What has the Honest John team been asked this week?

[Web Version]( | [Update preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( [Facebook icon]( [Like]( [Twitter icon]( [Tweet]( [Forward icon]( [Forward]( [Should I use the recirculation button when running my air conditioning in the summer?]( Posted by on 3 May, 2024 Is it true that you should have your recirculation button on all the time in summer when you are running the air conditioning? [Read more →]( [Why are my brakes noisy?]( Posted by on 2 May, 2024 Why do the brakes on my car squeal when slowing down? [Read more →]( [I part exchanged a car and now the garage are saying it has been clocked - where do I stand?]( Posted by on 2 May, 2024 Yesterday I bought a second hand car from a garage and had my old 2007 car to trade in. We agreed a price and the deal was done. Today they have called to say there is a problem with the car I part exchanged. They say that the car has been clocked. I've had the car under two years and had never suspected a thing. Where do I stand? Please any advice would be great. [Read more →]( [Is there a standard for paint thickness?]( Posted by on 2 May, 2024 I have recently purchased an A5 Sportback and noticed quite a lot of chipping occurring to the leading edge of the bonnet after only 8k and less than a year old. My dealer measured the paint thickness which has come out at around 70 microns. Is there a recognised minimum standard as I believe the chipping is a result of a lack of paint? The rest of the car is approx.120 microns. [Read more →]( [What are the rules for child car seats in Italy?]( Posted by on 2 May, 2024 I am taking a holiday in Italy this year and will be hiring a car. Hertz have offered a car seat for our daughter which is fine. She will just be 8 by the time we travel so whilst she has a dedicated fixed car seat in the family car here in the UK I’m not sure what the rules are in Italy. Of course her safety is paramount and some car seat will be required but would we require a standard (Isofix style) large car seat or would a more simple firm foam booster seat ‘cushion’ be adequate for their laws? [Read more →]( [What's the best small electric hatchback?]( Posted by on 1 May, 2024 What's the nearest electric 4 four door car of a similar size to an Audi A1? [Read more →]( [We only do 1000 miles a year - will this affect the battery on our hybrid?]( Posted by on 1 May, 2024 As we do only 1000 miles a year, a mechanic mentioned on servicing that the hybrid battery on our Suzuki is not charging enough. Is there an issue regarding long term battery life? [Read more →]( [Is there a better car than the Skoda Kodiaq?]( Posted by on 1 May, 2024 We have a 2.0 TSI Skoda Kodiaq on a contract lease. We have two kids, 8 and 10 years old and have appreciated the space that the car has given and flexibility when an in law visits to put the kids in the third row. It is great that we can fit four large suitcases in the boot and five passengers. We would like to buy a car this time around and want one that gives relative performance and space. We have been offered the opportunity to buy a 2023 Kodiaq Sportline with 2.0 TSI for £35,000. Are there any alternatives you can recommended? [Read more →]( [Is a VW Golf worth the additional cost?]( Posted by on 30 April, 2024 I currently own a 2010 1.4 Golf MK6 hatch which has been excellent throughout my 11 years of ownership. The kids have grown and fully loaded trips to and from university suggest an upgrade to an estate would make sense. A little bit of badge snobbery is drawing me towards a 2021 Golf MK8 1.5 manual petrol R-Line Estate. Perceived quality probably being the main driver. However I could get an equivalent 2021 1.5 manual petrol Seat Leon FR Sport Estate saving £4000 against the price of the Golf. Is the Golf worth the extra? Are there any other alternatives I should consider? [Read more →]( [Should I switch to all-weather tyres for better wet grip?]( Posted by on 29 April, 2024 I have just purchased a 2022 Toyota Yaris Cross Premier AWD with 18in wheels. I live in Cumbria and although frost and snow do not seem too much of a problem recent years rain certainly is. I am just about to replace the tyres and wonder if it is worth the extra expence of all weather tyres such as Michelin Cross Climate or will I be ok with summer tyres as mine is an AWD model or is the 4x4 function not very good as it is not a proper 4x4? [Read more →]( [Can I add DPF fluid manually?]( Posted by on 29 April, 2024 Can a DPF fluid be added manually to each full tank of diesel on my Volvo V50 as my Filter Additive tank is showing a sensor failure and erratic level readings after being (power pack) jump started and had to have the ECU subsequently re-flashed. Which fluid would you recommend if so? [Read more →]( [A misfuelling service didn't remove all the fuel - can I claim against them?]( Posted by on 29 April, 2024 I put petrol into my diesel, Freelander 2. I realised at the pump and called a fuel removal service who sucked out the petrol. After a month of intermittent staring issues, the garage diagnosed that there was still 35L of petrol in the tank. The car has a saddle fuel tank and as such cannot be sucked out fully without removing it. I have yet to pursue costs from the fuel removal service. Does anybody have any advice in doing so? [Read more →]( [Why does my hybrid cost more to tax than my daughter's diesel?]( Posted by on 29 April, 2024 My daughter has a Nissan Qashqai diesel and pays zero road tax. I have a Toyota Yaris hybrid and pay £160 car tax. I feel this is unfair. When I bought the hybrid I expected to pay £20 a year car tax. Is this fair? [Read more →]( [Should I avoid buying a used car that only comes with one key?]( Posted by on 29 April, 2024 My sons have seen a number of decent FSH used cars (keyless entry and start) at reputable dealers (but not franchised) but have been put off when they find these only have one key. My take on this is that on buying, they'd have to get a franchised dealer to completely reset the system and assign two new keys to be completely secure and insurable, which I believe would be at a cost of maybe £500+ ? Am I being unreasonable and should we just give these 1 key vehicles a wide berth? [Read more →]( [I have retained my vehicle after it was declared a Cat N - do I need to tell the DVLA?]( Posted by on 29 April, 2024 I have agreed to retain the salvage of my vehicle after it was declared a total loss category N. The third party insurers have paid out the agreed settlement figure. I am going to use the money to repair the damage to my vehicle and put it through an MoT. Do I need to inform the DVLA? And do I need to declare the category N status in future when applying for car insurance? I bought the car on finance PCP so do I need to inform my finance company that the car is now category N? [Read more →]( [My car was written off - can I claim for a new vehicle thorough the other parties insurance?]( Posted by on 29 April, 2024 My car was a total loss and the liability was accepted by the other drivers insurance company but my insurance said the car was not worth the excess on my policy. As a result I have lost my car and need to buy a new one. Can I claim from the other parties insurance through a claims company? [Read more →]( [Do stop-start systems cause engine wear?]( Posted by on 29 April, 2024 My wife read an article that automatic stop start on a modern engine can damage the engine beause of inadequate engine lubrication. I told her that when the engine is warm and been running a while, the oil wont have time to drain from the engine back into the sump, so there will be a miniscule amount of extra wear. The article was by a mechanic with 50 years experience of repairing cars. Who is right? [Read more →]( [I accidentally drove away without my fuel filler cap in place, will I have spilled petrol?]( Posted by on 29 April, 2024 I forgot to put petrol cap after filling up petrol, then drove for about half an hour and only notice when reverse parking in my driveway. Have I spilled any petrol while I’m driving? [Read more →]( You received this email because you signed up to our mailing list. If you’re not interested in receiving our newsletter any more, you can: [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( Honestjohn.co.uk 5 New Street Square London United Kingdom EC4A 3TW