  KIA Carens starting problem 20 Jul 2016 (Ask HJ)
  My KIA Carens has been difficult to start. It usually takes at least 10 seconds when cold and around eight seconds when hot. Had a new battery and fuel...
• Ford Fiesta Saloon - Repeated Flat Battery 16 Apr 2016 (Forum)
  It has solved the problem and, in addition, we always make sure that all lights, heater, fan, stereo etc are switched off before we switch off the ignitions and lock the car - this ensures that the battery is not having to fire-up these accessories when next we come to start the engine.
• Land Rover Range Rover Sport - Battery drain and flat 18 Jun 2014 (Forum)
  I think this is a common problem with these release catches. Its a Ford part and its used on some Discoverys as well I think. So if you have a battery drain problem and you cannot open the upper tailgate, this might help.
• Renault Megane II - Injector Fault 29 Aug 2011 (Forum)
    Yesterday I went out in it twice and then went to use it again and nothing worked as if it was a flat battery - tried to jump it from our Grand scenic but still no joy - still as if was flat battery but electrices were showing life.  Tested battery and it showed 12.9V. Whilst try to jump start it with leads it showed up "Injector fault" but hasnt appeared since.
• Nissan Micra (1983 - 1992) - 88 1.0 Red oxide on +ve battery terminal 21 Jun 2009 (Forum)
  The +ve battery terminal was furring up. I went to clean the fur build-up off & noticed there was a coating of like a Red Oxide underneath. It didn't come off easily, I had to scrape it off with screwdriver, file & sandpaper.
• Standing a car for long periods - battery drain 17 May 2009 (Forum)
  It's MOT'd , insured and on a SORN at the back of a property, off road , outdoors. The problem is the battery , which gets drained after about 2 -3 weeks, probably due to the Thatcham 1 alarm fitted . The car is stored about 2/3 miles away so i can't start it as often as I'd like . Now, I've seen these products for sale , converting sunlight via solar panels to top the battery up.
• Toyota Avensis (1997 - 2002) - 97 2.0 Battery loosing charge 8 May 2009 (Forum)
  If not used for about a week, the wife's Toyota will fail to start with a flat battery. The car has been to several garages to solve this problem to no avail. The engineers who have looked at this were reputable & recommended. Not main dealers or back street units. We are on a third new battery, meters have been used all over the car.
• Vauxhall Cavalier (1988 - 1995) - 1994 1.6 New battery, now ABS light is on? 6 Jan 2009 (Forum)
  Hi there, I am not motor minded at all and today I changed my first battery! - but since i have done this the ABS light on the dash board has come on and stays on, with this cold weather I don't want to risk driving it if there is a potential problem with the brake system - but I am sure it has something to do with the battery change as it was fine before - does anyone know of this happening or how to cure it?
• Ford Focus (1998 - 2004) - 2000 1.8 Do I need a new battery? 17 Dec 2008 (Forum)
  This is on a diet of mostly short (2 to 3 mile) trips. Symptoms seem to improve after a longer run. Two questions 1. If it is the battery, what make should I get - I know it has to be calcium for the smart charging? 2. If it isn't the battery what is it? Thanks in advance
• Rover 200 and 400 (1989 - 1996) - Electrical fault 1.4 petrol DOHC 10 Nov 2008 (Forum)
  I was travelling at around 40 mph when the car experienced a virtual total electrical failure. At first the breakdown mechanic suspected a battery failure, he connected a battery booster and it no effect. The battery is only about a year old I had no problem starting the car about 5 minutes early. The fault gives the appearance of a flat battery but when you place a drain on the system like turning on the interior light the temperature gauge goes pass the hot mark even though the engine is cold and the ignition lights illuminate.
• Citroen Berlingo Multispace (1998 - 2010) - 2004 1.9d Charging system woes 14 Aug 2008 (Forum)
  Hello everyone,the battery light came on whilst driving to work the other day.We managed to arrive at our destination & ran a voltmeter across the battery descovering the alternator/battery was not taking a charge.We decieded to fit an alternator,alas its still not charging!.
• Ford Fiesta (1995 - 1999) - 99 Cold start and battery drain 29 Oct 2007 (Forum)
  1999 ford courier van, 2 problems... 1: battery draining dead overnight. 2: if i disconnect battery, reconnect in the morning its still a pig to start, will crank for 15/20 secs before firing up with a cloud of smoke, .but if i warm the plugs 3 times, (ie wait for light to go out, then turn off/on again) then it seems a hell of a lot better. iv looked on forums and seen a lot of different views on plugs and maybe air.