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Questions from August 2010
My 5-year-old Rover 75 Connoisseur SE CDTi diesel has covered 29,000 miles and will average 48 miles per gallon on a long run dropping to 43 on short runs. My independent garage has recommended Shell V...
I love my Honda CR-V Auto bought new 2002. I have done 48,000 miles with never a problem, and only just replaced the tyres. However you have troubled me with your comment, "most cars are built to last...
In March I wrote, “My 23-year-old daughter is to return to car ownership after four car-free years as a student. The usual advice from all quarters was steering her towards a 4 or 5-year-old Fiesta, given...
I was recently prosecuted for speeding by the North Wales police and fined for the third time in my 50 years of driving. However, I feel that I must join this technological age and provide myself with...
I bought a new BMW 320iSE in Feb 2010. My wife has experienced severe backache and problems since then. Cushions of varying shapes and of orthopaedic standard have been purchased, but the problem remains....
I have a three-year-old BMW 320D with automatic transmission. Recently I have noted that occasionally the car rocks from side to side, as if being subjected to a strong side wind, when being held stationary...
I have had problems with the A/C on my 2004 Renault Laguna Sport Tourer intermittently not working over a period of time and sometimes emitting an audible whine when the engine revs go high on changing...
With reference to the email from FM printed on May 29th I have a love hate relationship with the Honda Jazz. The 08 Jazz I loved.
The 010 I absolutely hate. 1: The transmissions are dangerous in 1st and...
I unwittingly drove down a dead end in Dalston and used a factory entrance to turn round. I noticed a man in uniform filming me. About a month later I got a bill for £300, for trespassing on private property....
My brother-in-law has an 8-year-old BMW X5 diesel from new (85k miles). It has always been serviced by the same garage he bought it from in Surrey. Four days ago he was told that his A/C was “shot”, and...
On 23 October 2009 I purchased a 2002 Golf 130 TDI from an established dealer for £4,500. It had 97,500 miles on the clock, but single owner and FSH, main dealer to 88,000. It came with a warranty from...
A lifetime friend has just died, leaving a 2004 Brotherwood converted Mercedes Vaneo 1.9 automatic petrol with 35,000 miles. The conversion comprises lowered floor, slide sideways rear seats, a drop down...
It’s time to change our car and we finally decided on a Peugeot 308S 1.6 petrol. We are looking for a fairly new low mileage vehicle. Most of the 308s advertised on the Peugeot dealers' website are 1.4...
I have just acquired a rural property access to which will involve about 2 miles along first a semi gravel road and then an unmade dirt track to the house entrance. The visits I have made already suggest...
What please is the ‘Credit Hire Racket’? What frightened me was that VC had, apparently received a written assurance from his Insurance that all was ‘done and dusted.’
I own an 8-year-old Mercedes CLK Cabriolet. It has become increasingly difficult to keep the soft top clean even though I have tried different options. The problem appears to be a green moss/fungus that...
I have a 2007/57 Vectra estate with the 1800 petrol engine. At low revs in 1st/2nd gear I sometimes get a power loss for a few seconds. It then needs some revs to get going. After reading a few articles...
My son-in-law mentioned that he is considering having a chip installed in his Audi two litre diesel engine. It is a 2007 model. It seems that a chip will increase both horsepower and economy. I read something...
As a result of ill health, my good friend is considering selling his
Jaguar XK120, which he has owned for 56 years. It is in superb roadworthy condition with some racing history and is used on a fairly...
I have recently bought a one owner 1999 Mercedes 230SLK with 40,000 miles on the clock for a bit of summer motoring. It's a lovely car and I paid £7,995 for it from a good dealer but not a specific Mercedes...
Regarding left foot braking of automatics, my first licence was obtained in 1939 on two wheels, then in 1940 on four. Then the next
30 years of manual followed by 20 years of manual and autos and the final...
Your advice to KS who was speeding to his pregnant wife fortuitously comes after a report in the Daily Telegraph of a police officer caught driving at 68mph in a 30mph zone because his baby was sick. He...
I live Guangxi (South China). Just about all the traffic lights here have countdowns with them. Also they are LED types and very bright. They are positioned above the roads and the other side of the junctions...
Our 18-year-old son is about to take his driving test and needs a car. He has been offered a Vauxhall Corsa 1.2i 16v Design Twinport 3 door with 54 plate for £2,800. The car is from reliable friends so...
