Trending topics in September 2010
Questions from September 2010
I would value your recommendations for tyre replacements for my Audi A6 Allroad. It is on 245/40s and at present has Pirelli P Zero Rossos at the back and Dunlop Sportmaxes at the front. I find it a great...
This is a very important question as many vehicle owners suffer sticking vanes in turbochargers due to carbon build-up, which is very expensive to fix. Do any of the super fuels (V-Power, Ultimate or Excellium)...
I have a Hyundai Terracan 2.9CRDT manual. It has 118,000 miles on the clock, I'm lucky if it is worth £4000. The Terracan does 22-24mpg and I need something with better fuel economy, reasonable ground...
A few weeks ago my Audi A3's rear wiper started coming on on its own when I was using the front wipers. Now the rear wiper has stopped working altogether. Any ideas?
My 1995 Volkswagen Corrado's tailgate needs new or renewed gas struts. In a fairly recent article you recommended that they can be refilled. Can you provide details?
How do I reset my 2004 SEAT Alhambra's 'Service Now' light which appears on the computer screen?
I am considering going from a two-car family to one car as my wife and I seldom use both cars together. Our mileage has dropped substantially from when the cars were bought and we now only do 6000 miles...
I am looking for a mains adaptor for a 12v tyre inflator in order to avoid draining my car battery in winter. Can you recommend one?
My wife runs an R-reg Renault Megane for twice-daily short journeys, taking our three Labradors to an area of sand dunes where they walk. The "car park" is unmade and is very uneven, mostly worn grass...
We have a Rover Streetwise that the head gasket went on last May. We took it to a garage for repairs at a cost of £500. Last week the head gasket went again after only around 14,000 miles. We took it back...
I received a PCN for parking on private land from Civil Enforcement Limited. After reading all the various online comments about private parking and the legitimacy of the fees, I chose to write back telling...
I want to buy a used Fiat Doblo van 2001 - 2005 and have up to £3000. For safety reasons I want it to have ABS. Is there any model I should look out for that has this function?
I pull a large caravan with my 2006 Ford Galaxy 1.9 TDI 115ps, within towing regulations. In France on a long hill, not overly steep, there was a big drop in power - it felt like the turbo dropped out....
Our Volkswagen Golf is coming to the end of its life after over 170,000 trouble-free miles and we'd like some advice on getting a new MPV. Whatever we buy we want to keep for another 10 years at least....
I currently own and drive a 1998 Audi A4 1.8. I am 23 with one child and due to get married next year. Being in the forces, I am doing a fair few miles each weekend to and from camp and the cost of petrol...
I note you recommend an oil change every 6000 miles for four-pot Saab 9-5 petrol engines. Does this apply to engines after Saab introduced a 'fix' circa 2004 for the sludge problem? As a Saab fan I half...
I have a budget of no more than £6500 and am looking for a smallish car, something like a Volkswagen Golf or Mazda 3, no more than four years old. Which of these would you recommend?
When I start my 2001 Vauxhall Corsa when the engine is cold, everything works, but once my engine has heated up the engine turns off! I try to start the car again and it starts (sometimes it won't), but...
I'm going to buy a Vauxhall or Opel Astra 1.4 Life soon. It is a 2004 model with 81,000 miles on it. I just wanted to know whether these models come with timing belts or chains? Also, are these cars generally...
In January I received a speeding ticket for an alleged offence in November. I wrote to the authorities asking for the photographic evidence they informed me they had twice, and got a reply the second time...
I'm going to take a look at a 56-reg MkV Volkswagen Golf TDI at a local independent dealer at the weekend. I've had quick browse on here and found a lot of people talking about the ESP fault that seems...
You recommend fitting third generation runflat tyres to improve ride quality, but I have been unable to find any for sale in the UK. The most common mentioned is the Bridgestone Turanza but that was the...
I have a 1952 Ford Prefect insured third party, fire and theft. A fault in the trafficator caused the loom to short. The dash, headlining, door card, front carpet, steering wheel and driver's seat are...
We need a cheap small secondhand runabout with low insurance, road tax and running costs and for teenagers to learn to drive in. The Aygo, C1 and 107 are essentially the same car, but I'm concerned that...
My three-year-old Audi A4 Cabriolet has developed a fuel leak somewhere low down behind the engine. Is this a known fault and am I likely to persuade Audi to contribute to correcting the problem?
