Questions from June 2010
I have a 10 year old L/H drive VW Passat TDI Trendline estate car. Low mileage had since new. Superb car and do not wish to sell but import into UK. Having problems converting speedo to mph from km....
My wife who, at eighty two, is soon to take an Advanced Driving Test with the Institute of Advanced Driving, plans to change her manual Jazz for an auto. We understand, however, that the new Jazz auto...
A while back you gave some advice on how to detect if the boot of a car was leaking. I can’t remember what it was. I seem to recall you said something about rubbing grease on the seal and closing it? Please...
In January last year, I was stationary in my wife's car (which is fully comprehensively insured and on which I am a named driver) when someone drove into the back of me. We exchanged insurance details...
A dog has arrived in the family and a hatchback is required to prevent the rear seat getting ruined. I currently have a 2006 Saab 9-3 Vector Sport TID Auto and would like to stay with an auto diesel. Also...
I ordered a brand new Skoda Yeti 1.2 DSG (Automatic) with 2-wheel drive on 6 March, 2010. The order included factory-fitted options of Panoramic Sunroof and a steel spare wheel. I expected delivery about...
I just passed my driving test and was considering buying a car. I'm 30 years old and an IT technician. I have always wanted to drive an Audi A4 but which year would you recommend? After reading up Audi...
Do any of the current range of small-engined large cars - 1.6D in Citroen C5 or Volvo S80 or 1.4TSI in Passat or Superb - come close to matching the UK standard consumption figures in real-life usage?
Can you still drive a 3-wheeler on provisional licence, as was rumoured long ago? I want to get a cheap secondhand microcar or even a 3-wheeler for my partner. Ideally we'd get her a scooter but she had...
My 2002 Vauxhall Corsa's dashboard lights suddenly cut out several times during each journey. I have had the radio and head unit thoroughly checked and also the car's electrics thoroughly checked by my...
I've found a Jaguar XJ V8 SE 4.2 SE SWB 4-door saloon in green. It's a 2004 model with 50,000 miles on the clock from a franchised Jaguar dealer. Is this a good deal?
I have an S-reg 1999 Ford Fiesta. The instrument cluster only contains a fuel gauge and a speedometer. Can a cluster containing a rev counter, speedometer, temperature gauge and fuel gauge be fitted?
I think my car has an air block somewhere. It starts every time, cold or hot, with no sludge or mayonnaise anywhere but when driving, the car gets hot and starts making gurgling noises from where you put...
I bought a 2007 Vauxhall Combo van from a dealer in June 2007. Two weeks later it was towed back to them as it had the engine management light on and had lost all power. When I collected the van after...
A friend tells me that there are problems with the turbo on the 2005 Renault Espace. Is this true?
I have, for a while, had problem with overheating with the expansion tank in my Volkswagen Golf estate TDi, particularly when going up steep hills. I keep topping up the coolant tank, sometimes three or...
Hi, do you think if this replacement or modification is fitted, would any insurance company consider this a modification and increase the insurance costs?
I am really pleased with my Bentley Continental GT, but sadly the satellite navigation is poor, even compared to a basic Tom Tom. Please could you suggest companies that can help with an upgrade?
An excellent and willing garage. Had a front coil spring break on Friday 3pm just prior to Bank Holiday weekend. Called in unnanounced. They put a guy on it straight away. Sourced parts and fitted them,...
My 56 Reg (Nov 2006) Volkswagen Eos has developed a fault with the ABS and my local Volkswagen dealership has quoted me £1300 to replace the unit, although they have offered a "goodwill" price of £680....
My local tyre dealer says that we don't need to fit higher than a T82-rated tyre to our average family cars (Astra hatchback 1.4, Primera hatchback 1.8 and Rover 200 1.4) as long as we don't go above the...
My partner's car requires two new tyres (the ones to be replaced are on the rear). As it is front wheel drive, the garage recommends putting the new tyres on the front - I would prefer them to go on the...
I am getting rid of my car for a Mitsubishi Chariot. I do not know much about Mitsubishi are they good cars or am I walking into a headache?
My daughter and husband have baby and run a Honda Civic 1600 SE Auto and T reg Escort on last legs. They need two cars as she is a medic and he is to start teacher training shortly. They are moving to...
Excellent independent BMW specialist - Steve, who worked for many years at the Reading main BMW dealer. Very pleasant, helpful, knowledgeable and much cheaper than a main dealer.
