Questions from April 2011
I'm thinking of buying a MINI Diesel 02-07 Registration. Could you please let me know if the Mini Diesel 1.4 has a cambelt or does it run on a chain?
I have a Mazda3 2.0 sport petrol and I would like to know if this is chain or belt driven, as the mileage is 67,000.
I ordered an Iveco van which was to be factory built, hence a 2 month waiting list.
When the van was being delivered to the dealership, the engine blew.
A new engine has now been replaced, but I take...
My peugeot 306 is leaking coolant from the internal heater ducts into the foot well.
We have just done a rad clean on the car as the water was not going round the system and the bottom of the rad was...
Just to recap on my fault - you have made several suggestions which I have passed on to Hardings Renault in Hemel.
I have an ongoing intermittant fault with my Laguna 2.2 turbo automatic CE04MTU which...
I was travelling in Cumbria down the Kirkstone Pass out of Winderemere and hit a large pothole (3/4 foot long and up to 3 inches deep).
There was an enourmous noise in the cabin of my Jaguar XF that...
My daughter will be 14 on 14th July this year.
She is desperate to start driving, and has grasped the very basics of driving on private land.
I would love to give her a great present for her fourteenth...
Seem to get a lot of road noise from my current tyres Pirelli P7. I am due to change so can you please reccommend a quieter tyre? Tyre size is 205/55r/16 91v.
During last year summer (June 2010) I had an accident which resulted in my car going into the garage. The car was kept in the garage for four months due to lack of parts (which had to ordered in) and incompetent...
I have read on this site about the 406 110bhp having a dual mass flywheel and how many problems they can cause when they fail.
Can you confirm weather or not the 110 bhp AUTO is fitted with a DMF?
A...
Why are two-year-old Discovery 4 HSEs selling for around 47k when as new they are 54k?
Surely they should be dropping much more than this? Are the dealers trying to artificially keep up prices? I would...
I own a 2003 Volkwagen Golf Mk4 1.9 TDi estate with a PD diesel engine. Although I have never done oil changes myself, I do know that it is on a longlife service schedule, and I am pretty sure it has...
My Peugeot 406 coupe is missing its fuel additive tank. What will it do to the car and its performance?
Why do you think that Northamptonshire has suspended speed camera operations? Is it that the roads have become so safe that they are now redundant? I don't think so. They were, from the beginning, an additional...
I'm buying a new Toyota Avensis, with metallic paintwork.
Dealer recommends Paintseal treatment costing £400+.
Is it worth it? (I've no wish to DIY.)
I own a VW Golf first registered Sept 2007.
The VW dealership tells me the cam belt should be replaced after four years regardless of mileage, but the service handbook talks about checking the cam belt...
We have just bought a 2002 Discovery and the feeling through the steering wheel is very lacking. It feels very light almost to the point of having a mind if it's own. The ACE system lights up a red symbol...
Just wondering if you can tell me what can cause a really heavy wear of the front tyres in my Peugeot 407 2.0HDi SW.
The wear is just on the inside of tyres - first 1-2 inches. I had tracking checked...
I bought a SEAT Altea XL 1.9 diesel Stylance new, at a good price, four years ago from Perry's of Aylesbury.
It has been serviced by Perry's throughout. It suits our needs, is enjoyable to drive and...
We want to replace the factory-fitted 225 55 R17 Pirelli P7 run-flat tyres on our new BMW 520D SE Auto Touring with conventional tyres and would very much appreciate your suggestions as to which would...
Does my Ford Transit Connect 2003 model 1.8 TDCi have a cambelt or camchain? If a cam chain when do I need to get it changed?
I have just returned from 2 weeks holiday to find bird mess over the boot of my Volkswagen Eos. I bought the car new 2 years ago and had to have it resprayed under warranty after a few months due to colour...
I suffer from symmetrical peripheral polyneuropathy, basically the nerve ends in my feet have packed up which means that part of my feet (toes and the adjacent area) alternate between pain and, more commonly...
SS from Dover wrote to you about problems starting her VW Polo automatic. I have the same problem with my Octavia 2.0TDI DSG (I also have to shift the gear selector in and out of "P" a few times before...
