Trending topics in January 2009
Questions from January 2009
When we were visiting my son in the USA recently, he drove us to a local place of interest. He parked by a meter and put in a dollar. The meter rejected his dollar and proceeded to spew out a further...
Have you received reports of BMW 3 Series coupes lacking traction? Last week in Scotland my 335d completely failed to hold the road on a hill covered in compacted snow with fresh snow on top and had to...
My shortlist for my next car includes Citroen C4, Ford Focus ECOnetic, and SEAT Ibiza/Leon Ecomotive. I am looking at manual gearbox, room for four adults including the 6' 3'' driver (me), a reasonable...
Your letter from C.E. in Cyprus (November 29) struck a real chord in terms of the 'ankle breaker' cheap Chinese foot pumps flooding the market. Maybe he (and you) might consider joining me in my 'sustainability'...
What do you make of the information film currently on TV to promote the wearing of seat belts? In the scenario: a head-on collision between identical cars travelling at the same speed, so that each stops...
Many people are currently using sidelights, dipped beams and front fog lights all on together. I rarely see anyone with front fog lights on, but dipped beams off. Today's dull weather has been a good...
Having bought my first diesel this year I am fed up watching the
difference between diesel and petrol prices grow ever wider. Currently the margin is around 15p in South Wales. There was a time when diesel...
I am not sure about this VAT reduction. The rate is reduced to 15% from 17.5% but excise duty on fuel is increased so the normal man in the street will pay the same price per litre. Where it falls down...
Further to your reply to the e-mail about someone being prosecuted for putting up a notice warning of speed cameras, I've often thought that if someone put up a notice saying "Warning, fund raising cameras...
I had intended to buy the new Honda Jazz but discovered that it was slightly wider and not fully automatic. The old Honda Jazz, which we have will only just go into the garage so we are at a loss what...
My friend took her 02 reg Volvo V50 turbo diesel into a branch of a national chain of repairers for a service. It was booked in over the Internet and included, as a special offer, an engine flush. The...
On Tuesday night my Audi A6 was broken into whilst parked on the street outside my house. I discovered this on Wednesday morning when I went to get into the car and, on pressing my remote's un-locking...
I understand that the rates and timings of VED taxes have been changed in the recent pre-budget. The telegraph previously printed a very useful guide to what the rates would have been over the next three...
My Golf Plus 2.0 TDI Sport is now a year old and the Service Indicator counted down to "Service in 200 miles" then said "Service Now", although the service sticker on the B pillar indicated variable servicing...
My brother and my wife are learning to drive and we have been looking around London for places/tracks, etc that are preferably free of traffic so they can go and pay for 2 or 3 hours to develop some skills...but...
I am looking to swap my aging Freelander for a used Honda CRV, with a budget up to £7k. I've never owned a diesel before but am tempted by getting one due to the rising VED costs and wanting to get better...
I want to tell you about my mother-in-law's Peugeot 206, which she bought in March 2004 and in which she has driven just 13,800 miles. In September this year, she drove from Liverpool up to the Lake District....
On the 1st of August 2008, I purchased a second-hand RAV-4 from a used car dealer and also purchased an additional two-year warranty from them. My RAV 4 is 3 years old (in Dec 08) and the mileage stated...
You wrote of the Audi A6 2005 on: "All engines apart from base TDI PD 140 four cylinder are chain cam." I asked at the dealer in order to check servicing cost and was told that the 2007 MY 3.0TDi is a...
Is there a definitive answer to BMWs auto gearbox 'sealed for life' conundrum? I have trawled the internet, including your hallowed pages, but there still seems to be some doubt whether to change the...
I have owned a CRV for a year and from new have had a judder when applying the rear brakes. Honda has said that it will solve the problem by skimming the discs. I am reluctant to accept this as I feel...
I have a Vauxhall Cavalier 1.7TD. The car had a problem with the driver's window not going up and down. I repaired this, as it was the runner that had come out of the guide. Now I have found that I have...
My BMW 118d still very good. Excellent to drive and getting anywhere between 54+ and 56+ mpg average and occasional 60+mpg on long, careful runs. Quite a bit of local driving as well and some full acceleration....
I have a 2000 Audi 2.5 TDI which suffers an electric drain somewhere in the system, if I don't start the car for 3 days the battery will be too low to start the car. I now carry a spare battery in the...
