Trending topics in September 2010
Questions from September 2010
When is it possible to buy or reserve ##11 ### plates directly from DVLA, and why do I see them advertised for sale already?
My car is a Ford Mondeo 2.0-litre petrol Duratec, mileage 200,000. Problem is like a misfire but intermittent. Most noticeable under load. Any ideas?
Does my 2002 Volvo S60 D5 have a particulate diesel filter?
Have had my Renault Scenic II since May this year. It's a 2004 1.5 DCI 80, and had 72,000 miles on it when I bought it and has 74,500 miles on it now. For most of that time, its been throwing white/blue...
I frequently see you recommend the Ford S-Max, but always the reference to the 1.8 TDCi 2006-09 is negative. This week it was "avoid at all costs". Can you point me to somewhere on your site where you've...
I have a 2004 (53 plate) Mondeo Ghia X 130, and recently I have noticed a smell of diesel at the end of a long run on A-roads and motorways when I get to a standstill, which then disappears once I move...
My wife has just received a demand for £70 from a car parking enforcement company for being in Morrison's car park for more than two hours. The letter gives the arrival and departure times (three hours)...
Can you recommend a decent car for a family with a three-year-old who like camping? Not too expensive to run and under £10,000.
When should I change my Ford Mondeo 1.8LX's cam chain? It's covered 106,000 miles.
I put my Suzuki Swift 1.3 petrol (2008) for its two-year, 9000-mile service at a Suzuki dealer, and was informed that the head gasket had to be replaced as this was a normal part of the service for this...
I bought a secondhand 2007 Mazda 6 estate with 62000 miles clocked, so it's out of warranty but under three years old, from a very small dealer - they seemed to sell one car at a time from home but traded...
I'm 21 and looking for a reliable and reasonably priced car. I've shopped around and I quite like what the Chevrolet Lacetti has to offer. I'm not really bothered about the mod cons, the one that I have...
i have just bought an 06-plate Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI GT, and when the engine gets warm there is a loud ticking/tapping noise which gets louder when I press the clutch in. Should the engine be this noisy?
Which cars up to eight years old are fitted with chains instead of cam belts please?
My Ford Ka is making a droning noise when it turns left or right. Someone has said it might be the steering rack. If it is, how much will it cost me?
We were debating the true value of Vauxhall's lifetime warranty, given the exclusion of wear and tear. From experience I remember being told a leaking water pump at 25,000 miles might be considered wear...
Our Citroen C1 was three years old at the end of May so it's outside warranty. Prior to this I gathered that some C1s/107s/Aygos had suffered loose exhaust baffles and were being remedied by dealers. ...
Please could you advise what to do about a new Vauxhall Combo SE 1.3 van I bought in May 2010? It is hesitating and losing power, and our local dealer can't detect a fault.
I have a Audi A6 1.8T Quattro. The engine light is on, and I had it put on a computer which says it's got a air leak on the intake causing it to run lean. Two people have checked all the hoses on the intake...
I've got a 56-plate Volkswagen Passat 2-litre TDI. It's got Siemens injectors at the moment and one of them has broken. Can I replace the broken one with a Bosch injector or does it have to be a siemens?
I have a 52-plate 1.8 petrol Ford Mondeo and have had the front and back wheels balanced due to a wheel wobble. It's recently done 70,000 miles. This has not sorted the wheel wobble, and now under heavy...
i am thinking of buying a used new shape Ford Galaxy but I have heard that there is a problem with one of the diesel engines. I think it is the 1.8 TDCI which has a timing belt instead of a chain. I am...
I live in the centre of Dublin and drive a 2003 CL. For the last few months there has been a spate of wing mirror robberies off Mercedes-Benz cars (six on my road alone). Mine have been stolen twice so...
I recall that you gave advice some time ago regarding 'fumigating' the air conditioning and ventilation system to get rid of noxious smells. I've tried to locate this in your FAQ's and forums with only...
I'm on the lookout for a Ford Focus 2.0 automatic. My partner has a baby on the way and is restricted to driving automatics. We have decided that the hatchback and saloons are not big enough for prams...
Where can I get a list of new 4x4 diesels that do not have a DPF fitted?
