The ESP light on my Audi A4 has come on and won't go off. A mechanic friend couldn't find the problem with the diagnostic tool and he thinks it could be a faulty ESP switch.

19 January 2012

My 2007 Turbo Diesel Prado randomly belches copious amounts of white smoke on ignition. This has been diagnosed as failing fuel injectors. Armed with this information I went to my Toyota dealer who tested it and came to the same conclusion. Both recommend injectors. So, on my behalf the dealer made a claim to fix or compensate me for the repairs, which would cost $4000. Toyota advises they will pay half the cost of the injectors, which still leaves me out of pocket $2200. Considering the vehicle has only done 100,000 km, I feel this is very poor form from Toyota. They are supposed to be very reliable vehicles, as I have found in the past. I am very frustrated and disappointed, what should I do, should I take the offer or push for full compensation?

19 January 2012

We have recently moved from Queensland to Melbourne and our 2008 Nissan Patrol 4X4 2008 has developed bubbling on the vinyl dashboard. Is this a common problem and is it warranty issue?

19 January 2012

I recently had the wheels aligned and balanced on my Honda CRV and the tyre dealer told me I should set the tyre pressure to 40 psi (280 kpa). The recommendation from Honda is 200 kpa. This is the second time a tyre dealer has recommended higher pressures, what is the correct setting? I must admit the car drives better at 280 kpa.

19 January 2012

A friend is having problems with the brakes in his new FG Falcon XR50 automatic ute. The brake pedal slowly sinks to the floor if he holds his foot lightly on the pedal as you would when sitting at traffic lights. The dealer said it was normal and was done deliberately to help stop the driver's leg being broken in the event of a front-end collision. That sounded like a bit of a fob off to me although I could be wrong. A mechanic friend said this should not happen and is an unsafe roadworthiness issue. He thinks the problem maybe undersized cups/seals in the brake master cylinder. What do you think?

12 January 2012

I have been thinking of installing LPG on my 2004 Holden Commodore VYII and was wondering if that was a good idea for that make and model?

12 January 2012

The handbook for our 2005 Mazda2 automatic specifies checking the automatic transmission fluid level every 20,000 k, but there is no recommended interval for changing the fluid for vehicles in Australia or New Zealand, even though in other countries it is to be changed every 50,000 km. My local dealership said they believed the transmission was "filled for life" - but, when pressed their chief mechanic suggested changing the fluid at 100,000 km. Why would Australian/NZ cars differ in this respect from those in other markets, and what would you recommend we do please?

12 January 2012

Like Nicole Holzheimer our Toyota Prado has a cracked dash, exactly where Nicole's has cracked, right over the instrument panel near the vents. This is a car we paid $56,000 for, no less, and it's got an ugly cracked dash. Toyota wasn't the slightest bit interested even though the car was only 12 months out of warranty. Our car is garaged every day, the dash is regularly cleaned with Armorall, we have a dash mat, and we always use a reflective windscreen cover. We're devastated, our car has lost its re-sale value, Toyota would not even offer to repair it or give us details of who could repair it, so instead of trading it on a newer model as we'd planned we're forced to keep it simply because no one will pay what it be worth if not for the crack. I am so disappointed by Toyota's response, especially when we are not the only ones with the problem, is shocking. I will never buy a Toyota again.

12 January 2012

My 1999 XH Ford Falcon 'Tradesman' utility suddenly stopped running at a set of traffic lights a few days ago and had to be towed home. There was no spark evident when a plug was removed and the engine cranked over a little. There was absolutely no sign of it 'firing up'! I have heard that the crank angle sensor may have failed and possibly the coil has too. What can I do to get the vehicle going?

12 January 2012

Until recently my 1996 EL Ford Fairmont has been reliable, but it has recently been overheating and using coolant. I was advised to replace the radiator, which I did and the overheating stopped, but it's still using a small amount of coolant. I have also noticed that the auto trans is labouring through the gear changes. Should I change the transmission fluid, or have transmission serviced?

12 January 2012