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Questions from June 2013
I have a Nissan Micra K12 1.2 automatic 3 door hatchback. When the car is at idle the battery light is off, as it should be, but when I put my foot down the light comes on. It then goes back off when I...
I am thinking of buying a one-year-old Avensis from Hills of Woodford who I understand is one of the Toyota approved dealers.
The conversation that I have had with them tells me that the car has slightly...
My friend came across an Audi A6 2004 1.8 with 111,000 miles to it. The asking price for that is around £1700. It has no history of accidents and runs good.
Do you recommend this car? What could be the...
I have Tyrepal units on my caravan and, prompted by your correspondents' comments was wary of the effects of winter towing. Some weeks after a foul-weather salty mid-winter tow returning from Holland,...
Our local Volkswagen dealer is recommending that as my partner's 1.4-litre petrol Golf is coming up to four years old, it should have its cam belt changed (around £500). It's done modest mileage (26,000)...
I have a June 2011 Ford Focus 1.6 EcoBoost with 17-inch wheels. I'm fed up with banging around Exeter and have almost decided to change to 16-inch wheels with 215/55 R16 tyres. The suppliers seem to think...
My daughter lives most of the year in France and now wants to change her car. She does approx 10,000 miles a year and needs a reasonable amount of space to accommodate luggage and a dog cage. The only...
I have noticed in Telegraph Motoring that there have been reviews of small convertibles with photos and information. For some reason Citroen is not mentioned. In ‘Top down and proud', it mentions a cabriolet...
The time has come for me to replace my 12-year-old Rover 75 Connoisseur SE Automatic. Can you suggest a suitable smaller luxury car for an elderly driver for mostly local journeys and some motorway journeys?
I use Autoglym Super Resin Polish and then Extra Gloss Protection after that. Should I then use Autoglym High Def wax to seal it, or is High Def meant to be an alternative to one or both of the others?
In a recent letters page, under the heading "Hard Luck" you suggest that GT of Derby checks to see if the transportation blocks have been left in his car’s springs. How do you check these? Our Ford Focus...
I am now in my 80's and drive a BMW 3 Series. This is quite low slung for entry and I am thinking of changing to an SUV or similar with step-up entry. I do not do a lot of miles so require a petrol engine...
Pleased to hear the Suzuki Swift 1.3 diesel has a chain driven camshaft. Apart from the DPF issue would you say the Fiat engine built in India is a reliable one? As good as a Mercedes-Benz diesel? I currently...
My wife and I, both Disabled Badge holders, recently visited the Depdale Shopping centre in Preston. The Centre has a huge car park, which is free and has no time restrictions. There were plenty of free...
I am a tall chap with long legs and dodgy knees. My ageing Omega is in need of replacement but I cannot find anything with the same legroom or comfort. I am looking for a similar 3-4 year old estate/mpv,...
Thanks for both your time and your input. The main point of my gripe about the flimsy plastic tailgate handles of Nissan Qashqais was to highlight the problem to other Qashqai owners, and to stress that...
I am thinking of buying a Mini Cooper Convertible, but it is fitted with 17-inch wheels with 45 profile runflat tyres. I am more interested in comfort rather than performance. Would you recommend 15-inch...
I''m writing regarding BJ of Basingstoke's question in Saturday 27th April Motoring section of the Daily Telegraph about his rear windscreen wiper failure on his Skoda Octavia. Having had the same problem,...
Why is that motorcycle engines are permitted to be so loud? If my car made anywhere near the noise levels of most motor bikes it would fail the MoT or I would get pulled by police. I have nothing against...
I have a Toyota Hilux Surf SSR-G 3 litre diesel - first registered in 1993 and imported in 2005. It had a new engine in May 2007 that has done 104,000 miles. What would be the best method to sell it?
I wanted to share this with you, because I am over the moon with what API Engines have done for us. If I can do anything to boost their profile with you, please let me know, as I am so grateful for all...
I'm writing this email as a frustrated new Mazda owner. Last October we purchased a Mazda 3 Venture petrol from EMG Mazda Cambridge. It has now done 2300 miles, and we have a problem where, if you ride...
We have loved our 2007 Honda Civic 1.8 SE 5 door since our baby’s birth, but now that we're expecting our second child, and second set of requirements of boot space (and increasing desperation to reduce...
I have a Passat Estate diesel and have read your comments regarding the problems of the DPF. On a couple of occasions recently the engine fan has continued to run after a short journey. Since then I have...
