Stevey Y

Hi I can't put any on my cab as it comes under the advertising on a licensed vehicle ruling of 1976 which the licensing officers prosecute with due diligence, they even get funny about dealership stickers, I think boredom is a terrible thing. Steve.

Hi use G3 cutting compound with a spray bottle with water in it, keep the microfibre cloth moving and keep the work area nice and wet, do not use excessive pressure and wash down after treatment, finish with a polish over the whole roof, my favourite is Autoglym resin polish, then finish with a coat of Maguirs Carnuba wax, I guarantee the next lot won't stick. Steve.

Not another expert, Steve you are going to have to give up this fascination with what might be otherwise you may well end up forking out £30,000 to have your existing vehicle converted to electric, its all what if, if your aunt had a bulge at the front of her jeans, could be she might be your uncle. Steve.

Hi Gareth I don't think that was the required answer, much too accurate, we know that to get that effect you can buy wider wheels with the same centering and offset also if you get it wrong you can tear a wing off on the first corner especially if its been lowered. Steve.

Hi being as D5S 25w are fitted to most of the new vehicles that are not LED spec the D1S D2S D3S are becoming redundant stock so best they get rid quick, the other thing is D5S bulbs have the ballast built into the bulb, cheaper to produce. Steve.

Hi Steve the post just mentioned ESC nothing about Stop/Start which at first sight would suggest a wheel sensor but without codes or a better description we are trying to grasp at smoke. Steve.

Hi Cambelt is a must, the HID bulbs and ballasts are no major money as the bulbs are D3S which are old hat and you can get a pair of Lumex upgrades for about £70 and the ballasts for about £30 each as they are the same ones used in Skoda,VW, and some Fords, if you buy one make sure its manual as they are bullet proof as long as the gear oil is changed, brakes are relatively cheap as they used the same brake/disc combo on most other models its called globalisation but depending what model you have the price according to the dealer will go up so buy O.E. spec, Febi,Borg Warner, Bosch, Blueprint. Steve.

Hi yes it is not a gimmick but a electronic gizmo on the oil level sensor which measures the viscosity of the oil and the amount of carbon particles suspended in it, when it got to high on my last two Fords you would get an oil pollution code and EML this system just reduces the service time/milage, your driving must be pretty conservative as the only way to get it to start eroding your service interval is by clogging it down the road, mind you it will change when the engine gets older but only slightly. Steve.

Hi go on youtube there is a company on there that does a retrofit kit to solve that particular problem. Steve.

Hi it might be if you publish what the code is that normally leads to the offending part. Steve.

Hi it sounds like the DPF pressure sensor is on its way out, I have had one apart and they are very simple as they contain a plastic membrane and a PCB which measures the pressure on both sides of the membrane then transmits the information to the ECU, the membrane deteriorates as it is operating with hot air and once it becomes brittle will give false readings, the good news is that both sensors are on top of the engine the MAP is on the right hand rear of the engine and has one feed pipe the DPF sensor is on the left and obviously has two pipes they are both relatively inexpensive and the part numbers are clearly marked, both will need adaptation to work properly. Steve.

Hi pleased you got some silence at last, the noises are caused by extra air being introduced into the system, now its got a smooth flow pattern through the new filter that will all stop, Happy Motoring. Steve.

Hi Mike don't take any of this personally, its not aimed at people like yourself who have observed the proprieties and answered and said thank you, I can see what Gareth is driving at along with the others that try to answer a problem, 90% of the information that is given is at best thin and devoid of any real substance, the information you have given is good and you even reply to the requests for further information, Gareth and co are trying to get around the one post wonders who can't be bothered to reply TO ANY SUGGESTIONS OR REQUESTS, they have no preconceptions of what the ideal member is and I think the previous posts just reflect what has changed in the world and not singling out anyone in particular who is already a proactive member, the bottom line is if you attract answers for your problem at least have the decency to reply, otherwise it becomes an exercise in futility and I can honestly see why a lot of first time problem posts remain unanswered, more often than not we are on a hiding to nothing, I personally get a great deal of satisfaction from trying to help solve problems and especially when it all goes the posters way, it has nothing to do with personalities its just plain old helping each other. Steve.

Hi it normally means the reflector pattern is distorted and the machine used to measure the cut off of the beam height and intermediate lighting does not come up to the required marked scales within the testing unit, this is either caused by clouding of the lenses or deterioration of the reflector at the back of the headlamp unit. Steve.

Hi the main dealers don't want anyone to know these things as it would rob them of future problems/profit, the engineers on the other hand would rather the stuff they developed works its also known as pride in your work and you would be amazed what information is available just from asking when they are full of beer and going home. Steve.