I have an N-reg Peugeot 405 TD and for the past week the car has got a lot quicker, but this has come with a noise during boost. What would you say it was?
My wife and I drive a 1997 Mercedes-Benz C240 Elegance. We plan to keep the C240 and buy a more modern car with more luggage space for grandchildren. With no VAT, the Skoda Octavia Elegance Estate looks...
I was stopped on 30 August 2010 and the police officer said my licence was revoked in 2004. I have been stopped numerous times before and have always been legal. They impounded my car, even though my father...
I'll be driving to Austria in December and I have been offered four winter tyres (225-45-17) in very good condition. I have an Alfa Romeo 159 SW 1.9 JTD with 225-50-17 tyres. Will the different tyre section,...
I have a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 2005. I purchased a new clutch kit (cover, friction plate, release bearing) together with a new OE flywheel and bolts from a specialist UK supplier. Fitting of the clutch...
I took my Hyundai i20 for a service a couple of months back and while it was in for its first service I asked the garage to look at my juddering clutch. I know you'll need to generalise but have you roughly...
I am debating buying a Peugeot 207 as a replacement for our second car in the family. I had narrowed it down to the 1.6 diesel 90, however these tend to be sought after and hence prices hold up. I have...
I just went to the local Nissan dealer to trade in my Nissan, and purchased a Vauxhall. I saw the Vauxhall on Sunday and everything looked ok. I went into the office to finalise the paperwork today and...
The clutch on my Renault Laguna has now developed a rattle. Any ideas what this could be?
I am interested in a Ford Kuga Diesel, but have read that it may have an Eolys additive system on it. Going on various friends' bad experiences with this sort of set-up, I absolutely will not buy a diesel...
I'm thinking of buying a 52-reg Vauxhall Vectra 2.0 DTI diesel. It's in excellent condition and has done 97,000 miles. Everything works as it should and it's £1500, with a 12-month MOT and tax until December....
I bought a secondhand Renault Clio not too long ago, to learn to drive in. I was driving around a corner (very slow!) when the car just cut out, and there was a slight hiss sound (not for long, about two...
I've been told the diagnostic point on my 1999 Volkswagen Golf is located beneath the heater controls but I cannot see it. Can you help?
I am a 28-year-old female, living in North Yorkshire and looking to purchase my first car after just passing my driving test. Budget is my main priority. Concerning both vehicle and insurance, are there...
I am considering buying a chip for my 2006 Ford Focus 2.0 TDCI Diesel (136bhp) at a cost of £395. This is suppose to improve performance to 168bhp and improve fuel economy by 20 per cent. Could you tell...
I've just got my Rover 75 back from the garage. They replaced the clutch master cylinder. I drove the car home, about two miles, and noticed water coming from the cap on the radiator.
I had a summons in the post saying I had driven at 41mph in a 30mph limit, and I could plead not guilty in writing. I did so, as my wife was driving the kids to nursery (in the vehicle which was speeding)...
I ordered a Hyundai ix35 4WD in May 2010 for delivery in August. I was told in August that the car would be delayed, but that they had a 2WD option I could have for delivery on 1 September. I agreed to...
Does the above vehicle have a diesel particulate filter? No mention was made about this when my wife and I ordered one last month from our local Honda dealer. Neither is there any mention of this in the...
I'd normally be looking to trade in my car for a new one in about a year's time when it's three years old. I've heard that UK car prices could rise by as much as 20 per cent this year due to Sterling/Euro...
As winter approaches I have been trying to source some emergency snow chains. I was shown these gadgets from someone who had them in Sweden. They are very simple to use, and effectively are two metal rods...
After returning home from a short break in August I received A NIP and S172 from Humberside police. The alleged offence occurred on a stretch of road we had commuted back and forth along to the coast several...
I ordered my new Hyundai ix35 some 11 weeks ago with a trade-in on my old car, a Land Rover 2. I have now sold that privately instead of trading it in. I said to the dealer that because of the long wait...
My Land Rover Defender will be off the road for 12 weeks undergoing repairs. The garage has kindly offered me a courtesy car which I have to insure. My insurance company will cover me for four weeks but...
I see that one of your readers, in reviewing a Nissan Pathfinder, says it needs a heated screen. Just a general question - does any manufacturer other than Ford do these as a standard fit? I'm talking...
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