Car advice with Honest John – your questions answered

Classy classic

What used car should I buy to replace my old but reliable Lexus SC 430 coupé/convertible that has all the goodies and is a relaxed drive? GM

An SC430 might be one to keep as a sort of oddball, luxurious classic. You could do worse than complement it with a later Lexus IS250C. The Mercedes alternative is an SL 300 or SL 500.

Emission control

Aside from potential engine wear and pointlessness, I could see a stop/start system driving me mad. Can it be disabled? RH

Normally it can be switched off every time you start the car, but the default is “on” because that is how the car is certified for emissions.

Chrysler building

We have driven our Chrysler PT Cruiser 2.2 CRD Touring since new in 2002. It’s so comfortable we have forgiven its tendency to suffer front front suspension wear. Is it worth keeping? I know you despise diesels, so what would you suggest as a replacement? We need a flat rear loading platform, room for a medium sized dog cage, the ability to tow a caravan up to 1,000kg and to be comfortable. NS

I don’t despise diesels. I merely warn readers of unsuitability and potential cost. PT Cruisers are actually being customised quite successfully to look more like the 1940 Fords that inspired their design. I'd hang on.

Sensor direction

Specialist tuning firms can remap the engine of my 2015 BMW 535d to give more than 400bhp and a big increase in torque. I am told that the drivetrain can handle it and there will be no detrimental effect to fuel consumption or emissions. I am not worried about potentially invalidating the warranty. Before I succumb to my inner speed freak, can you advise if there are pitfalls and, if not, why BMW does not offer such a super-hot version? MF

BMW has its own triple-turbo 3.0-litre, 381bhp engine in the X5 and X6 M50d. After you get your ECU remapped, you will have to disclose the modification to your insurer or you will be running without cover.

Raised expectations

I am looking to replace my loved but ageing 1999 Honda CR-V. I cover about 5,000 miles a year. I value the raised driving position, don't (necessarily) want anything wider and have a budget of £10,000. What do you suggest? EB

I would be looking at Peugeot 2008s in the hope you can find one with a decent engine in your price bracket. The best is the 1.2 Puretech 130 with six-speed manual transmission and electronic Grip Control that makes it excellent in the snow, but will be hard to find within budget and you might have to go for a 1.6 VTI. If so, avoid the automated manual.

Shining example?

My VW Golf GTI Mk7 with bi-xenon headlights requires new xenon power packs at £300 per headlight. The car is five weeks old to me, bought from a VW dealer under the Das Welt scheme. VW is refusing to pay. Any suggestions? JO

The dealer who sold you the car is directly liable. They are responsible for any serious issue that could have been present or developing for six months from the date of sale. Warn them you’ll have the xenons fitted elsewhere and then sue via small claims for the cost. (It turned out the car had been crashed and poorly repaired, so JO rejected it.)

The high numbers

Having recently bought an Audi A3 with a 1.5 150 TSI petrol engine, I am receiving differing advice. Should I use premium grade unleaded or the standard 95 RON petrol? RV

Use only Super 97-99 RON. In the UK, standard 95 grade is often misnamed “premium unleaded”.

’Box of tricks?

I have just bought a 2017 VW Golf SV SE TSI 1.4 petrol auto. Does it have the seven-speed gearbox that has caused so many problems in recent years? Whether it does or doesn't, is there additional annual servicing you would recommend? DNF

Probably. If it is described as a “non-maintenance” transmission it definitely does and you need to avoid sitting on the brakes in D in traffic or you will wear out the dry clutch pack. If it is a seven-speed wet clutch (DQ500) ’box, it is vastly better but requires fresh fluid and filter every four years.

