Questions from August 2010
I have a 2007/57 Vectra estate with the 1800 petrol engine. At low revs in 1st/2nd gear I sometimes get a power loss for a few seconds. It then needs some revs to get going. After reading a few articles...
My son-in-law mentioned that he is considering having a chip installed in his Audi two litre diesel engine. It is a 2007 model. It seems that a chip will increase both horsepower and economy. I read something...
I have recently bought a one owner 1999 Mercedes 230SLK with 40,000 miles on the clock for a bit of summer motoring. It's a lovely car and I paid £7,995 for it from a good dealer but not a specific Mercedes...
I live Guangxi (South China). Just about all the traffic lights here have countdowns with them. Also they are LED types and very bright. They are positioned above the roads and the other side of the junctions...
If a policeman stops you and asks to see your insurance documents, and does NOT give you any written piece of paper to ask you to take them along to the local police station, but, asks you to 'pop in'...
About six weeks ago, whilst washing my two-year-old Honda CRV, I noticed that the front offside foglight measuring 8cm across was broken. I thought no more of it and replaced it at a cost of £220. Last...
I would be grateful of any thoughts you might have on this issue. The company I work for has started using "Driving Monitor" to manage staff risk when driving on company business. We are all required to...
I own an Audi A4 2.0 TDI S-Line 09/09. The car has now done 25,500 miles. Last weekend the service indicator warned me that the oil would need changing in a further 1,600 miles. This surprised me somewhat...
I have just been given a quote of £1500 to replace my BMW 530d's turbo. Is this about right? This is from a main dealer.
I am looking at a Ford S-Max tonight. It's manual, seven-seater, 56 plate and has done 28,710 miles, with only one owner. Any known problems with these vehicles?
Can you tell me if I have been wasting my money putting Shell V-Power petrol into my Toyota Auris?
I had the AA man come and recover my 1998 Mk4 Volkswagen Golf, and he whittled the non-starting problem down to a fuel pump. Would you know where the fuel pump is located?
Is it possible for a management warning light to come on and no faults be detected on a diagnostic machine? I have had a recent nightmare with my Citroen C3. The flashing MIL light came on and four unknown...
My son has just graduated and is starting his first job, which will involve driving approximately 15,000 miles pa. He is to be given a car allowance of £400p/m and 0.17p per business mile. I'd like to...
I took my Saab 9-3 in for its first service which was completed late and left the car dirty. The garage agreed to collect the car and perform a valet as a gesture of goodwill. However, on returning the...
The sensor light for my ABS in my car has been coming off and on for the last few weeks. I took it to a local garage and they told me to take it to the Vauxhall Garage 40 miles away to get it replaced...
Can a 2006 Ford Mondeo run on 50 per cent diesel and 50 per cent bio diesel?
I just bought a Volkswagen Golf GTI and I have a warranty of either 3000 miles or three months. Trouble is, the garage serviced the car before I bought it and changed the timing belt and pulleys. It is...
I have an 07-plate Skoda Octavia vRS diesel. It has a full Skoda service history with 72,000 miles (the next service is due at 78,000). Recently, the particulate filter warning came on and I followed the...
On saturday I had my catalytic converter cut off while my car was parked in a restaurant car park. I have fully comp insurance with a £250 excess. I reported the incident to the insurer, who sent their...
I shall shortly be taking delivery of a new Golf. The Volkswagen dealership is trying to sell me a paint protection extra at some £300. Is it worth it or would regular polishing do the job just as well?
In your personal opinion, which out of the two manufacturers Ford and Vauxhall do you prefer, and why?
In October 2008 we bought a new Skoda Fabia 2. Recently the electrics all blew and the engine died. I phoned Skoda Assist, the car still being in warranty. They sent the RAC to me and a very nice man arrived...
I have a 1999 Ford Puma 1.7 with a juddering problem and have had two diagnostic checks, but no codes show up. When I take my foot off the accelerator, the car judders. So far I've replaced the catalytic...
When should the cam belt be changed on a Vauxhall Zafira Elegance?