I have spoken to VW about the failed ESP module on my Golf. They wont help me because I don’t have a full VW service history. But this is a manufacture’s defect and should be the subject of a recall on...
I saw your explanation of indicator etiquette at roundabouts, but felt that it was rather vague and didn’t really answer the question as to which approach lane you should be in. My interest stems from...
Now the hot weather season has descended on us, it has also brought with it idiots that leave dogs in their cars with insufficient ventilation. I witnessed this yesterday in the car park at Burnham Bridges...
If a policeman stops you and asks to see your insurance documents, and does NOT give you any written piece of paper to ask you to take them along to the local police station, but, asks you to 'pop in'...
About six weeks ago, whilst washing my two-year-old Honda CRV, I noticed that the front offside foglight measuring 8cm across was broken. I thought no more of it and replaced it at a cost of £220. Last...
I would be grateful of any thoughts you might have on this issue. The company I work for has started using "Driving Monitor" to manage staff risk when driving on company business. We are all required to...
I own an Audi A4 2.0 TDI S-Line 09/09. The car has now done 25,500 miles. Last weekend the service indicator warned me that the oil would need changing in a further 1,600 miles. This surprised me somewhat...
I have a Ford Fiesta 1.3 OHV G reg 1989/1990. It starts on the button and runs ok, but will not idle. If you come to a junction and remove your foot from the accelerator, the engine stalls. I have cleaned...
We have a Ford Mondeo estate. It has always gone pretty well. We went out on Saturday and it drove fine. Stayed at home Sunday and on Monday morning went out to start it up. Nothing. No electrics at all,...
I have a 2002 Peugeot 206 1.4HDI. A couple of weeks ago the engine management light started flickering on and off, and the speedo and the rev counter will read 0 one second them will read 120 miles an...
Can I tow a car back to the dealer? The car in question has been on SORN and it has a current MOT, but I'm insured on the car that would do the towing.
I am trying to find the list of minor traffic offences according to British Law. Is there any legal document or guide available where all minor traffic offences are listed?
I have a 2009 BMW 330d touring with many extras which I bought for £46,000 list new (it now has 16,000 miles). In April of this year it began to run very rough on startup from cold, and didn't go as well...
Any ideas on getting rid of a rotten egg smell from my Volkswagen Passat's windscreen washer system?
I live in the US so I feel a bit stuck to do anything, but my mother in the UK had a 2004 Skoda she had bought new, and it had only 12,000 miles. She is 86 and does not drive much. A couple of months ago...
I have a Nissan Micra 2001 1.3 SE. The keys came with with a small pen-like thing - I dont know what this is for?
I got pulled over by police last year, and I came back on the check as licence revoked. The Kent officer then took my car and my driving licence. However, at the time I had fully comp insurance and the...
I bought a 55-plate Ford Focus with 51,000 miles on the clock back in February 2009 for £6500. It has now developed an engine fault that my local Ford dealership tell me will cost either £400 plus VAT...
I have a 2000 Volvo S80, mileage 112,000. The ABS light has come on and my main dealer says the part will need replacing at an overall cost of roughly £1200. I am hoping that servicing or repair is possible...
My 1999 Ford Fiesta 1.25 Zetec has started to overheat once in a while. Every now and then the temperature gauge flicks into the red. The warning light doesn't come on and, once pulled over, it'll slowly...
We own a 2007 Vauxhall Astra 1.9 SRI CDTi diesel. The other day I heard a rattling noise in the car and, by the time I got home, I was struggling to get it into second and fourth gear. The garage has said...
The steering rack on my Ford S-Max recently failed and cost me £1300 to replace. The car was just out of warranty by six months and only has 26,500 miles on the clock. I bought the car when it was a year...
We tried out the Fiat 500 1.2 Lounge petrol but found it to be very sluggish, especially as we live in Devon with loads of hills. You mentioned that there could be problems with diesel models on short...
A fortnight ago, when driving my BMW up the M5, on two occasions the DTC warning light flashed and I had a momentary power loss. Both incidents were over in seconds. It didn't happen again until last night...
I was recently 'invited' by my supplying dealer to bring my 10-month-old 170 BHP Volkswagen Scirocco TDI/DSG car in for what was termed an 'Express Visual Check'. The car has done 13,300 miles and is running...
Watching a lady reverse a very large van between my car and the other petrol pump, I was distracted enough to pick up the petrol instead of diesel filler. I only put in two litres of petrol before realising...
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