I too bought a new Honda Civic with I-SHIFT gearbox earlier this year. Trading in a faultless 2005 Civic with conventional automatic gearbox was the worst day's work I ever did. Trying to hurry the I-SHIFT,...
I am getting conflicting information from Mercedes and my local dealership. The front tyres of my W210 E-Class are wearing badly on the inside. The dealer suggests that the front springs are changed and...
In July this year I part-exchanged my old motor home for a new vehicle with a West Country main dealer. I posted the V5C/3 document for the part exchanged vehicle stamped and signed by the dealer to DVLA...
This month was our Polo’s first service. On the receipt the long life SLX Oil was priced by the VW Garage in half litres at £6.90 each, they claim to have used 9 half litres, total £62.10 plus VAT. As...
Can you please try to publicise the Portuguese system whereby the speed cameras are linked to a pedestrian crossing 100 yards down the road, that turns to red for 30 seconds if you exceed the limit. The...
I know you have written in the recent past that UK FIAT dealers have little or no room for manoeuvre on new car prices when it comes to the 500. However, the dealership from which I bought my current FIAT...
I have looked on your website and read John's and Mr Money’s advice. However I can't seem to find "deals" on new MINIs. Am I missing something? Or are these cars still exempt from discounts due to either...
I have just bought a 2004 manual BMW 320 diesel ES Tourer. I switched on the computer at the start of a run largely in 6th gear of 130 motorway miles. At the end I had done no better than 45mpg according...
I’m now car downsizing and wish to get a small/medium hatchback in the £8k-£10k range. Since I am 76 years old, does it under current market conditions make economic sense to purchase new rather than used?...
One of your e-mails inspired me to check my insurance details with the MID via www.askmid.com. Two of my three vehicles are recorded correctly, but the third shows my registration number is insured but...
I would be grateful for your advice. We have a 2008 VW 1.4TDI Polo SE which is generally fine, but the headlight main beam is rather weak and adds little to distance vision at night. Our dealer dismissively...
A friend recently had a minor accident in a multi-storey car park. His vehicle failed to respond when he tried to steer up one of the ramps to the next floor and, instead of turning, continued to go forward...
The fuel consumption of my February 2008 Nissan Pathfinder Aventura diesel has been carefully monitored driving on country roads at an average of 50mph and motorway driving at 69mph using cruise control....
I drive into a large pothole last weekend in the dark near where I live
(Stockport in Cheshire) and my front nearside alloy wheel of my A4 Audi quattro 3.0 litre was severely damaged and has to be replaced....
I am interested in buying a classic car, I was thinking of an MGB. I would be grateful for any advice you could give, on this car or any other manufacturers I should be considering.
I understand from a number of people that you do not like road humps and have written extensively on the subject. I am currently, along with other residents, trying to stop the local council from instating...
My wife's driving license shows the date 23-04-09 under item 4b. However the counterpart says it is valid until a later date and it also shows that same date under item 11 on the back of the photo license....
I have to hand back the keys to my company car next month, and have started my own business. I need a comfortable motorway cruiser, to do approx 30,000 miles per annum, but do not have a great deal of...
I was somewhat puzzled about your recent reply concerning young people's insurance premiums. I have driven now for over 50 years, many of them professionally, doing over 40k per year and never been responsible...
Thanks to a friend who worked at Toyo, I have just acquired a set of their tyres for 12-year old Porsche 911/993. My local tyre dealer (a specialist - and very good) fitted them and did the tracking on...
I am in the market for a new Honda Jazz, either an automatic 1.4ES I-Shift or the 1.4 EX I-Shift and have a Honda Jazz 1.4 automatic with 42k miles on the clock, purchased in 2005. I have been offered...
Could you please clarify the position regarding the use of automatic transmission when stationary at traffic lights. I seem to recall your advice given some time ago, was to select neutral and hold on...
I have a Golf which will be 3 years old at the end of December and am thinking of taking out a one year warranty with Warranty Direct, which I have seen advertised in the Telegraph. What are your views...
As a fairly well seasoned motor trader of some seventeen years now I read your Saturday column with eager interest. Two points really, in the main it never ceases to amaze me that the vast majority of...
I am the second owner of a 1994 LHD Renault Twingo, imported twelve years ago. I receive a good insurance deal from Privilege, but out of curiosity I recently shopped around for online quotes and found...
Having recently read in your Telegraph Motoring column of people suffering woe at the hands of canvassers I have just sold my 2002 VW Polo via www.autotrader.co.uk and didn't receive a single call from...
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