I love my Honda CR-V Auto bought new 2002. I have done 48,000 miles with never a problem, and only just replaced the tyres. However you have troubled me with your comment, "most cars are built to last...
I was recently prosecuted for speeding by the North Wales police and fined for the third time in my 50 years of driving. However, I feel that I must join this technological age and provide myself with...
I have a three-year-old BMW 320D with automatic transmission. Recently I have noted that occasionally the car rocks from side to side, as if being subjected to a strong side wind, when being held stationary...
Regarding left foot braking of automatics, my first licence was obtained in 1939 on two wheels, then in 1940 on four. Then the next
30 years of manual followed by 20 years of manual and autos and the final...
Your advice to KS who was speeding to his pregnant wife fortuitously comes after a report in the Daily Telegraph of a police officer caught driving at 68mph in a 30mph zone because his baby was sick. He...
I am about to head off to the south of France with the family in our BMW 530i Sport Touring (2003) and have seen the tyre pressure on the door saying 2.8 bar front and 3.3 bar rear - assuming heavy load,...
Since purchasing the above vehicle in May of this year, I notice that when pulling away from standing the engine almost stalls unless I increase the revs. It's difficult to balance the car and the acceleration....
I am looking for a used car to replace my own. I spotted a black Ford Fusion that looks like a steal on Autotrader. Unfortunately, that may literally be the case. I called the dealership a few minutes...
I bought a car from an independent car dealer at the start of July, which still had four months' manufacturer's warranty left. The car advert stated warranted miles and a full service history. Two weeks...
Last week I signed up for a 10-plate Ford Mondeo Titanium X hatchback at £17,995 - bargain! I also part-exchanged the wife's Volkswagen Golf 1.6 for £6000. I rang the salesman to arrange a swap the day...
There seem to be more and more aftermarket HID headlight conversion kits for sale, being fitted to cars with halogen headlights. I found a statement on the DfT website (link here: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/drs/hidheadlamps...
How can I replace my 2003 Honda Civic with something just as roomy, quieter and more comfortable, yet still economical? She loves the Mercedes-Benz B-Class, but I say it will be too expensive to run. I...
I have a 2007 Mercedes-Benz E220 CDi Estate, which I love, bought for its boot space to carry a disabled scooter, and also because our immediate families live at opposite ends of the country, so long journeys...
I have a 2001 Vauxhall Corsa three-cylinder with about 70,000 miles on the clock. The emissions light has come on and stayed on. It seems to run OK - no coughing and spluttering. My local garage has done...
In May I bought a 2009 Citroen Berlingo Multispace. On the day I collected the car, I noticed that the owner's handbook was missing. The salesman said he would sort one out for me and be in touch. Despite...
For many years I've insured cars (Ford Mondeos) through a leading insurance company. I reached the age of 70 last year and my annual quote increased by some 30 per cent, although it reduced a bit after...
I have a Citroen Xsara Picasso (diesel) with 91,000 miles on the clock. A squealing noise, sounding like a slack alternator drive belt, developed when accelerating. The car was booked into the nearest...
I have been looking at the Alfa GT last special edition. If I kept it for a few years, the costs of buying a soon-to-be-replaced model would lessen and the car is packed with features and remains a thing...
What can I do to make my 2001 BMW 330i model more economical?
I have agreed to buy a car from a dealer which is a category C write-off, but has been repaired and has had a VIC check. The car only appears to have had a minor rear end shunt, which broke the bumper...
My 57-reg Saab 9-3 is coming to the end of my lease agreement. It has 33,000 miles on the clock, with no major problems encountered so far. On completion of the lease, I can either give it back, take out...
I'm in negotiations to buy a 1997 Ford Galaxy TDI with all the equipment like air conditioning. I don't understand cars much, so is this a good car? What are the car's good characteristics, and what I...
My wife was driving our 2004 Ford Focus 1.8 petrol model yesterday when the steering became heavy and the brakes hardly worked. The onboard computer displayed the messages "engine system failure" and "braking...
I have a Volvo S80. Sometimes, when I push from second gear to first, it gets brushy or stiff. When I stop the engine and put it in reverse, it clears. Why?
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