Showing results in  FAQs [Show all channels]

Sort by: Relevance | Newest first | Oldest first

• BATTERIES: How do I extend the life of my battery and prevent it going flat?  (FAQs)
  Millions of motorists are taking years off the life expectancy of their car'sbattery by not regularly fully charging it, says the AA, which not only costs moneybut also risks the inconvenience of a breakdown. Every year, up to a fifth of cars on the road will require a new battery, estimatesthe AA, but many of these could have been prevented by being fully charged morefrequently. The problem stems from batteries taking longer to fully charge, while being placedunder greater demand by modern cars, which are being fitted with an ever increasingrange of power-hungry 'creature comforts'.
• MISFUELLING A CAR: What should you do if you accidentally put the wrong fuel in your car?  (FAQs)
  Information kindly supplied by  https://www.fuelfixer.co.uk/ About a third of a million UK drivers every year put the wrong fuel in their cars. Petrol in diesel cars, diesel in petrol cars (despite the diesel nozzle being too wide to fit a petrol filler) and, more recently, AdBlue in the diesel tank. Older engines could cope with a small amount of this abuse, but one price of efficient modern engines is less tolerance for what goes in the tank.
• JUMP STARTING: What is the correct way to jump start a car? (FAQs)
  I have never seen a definitive description and reason why a particular jump starting procedure should be adopted, though many vehicle manufacturers and breakdown services seem to put in print a procedure where jump starting a vehicle from a donor vehicle could not only damage an ECU but could also damage both cars alternator, and in particular the donor car.
• AIR-CONDITIONING: How do I know if my air conditioning needs servicing? (FAQs)
  Basically a/c takes 5 - 10bhp from the engine. So while it will affect the fuel economy of a car with 50bhp, the driver of a car with 500bhp won't notice it. And in fact, cruising at 70mph in a car with a relatively normal 110bhp, any increase in fuel consumed is insignificant. Opening the windows will have a far more detrimental effect because of the increased resistance the engine is forced to work against.
• CONSUMER RIGHTS: How do I reject a vehicle or get compensation for problems with a car? (FAQs)