Turning point

On replacing the central locking pump on my 1995 Mercedes SL320, my garage found that the spare ignition key did not work (faulty circuitry). The garage called the Mercedes dealer and was told that these keys have been discontinued. Short of condemning a host of these lovely cars to write-off value, there must be some way of getting replacements. What can I do? DA

I Googled “Mercedes Benz R129 keys” and within 30 seconds found: theslshop.com/mercedes-benz-129-140-ignition-barrel-and-key-1404601404.html - when a manufacturer stops making bits, the aftermarket steps in. (If that link is no good, keep Googling and you get there eventually.)

Six not the best

It is time to change my wife's 2008 Ford Focus four-speed torque converter auto. We would like a similar sized car. You recently suggested Mazda and Suzuki. I understand Vauxhall’s smaller cars still use torque converter auto gearboxes, but you don't mention them. Why? FF

Vauxhalls with engines of 1.4 litres or more now have six-speed torque converters, and are usually available at a substantial discount. Mazdas and Suzukis have the best reputation, that’s all. However, Astras are good cars, still made in the UK, at Ellesmere Port.

Worcester source...

Would I be correct in thinking that the Morgan Motor Company is now the largest British-owned supplier of British-built cars? As far as I can tell, companies like Aston Martin seem to be financed mainly from Italy and Kuwait, Jaguar Land Rover has an Indian parent company and Caterham belongs to a Malaysian group. Even McLaren seems to be financed from Bahrain. GL

Yes. The country cannot finance and run its own car industry. It hasn't been able to since the decades after the Second World War, when Britain turned out such clunkers that the world stopped wanting our cars and turned instead to Japan.

Family circle

My son learned to drive in a car I own. I made him the registered keeper for the purpose of insurance. He has now left home and will no longer need to drive my car. Can we change the status, making me the registered keeper again? I remain the owner. GR

Yes, you can re-register it following the instructions on the V5C (as if your son had sold the car to you). The annoying problem is that under the new rules, this means detaxing it in his name and retaxing it in your name. Inevitably one of you will lose a month's tax.

Pot luck...

I recently came off the M25 and headed north on the A10. After just 100 yards I hit some enormous potholes. I thought the car was going to be damaged. Later I had to go past them again and - apart from avoiding them - I saw about eight holes in a row and one looked to be five inches deep. Who will fix the A10? If my car had been damaged who would have fixed it? PC

Go to fixmystreet.co.uk and potholes.co.uk - councils also have their own pothole-reporting systems on their websites and tend to use this for legal reporting. In other words, they don't regard the pothole as having been reported unless it is filed via their own websites. This is their defence if sued for damage caused by unrepaired potholes.

Complex equation

You've previously recommended Michelin Cross Climate tyres for my 2012 Citroën DS3, but Kwikfit says they are not made as 205/45/17s. If this is true, what should I go for? Kwikfit said to buy some cheap tyres until next summer, when Michelin might have extended the range? MR

You can get them in 195/55/16, so if you buy a set of 16-inch Alutecs from www.tyremen,co.uk and swap your TPMS valves over you'll be fine. You'll enjoy better ride comfort, steering and quietness as well as the cold-weather benefits. If that’s too much hassle take the route suggested by Kwikfit.

Four for two

I bought an Audi and it has a quattro badge on the grille. When the snow came I found out it had only front-wheel drive. What are my rights, as I wanted four-wheel drive? PG

I think you have an extremely strong case for misrepresentation. If the quattro logo is displayed on the grille, then a reasonable person would naturally expect the car to be a quattro. This is not merely a civil matter, it is criminal deception. Get a specialist solicitor on the job.

Bearings? Bank...

The ABS warning light of my 260,000-mile Rover 75 2.0 CDTI Toured won't go off, although the system works perfectly.There is a slight tremble and chattering sound from the offside when braking to a halt on dry roads. Someone suggested it could be a wheel bearing. Any ideas? JT

It’s likely to be the reluctor ring and ABS sensor on the rear offside hub.It has probably become rusty. It cannot be removed from the rear hub, so that means replacing the hub and wheel bearing.

