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• auto under 4k for wife 8 Jun 2015 (Forum)
    The car must be comfortable on some roughish road as we live out in the sticks ( not great roads )  Anything from a 2 ltr up to 3.0 max .. Petrol version ok on lower ltr cars but over 2ltr then maybe diesel .  I have been looking and were as some owners give good reviews on certain cars then the experts or forums can give a not so good review etc etc .
• Changed the coolant in my Golf Tdi but may have an issue???? 12 Mar 2014 (Forum)
  When I opened the header tank (which seem to relieve some pressure) after driving it the coolant went from the normal mark to the very top of the bottle. My water pump was replaced 2 years ago (max) My top radiator hose was quite hot while the bottom hose was cold-ish (which I gather is normal in temperatures around 8 degrees) Is this a normal experience when the coolant has been replaced?
• 
  Can you recommend a cheap 4x4? 7 Oct 2013 (Ask HJ)
  We live on top of a hill and our house is difficult to access in winter weather. I am considering the purchase of a cheap 4x4 for £2000, which would be...
• Toyota RAV 4; 2004 2 ltr Petrol - Mystery oil leak after frontal shunt 7 Jun 2013 (Forum)
  After a minor shunt into the car in front at 15 mph max, the car was driveable and seemed OK, but 50 miles later smoke poured from bonnet due to oil spraying onto exhaust. Vehicle trucked to insurer's repairers who simply cannot trace the oil leak. Oil was 1/2 full on dipstick, but car serviced 8 weeks earlier.
• Large Family Estate Recommendations 16 May 2013 (Forum)
  I'd like the car to handle well and not be too sluggish as I'm currently driving a 03 Mondeo hatch 2L 136PSI TDCi  I'd ideally like to buy 2 to 3 years old with max of 60,000 on the clock. I was looking at either a Mazda 6 or Mondeo diesel but I'm concerned about the DPF. Although I do around 12,000 miles per year. My daily commute is only 4.5 miles extended to 9 miles if a school/nursery drop off is involved.
• 2004 Nissan Micra K12 1.2 - Nissan Micra K12 Issue 9 May 2013 (Forum)
  The fault codes it throws up are; P1122 Accelerator Close Position Switch P1126 ETC Motor Power - Throttle Motor Relay Open Circuit All wiring *looks* fine, all earths have been cleaned, I'm a little stumped! Any help/ideas greatly appreciated!! Max.
• Vauxhall Corsa - car dealers 27 Nov 2012 (Forum)
   I bought a 2007 Corsa from a used car dealer and regret ever going near them. Links View Garages of Wallasey, Wirral left me with two pints of fuel max so I almost ran out of fuel( they use jerrycans!) Who would have paid for that if the catalytic convertor had been ruined?? They  made mistakes on the MOT and the road tax. They only supplied one key although they said their cars all came with two.
• Vauxhall Zafira (58 Reg) design - Battery can't hold charge 12 Aug 2012 (Forum)
  Once the car is stopped and left alone, with nothing on, there seems to be no problem, car starts fine every time. But if (as I have done twice now) put the radio on for 30 mins max whilst washing / cleaning etc, when you come to start the car again, the battery seems more or less dead. The central locking, ignition lights, indicators etc may or may light, starter motor clicks and will not turn.
• Peugeot 407 SW - Power Steering Problem 12 Nov 2011 (Forum)
  I have tried checking fluid level but the unit is a black container and I am unable to see if there is a med/max level indication on it anywhere. Having taken off the filler cap, there appears to be an inner white plastic insert, no sign of any fluid, but looks wet inthe bottom of it. I am no motor mechanic as you can guess.
• 
  Replacing an A-Class 12 May 2011 (Ask HJ)
  We have a 2010 A-Class that is very uncomfortable on our country roads. Is there an alternative small car? Or have I got to move up to a medium size to...
• Citroen Xsara (1997 - 2004) - mpg- your opinions please 17 Jan 2011 (Forum)
  I have used the brim the tank method, run for a while and fill her up- so i the figures are as accurate as possible. 1) 82 miles all around town, mainly short journeys 2-3 miles at a time, max 5 miles in one go. So lots of cold starts, but i only got 27 mpg (refill 13.9 litres @ 93ppl). 2) Just done 87 miles all motorway -Leicester to Solihull and back pretty much at indicated 80mph. got 53mpg (Refilled 7.5litres at 92ppl).
