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Questions from August 2010
My beloved 2001 MG F has got a fault with the gearbox. She sometimes revs then drops into gear, and sometimes she's fine and goes into gear no problem. I have been told that I might need a new gearbox...
I got my Citroen Picasso serviced in January 2009 at a Hyundai dealer, and was told by their technicians that it needed a new crankshaft pulley and tensioner. I told them to go ahead with the work and...
I have £6000 to spend on a used car. It should be 1.4 litre with a petrol engine, to cover about 7000 miles per year, mainly short 3-10 mile journeys and a few longer trips. It should be economical and...
I have a 2004 BMW 318 Tiptronic N42 2004. If the transmission light appears what should I do?
My Triumph Herald suffers breakdowns due to rotor arm malfunctions. I've replaced the part but no joy. Any suggestions?
I have had a very bad experience with renting a motorhome. When I went to collect the vehicle at the start of my holiday, I was not happy with the condition of the vehicle, I feel that the company should...
For the first time in my life I had to drive to Battersea, South London at short notice. When I got to crossing the river bridge, I tried to get into the left lane and go west along Embankment to get back...
Can you please tell me where the fuel pump is located on my 1998 Vauxhall Vectra please?
My glow plugs are fully working, but when I try starting my car whilst the glow plugs are connected to the car they don't work.
I had a knocking noise from my P-reg Ford Fiesta's front offside wheel. I was told it was a warped wheel so I changed to a full set of alloys, but now I have a humming noise from the same wheel and the...
My 1.9 2003 Renault Kangoo diesel hesitates at idle speed and produces excessive smoke. I removed the EGR plug and its now working fine. Which sensor gives info to EGR and computer?
I purchased front fog lights and a stalk with the foglight setting on it for my Peugeot 406. I've fitted them all but have no power. All the wires were already there, I just plugged them in. I've been...
How do I get into the bulbs on my Vauxhall Astra 1995 GLS? I think the bulbs have blown behind the dash - I have tried the fuse and dimmer dial with no joy. Also the stereo, a Blaupunkt, isn't working...
I have read in some car workshop manuals that threads of screw should be clean and dry before fixing, but I have read one thread on here about applying copper grease onto the thread of a glow plug. Could...
My old workhorse Ford Mondeo estate failed the MOT on front anti-roll bar bushes. I got her on the ramps this evening to have a look and I noted that the bar will move side to side through a good six inches,...
I have a 2001 Ford Mondeo Ghia x2.0. When I first got the car over a year ago I was averaging 35-40mpg around town and 45-55mpg on the motorway. Recently my fuel economy has dropped to 24mpg around town!...
I sold my 1996 Toyota RAV4 privately. I've owned it since 2007. The buyer contacted me and said he'd done an HPI check and it came up with a CoD against my car, issued in September 2009. The DVLA agrees...
During a business trip to Germany, some minor damage (scuffing of paintwork) occurred to my rental car. The chap at the returns office suggested it would probably polish out. Europcar has now sent me a...
My Citroen C4 Picasso broke down six weeks ago and I had to leave it at an approved Citroen dealer and return to Edinburgh by train. It is out of warranty by six months. Citroen are still unable to give...
I'm looking for a reliable diesel for £1000. Which is the best to go for? I need something that does roughly 50mpg and doesn't brake down very often, if not at all, as I travel a lot.
I need to repair some damaged paintwork on my Nissan Micra - a big chunk has fallen off. Do I buy a filler or should I be looking for something else?
I bought a Peugeot 407 HDi from a trader. The third day after buying the car it started to misfire and lose power, and then after a few miles would clear itself. I took it back to the trader who took it...
I'm in the process of choosing my new car. I definitely want a four-wheel drive because I like to drive to the mountains in wintertime. My primary concern is great handling of the car for fast cornering....
After being in storage for two years I am getting my son's 1998 Volkswagen Golf back on the road. The power hood worked perfectly before, but it has now decided not to work. It appears to be interlocked...
I am finally in a position to indulge in a two-seat sports car and would welcome your advise regarding the best Nissan 350Z version to buy. I could get a high mileage (50,000) 2008 GT version for about...
