Questions from April 2013
Two years ago I sold my 1997 Bentley Brooklands LWB which was an ex-Claridges Hotel car. It was full spec with picnic tables, lead crystal glassware and refrigerator, etc. My problem was that the running...
I have owned my new model Civic for a year, but have only seen six of these on the road, over several counties (two of these are owned by friends). Can you please explain this?
A Toyota Yaris 3-door hatchback with a small engine has given excellent service to my student children. The car has done 90,000 miles and as my daughter is married with a baby on the way it is time for...
I just heard of someone who had his white van number plate copied, and received six speeding offences against him. The judge was unable to accept his argument that it was not his van and as a result of...
I bought a BMW 120i convertible with climate control. The 28 degrees centigrade max of the BMW is puny - no good at all for winter sun. Neither does it offer fresh air at face level. Are all climate control...
Following up my interest in a new ML with various Mercedes-Benz main dealers, one has offered me a "sensational" deal, to the end of March only, at "cost plus £1". In the context of a new ML, what does...
My father has been generally very satisfied with his 2005 Skoda Octavia Elegance 1.9 TDI DSG, but it is beginning to show its age, having just required a driveshaft replacement and with a few other little...
I drive about 8000 miles a year in an 8-year-old Astra estate and would like a newer, similar size estate car and since I am in my late seventies, it might be my last. I have a budget of about £12,000...
I am considering buying a car, and I haven't owned a car in over 10 years. The last time I owned one was in America before the days of satnav, iPod connections, beep when you reverse, and all the other...
A driver is stopped by the police and after the driver's details are obtained the officer says: "You will be reported for driving without reasonable consideration for other road users". Nothing else is...
As a suggestion could a unique coded chip be incorporated within the number plate that would be read by the camera. It would still mean of course that the car could be cloned if the number plates were...
I have 2010 Honda Civic. I took it for its first MoT and the garage asked me to come and look at the car. It would not pass because the spot welds over the strut top had come away, the wheels were out...
I got distracted this morning and put just over two litres of V-Power petrol into my Hyundai i30 diesel before I realised. There was already about a quarter of a tank of diesel in the car. I stopped and...
Could you please advise? Last Wednesday I took delivery of a pre-registered (31/1/2013) Renault Megane Hatchback fitted with 17-inch alloy wheels and Continental Contisport Contact 205/50R17 tyres. When...
I am 86 years young and my 12-year-old Honda Accord has a 'creep' type auto that is absolutely invaluable. Are there any small or medium size saloons that still use this type of automatic gearbox?
Which law comes into play so that when approaching a particularly bad pothole (probably obscured by water) one always meets a lorry or other oversized vehicle at the crucial moment and down you go – bang!...
Fired with enthusiasm through reading your columns each week, and fed up with trying to drive down one local road that had a series of three or four deep potholes all in a line, and parked cars both sides...
I have owned a Mondeo ST24 estate for 12 years. It has proved reliable, relatively economical, sporty, good to drive with decent performance and carries everything, including the kitchen sink. At 150,000...
I have just purchased a 2012 Ford Focus Titanium X fitted with 18-inch wheels. I love the car but find the ride hard. Would fitting 17-inch wheels make the ride better? The car has only done 3000 miles....
In November 2012 I received a letter from AXA about an alleged incident said to involve me and my then car in which they said no report had been received from me. I responded by phone and letter stating...
I'd like to replace my 11 year old 2.0 petrol Octavia estate. I'm attracted to the new Octavia estate but would really like an automatic petrol estate (which Skoda don't seem to offer). I do about 10000...
I have just driven 60 miles in my Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCi 04, stopped for 20 minutes and then gone to restart car with no luck.
The engine turns over happliy but not firing at all. I have checked all the...
My friend is looking at changing her 09 Golf 1.4 tsi for a new car. She likes the new Audi A3 hatchback however it's slightly too big for her garage (which is less than 2m in width) She'd be buying from...
I have a 1998/9 (S reg) Vauxhall Astra, 1.6L, automatic gearbox. It's in really nice condition, only 46,000 genuine miles on the clock, and is now beginning to give me trouble. I'd like to know if it's...
Apologies for asking a motorcycle question. A friend of mine has a showroom condition BMW 1200C on which the ABS pump has failed. A new one costs £1500 plus a lot to fit. Do you know of anyone that might...
