Questions from June 2010
My new Mercedes-Benz C-Class alloys are a disgrace with corrosion on centre hub and spokes. They are the premium AMG wheels. Mercedes-Benz will only replace one of the four under warranty due to some rim...
I recently experienced a blowout and visited an Official Porsche Centre in Paris where a tyre was supplied and fitted, for which I was charged nearly £600. The full price of the same tyre fitted by an...
I have a 1996 Fiat Brava Automatic. When I go around corners the oil light flashes on the dashboard. I have checked the oil levels and the red dipstick says there's plenty of oil in the engine. But the...
The revs do not drop between gear changes in my 1999 Ford Ka, and after a few miles when you hit neutral the revs keep climbing. The only way to stop it is to switch the engine off and on again, but it...
I intend to buy a Jaguar X-Type with 70,000 miles from 2002 with an automatic gearbox and 2.5-litre V6 engine. How much does it cost per year to pay all taxes on this car (taxes like insurance, mot, road...
I have recently purchased an '03 reg Mazda 6 2.0 (136bhp) TS TD. The car has done 75,000 miles. In my rear view mirror I can see smoke in the headlights of the car behind when going over 2000 revs. Now...
We are returning to the UK after 30 years abroad to retire. We are looking to buy two cars, one small as a runaround and one medium-sized for longer trips. Our total budget is £25,000. It must be automatic...
I'm buying a Peugeot 407SW diesel from a dealership. It's on an '07 plate with 72,000 miles. Should I get them to replace the timing belt before collecting?
My Renault Espace Series 3, 2-litre petrol 16v, T-reg has developed two faults. Firstly, on start up from cold the engine cooling fan kicks in. Also, on start-up whether cold or warm, the engine revs away...
Currently I am driving a KIA Magentis SE in which I drive an average of 8,000 miles pa. It is beginning to cost a lot at MoT time. Having had a shoulder injury, I have been advised to get a vehicle with...
I'm trying to decide between the following: a brand new Skoda Octavia Elegance 1.4 TSI from Drivethedeal for around £14,500 (includes some extras) or a year-old Skoda Octavia Elegance 2.0 TDI PD for around...
I have approximately 80-90 litres of unleaded petrol which is 10 to 12 years old. It is clean and stored in approved marine petrol tanks. Can I use it in my car or is there some way to recycle it?
I have far too many kids and need a reasonably-priced 8-seater with plenty of space, that is reliable and relatively cheap to run. The only things I can find that may be suitable are things like the Mitsubishi...
I have a Renault Laguna 1.9dCi on a 51 plate and it runs fine, but when in top gear it feels like it's holding back. Also, when accelerating it produces a little black smoke. Please help - I have cleaned...
My Citroen Xantia lost all but the battery lights on the dash. I managed to get it going by getting a power cable straight from the battery to the glow plugs rail, waiting about ten seconds and then turning...
My Fiat Uno was kept in the garage for a minor wiper motor repair. I happened to collect it on the third evening. With the headlights on, the battery discharged within 15 minutes of driving and the lights...
Having tested a Mazda 3 2.2 diesel I was planning to buy the vehicle outright from Perry's. However, they have offered 0 per cent finance based on paying half the cost of the car upfront, and this is on...
I have a low milage Peugeot Expert van and for some reason the electronic mileometer LED has started showing only the top half of the numbers and is now showing nothing. The question is, if I change the...
I'm thinking of buying a 2006 KIA Sportage automatic diesel (2-litre 4x4) with 49,000 miles on the clock, with a view to driving to Portugal from Dover. Is there anything I should look out for? Does this...
Having just bought a Toyota Auris 1.6 SR petrol 2008 model and the wife has complained about the harsh ride. I want to keep the 17-inch wheels, but would like to know if a bigger profile may soften the...
Three days ago I tried to start my 2006 diesel Renault Kangoo and it took ages to start. When I start on a hill it fires right away and goes well. My nephew took off the tubes to the injectors and, on...
I am looking at selling my 1965 4.2-litre Coupe Jaguar E-Type which I have had since 1970. It is in good condition. I am also looking at buying my wife a Mercedes-Benz Sports SLK200. What is my best option?...
I have just had my 2003 Citroen C3 fail it's MoT due to broken front springs. There are approx 46,000 miles on the clock and I bought the car secondhand in 2006 from a major car supermarket, where I was...
I have owned a 2002 BMW 320d Touring for the last seven years and, among other things, it has excellently towed my Swift Challenger caravan which has an all up weight of 1150kg. Unfortunately the time...