Hi Tony, the mob you used don't write comedy sketches do they. changed my discs and pads on the rear last July, all Bosch parts which came in at just under £100, cam belt kit with pump from TPS just over £200 + £250 to fit, recently done brake fluid change £18.00 for 2ltrs from Halfords and an hour of me, did a service while I was at it, Pollen filter £18, Oil Quantum spec £25, Oil filter Bosch £9, Air filter Bosch £14, Fuel Filter Blue Print £15, ok I do it myself but if you can find a decent independent you will save a fortune, I am well aware that I wouldn't be on the road if I did not do most of it myself but these people only need two more items, a try corn hat and a pair of flintlock pistols. Steve.

Hi well done, do it once, do it right, will be interested in the outcome. Steve.

Hi just completed 70,000 on my Avant 2.0 tdi front discs/pads and before we go off the deep end about its not the same basically it is, your model runs a bigger disc and pads but every other spec centering etc is the same, my car is used as a taxi therefore the brakes are always being used, from what I have learned over the last eighteen years of talking to manufacturer engineers and experience here goes, do not sit at traffic lights etc. with your foot on the brakes as this causes localised hot spots between the brake pad and disc as the brake pads dual function is to act as a heat sink drawing heat from the disc and dissipating it so if its clamped in the pressure position to the disc it transfers heat back to the metal which causes deformation of the disc, regular brake fluid changes are essential as the fluid is Hydroscopic and absorbes moisture which will accumulate in the calliper piston chambers and In sufficient quantity will cause pad drag as water can't be compressed, this brings me to the next point braking systems are like owning a racing Greyhound if you don't take it for a run every so often it will become fat and slow, its the same with brakes the occasional hammering forces any moisture around the system and dissipates it from localised areas. Steve.

HI if you can get the part number off your old unit that would put you in the right ball park if not the VIN/REG NO provided at your local parts supplier should produce the right specimen, try Carparts in motion on eBay I buy loads from them and if you are not sure ring them and they will give you the correct listing number for the part you need, generally speaking you can get away with cleaning only if you get at it early but if the light keeps coming back on it normally means the gearbox on the unit has had it, the gears are made of plastic and it won't take a lot of resistance caused by the crud on the butterfly valve to kill them completely, my daughters Q3 had the same problem and it was cheaper and easier to fit a new unit which by the way was fitted to just about every model that was in the VAG range the only difference was in the part numbers I.E. Skoda/Seat/Volkswagen but it was the same unit her new valve was designated for a Skoda as that was cheaper but has worked like a charm for nearly a year now. Febi are a good brand. Steve.

Hi who changed the screen and what are the fault codes, my guess is its the cabin humidity sensor on the screen some of the screen companies use the old unit which is basically a one hit device that needs replacing with the screen. Steve.

Hi why would they be friendly as in their honest no shiiite opinion they have got you by the short and curlys, you need the part and they have it so why waste precious time and oxygen on customer service most of my local dealers are the same including TPS until they found out the garage I use for the complex stuff, clutches, timing belts, was ringing up and quoting the same registration I had enquired with, the change in attitude was amazing as my guy spends about 15 grand a year with TPS, don't suppose that would have anything to do with it. Steve.

Hi, that is an old mistake and should never happen these days and is shocking really when you consider the implicit trust most people have in these places, mind you I am neurotic about wheels tyres and brakes which is why I check the three cars in our family every month and always re tighten the wheel nuts a day or so after having the tyres changed, mind you the guys I have been using for the last twenty five years torque check the wheels twice before the car leaves the workshop, I have only known them to fail in the practice once a few years ago when a new guy who was fond of a carnival atmosphere at work forgot to tighten the rear wheels on one of the late 5.0 Mustangs they had in, when it belly flopped on the tarmac 900yds from the workshop the owner of the workshop went berserk and you can still see the offending fitters remains hanging from a scaffold pole out back, I don't blame him as that little mistake cost him six grand to put straight. Steve.

Hi Pros, smoother clutch and never having to buy a flywheel again, Cons it will shred the rubber mounted crank damper in record time, possible crank whip which causes big end failure, worse case scenario the crankshaft shatters due to harmonic resonance because at about 2800 rpm the resonance will be at maximum with no DMF to smooth the torque curve it could be terminal. I have witnessed this first hand over the last eighteen years when my fellow cabbies have thought it was a good idea, anyone that tells you this is rubbish is uninformed, think about it, why would the manufacturer spend extra money on a hardened steel flywheel with an intricate float mechanism when they could cut their costs dramatically by fitting a machined one piece unit. Steve.

Hi might be something rattling around in the handbag. Steve.

Hi unless changed recently it is probably the battery on its way out, other than that the easiest thing is to get it plugged in for faults and if they are low voltage faults thats your answer. Steve.