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Clocked cars: How to spot a mileage altered second-hand motor

02/11/2015

Anyone can adjust a car’s mileage now using a lap top computer

The number of clocked cars on UK roads is on the increase. And that means ever more numbers of drivers are at risk of buying a car that’s had its mileage tampered with.

Adjusting the miles a car has covered, popularly known as clocking, is actually legal. Selling a car that’s been clocked isn’t. The result is that there are numerous companies offering ‘mileage correction’ services, perfectly legitimately. This practice is set to be banned in 2018. In the meantime, car history check company HPI claims one in 20 cars on UK roads has a mileage discrepancy. That’s 1.65 million potentially clocked cars on our road. Here’s how you can tell if the car you’re interested in is one of them.

How do you spot a clocked car?

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James Foxall 3 Comments

Halloween horror car: Think your car’s bad? Check out this nightmare

30/10/2015

Fright Night: What the Halloween horror car looks like (Picture © Warranty Direct)

If you reckon you’re experiencing woe on four wheels, check out the Halloween horror car. It gives up the ghost every other month and costs nearly £500 every time it needs repairing. Thankfully this dodgy device doesn’t actually exist. It’s a Frankenstein’s monster of an unreliable motor that’s been put together by car guarantee company Warranty Direct.

The firm has imagined just how unreliable a car could be. It has taken data from 50,000 live policies and put together a motor built of components from the worst performing models in each category of its Reliability Index. Surprisingly, Japanese motors – usually feted for their bullet-proof reliability – feature prominently.
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VW diesel engine crisis: Latest FAQs for owners

28/10/2015

Cars including the VW Golf 1.6TDI have been affected (Picture © Volkswagen)

The VW diesel engine crisis rumbles on. So we’ve got the answers to the most frequently asked questions for the 1.2 million UK owners of affected cars. In September 2015, news broke that German car maker Volkswagen had fitted a ‘defeat device’ to the engine software of some of its diesel cars. This was designed to cheat emissions tests, primarily in the US, by knowing when the car was being tested and cutting dangerous nitrogen oxide outputs down to a legal level. These were then put back up to be illegal to improve economy when the car was on the road.

VW diesel engine crisis: Which engines are affected?

The engine at the centre of this is the EA 189 engine. This is an engine architecture so it’s not as simple as saying it’s just an engine with a certain capacity. It affects the 1.2, 1.6 and 2.0-litre diesels that comply with EU 5 emissions laws. These have been fitted to models as diverse as the SEAT Ibiza, Skoda Octavia, Volkswagen Golf and Audi A3 Cabriolet. Petrol engines are unaffected.

VW diesel engine crisis: Are other engines involved?

The US environment regulators have now found that the ‘defeat device’ has also been used on the larger 3.0-litre diesel engines. These engines are in models that were built between 2014 and 16. They include cars such as the Volkswagen Touareg, Audi A4 and A6 and Porsche Cayenne. It is currently unclear if UK cars are involved.

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Vauxhall Zafira fire fears: advice and contact information for Zafira drivers

23/10/2015

Vauxhall is offering a free safety inspection to owners of the Zafira B (above) built between 2005 and 2012

Vauxhall is offering a free safety inspection to owners of the Zafira B (above) built between 2005 and 2014 (Picture: © Vauxhall)

The Vauxhall Zafira is one of the most popular family cars of its type, bought by drivers who typically need to ferry a small army of children on the school run during the week and then zig and zag their way to dance classes and swimming lessons at the weekend. But owners of the MPV (multi-purpose vehicle or people carrier) have begun a high-profile campaign on social media after their cars burst into flames.

Approximately 130 people have reported overheating problems occurring behind the glovebox. A number of cars have suffered more seriously, bursting into flames as they were being driven, prompting the car maker to examine around 20 burned out Zafiras.

Vauxhall has now responded to the potentially deadly issue. The Luton-based car maker has issued advice to Zafira owners, and if you’re one of them, or have a friend or member of the family who drivers a Zafira, here’s what you need to know.

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Great Scott! It’s Back To The Future day: all about the DeLorean time machine

21/10/2015

What’s the date? 21 October 2015, of course! (Picture: © Universal Pictures)

Great Scott! It’s Back To The Future day. Which can only mean one thing – we don’t need roads where we’re going. Actually, we do, but that’s just one of the predictions that Back To The Future II, the 1989 smash hit starring Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd, didn’t get right.

Fans of the successful Back To The Future franchise, which began in 1985, are getting just a little bit excited. Because today, 21 October 2015, marks the date that Marty McFly (Fox) and Doc Brown (Lloyd) arrived at in the future after travelling through the space-time continuum in Doc Brown’s DeLorean DMC-12 time machine. The famous scene appeared in Back To The Future II.

So for the benefit of all those who missed out on one of the most popular films of the 80s, and those who were there but, ahem, have fuzzy memories of it all, here’s what you need to know about Back To The Future’s star character – the DeLorean DMC-12 time machine.