Fog chorus

I own an 18-month-old Toyota Yaris Icon automatic, which was excellent up until a few months ago. Now, the windows mist up as soon as I switch on the engine. The only way to clear them is to keep the air-con on all the time. JD

It’s probably a sodden cabin pollen filter, because the bulkhead vent well drains are blocked. The air-con has the effect of drying the damp air recirculating inside the car.

Right and bright

When stopped for more than a short while such as at traffic lights, should we leave an automatic in D and hold it on the footbrake, or place it in N? GS

Neutral. That prevents wear to the DSG/CVT clutch pack or the torque converter. And, of course, if your foot slips off the brake it prevents you crashing into the car in front. It also means the driver behind won’t be dazzled by your brake lights...

Flushed with success

The gearbox on my 2012 Land Rover Discovery 4 has started to become a bit juddery, at 96,000 miles. I see that an oil change is not part of the service schedule. I would like to have the gearbox flushed and the oil changed. Please could you recommend a good company to undertake this? I am based in a Suffolk, but happy to travel. CL

A local member of www.fedauto.co.uk. Whenever an automatic transmission is “sealed for life”, it tends to mean a short ‘life’.

Stop this nonsense

I read a few days ago about a good samaritan being fined for passing a red light after rescuing people involved in a terrorist attack. Others, moving out of the way of an ambulance, fire engine or police cars, have sadly suffered the same fate. What can be done to reverse this ludicrous situation and apply common sense? MS

Nothing. This has been debated endlessly but the police will not shift. You are wrong about a police car, however. If a police car or a uniformed officer directs you to cross the red light, then that direct instruction countermands the red light.

Right on cue

I have owned an Audi TT quattro for the past 15 years. After undergoing a complex knee replacement, I have to change the TT for something with easier access. I don’t like driving SUVs, so feel a bit snookered. JC

A very useful, often ignored car is the BMW 2-series Active Tourer 225xe, which is a petrol plug-in hybrid with four-wheel drive. It has wide, deep MPV doors. There’s also a Mini Countryman PHEV with the same plug-in hybrid drivetrain.

Rev errand

I’m trying to sell my 2005 Jaguar X-type 2.0d estate. If only a derisory offer is made, I’m tempted to give it to a charity that can either recycle it or get the scrap value. Is that a good idea? IT

That is a very good thing to do. I once advertised an unwanted car: “Free to a man of the cloth.” It went to a vicar in Taunton who got a couple more years out of it.

Fast-flowing current

Having had a couple of large-engined soft-tops, we want to switch to a hybrid as most of our journeys are small runs. But are there any hybrid soft-tops worth considering? BB

A Roadster version of the BMW i8 is now on sale, priced from £124,730. The original Tesla roadster (based on a Lotus Elise) was pure electric, and there seems to be a new one on the horizon. Citroën showed an electric Méhari at the 2017 Geneva motor show. The Smart ForTwo electric convertible is huge fun in traffic because acceleration is instant. There will be more in years to come.

Fluid situation

My VW Golf R estate is due its first oil service, for £240. Does this have to be done by a VW franchise to preserve the guarantee? Are non-VW garages able to reset the calendar software? MGS

Manufacturers seem to be making this more difficult than it should be. To maintain warranty you would need to prove by the invoice that the correct filter and oil were used. Some garages (VW independents) will be able to reset the service indicator.

Automatic choice

My son has Asperger’s syndrome and finds it difficult to co-ordinate gears in a manual car. Are there any specialist training courses for automatics and which small auto would you recommend for his first car, maximum budget £5,000? CW

Try www.iamroadsmart.com or www.rospa.com. The best cheap small automatic is a 2000-2005 Toyota Yaris 1.3 four-speed auto, but these are all more than 12 years old and this in the £1,000-£2,000 bracket. Buying newer, you might find a Kia Picanto 1.25 or a Hyundai i10 1.25 with a four-speed torque converter auto. Don't get a small car with a DSG or an automated manual.

