Questions from July 2012
Have you received any feedback or have knowledge of the efficacy of the Tyrepal sensors that monitor tyre pressures and, it is claimed, sound an alarm when they become soft and give advance warning of...
We decided to have the pollen filter replaced on our 10-year-old Renault Scenic, after reading several times they would be the reason for the constant misting and condensation inside the windscreen. Like...
We are a couple in our early 70s and we have enjoyed a Mercedes C180 for some years, but it gives signs of rising repair costs and we give signs of decreasing hip and knee flexibility. I am also 6 feet...
I drive a 2005 Skoda Fabia VRS TDI 130 that I love, but it's done nearly 100,000 miles and I'm wondering if now is the time to trade it in before things start to go wrong. Living on my own, I need a reliable...
My wife has fused discs in her spine and, despite much padding and cushioning, is reluctant to travel more than a few miles in my 2002 Peugeot 307 XSI which she finds too firm for comfort. There are hundreds...
I have been having problems with the DPF on a Renault Laguna diesel. I have had it regenerated twice and now someone has suggested having it taken out. I have looked on the internet and found numerous...
We need a reliable new car which should be five-door with a high seat for both driver and disabled front passenger. I have a 10-year-old Toyota Yaris that I have found really reliable so would like to...
We love our manual Suzuki Swift, but for medical reasons relating to my clutch leg we may need to move to an automatic. I understand you are a great fan of the Swift, but not the automatic. What would...
One of the reasons I bought a Hyundai i10 was that it promised a five-year warranty. Imagine my surprise when I phoned Hyundai to book it in for its first service only to be told that it would cost about...
Recently my sister was driving her nearly-new Volkswagen Passat on a motorway and was terrified when the wipers failed. It has automatic wipers. It was repaired for £300 but has now failed again and, when...
My wife has just taken her 2008 Nissan Micra to the local Nissan dealer because the ABS light was on and has been told that the ABS system needs replacing, due to corrosion, and has been quoted £2771 for...
We went on holiday in Italy in September 2010 and, on 24 December 2011, we received a speeding fine from the Polizia Municipal in Florence demanding a 150 Euro fine, plus 43 Euros admin charge, for a speeding...
Having just returned from America after visiting the west coast and Hawaii I report on the following: The main street garages do not sell diesel. I saw or heard no diesel cars. The Nissan Micra K13 is...
I have just had my Audi A4 serviced and the mechanic tells me that the diesel tank is curved inwards on the bottom underside as if it has been sucked in. Is this a common fault? What could have caused...
My wife currently runs a 2007 SAAB 9-3 SW diesel autobox which has done 55,000 miles. If we replace this we are trying to build a shortlist. She has had five back operations and the SAAB seats are superb,...
Can you advise me please? I am thinking of getting a bigger car and have my eye on a Skoda Octavia. If I go for a model with the 1.4 TSI 122 BHP engine will I have to let the turbo 'spool' down before...
I ate dinner at the Swan Hotel, Bedford on 19 December 2011. I arrived in darkness and left in darkness. The hotel charged me a £5 fee for the service of car parking (I have the invoice), thus a contract...
I am a happy owner of a Ford S-Max diesel. I have my servicing done by an independent Ford dealership (Perkins of Rayne). A month after my latest service I called in with a bulb blown in the tailgate....
I will be 70 this year and obtained my driving licence in New Zealand at the age of 15 (driving age is still 15 today). I hold a normal car licence at the moment but have also held an HGV and a bus licence...
I recently privately purchased a 2006 Volkswagen Polo 1.4 SE 80bhp. How can I independently check the CO2 rating? The V5 states 156 grams per kilometre, whereas the original supplying dealer to the first...
Other than advertising it and having all sorts of people on the doorstep, which I really do not wish to contemplate, what is the safest way to sell my 2005 Audi A3 Sportback quattro DSG with 47,472 miles...
I'm unclear if I should tell insurers that I have fitted winter tyres to my Skoda. The tyres are exactly the same size as the summer tyres and were supplied and fitted to new wheels by our local Skoda...
I would like advice on the following. I purchased a 2005 jaguar X-Type 2.0 diesel in April 2011 with a standard three month warranty. Almost immediately I had starting problems with the car. Over the next...
I wonder whether the 18-month-old Polo that needed new front discs and pads after 8500 miles really needed them? In my experience the worst people for try to sell me unnecessary things during a service...