• Volkswagen Golf VI - Aircon air vent temperature. 29 Apr 2010 (Forum)
  -- / icon and title --> Has anyone got any figures for what the temperature should be just inside the centre air vents with the aircon on and on max. chill. I measured mine with the car stationary, with the engine revs at about 1500-1800 rpm and with the fan speed on, say, 2 and a digital thermometer with the probe about an inch or so inside the vent.
• FIAT Punto II (1999 - 2006) - Tips for negociating on a used car? 19 Aug 2008 (Forum)
  Have decided now we want to buy a Fiat Punto Grande, probably 2006,have £5000 max ,but would rather spend nearer £4000. Looking at the 1.2 or 1.4 maybe,wouldn't mind the dynamic which has the aircon,but don't mind next model down if it's a good deal. Thought we had found some at a car supermarket,but they turned out to be ex rental,so maybe give them a miss.
• What camper van ? 11 Aug 2008 (Forum)
  Buying is about a year or so away and would be at a time to get good deal - winter? The size of capital outlay isn't too critical - I'm prepared to pay maybe £20,000 max but might prefer a bit less. The depreciation needs some thought though. If it was a car I'd be thinking to maybe buy at 3 - 4 years old but have no idea with a van. The classic VWs aren't cheap but don't suffer depreciation - or do they?
• Ungrateful children.... 7 Jul 2008 (Forum)
  A few weeks ago I posted that a friend of mine had asked me to source a car for her daughter who had just passed her test. Max budget £1k. Several cars I looked at were not as described, but I found a lovely T plate Micra, owned by the same family since new. Perfect. Guess what...Micras are not cool because the little old lady over the road owns one!
• BMW - are to limit Discounts from Dealers 5 Dec 2007 (Forum)
  According to a newspaper article the limit of discounts will be 10% - this is to stop Brokers getting a BIG Margin and eroding the "forecourt price" and future Resale Prices with higher depreciation. The article in the paper said that BMW can set max discounts as part of their T&Cs. I would have thought Competition Rules of the EU would put a stop to Fixing Minimum Resale Prices! How can BMW GB set Forecourt Prices? I used to work for a large manufacturer of electronics - if the authorities even smelled "maximum discounts on sale" then we would have been in court in no time.
• Vectra C noisy tappets on idle 31 May 2007 (Forum)
  I can't believe that it sounds so ropey - its a modern multivalve petrol engine for crying out loud. Oil is on the max level (and checked it according to manf.specs i.e get it to temp then turn off and wait 5 mins then dip/check).It doesn't use any oil that I can see. Performance etc is unchanged from when I got the car in July 04.
• Volvo 740 power steering fluid 23 Mar 2007 (Forum)
  In the 10 years I have owned my 740 the power steering fluid level has dropped from the max mark on the reservoir dipstick to the min. Should I be concerned about this inordinate loss of fluid? :) Actually the serious question is that I have numerous unopened bottles of Castrol TQF transmission fluid (don't ask!)
• "Wrong" oil in an emergency? 11 Nov 2006 (Forum)
  Dipstick is a pig to remove: it seems to be a curved dipstick made to fit a curved hole and takes a lot of persuasion to come out! How stupid is that? The last inch of the dipstick - just below the "flattened" bit with the min/max markings, is also twisted a full 90 degrees for some reason?! anyway, hard to read the oil level but i think I'm on the minimum line. Now, it's 4pm on a Sunday in rural France, and I need to drive 175 motorway miles to Barcelona at 3am in the morning...
• Variable servicing charges. 9 Sep 2006 (Forum)
  Elsewhere, on various VW websites I have been told that the time required for this service is 0.9 hours of labour and that the price should not be > £150 max. On booking my car in at the main dealer, from whom I bought said car, I was told that the cost would be £259 and this was based on 1.5 hours labour. I have phoned other VW main dealers within a 15 mile radius and have been quoted an even higher figure than this but never less.