Trending topics in September 2012
Questions from September 2012
I bought a Citroen C4 Picasso 1.6hdi vtr+ 2 weeks ago from Arnold Clark Northwich. It's a 57 plate Picasso with 39,000 miles on the clock and I have noticed a chirping sound like the cam belt maybe slipping....
My 2001 Polo just failed MOT on emissions, high on everything. The mechanic advised I should replace the manifold cat, the standard cat and the lambda sensors. Quote for parts alone is over £700. I'd like...
I own a Peugeot 406. The engine cut out whilst driving; fault was diesel pressure sensor. Replaced sensor. Engine diagnostic light on again and the car has gone into limp mode. Took it to the garage. Codes...
Is an extended warranty worth taking up - includes parts but not labour for two years for £445.
When turning on the ignition first thing how long should the glow plug light stay on before it goes off. Does the length of time it takes, or doesn't take, indicate a problem?
I have an issue with automatic gear box on my Renault Grand Modus 1.6 (2008). Have driven autos for over 20 years, mainly Japanese cars so this is my first Renault. I find that the Modus drives more like...
I've been browsing answers and I'm interested to note you do not need a spare tyre to pass the MOT test. However, I seem to remember you must have a spare to drive lawfully on a day-to-day basis. Is that...
I need a small automatic car for my 79 & 91 year old parents. It must have with all round parking sensors & good visibility, as well as wide doors and high seats without high sides for easy access, for...
I purchased a Vauxhall 2007 Corsa 1.2 Club for £3650 on the 14th July this year and now the head gasket has gone.
The dealer only gave 30 days warranty on the engine and gearbox. Trading Standards have...
I have an Agila petrol 1.2 with approx 35000 miles on clock. How can I tell whether timing chain needs replacing or whether it is a tensioner fault or cam sensor fault? Diagnostic code is 0340 but car...
I have kind of a minor wobble in my steering, this happens at any speed slow or fast. It is a small vibration and steering wheel moves a small amount (2-5cm) from left to right or right to left.
This...
I'm a new driver now considering a vehicle. I narrowed my choice to a used Volkswagen Golf MK5, either the 1.6 petrol or the 1.9 diesel. My question is, which is the most sensible financially?
I've been...
We're a family of two adults, a 2.5 year old and a 6 month old. We currently own a Hyundai i30 estate diesel (the best car we've ever had, and a complete bargain) and (on the basis of a good experience...
My diesel 320d started emitting white smoke suddenly one day. One mechanic told me to put diesel fuel injector cleaner in it and service the car. It solved the problem a little bit. But I wanted it further...
Is this car worth considering if I drive approx 8000 miles annually and are the usual servicing requirements needed? ie cam belt particulate filter and perhaps other expensive service items that come with...
I'm confused about the auto gearboxes available on the Volvo V40.
Although you refer to Powershift gearboxes in the review, the technical details refer to Geartronic boxes. Can you advise which is actually...
I bought a new Ford Ka in March. I wish to reject the deal as the car has had a fault since new, and despite several attempts to fix it by the dealer they have failed.
Ford finance refuse to let me cancel...
Single mum looking to get another car - not too small but low tax, cheap insurance, good on fuel, cheap to repair.
Can you recommend quiet tyres for my car - 205/55/R16 91v?
I am looking for a 4x4. My garage has recommended a Honda CR-V, a Toyota RAV 4 or a Nissan Qashqai. I have never driven a 4x4 so it is important I find one that is easy to drive. I am not a long distance...
I've bought myself a spare set of alloys and have ordered some winter tyres from my local garage. They will be fitting Kleber Quadraxer's next week. I have let my insurance company (Direct Line) know...
I have been told by a garage that my air-conditioning unit in my Scenic 2006 needs replacing (ball bearings?). I could hear noise (Whining) and the garage checked and diagnosed a fault with air-conditioning....
We want a reliable small van for our 17 year old who will travel around GB for outdoor sports. He may sleep in back occasionally so should accommodate a mattress. It should be lowest insurance possible,...
Telegraph Motoring recently carried photographs of two high performance cars: the Jaguar E-Type and the De Tomaso Mangusta. Both clearly show sensibly-sized wheels with hefty tyres to absorb the shocks...
I used to use my 2004 Jeep Cherokee 2.8 CRD Limited to travel backwards and forwards from Exeter to Manchester. More recently we use hire cars, so the Jeep only gets used for social, domestic and pleasure...