My wife and I arrived back in Southampton from an extended cruise on 20 December 2011, having left Southampton on 14 November 2011). Earlier this week I received a fixed penalty notice, with photos, alleging...
I remain convinced that the Chinese owners of MG are sensibly playing their hand in gradually, and will be a significant force to be reckoned with much sooner than most expect. If nothing else, their low...
In your column today, you recommended, again, fitting winter tyres. However, Chris Knapman's article later in the Motoring section offered a different point of view. They cost money to fit, and to refit...
My two-year-old Jazz is booked in for its second service this week, and Johnson's Honda in Slough have recommended the engine should be flushed. The car has done 15,000 miles of mixed motoring. What do...
I noted your reply to JA, Peacehaven and was a bit concerned that your readers may not have understood your point. The Highway Code and the Road Traffic Act are quite clear and that is that passing on...
I was looking for the same thing as MH and was considering Audi, BMW and Mercedes, but I saw a nice Lexus IS 250 Multimedia going through unsold at BCA in November and took a closer look. So I decided...
I own a 2006 Mondeo 2.0 diesel estate, and so far am very pleased with its performance. I have done in excess of 200,000 miles with a lot of motorway usage and have, so far, only replaced the water pump,...
On 21 December 2010 my wife was shopping at a local retail outlet and unknowingly exceeded the allowed parking time by 32 minutes. She was Christmas shopping in the stores on site during this time with...
I suspect I cannot be alone in wondering at the state of car insurance companies? As an example, I quote my own extraordinary dealings with Toyota Insurance. I've owned over ten Toyota cars and have always...
I have noted in your Yaris article that the manual gearbox suffers from a whine. Is this whine something that is to be accepted or is it best to repair? Do you know what causes the whine?
I have had several calls today purporting to be from a company called 'Accident Helpline'.
Their operative has informed me that I, or someone else at my address has been involved in an accident and may...
I currently own an 07 Discovery 3 with 55k on the clock, which I'm really pleased with. Recently there have been a few electronic gremlins with the gearbox and I'm worried I could be in for some big bills....
I'm getting mixed advice about my old paper license, to which 3 points were added in 2006 for a local GATSO trap. These points have long now expired, but it's been suggested that this is no longer a valid...
With the new regulations for passing an MoT - I have an 04 Pug 406 and the airbag warning light has always been on (a known fault on 406s) - will this result in a fail?
I am considering buying a folding caravan that weighs 1100kg but I am finding it difficult to find out whether my 2005 Honda Accord 2.0 Executive Automatic will be able to tow it safely. How can I find...
I brought a SEAT LEON nearly 3 years ago. In March my car had done 80,000 so the warranty had expired. I then had major problems with the car shaking - turned out the conrod was bent in the engine so had...
My son is selling his 08 plate Seat Leon Cupra. I remember seeing a specific site for selling Cupras mentioned some time ago. Failing that which is the best way to sell, you have also recommended other...
As you don't recommend small automated manuals, what small/medium automatics would you recommend please?
Now that it is a legal requirement in France to carry, at all times, a couple of self testing breathalyser kits in your vehicle, is it possible to carry, instead, one of the 'alcosense' re-usable breathalisers?...
I bought a new Focus hatchback 1.0 eco boost 125 last week, lured by the 55+ mpg advertised by Ford and enthusiastically endorsed and claimed by the salesman. I can't get more than 43mpg, and that's on...
I'm very tempted by the new Duster (I saw one in Renault Cardiff yesterday). I don't really do enough miles to warrant a diesel, but I would want the highest trim and diesel is the only engine available....
The 4 year old Audi A6 I bought in Sept 2010 ago was fitted with Barum Bravuris tyres, two of which were well worn. I was obliged to replace them just a few weeks later, and whilst Barum are perhaps not...
My Focus Ghia Tdci had been sat on the drive for the past two months while I was on military training. I have come back and started up my car after putting a new battery in and it started, but soon after...
A few months back I persuaded my wife that it was good practice and worthwhile to fill the Nissan X-Trail with higher quality diesel, as although it was more expensive it would be better for the car and...
I am ready to replace my VW Golf ('58 plate) which has done 32,000 miles. I've had no problems with it (it is in good condition - FSH etc) but fancy something a bit prettier.
I do around 9,000 miles...
I know there have been a lot of questions regarding parking charge notices issued by private parking companies. I overstayed in my local Asda by 25 mins over the free 3 hours.
Usually I park in Asda,...
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