I have a two-year-old, 2003/53 Mercedes E320 CDi Avantgarde that has now completed 87,000 miles. The car has been serviced by Mercedes from new and, apart from one or two electronic niggles, has been essentially...
Can you tell me what a particulate filter does and why and how often they need replacing?
Now 86, I regard my Mercedes A150 Classic SE 5Dr BlueEfficiency as my last car. It is a pleasure to drive, and on motorways it is fine, but on poor country roads the ride is very hard indeed, and my wife...
I am 69 years old, and despite driving tens of thousands of miles in this country, have never driven on the Continent. My wife and I would like to go to France for a holiday, but I am not sure if I could...
I have been reading some of your comments in the Telegraph online concerning VW ABS Pump failures. I own a VW Jetta first registered in March 2006, I have owned the vehicle since new and the car has been...
Recently the emissions warning light came on in my 2005/55 Audi A4 TDI which has done 55,000 miles and always been serviced at my local Audi dealer. Upon inspection they said there is a leaking EGR valve...
What are the major differences between the Range Rover and the Range Rover Sport? My impression is that both have a poor reputation for reliability - is this justified?
We followed your advice and went to the Automatic Gearbox Centre in Luton. Despite giving them a very tight timescale, and them having to urgently obtain a part from Sweden, they completed the work satisfactorily...
Our family runs 11 modest cars, including two 4x4s, on business and has very, very rarely claimed on insurance over the past decade. We are all over 40 years old and yet despite careful driving our annual...
I am thinking of buying a 2002/52 Mercedes Benz SLK 200 Kompressor from a local garage. The garage specialises in Jaguar, Mercedes, BMW, etc. up to 10 years old. It has full service history and has covered...
We are looking for a Mini Moke or similar, that is very basic and a car that is suitable for use in the tropics and near the sea. It needs to be mechanically simple to fix - so minimal electrics and no...
The article comparing diesel and petrol Fabias was very interesting but was probably not how most people drive most of the time. I am trying to choose between two Octavias: the 1.2 TSI petrol (currently...
I saw your exchange with JH of Pickering, and agree with your comments about cooperating with other motorists, and your quote from the 1930 Highway Code. I wonder, however, if some of your readers might...
A year ago my wife was injured when driving my car, which was declared a write-off. The other driver admitted full liability and our insurance company eventually sent us a cheque. Meanwhile they had placed...
My partner is the second owner of an excellent condition 1996 Nissan Micra 1.3 GX Auto that has a gear selection problem, The selector has to be used with force and often it requires several attempts before...
In late 2009 I emailed you that Barnes Precision Engineering (of Detroit) was closing down its small factory in Hoddesdon, Herts, which I was told was Europe's only supplier of stamped valves for car A/C...
I am ordering the new Hyundai i10 1.2 Active automatic as you suggested. It seems there will be none available (at least in black or silver) before some time in June. There is supposed to be a £600 discount....
I bought a July 2009 Toyota IQ-2 from a reputable dealer last weekend after receiving a good trade-in value for my car. The advert said that the Toyota had a full service history and had done 11,004 miles....
I have usually used only BP Ultimate diesel in my Land Cruiser, but I have recently tried the Shell V-Power diesel. I am not totally sure but I appear to be getting a couple of miles per gallon extra with...
I have a 2009 Mondeo Titanium 2-litre TDCI automatic estate. It's used for towing a caravan and we're due to set off on our annual six-week European tour at the end of May. Before going, I want to replace...
I frequently see lorries with signs on the back which read, "If you can't see my mirrors, I can't see you" and my first thought is always "So what?". How does the driver knowing of my presence affect the...
As we travelled along the nearside lane of a motorway recently, my husband flashed his car lights to indicate to a car driver wanting to join the motorway that we were there and that he should not attempt...
I renewed my car insurance 15 days before it was due (with much difficulty due to hearing problems). Now, 10 days after it was due I have still not received any confirmation of renewal through the post...
I feel bound to add weight to the letter from RH of Cumbria about the catastrophic failure of certain tyre pressure monitoring systems. In February 2010 three Siemens TPMS valves failed within 24 hours...
Can you clarify whether debt collection agencies can be used to collect debts without a court order?
Just a note to say your comment that "debt collection agencies cannot legally be used unless a court order is obtained" is wrong. Such agencies can be and are used far more often to collect debts that...
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