I am not particularly mechanical so can you explain the difference between a dual mass flywheel and a standard flywheel, the advantages of using them (if any) and why they are used if they cause so many...
We purchased a 2010 Golf 1.6TDI in September 2011 with 10,000 miles. It has now done 15,000 miles without any problems. My wife only does a low mileage and she usually keeps a car for seven or eight years....
Last year I contacted www.orangewheels.co.uk about a new Golf Match TSI auto. I was passed to Dane Chester and was offered a discount 3 per cent greater than local Volkswagen dealers and a delivery of...
Earlier today, with my car temperature gauge reading 30 degrees Celsius I saw two young boys sitting in the back seat of a Ford Ka in a supermarket car park. Their only ventilation was the two rear quarter...
I'm becoming more frustrated by the lack of skills exhibited by some motorway drivers, who never leave their lane and make it difficult for others to overtake. If I undertake, it never fazes them, nor...
A friend of mine had a head-on collision recently. He was travelling at under 30mph and his airbag failed to inflate. A policeman who arrived at the scene told him that they don’t inflate at the speed...
I have a 2010 Volkswagen Scirocco 2.0 TDI. After leaving it locked in garage for four weeks while on holiday, I found that the battery had discharged and the car wouldn't start. I have already had the...
Thank you for informing ‘RT via email’ how to drive. I have been having to deal with prats like this for years. Why does anticipation never enter into the Driving Test? Is the relationship between speed...
I have recently purchased a Honda Jazz. It is a beautiful car but when driving in bright sunshine the dashboard reflects badly on the windscreen, so badly at times that it makes driving dangerous. I have...
I have been a loyal customer with the same insurance company for over 30 years, but Sainsbury’s Car insurance has given me a quote which halves my current insurer’s premium. I was brought up to believe...
AM of Bolton complained (Compensation culture - Saturday July 21, 2012) of being plagued by phone calls from firms telling of compensation awaiting if suffering aches and pains arising from an accident....
As someone with more than 50 years driving experience I am appalled at the thought of handing over control of my vehicle to Automatic Emergency Braking. The driver is responsible for the car and should...
I was recently driving along a newly resurfaced road which had loose chippings on the surface. A couple of motorbikes in front of my car were zipping stones up from their back tyres and one of the chippings...
I have a 2006 Skoda Octavia vRS. I have read that a lot of people are having the same problem as myself that the ESP light is on. Has Skoda accepted this as a fault and is it willing to fix it?
Timing belts are expensive to replace, and my Golf needs one every four years. Do the manufacturers just fit them to create work for themselves or are there sound engineering reasons as to why some engines...
Back in the 1970s it was possible to fit an engine warmer retrospectively by removing a frost plug and screwing in a coiled electric element, like a small electric kettle element. I understand that frost...
What is your opinion on the KIA Rio as opposed to the Suzuki Swift?
You are very right when stating that the outside lane overtaker should be fully aware. You might have added that the inside laner has the responsibility to also look not only into his mirrors but the blind...
My 31,000 mile 2009 Nissan Qashqai 1.6 petrol Acenta 2wd manual lacks power when climbing a hill. It has plenty of revs but no power. In addition, on a couple occasions car has slipped out of cruise when...
My guess is that the price out of the factory for ESP modules is not much more than a few pounds. Presumably there is no real competition for replacement units because of trade restrictions and practice....
I'm a devotee of regular oil and filter changes. 20,000-mile service intervals are clearly aimed at fleet operators keeping maintenance costs down and are irrelevant to many of us. I bought my 1.2-litre...
My 18-year-old daughter was on holiday in Cornwall last week and received a parking charge notice. When she parked she tried to purchase a ticket, but both machines had a digital display showing 'out of...
Recently I was a passenger in a car being driven in the outside lane, during rush hour, on a Friday evening. All three lanes of the motorway were busy with traffic moving at about 40mph. I looked across...
I have a 2006 Toyota Yaris and was disappointed to read that Toyota has since abandoned the digital speedo. It is so easy to read and, when driving abroad, you can just set it to kilometres. It's much...
I am often dismayed at the selfish drivers who park up to half a car length from the start or end of a parking bay, thus taking up two parking spaces. If I left a note under their wiper blade saying, "In...
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