What would you recommend for a second car (a runaround)? My maximum budget is £1000. I'm not worried about goodies, the more basic the better. I used to buy Morris Minor vans but now they're expensive....
I have, for a while now, been searching and googling for a database, just like the new car prices list at the back of car magazines, that I can download to my computer and search various parameters e.g....
I wrote to you some time ago about my KIA Venga diesel smelling of fuel in the cab. I've done 4500 miles in it now and it is still happening, though not as bad as it was. It seems to be worse on hot days...
I am looking at buying a used car for £10,000-£11.500. My criteria is that the fuel economy is fairly good, it is comfortable (due to longish journeys for work), it has three doors and that it has a little...
I do no more than 10,000 miles a year of fairly conventional driving and have just had two new Hifly tyres fitted on the front wheels of my 2004 BMW 318i at about half the price of the Continental tyres...
I need to gain an increase in power (about 15-20 per cent) from my 2001 1600cc Focus automatic, which I believe can be achieved with remapping (or re-chipping as I think it is sometime called). I tow a...
My daughter has a Jazz that is about six years old. The air conditioning stopped working except if she drove at very high speed. It has been back to the Honda main dealer now about four or five times for...
Where should I advertise my BMW 636 CSi auto? I have owned the vehicle for 17 years since 1993. It has cruise control, leather, PAS, ABS and alloys. It's reliable but expensive to run, and now needs an...
I have a 2005 Nissan X Trail 2.5 SVE. There is an intermittent grinding noise coming from the passenger side when the heater or cooling fan is switched on. The only way to stop it is to switch off the...
My Vauxhall Zafira comes up with the warning light for the particulate filter, and a couple of times has almost ground to a halt. Will hard driving help and for how long? Is there a fuel additive that...
I own a 1998 BMW 523i Touring (E39) currently with 97,000 miles on the clock with full service history. Presently the car is maintained by an ex-BMW technician. I'm informed the timing chain doesn't need...
I was recently driving my 2003 Volkswagen Touran 2.0 (26,500 miles) when the turbo stopped and the car went into limp mode. I called out the AA who diagnosed a turbo overboost fault, so I had the car taken...
Can you recommend a good car for a learner male driver aged 17? I need one that's cheap to buy and insure, safe, not fast or flashy, but one that doesn't look wildly uncool either? I was assuming we'd...
I have a 1994 Citroen ZX Volcane which has the plastic push-in immobiliser, which I have lost. Does anyone know how to bypass these so I can start my car?
My Skoda Fabia's indicator ticking noise has stopped working but the actual indicators work. I'm told I may need a whole new instrument panel! Surely its just a simple switch or relay I need? Also, my...
I am about to buy a Ford Focus Zetec 2001 1.6-litre. I am still not sure about few things. When checking the MOT papers, I noticed that the CO2 emissions levels doubled between the last 2 MOT results....
I'm struggling to make a decision on parting with £11,800 for a BMW 320D M Sport Touring, with 100,000 miles, leather interior and one owner. What are the good and bad points of a buy like this? Am I wasting...
I have just taken my Ford Focus TDCi 2004 model to a lad I I know who is a mechanic at Ford. The car was making a funny noise when I put the clutch down, and I could feel a sort of grinding though the...
I have just taken my Ford Focus TDCi 2004 model to a lad I I know who is a mechanic at Ford. The car was making a funny noise when I put the clutch down, and I could feel a sort of grinding though the...
I have a Mercedes-Benz E-Class 280 CDI, registered 30 Sept 1995 with a mileage of 48,000. It's been serviced by Mercedes-Benz at all times. The car had not moved for 24 hours and was sitting on the drive...
I have just bought a Citroen Xsara Picasso 2.0 HDI (Xreg Dec 2000) from a car auction. The purchase price was very cheap so I was a happy chappy until I drove it away. Everything is spot on except what...
We are beginning to get rather pissed off in Thames Ditton on the potholes issue. It seems that the current contract for road maintenance contained no Service Level Agreement or provision for penalties...
I own a 2002 Mercedes C220 CDI automatic, regularly maintained, still good to drive and still giving over 50mpg on motorways. Oil consumption is also very low. When accelerating hard, which I don¹t do...
We are looking to change our ageing 1.6 Mk4 Golf for a new/nearly new car. The car is used for short commutes of about 2 miles and has to be able to accommodate bulky objects in the back. Hatchback is...
I have a new Hyundai i30 1.4 petrol and have covered just 1,300 miles, but I am disappointed at the amount of fuel I am using. I have calculated my mpg to be no more than 32mpg based on the litres/gallons...
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