I have a 2007 Audi A6 1.9TDi saloon. My son sits in the back seat behind the driver and has complained of headaches after having been in the car for prolonged periods. He has not done this in any other...
The front tyres on my Volvo XC90 were down to 2-3mm whilst the backs were at 4-5mm. I therefore changed the front tyres and had the front tracking done. Since then, I've done about 300 miles and the vibration...
I bought a Renault Laguna Privilege about two months ago. It drives like a dream, although it keeps cutting out when I come to a stop. Also I have noticed a slight ticking or light rattling between 0 and...
I bought a used 2001 Nissan X-Trail from a sales centre. It was fitted with a 45Ah, 12v battery but the battery supplier says it should have a 65Ah, 12v battery. Some say 70Ah. What's the best?
My seven-year-old Vauxhall Zafira has been faultless, but lately it seems to make heavy weather of speed bumps. Can the suspension fail gradually or is it always sudden?
Is there a document which lists vehicles in order of width and compares this year's model with previous versions? My wife needs a narrow car to fit in our garage. Previously a Fiesta was fine but we suspect,...
I was recently stopped by the police while I was driving my mate's car and he was in front driving mine. I thought my insurance would cover me but it didn't, and the car was seized. Can police seize the...
I need to know about the long term reliability of the Volkswagen Audi DSG automatic gearbox. My car is an 06 plate with 50,000 miles and I bought it from Audi with a year's warranty. The warranty will...
There are two different noises on my recently-bought 2006 Peugeot 407 SE diesel. The first is a squeaking noise occasionally from the clutch. The garage thought this was a worn ball joint and put some...
We are looking at purchasing a replacement car for my better half. Annual mileage circa 12,000, consisting of four daily 30-mile commutes on dual carriageways and very little long distance motorway driving....
Partially based on your review, we would like to buy a new Citroen C3 Picasso, but it has to be an automatic. All our local dealer can tell us is that it will be available sometime in 2011. Do you have...
I have a 10-year-old Ford Focus 1.8 LX TDDI. It lost power while driving earlier this week and wouldn't start again. The local Ford dealer in Northern Ireland is quoting £660 to have a new pump fitted,...
I have a 2002 BMW X5 which has got transmission problems, has displayed a transmission error ('Trans. Fail-Safe Prog') on the dash but is not now showing. My dad said that he had read an article where...
Our new Toyota Verso has a speed limiter, which I have used quite a lot particularly for motorway contraflows. I used to use the cruise control for this, but with the speed limiter, you can quickly decelerate...
I am about to replace the rear brake discs on my Renault Scenic. It looks pretty straightforward, but has anyone done it before and have they learnt anything that would be useful to me? I bought a Haynes...
I bought a 2006-registered Skoda Fabia in December 2008. The car had 47,000 miles and was in good condition. At the time of purchase, I was given 12 months' Skoda warranty and was asked if I wish to extend...
I think I have cracked the problem related to the Renault Clio coil light coming on, followed by fluctuating revs and cutting out at junctions and when driving off. I have the 1.2 (1149cc) 16v Clio II...
Lots of arrogant persistent lawbreakers (speeders) often complain that speed cameras are a revenue stream for the government. With our huge deficit needing paying back somehow, I'd far rather see these...
I have got an eight-year-old Smart Passion convertible, semi automatic that has done approx 45,000 miles. So far so good. But it is beginning to cost me money. I have just spent nearly £1,000 on having...
I recently ordered a new Audi A3 from an Audi dealer. I added several options and negotiated a reasonable discount, bringing the purchase price to £23,000. I waited 10 weeks for the car; it arrived at...
I have a 4-year-old VW Touran TDI that I bought new. Recently, after 62,000 carefully driven miles and no rough motoring, the car fractured a rear coil spring, about one wind up from the base. The engineer...
On July 25th last year you published a letter from PM of Kineton regarding his experience at a branch of McDonalds, where he was sent a penalty charge for overstaying his visit - while he was giving them...
Your response to PB's letter on 19 June states that "in an automatic, left-foot braking is the only way to remain in full control of the vehicle at all times". As we manual drivers brake with our right...
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