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Trending topics in September 2010
Questions from September 2010
My wife has a 53 Ford Focus with only 17,000 miles on the clock. The service schedule recommends 100,000 miles or 10 years to replace the cam belt, but many suggest seven years - any comments?
Please can you advise me of what steps to take if the dealership tries to charge me for a replacement clutch? I purchased a used Honda 10 weeks ago, they are checking tomorrow if it is due to mechanical...
My 2007 Mazda 3 lost power steering at the weekend, losing all fluid. Is the UK not part of the recall mentioned in the press on 12 Aug or do they source different parts than they use in USA/Japan etc?...
I own a Skoda Octavia 1.4 TSI Elegance which is now one year old and due for it's first service. I would like to know if I should get any other lubricants changed, apart from the standard oil and filter....
We have a five-year-old Audi A2 with 28,000 miles, owned from new and serviced on variable servicing by an Audi main dealer. We recently received a reminder from the dealer stating that the timing belt...
My daughter is buying a Volkswagen Urban Fox 1.2 but unfortunately Haynes do not produce a workshop manual for the car. My other daughter has a 2006 1.2 Skoda Fabia for which I have a workshop manual....
When I turn my Citroen Xsara to the left, the speakers make a loud "pop" noise and the CD player/radio cuts out. It has now got even worse, as when I go over a bump in the road it also happens.
What is the best method of removing bird pooh from the paint work?
We have been to a car supermarket and seen a lovely Nissan Tiida. We were tempted to buy this (unregistered, with 37 miles on the clock) car. However, before parting with hard-saved cash, we dropped in...
I own a 2009 Ford Fiesta Zetec S with the optional extra 17-inch alloy wheels. I bought it in May this year and it was registered last May. When I bought the car it had a wobble on the wheels, so I took...
I have an Audi S4 (the 2004 B6 version). The cause of the engine warning light coming on has been diagnosed by my local Audi dealership as a failure of the coolant sensor. They have asked for £310 to effect...
I have read a lot of the threads on suggested comfortable rides. However, they are all rather dated. Do you have any particular recommendations for family cars with a better ride than my 57-reg Kia Cee'd...
I have a Ford S-Max with 235/45 tyres on 18-inch rims. The S-Max does not come with a spare wheel, but I have been offered a compatible 16-inch steel rim for free. Can you by chance tell me where to find...
The timing has belt has broken on my 1992 Renault Clio RL which has over 117,000 miles on it. Without this problem what life was left in the engine? If it were to be repaired what other problems might...
I am the named driver on my partner's fully comprehensive policy. I was driving her car yesterday and was involved in a motorway crash. My partner's insurance company rang her and insisted she make a claim...
The engine warning light on my sons' 2002 Ford Focus 1.6 LX Estate illuminated about four months ago. He had it checked by a main dealer and was told the code indicated the Catalytic Convertor was defective....
I have a Citroen Xsara Picasso 1.6 HDI 54 reg with 10,600 miles. The gearchange is becoming increasingly stiff. There's no crunching or grinding, it just feels like the gear lever is moving in a thick...
Why is there oil in my Vauxhall Omega's spark plug pot?
I have just tried to get insurance on a car, with my daughter as a named driver. The premium is £390.60 with just me on the policy, but jumps, no, rockets, to £1336.65 to include my daughter. What on earth...
I have a BMW 318i SE E46 year 2000 with 74,000 miles. When I start my car there is a annoying ticking noise from the engine, but once the engine heats up it stops. It is really loud and makes the car sound...
Can you tell me what are the quietest tyres for my Ford Focus Zetec?
I purchased a Mitsubishi Grandis in April 2009 from a Mitsubishi dealer as a part-exchange for my 2007 Volvo XC90. After a short period, we were not happy that we had done the right thing. We had also...
I bought a 58-plate BMW 3 Series convertible in December 2010. I took it into a BMW dealer for an oil and brake service, where they told me there was wear on the offside tyre on the inside edge and it...
I'm thinking of buying a 3-4 old Toyota Prius for its economy and general good reliability, but I'd like a sunroof. Can this be added? I cannot afford the latest model, which I believe can be ordered with...
Without any warning at all, my ‘57 plate, 1.8 SRi, petrol, 29,000-mile Vauxhall Zafira’s clutch failed quite dramatically. The car went from working fine to a revving monster, barely able to move, all...
I've seen a 1998 Volkswagen Golf that I'm interested in buying and the advert says that £705 was recently spent on it. This is what was done (reading from the garage receipt): Remove cylinder head. Pressure...
My daughter's Ford Ka overheated in a shopping centre yesterday. The AA turned out for her and decided the engine cooling fan was not cutting in. The car got home fine since it wasn't standing in traffic....
We are HM Forces stationed in Germany. We have just bought a right-hand drive BMW X5 and were assured by the seller that we did not need to buy continental headlights as the lights could be adjusted. We...
Is there such a thing as a GT car (e.g Jag XK, BMW 6 Series) with a full-sized spare wheel sold today? I do not feel comfortable with runflat tyres and spacesavers.
Should I wait for a certain time after I have taken delivery of the car before I put it through an automatic car wash?
We bought a 2005 Ford Galaxy secondhand with about 18,000 miles on the clock in 2007 and now, three years on, the car has about 50,000miles on it. Just before I took the car in for a service, my husband...
Does my 2003 Opel Zafira 2.2 turbodiesel have a cam belt or a chain?
I have a 1999 1.8 Vauxhall Zafira. I recently had new brake pads, discs, callipers and finally a complete set of cables. I still have no handbrake, any ideas?
I want to replace my much-enjoyed Renault Megane Elise as it's now over 10 years old, but I don't know what to buy. I think all the medium cars are bigger than this now (wider and longer) so I'm considering...
I bought a nearly-new Toyota Yaris from a Toyota dealer. When the logbook came through I found it was ex-rental. I wouldn't have paid so much had we known. Does the dealer have a duty to disclose or have...
I can hear a ticking noise from the cams on my 2004 Vauxhall Astra Club. I've recently had a service and checked the oil level. If I have to go to the garage, how much should I be paying?
My daughter has had four major operations on her back. She is wanting to buy a small automatic car but one which has high seats which you climb up to, rather than low ones which she finds impossible for...
I have a problem with the battery warning light on the dash of my 2006 Ford Focus. I drove from Devon to Scotland with the damn thing on. I called out the breakdown services when I first noticed the problem...
I'm keen to recycle as much as possible, but my local council provides no cooking oil recycling facility, and it seems crazy to me to put large bottles of oil in the bin for landfill. Would adding used...
I have a Ford Mondeo Zetec TDCi 2-litre. The glow plug light is flashing and it is losing power. Any ideas?
For people having hassles with Pierburg 2E carburettors, I discovered a little secret that is causing the 2E to get a bums rap. www.edgebiz.net/pierburg2ecarb.htm
I part-exchanged a car at my local Toyota dealer. They sold me a Toyota and said it had a full service history and that the documents would be sent in post. I waited and waited, and it transpires that...
I am thinking of buying a Mazda 3, as it seems to be a good car and offers better value for money and is less common than a Volkswagen Golf. Do you think this is a good idea? Also, I am not sure about...
I have just purchased a used 2009 Fiat 500 Pop with a Dualogic gearbox. It has 4000 miles on the clock. When I change gears from 2-3 and 4-5 there is a loud clicking noise. Is this correct? I did not hear...
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