Whilst driving along in my Volkswagen Golf IV automatic I heard a bang, and my car stopped and wouldn't restart. The AA diagnosed a fuel pump failure. With a new one fitted, the car starts easily, but...
I recently bought an Audi A4 Avant 1.8SE from a dealer. It was registered in 2002 so I assumed (incorrectly) that it was a B6 model and priced it accordingly. it was priced at £3795. It had completed 71,000...
I have received a parking ticket advising contravention of Code 27. It states that I parked in a special enforcement area adjacent to a dropped footway. Does anyone know what a special enforcement area...
The Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) Warning light recently illuminated on the dashboard of my wife's BMW 1 Series. We consulted the manual which stated the car was still safe to drive. As the car was under...
Why is the engine killing my Triumph Herald's rotor arm? I'm now on my third in a matter of months.
I need an estate car with good reliability, and I want an automatic with reasonable economy. I have about £10,000 plus my trade-in. I am thinking of a used Passat, Mazda 6 or Volvo V70 and I know from...
I have been living in the Cayman Islands for the last three years and I have a 60 per cent no-claims discount. I am moving back to the UK and have been trying to get insurance, but a lot of the insurance...
Can you explain to me why the motor trade is so keen to promote colour coded bumpers and side rubbing strips, to the extent that it is now very difficult to purchase a car (Peugeot and Citroen being honourable...
We bought a 2007 Honda Jazz in May from a Honda dealer, and so far I am very pleased with it. However, whilst we were on holiday recently, a friend noticed a soot-like deposit on the front wheel hubs,...
I was driving my car today. I went into town and on returning to my car it wouldn't start, but I have full power to the dash, central locking and lights, so I bump-started it and it started first time....
i recently bought a 98 plate 2.5 Vauxhall Vectra but it runs really rough on idle and I think the idle speed is too low. Can anyone help with a diagnosis?
On my insurance policy it states that my car is parked in my garage overnight. However, on the day my car was stolen it was parked on the road outside my house. Would this stop insurance company paying...
I have a Peugeot 406 2.0 HDI and an anti-pollution error is causing my car to stall, and then when restarting it goes to limp mode. It has occurred twice, both times when towing and both times when in...
I recently received a renewal insurance premium quote of £375.41. This is 33 per cent increase on last years price of £283.42, despite having made no claims. The quote also included legal protection for...
My 10-month-old Hyundai i10 has been in the local dealer's workshop for a month, waiting for a head gasket to be sent from India. I have made a verbal complaint to the head office and the workshop staff...
I've bought a 1997 Peugeot 306 TD 1.9. After a couple of weeks I noticed that when my turbo started to kick in I would get a lot of smoke coming from the exhaust for four or five seconds, then it would...
My local garage has a brand new MG TF for around £14,500. They say that this is a good buy because there are only 26 of these cars in the UK and they have two of them. They say that production of this...
I've heard that the clutches go on the new Ford Mondeo after 30-40,000 miles, and you have to have the flywheel changed as well at a cost of £1000. Is this true?
Hello. I've just brought a Renault Clio and it looks like someone has already sanded the bonnet and one side down ready for a re-spray. I was wondering how much a full respray would cost?
I parked across my own driveway run-up today, and Manchester City Council sent out two men and a pick-up truck and told me that they would fine me 35 pounds there and then, or take my car away. There are...
My mother-in-law (who is nearly 80) wants to replace and update her car. She currently has a 1.2 petrol Corsa which is many years old, and wants to stay with this size of car. Economy & reliability are...
I bought an '05 Ford Focus ST-2 in May this year from a Ford dealer for £9000 with only 36,000 miles on the clock. It came HPI clear, with a full service history, and three owners. It's a really looked-after...
I've just bought a Mercedes-Benz B-Class 180CDi SE, with 18,000 miles and 15 months old. The purchase was from a main Mercedes-Benz dealer and it is in superb condition. During the negotiations, I asked...
When I turn on my Citroen C5's window washers I can hear the buzzer going, and the wipers start working. But the water is just trickling out of one of them (there is water in the bottle). Can anyone help?
I have just bought a 18-month-old Mercedes-Benz C-Class estate and have to park under trees. There is a constant problem with bird droppings (pigeons) that may well result in damage to the paintwork. Any...
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