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Expert advice: DIY checks to prepare your car to pass an MOT test

16/10/2015

How to carry out DIY checks on your car before an MOT

Even without a ramp at home you can easily carry out DIY MOT checks

Carrying out DIY checks on your car before you take it for its actual MOT inspection is surprisingly easy to do and could save you money. Passing the test is a legal requirement for all cars more than three years old. But for many of us, the MOT is a bit like having the outside of your home painted; we know we need to do it but we don’t look forward to it because it can bring to light remedial work that will hit the wallet hard.

According to the Driver Vehicle Services Agency (DVSA), which oversees the annual MOT test, around 40 per cent of cars fail. Yet many flunk their MOT for reasons that even a novice mechanic could spot. Follow my tips for your own basic DIY MOT test, and you could stop your car failing on the simplest points.
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Mike Shaw 3 Comments

Tyre labels: What they mean and why they’re just the start for buyers

16/10/2015

Labels are supposed to make buying tyres easier. But have they succeeded? (Picture © Emissions Analytics)

In November 2012, tyre labels became a fundamental part of the way we bought tyres. Realising that for many people purchasing tyres was a puzzling process, the EU attempted to demystify it with labels for all car tyres. They look much like the labels you now see on white goods or new cars. But rather than energy ratings and exhaust emissions, they carry information on the tyre’s performance.

The aim behind tyre labels was to make it easier for buyers by enabling them to assess the best, safest tyres possible for their budget and motoring needs. And by showing fuel efficiency, another aim was to enable buyers to choose tyres that would help their cars’ economy. It also enabled customers to compare products, which to the untrained eye – and many expert eyes too – look virtually identical.
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Driving courses that could prevent another young driver tragedy

14/10/2015

After distressing video footage was released from a young driver crash, the importance of driving courses for novices was once again highlighted.

The film was released when the parents of two young drivers killed in a drug-driving accident gave police their permission. It was salvaged from 21 year-old Michael Owen’s smartphone after his Renault Clio was crashed by friend Kyle Careford, 20. The pair from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, veered off the road and crashed through a church wall. They were under the influence of drugs and had been driving at speeds of up 90mph along narrow lanes near Crowborough, Sussex.

Owen’s mother Kat said: “If all this stops one person from making the same mistake, then some good has come from showing this video.” Young or inexperienced drivers can also put themselves forward for additional driving courses that can help make them safer, more observant drivers. Here are four courses that should do the job.
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Convertible roof repair: cleaning, caring for or replacing you car’s hood

12/10/2015

With the chimes of Hear Comes The Summer now a distant memory, drivers of soft-top cars should think about convertible roof repair before the winter weather sweeps in.

The life of a fabric or vinyl hood for a convertible, cabriolet or roadster can be greatly extended by cleaning it correctly and then reapplying a waterproofing agent. At the same time, any nicks and tears can be patched up, much like a child’s pair of jeans, and electrical or mechanical problems can be fixed without resorting to a complete replacement of the hood.

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James Mills 3 Comments

Engine flush and fuel additives: Are they worth the money or not?

09/10/2015

Regular oil and filter changes should be a routine part of car ownership

When it comes to finding out whether drivers should use engine flush products or fuel additives, the internet will send you round in circles. Some say the products, added to a car’s oil or fuel to clean the engine’s internal moving parts and boost performance, are worth their weight in motor-protecting gold. Others claim they’re not worth the time or the effort.

The basic theory behind both these kinds of products is that by running them through the engine, you’ll clean out any deposits left by the engine’s combustion process. Proving whether they work is easier said than done. Here’s what the experts say.
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James Foxall 5 Comments

Should I fill my car with premium fuel?

07/10/2015

Should you fill your car with premium fuel?

It’s a familiar scenario. You drive onto a petrol station forecourt and pull up alongside the pumps. Staring back at you is a range of multi-coloured nozzles labelled with an equally confusing array of names: Fuel Save, V-Power Nitro+, Synergy, Synergy Supreme+, Regular Fuels, Ultimate, Momentum. The list goes on, with all retailers offering standard and premium fuels. The question is: should drivers fill their car with premium fuel?

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James Mills 6 Comments

Private land parking problems: numbers complaining shoot up

02/10/2015

Drivers can even be penalised for overstaying in supermarket car parks

Private land parking problems? You’re not alone. A new law in 2012 banned drivers being clamped on private land. But that doesn’t appear to have stopped over-zealous private companies issuing fines to anyone who flouts frequently unclear signs. The extent of the problem was recently revealed when a parking enforcement company was punished by its trade body for penalising drivers after doctoring CCTV footage to show they were parked longer than they actually were.

Private land parking problems: What is the legal position?

