Which Skoda Octavia should I go for?

I am about to dispose of a 2007 Octavia 2.0 TDI DSG. The toothed belt is known to cause problems and my current mileage is now down to about 7000 a year, so I am considering a new 1.4T petrol or a 1.8...

This is why you should always idle your turbocharged engine after use.

RC of Brentwood is indeed wise to idle his turbocharged engine before shut-down. He will extend the life of the turbo, and save himself a lot of expense. Any turbocharged engined engine should be run at...

My Mercedes-Benz C-Class turbo has failed - is this normal?

I have a Mercedes C220 CDI coupe (2.1-litre), which will be six years old next month and has done just under 50,000 miles. A couple of days ago, while driving along a motorway, I felt a loss of power and...

Infrequent turbo failure on Isuzu Trooper

I've had my 1996 Isuzu Trooper from new. She is a fantastic workhorse and has been used for significant towing almost every day. Never had a problem and still on her original brake disks after 155k miles....

Should I buy a diesel car or go for a petrol model?

I'm considering buying a secondhand older model Ford Focus Diesel, up to say 18 months old. Two friends have cautioned me about the diesel engine and/or the turbo, some parts which cost a lot to replace...

Is my Volkswagen Golf Bluemotion diesel likely to suffer DPF problems, and what could I replace it with?

11 months ago I bought a new Volkswagen Golf Bluemotion diesel, which I am delighted with. However I am so worried about your comments about the risk of expensive failure of low emission diesels that I...

Is the 1.6-litre Ford Focus turbo petrol a solution to the DPF and DMF problems of diesel cars?

Your warnings on the failure costs of turbos, DMFs and DPFs mean that the very features that reduce fuel usage and emissions raise the risks of high repair costs. I note the Fiesta Econetic does not have...

Ticking over a turbo to cool it down

Recently purchased a Ford Mondeo turbo diesel and cannot recall how long to tick over after a run. Could you please advise.

Does the stop-start system still operate when a hot turbo needs to be cooled down with the engine running?

I understand the objective of stop-start, but it seems to contradict something I have always done after a long or fast trip: leave the engine to idle for a few minutes. I can’t remember why exactly I do...

Does the new BMW 118SE's turbo need to be cooled at the end of a drive?

I am considering the purchase of a new 4-door BMW 118 SE. The spec includes a turbo petrol engine. I am wondering if the turbo is likely to encounter the same overheating of bearings as bedevilled earlier...