Hitting a low Note

I might buy a 2014 Nissan Note automatic, but am concerned with some negative comments I’ve heard. Is there any other smallish automatic I could consider? PB

A Honda Jazz is an altogether better car.

Frozen stiff

I have a 2013 Vauxhall Meriva. Twice after a very cold night, a ‘68’ warning code has appeared on the dash and the steering became stiff. It didn't sort itself until the temperature rose outside. IH

Moisture has got in somewhere - possibly the steering rack - and frozen.

Slip cordon

I had to have the clutch replaced on my five-year-old Mini Cooper S. I feel this is far too early after just 33,500 miles and that the original must have been faulty. I have been driving for 60 years and this is the first clutch to fail on me. Can I expect any compensation from this? The final cost of repair was £805, mostly labour charges. SK

This is a high-performance front-wheel drive car. The power and torque transmitted through the clutch probably led to its comparatively early demise. In any case a driver could, if he wished, completely destroy a clutch in about 15 minutes, so they are regarded as wearing parts and rarely warranted beyond six months. However, if you can prove that the crankshaft or gearbox input shaft end seals failed, or that the clutch slave cylinder failed and deposited oil or fluid on the plates. you might have a case.

Late breaker

I drive a Mercedes C-class and recently ran into a car ahead of me. Although I felt that my car should have stopped in time, neither the ABS nor the brake assist came in. It wasn't freezing, nor raining, although the road surface was wet. Mercedes checked the car and said that it was working OK. Their only explanation was that, "Sometimes if the friction between the tyres and the road is insufficient due to ice or diesel, these systems do not work." What do you think? JC

That is one explanation. They are not infallible. I don’t trust them so switch mine off entirely. I think it’s time to forget all this autonomous nonsense and get back to driving cars properly.

Lighting strikes twice

I have a 2002 Mazda 323 auto with 43,400 miles. When I start up, the anti-lock, traction control and handbrake warning lights come on and stay on. Next time I start up, no lights. I do short runs, then the lights come on and after a few minutes they go off when I am driving. There is no pattern and everything seems to work OK. Any suggestions? DP

It could be contaminated brake fluid. The fluid is hygroscopic (absorbs moisture) and, during severe temperature changes, some moisture in the system could have turned to ice.

Cat needs vet

I have a 1999 Jaguar S-type 4.0 V8 automatic and the change from second to third is inconsistent. Sometimes it happens at 3,500rpm with a clunk, at others it shifts smoothly at about 1,800rpm. HB

It could be caused by burnt or otherwise contaminated automatic transmission fluid, or else the servo valve block has become gummed up or worn (it controls the gear changes). Best to get the car to a member of www.fedauto.co.uk.

Cur and attention

I have a 2008 Vauxhall Astra diesel estate with a failing clutch after 102,000 miles. A main dealer is trying to sell me a new Meriva, but I don’t think it’s very elegant and they’ve only offered me £350 as a trade-in. I would like something stylish. I’m only 5ft tall and would feel overwhelmed in a Range Rover, but I need space (preferably with a low sill) for my ageing Labrador. Any ideas? SL

For small yet spacious, it’s difficult to beat a Honda Jazz. If you want something bigger, a Honda HR-V has the same seat-folding arrangement but is a bit higher off the ground. To dispose of your Astra, try wewantanycar.com, webuyanycar.com or Evans Halshaw. Even with that mileage, £350 sounds low (though the lingering smell of a dog can make any car almost impossible to sell).

Civic immunity

Does the VW Group 1.2 TSI engine range suffer the same timing chain issues as the 1.4 TSI? I’m thinking of buying either a 2016 Seat Leon 1.2 TSI or a 2016 Honda Civic 1.4. MF

From about 2013 (though not consistently), the EA211 engines switched from timing chains to belts. A Honda Civic 1.4i VTEC is likely to be more reliable than any of the VW Group cars.

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