Ask The Guide

There are dozens (hundreds, actually) of reasons why a modern automatic car won't accelerate through its gears properly when you take off from a standing start. These can include sensors, wiring, fuses, mechanical issues within the transmission and even an on-board computer that has lost the plot.

While the Jazz uses a CVT transmission rather than a conventional automatic with planetary gears, the Honda still makes use of hydraulic transmission fluid to operate its torque converter and effect the gear ratio changes as you drive. So, keeping the correct grade of fluid at the correct level is critical.

In most cases, the best bet is to take the car to a workshop that knows this make and model and have it scanned electronically for clues about what's gone wrong. This will ultimately be the quickest, cheapest way to find out what's wrong. From there, you can make a more informed decision on how to proceed.

However, if you want to be a little more pro-active, there are a couple of things to try. First, check the level of the transmission fluid. If this is low (due to a leak) then the gearbox may have difficulty shifting gears or taking off at all. The other thing you could try is to disconnect the battery from the car and leave it for at least an hour before reconnecting the battery. This forces an electronic reset and could fix the problem. It's a bit of a long shot, however, and you may have to recode your radio and reset the car's clock.

The procedure goes like this: Turn on the ignition and, with the transmission in the Park or Neutral, position the seat and mirrors where you want them with the buttons. Then, press the memory button which should light up. Then, push either button one, two or three while the memory button is still lit. After that, you should hear a tone, the memory light will go out and the memory should be set.

If this is not working, you'll probably find that it's not your setting technique, but rather the car's memory unit that is suffering amnesia. Failed memory modules on this model are very common. You might be able to find a replacement module, but most owners simple live with it and adjust the seat manually.

It all depends on what sort of car we're talking about. If it's a relatively new car, you might have to buy a brand-new part. Even then, there are options, because you can buy a genuine replacement part from a dealership, or shop around for a differently-branded part (that may well be the same part number, from the same manufacturer, but in different packaging). Just be careful if you're shopping online as plenty of people have been scammed by fake websites offering the parts they need.

If it's an older car, don't rule out the good old parts recycling yard (or wrecking yard as those of us of a certain age know them). Something like a wiper linkage is unlikely to be in high demand, so if the yard has your make and model in stock, there's a fair chance it might have the part you need. The only catch here is that some yards insist you remove the part yourself, so you might have to take your tools with you. Generally speaking, a second-hand part from a wrecking yard should be a fraction of the cost of a new part. But check it carefully, as there are often no guarantees with second-hand parts.

Check that the engine-oil dipstick is seated in its tube correctly. If it's not, this could be a great place for oil to escape and become plastered all over the engine. It's the small yellow, plastic loop just below the oil filter. While you're there, check that the oil filter itself hasn't come loose. Try to tighten it by turning it by hand clockwise. If it moves at all with hand pressure, it's loose.

The most likely culprit, however, is the rocker cover gasket. If this seal breaks, oil can be free to migrate out of the engine, right down the side of the cylinder head and crankcase, making the mess you've described. To check, clean the engine with degreaser and water until all the oil is gone. Then take the car for a decent drive, open the bonnet and the source of the leak may be very obvious.

The clue here is that the problem started after the repairs were made post-crash. It sounds awfully like some of the turbocharger's plumbing has been damaged/gone missing after the crash. If so – and it only takes a minute crack in the piping – the engine can lose turbo-boost, which will produce the precise symptoms you've noted.

While the turbocharger itself will be working fine, the boost it produces is being allowed to escape into the atmosphere instead of being pumped into the engine to produce more power. That's why it sounds noisy, and also why it's not delivering the performance you're expecting.

This automatic stop-start is an increasingly common feature on new cars and it's designed to save fuel by switching off the engine when you're, say, waiting at a red light. A lot of people find this function annoying and wish to turn it off permanently.

Depending on what version of the H9 you have, there should be a small switch down low on the centre console (near the hazard flasher switch) This will be marked with the same A-in-a-circle and, once you press it once, will disable the stop-start function. The catch is that you have to press this button every time you restart the car to disable the function.

But if you go into the Settings menu on the info-screen, you should also be able to find a listing for the stop-start function which, if you disable it this way, should keep it switched off.

Your Everest would have come brand-new with a three-year/100,000km warranty which has now well and truly expired. So you can forget about Ford contributing to the cost of repairs.

Roof racks cop a pretty hard life in some cases, and damage to their coating or paint is not uncommon. Even if it's just the effects of UV radiation (rather than physical damage) roof racks are in the direct firing line of the sun's rays for a lot of the time.

The best advice would be to get an automotive spray painter to repaint the roof rails in a durable product that matches the original finish. This shouldn't be difficult for any professional shop and would return the car's appearance to new, providing the rails are the only blemished areas.

The 2021 Sportage range covers a variety of towing capacities depending on what engine and transmission are fitted and whether the example in question features all-wheel-drive or front-wheel-drive.

So, in no particular order, the Sportage with front-wheel-drive can tow up to 1600kg with a braked trailer, the AWD petrol can tow 1500kg, the AWD diesel has a towing maximum of 1900kg and the facelifted 1.6-litre petrol with the dual-clutch transmission can cope with 1650kg (all with the same braked trailer).

With a trailer with no brakes, the maximum towing capacity for any 2021 Kia Sportage is 750kg.

Unfortunately, it sounds like you have one of the dreaded Powershift dual-clutch transmissions in your car. If that's the case, then this type of transmission behaviour is all too common and, we're sorry to tell you, is a sign that the gearbox is about to die.

Ford was hauled over the coals by the ACCC back in 2017 for 'unconscionable behaviour' regarding this transmission and its approach to dealing with consumer complaints about it. We'd be talking to Ford Australia's customer service department as it will have a standard procedure now for dealing with such problems.

All that said, your car is well and truly out of warranty now, but Ford knew years ago that it had a major problem with this transmission, so it's worth asking about compensation or help with repairs. The other piece of advice is to not sink too much money into the car, as the trade and consumers know it's a ticking time bomb and, as a result, this model is worth very little as a trade-in.

The best approach might be to have the car independently inspected and assessed. Your local motoring club (NRMA) would be a good place to start, but you could also probably take it to an established panel shop an achieve the same thing.

The results of that inspection will determine which way you go from there. If the inspection really does determine that the car has damage to its bodywork, then Mazda should treat it as a warranty claim and fix it. If the car does get resprayed be very selective on who does the work, as a brand-new car that has obviously been resprayed will raise eyebrows if you try to sell it.