When you park on private land you’re actually entering into a contract with the land owner. If you don’t pay, or outstay the time you have paid for, although the threatening letter might look like a fine, it’s actually an invoice. This is for breaching the contract you entered into when you parked on their land.
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Pointless road signs: confusing signs set to be scrapped by councils

30/09/2015

Confusing? Our roadsides are becoming increasingly cluttered with signs

If you’ve seen a pointless road sign near you, its days could be numbered. The government wants to get to grips with the increasingly confusing number of signs that are sprouting at the side of our roads. It is planning new-look signs and wants to give councils the power to cull confusing and pointless road signs.

A road sign review was ordered after it emerged that the number of road signs has doubled over the last 20 years. It wants to help drivers focus on what’s important by removing any pointless road signs – what road safety experts call ‘visual noise’ – from the road side. The fear is that the growing number of pointless road signs is contributing to an increasing number of road deaths. Department for Transport (DfT) figures for 2014 show that the number of road fatalities increased by four per cent compared to the year before.
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Consumer Rights Act: What new law means for car buyers and owners

28/09/2015

Choosing and buying a car is often the easy bit. Now the Consumer Rights Act should make it more straightforward if things go wrong afterwards

Think the Consumer Rights Act doesn’t apply to you? Actually the reverse is the case. Despite what we may sometimes think, the law is on our side to ensure we don’t come unstuck at the hands of unscrupulous traders. However, on Thursday October 1, that law changes. The new Consumer Rights Act 2015 is the biggest shake up in consumer law for a generation, theoretically making it easier for buyers to assert their rights. But how will it work in practice for car owners? Here we explain the main things you need to know.
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Volkswagen emissions scandal: What it really means for British VW owners

23/09/2015

The Volkswagen emissions scandal has rocked the car industry and prompted drivers everywhere to wonder if they can trust anything car makers tell them. The outrage was discovered in the US and involves a programme hidden in cars’ computers. This can tell when the vehicle is undergoing an emissions test. It then switches the engine to a mode where it emits less Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) to pass strict air quality tests. There are 11 million cars world-wide that could be affected. Here’s what British drivers need to know.

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Young drivers: Experts say new laws needed to help cut casualties

18/09/2015

One government idea is for drivers to have a minimum 20 hours of driving at night before they can take their driving test

The number of people killed on Britain’s roads increased in 2014 and young drivers are still the most dangerous category of vehicle user. It’s prompted experts to call for a review of driver training. Road safety experts say figures show one in five young drivers aged 17 to 24 crashes within six months of passing their test. And road accidents are the biggest killer of young people in the UK, higher than both alcohol and drugs. We investigate plans to reverse that trend.

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The boom in bus lane fines: how to appeal a ticket or PCN

16/09/2015

Bus lane fines are drivers' latest menace

First it was officious parking wardens, then it was hidden speed cameras; now comes a new menace to motorists: bus-lane ‘entrapment’.

Underhand tactics are being blamed for a massive rise in fines handed out to drivers who are caught straying into a bus lane. Five years ago, approximately 321,000 bus lane fines or ‘infringement tickets’ were issued. But last year that figure had climbed to over one million, raising around £30million in revenue for cash-strapped councils.

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James Mills 79 Comments

Electric car questions: Are they value for money despite sales boom?

11/09/2015

Electric car questions persist despite increasing sales every month due to drivers attracted by promises of big fuel savings. The Government and car industry’s Go Ultra Low, a body formed to push the benefits of electric cars, said in September 2015: “There are a whole host of benefits that come with an electric car…You can travel much further using less energy…This means financial benefits for electric car owners, plus our latest figures show that drivers can save around £750 a year in fuel by switching to electric.” But is that really true? We look at whether the costs of buying and running an electric car stack up.

Electric car questions: Does the government grant help?

The government has just confirmed that until February 2016, a £5000 grant is available towards the purchase of any new electric vehicle (EV). However EVs tend to have a more expensive sticker price than equivalent cars with petrol or diesel engines.
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Transport blackspots: How Brits have to rely on their cars

09/09/2015

Even if people have a bus stop near them, public transport can take longer and be more expensive than running a car (Picture © iStock)

Public transport blackspots and the shocking reality of life without a car has been laid bare by new research. Insurer Direct Line conducted the study which showed that nearly a fifth of the British workforce would be unable to get to their jobs if they didn’t run a car.

The research, conducted in August 2015, revealed that six million Brits would find it virtually impossible to rely on public transport because they live more than five miles from their nearest train station. And one million Britons would be unable to get to their local town or city centre at all using public transport.

Things don’t get much better for non-car drivers even if they don’t live in a transport blackspot.

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Sharing economy: How to earn money from your drive, garage and car

04/09/2015

Today there are more ways than ever for drivers to earn – and save – money motoring. It’s the result of the sharing economy, a largely internet-enabled phenomenon that allows people to rent their assets to others.

The sharing economy is certainly catching the collective imagination. Accountancy firm PwC believes it will go from being worth around £15 billion globally in 2015 to £335bn in a decade. According to PwC, car sharing is one of this new trend’s five main pillars (peer-to-peer finance, online staffing, peer-to-peer accommodation, and music streaming are the others). Renting out your car isn’t the only way drivers can benefit from sharing.

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