My second car runabout, a very tatty H-reg Peugeot 309, has just suffered a cylinder head gasket failure (clouds of steam and drops of water from the exhaust). It's probably not worth even considering...
I have been using this garage for over a year now, and they maintain my old and fairly reliable BMW 3 Series. Pricing is good, service is excellent - very friendly and helpful - and they think ahead to...
Having saved diligently for a few years my 22 yr old son finally bought himself, last October, a ‘decent’ car (Astra Diesel Hatch 1.9 CDTi 16V Sri 3 door - 2005) for about £7000 from a reputable garage....
I need a cheap large family car for general use (Asda trips) and longer road trips with lots of baggage. I only have about £1500 for the purchase. I would prefer a diesel automatic and preferably an estate...
I purchased a Renault Grand Scenic four years ago when it was nearly new. I did lots of research, noted your comments, and still have the copy of your test report. We have enjoyed plenty of both UK and...
We have all seen insurers gradually remove features that used to be part of "Fully Comprehensive" policies but one insurer has placed a formidable restriction on where you have your car repaired. All their...
Can you suggest the top three cars for a penniless student? Budget £2000, low insurance and reliability are important, but space would be useful as I carry a lot of kit around. C1, 106 etc seem so small....
I have a Grande Punto Dynamic 2006 but registered as a January 2007, 5-door hatch, 10,500 miles, 1.4, metallic, spanking condition. Glasses can give me an automatic value only and my car is a manual. What,...
What, in your view, is the best pre-1999 diesel estate?
I have recently received a new Mercedes-Benz C-Class on a 3-year contract hire. The small print states that I should get the car serviced at an 'Official Workshop'. I know that the warranty is not dependent...
I'd like to buy an ex-BSM FIAT 500, but neither FIAT nor BSM will tell me how the vehicles are disposed of. I read in the press that the cars would be channelled thought a FIAT main dealer for selling...
My son has a 1996 V6 Auto Omega, bought for a nominal sum from a friend of mine. It has given him 10 months' excellent service, and for about £500 it has just got through another MOT and been serviced....
We purchased a Vauxhall Astra Twin Top 1.8i new in September 2006. Four months ago we had a major part (engine timing kit) break on the car. The cost of this should have been £800 but Vauxhall charged...
One year ago I part-exchanged a 2006 Citroen C3 for a new Citroen C3 1.6 HDi (April 2009) with the same engine. The previous 1.6 HDi engine gave me very good fuel economy, 60mpg with mixed driving and...
Drivearchive.co.uk cannot find even the vehicles that I am driving today! The DVLA vehicle search is much more accurate and complete.
Have you had any other complaints about the ABS unit fitted to the Vauxhall Zafira. I have a 49,000-mile car and I am trying to get a contribution from Vauxhall. At the moment they will not contribute....
My parents, both fit and strong, though of a late 1920s and 1930s vintage, cannot apply the handbrake of their Honda Jazz sufficiently hard to stop it rolling on steep hills. I just accompanied them to...
I currently own a Toyota Auris T180 with the 2.2 D-Cat diesel. It is a great engine but the cabin is disappointing and, having recently become a grandfather, I need more boot/closed hatch space. I am tempted...
I bought a VW Eos 1.4 160bhp Sport last summer. It rides on 18-inch alloys with sport suspension set up (factory standard for that model). Tyres are Continental 235/40 R18. Its ride has become too firm...
What was the email address you published in Saturday's Telegraph which allows one to trace old registration numbers?
Dear John, I am sure you're aware of the esp fault on Volkswagens and Audis. Here are the Common Failing Part Numbers: 1K0614517H, 1K0907379K, 1K0614517J, 1K0907379AA, 1K0614117A, 1K0614517, 1K0614117B,...
Your advice to DW regarding potholes is not totally correct. DW will need to establish two basic facts: 1) When the highway authority last inspected the road. It is these regular inspections which give...
I have purchased a 2006 BMW 520D Auto with normal tyres, not runflats. There is a cigarette lighter-powered compressor and a can of gunk in the boot, but I broke my cigarette lighter trying to get the...
What would you recommend for my mother who has just had a knee op and has trouble lifting her legs up over a ledge to get into a car. My wife's Scenic is ideal in this respect, but is too big for my mother....
Having read your articles on the problems with these components and as I am considering the purchase of a new Skoda Yeti, I would like to know if these unreliable parts have been upgraded? I asked the...
Elsewhere on 