I have decided its time to trade in my old Renault Scenic auto. I have narrowed my search down to three models, the Ford B-Max, Citroen C3 Picasso and the Nissan Note, and I can’t choose between them....
I drive a Ford Mondeo petrol estate. I recently hit a deep pothole in the road, causing the suspension spring on my front passenger side to break which has cost me over £200 to replace, including parts...
I was interested in your comments about letting a very hot turbo idle for 30 seconds before switching off. Am I correct in interpreting this as applying to all turbos regardless of make of car? Last December...
I too, own a Volkswagen Polo with the DSG auto gearbox. I love the car in every respect except for the peculiar hesitancy it has after you apply the brakes, which I find most disconcerting. Am I right...
We have an 11-year-old Toyota Yaris Verso. We have never kept a car this long before. In fact, if they were still made, we would probably be on our third by now. With the seats sliding into the floor it...
Regarding a strange roar from the headlights of Hyundais, none of those I know who experienced it have had any contact from either the dealer or from Hyundai; just word of mouth amongst customers.
Thank you for your recommendations. I must admit surprise at the number of Fords listed, knowing how quickly they depreciate, but I like the look of the KIA Carens and I'm pleased to hear that my current...
Our neighbour, an elderly lady, has now given up driving and she has asked me to find a fair price for her 1969 998cc Mini Studio 2 owned since new. It has approximately 60,000 miles on the clock and is...
In 2006 when I lived in Spain I bought a Mark V Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI with DSG gearbox. I liked the car very much although the engine was rather noisy and had no hesitation problems with the DSG, but...
We have a 2011 Ford Mondeo Estate Titanium X 2.0 litre petrol model. We cannot find details of the optimum revs for each gear. Is this model turbo boosted and if so does your advice re leaving engine to...
I just wanted to thank you for your advice on buying and selling. I recently bought a new Audi Q5 through Drivethedeal. I got a much better discount than I could have negotiated myself, with zero hassle....
Our Citroen C5 overheated and as a result our local garage (who had very recently carried out an oil change etc plus MOT at 50,000 miles) found that the head gasket had blown and the head was distorted....
Our Council does not seem to be concerned about filling in road potholes. Have you any advice as to what action we should take to make them take notice?
I have previously raised this issue with you. The waterpump of my son's Audi Quattro failed causing subsequent damage and the extended warranty company have refused the claim stating that the unit had...
You were kind enough late last year to answer my query regarding the larger engine size required to replace a failed engine in my granddaughters 1974 Volkswagen camper van. It was bought and fitted by...
I do not know if you are aware of the pronouncement by local councils that they may well abandon the upkeep of lanes and roads considered non-important. I live in Surrey, in a back lane outside the village...
The car has an intermittent fault. When occurring there is a sudden power loss. The engine does not stop but pushing the accelerator has no affect. You can continue to your destination but only slowly,...
Thanks. Became aware of Dive the Deal for sourcing a new car through your column. What a find. Ten weeks later the new spec E-Class is on my drive. Quick, clean, competitive, communicative and helpful...
Is the MoT data post 2010 available or have VOSA pulled the shutters down again?
Reason: There is a Technical Service Bulletin (copy supplied on request by me) on rear axle trailing arm bracket rot on...
A friend has offered us first refusal on their 2003 Mitsubishi Shogun SWB Equipe 3.2 Diesel with just 15k miles on the clock.
It is obviously a very low mileage for the year however this is because it's...
Our RAV4 has, after 10 years faithful service, probably just about come to the end of its useful life. We bought it with your recommendation and have always been grateful for that. We like the high seat,...
I have pretty much decided to buy a Hyundai Veloster. I have checked the main dealerships and priced seem pretty fair. However, 2 discount sites are offering two to three grand of the list price for new...
The new Skoda Octavia 1.4 TSI saloon. Can you tell me whether the engine in this car has a chain cam?
I am thinking of replacing my 4 yr old Jaguar XF 2.7D premium luxury. Whilst I love the car, since retiring my annual mileage has fallen to about 6000 miles and I am worried about potential DPF problems...
In a couple of weeks time I will take delivery of a new Hyundai i10 Style, regarding the 'running in' phase does this still apply to modern engines?
And even though the i10 isn't exactly a sports car,...
I'm planning on a new car and have narrowed the decision to the Meriva. Considering that we mostly drive around town and quite less on motorways or open roads and that we do around 7000 miles a year: Should...
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