I have a 4 year old Honda CRV (top of the range) with about 31000 miles on the clock. I had the heater in the drivers seat replaced last December but the pad in the drivers seat is now sagging and so needs...
My parents want to replace their ageing (2003) Mercedes C220 CDi. They cover 12,000 miles a year and are getting different opinions from every dealer over whether to buy a petrol or diesel. They're looking...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honest_John_missile
Your talents are indeed many and varied!
The MGR-1 Honest John rocket was the first nuclear-capable surface-to-surface missile in the US arsenal.
My wife and I are due to retire later this year and are planning a 6 month driving tour of Europe. We want to do the tour in style and have narrowed our choice of car to a Porsche 911, Jaguar XKR or Maserati...
Which is the best model please for comfort and economy? 320i or 325i?
ThanksTonyG
A Mercedes salesman has told me that a Mercedes diesel is OK for short distance driving - but reports in the press say that a diesel engine is not good for short distances. Any advice please?
My local tyre depot, Redpath Tyres in Wooler, were changing over my winter wheels and tyres and discovered that both the nearside and offside front coil springs were broken.
My immediate reaction was...
I took your advice from the Telegraph when, as you had predicted, Hertfordshire County Council rejected my claim for a new tyre to replace the one destroyed by hitting a large pothole.
I submitted a...
Renault clio dynamique 2006 - when parked up with engine off, doors locked, lights firmly off ect, will sometimes turn on the front side lights automatically after a few minutes, meaning that it will...
Whilst driving on the M27 a car in the offside lane aquaplaned and hit our offside. The driver said he lost control when he aquaplaned. He then denied five days later and said we drove into him from the...
I was in my works private car park on Saturday and think I hit a BMW, I heard a noise so I think I did. I got out to look at my car and there was absolutely no damage, no scratches no anything. I went...
I own a 1979 T reg Red Lotus Eclat 2litre 80,000 miles, it was worth £7k when I took it off the road 22 years ago it has been garaged ever since and is now in very poor condition, it has an interesting...
I have owned an 07 BMW E91 since new. It is now 6 years old and has done 34000 miles.
A red steering lock light has come up on the dashboard, although the steering lock is working fine. I have taken it...
Recently I changed the clutch of an X-Trail 2008 2.2 tdi but when I start the vehicle the engine revs until 3000rpm and the check light comes on
I still don't know whats hapening because at first the...
There is a warning light intermittently coming on in my 2007 Astra. Vauxhall garage says it's an inlet manifold problem and would cost £500 to fix.
The car runs normally whether the light is on or off....
My wife is a GP, returning to work after maternity leave. She's looking for a small family car suitable for carrying an extended rear-facing child seat (i.e. up to the age of 4) and a buggy, but must...
£8995 OTR - how does Skoda make such a large reduction on the Fabia? Is the deal as good as it seems?
We currently have an automatic 1.6 Mazda MX5. We need an automatic due to the wife being profoundly deaf. Sue has set her heart on a convertible with a powered roof.
We have discounted the Mercedes-Benz...
I hope to buy a Fiat 500C Pop to replace a Smart ForTwo, for mainly short journeys. I generally like 'less is more' in a car. Should I choose the current 1.2 four-cylinder engine, or wait for the naturally...
My Zafira was stolen in January and my insurance company wrote the car off as soon as I reported the theft. The car was recovered with no damage a few weeks later by which time I had another car. A check...
I currently have an 08 Ford Focus 1.8 TDCI. I'm looking for a bigger car due to a new family arrival.
I have seen a beautiful 2009 Mazda6 Tamura 2.0 petrol. Is there much difference in cabin space and...
I have a 1.4-litre Renault Clio. If I am doing 120kmh my rev counter sits at 3,50oorpm. Is this normal? It doesnt sound too good.
I wrote to you some time back about a misfire on my wife's Vauxhall Corsa. Eventually, after a year they have managed to fix it. My only concern was the CAT with unspent fuel going down the exhaust causing...
I am interested in the Ford C-Max. I do not do more than 8k miles per annum and will not tow a trailer. Would you recommend the 1.6T or 1.0T 125 PS ecoboost engine?
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