Ask The Guide

Modern vehicles have lots of electronics that operate functions such as the dashboard and warning lights. If the car is showing a 4WD light when it's not actually in 4WD, then there's an electrical glitch somewhere in the system.

But the fact that it occurs in tandem with a second fault (the incorrect speedo reading) makes us wonder if you're not looking at something as fundamental as a bad earth somewhere on the car. Electricity can't flow if the circuit isn't earthed, and this is a common source of problems like the one you're seeing. A good auto electrician should be able to sort both problems with simple test gear. If not, a scan of the vehicle's systems may throw up the answer.

Many diesel engines don't appreciate being run out of fuel and will exhibit this behaviour if you allow them to run dry. That's because a lot of diesels have a fuel system that doesn't automatically prime itself and start pumping fuel once it's run dry.

As a result, some diesel cars have a hand primer under the bonnet that allows you to prime the diesel fuel pump and get going again. But modern ones like your Mazda often don't, and priming them involves a specific procedure to get the fresh fuel from the tank to the engine. Most workshops will be able to carry out this job for you, but simply continuing to crank the engine with your fingers crossed will do nothing more than flatten the battery.

This sounds like a job for an auto electrician, as it's impossible to diagnose something like this by remote control. But for reference, it could be something as complex as a major problem with the wiring harness and its networking, or something as simple as a flat battery in the key fob. But the fact that the car knows something is wrong and issues a fault warning is actually good news and suggests that an electronic scan of the car will throw up the answer pretty quickly.

Unfortunately, Alfa Romeo dragged its heels on warranty, and only made a five-year warranty standard after April 22, 2022. Which means your 2019 car came only with a three-year warranty which has, of course, now expired.

That's a pretty impressive innings for a Dualis. You obviously maintain it well and drive it sensibly. The engine light on your dashboard is telling you that the car's on-board computer has noticed something isn't right and needs to be fixed or reset. This could be anything from a stretched timing chain to an oxygen sensor in the exhaust system or dozens of things in between.

The best approach is to have the car scanned to see what fault codes the computer throws up. From there, you'll have a much better idea of what the problem is.

The orange or yellow engine light means the car is still safe to drive, but you still need to have it looked at as soon as you can to avoid doing further damage to whatever system is not working properly. If the warning light (of any sort) is red, then you should stop driving as soon as it's safe to pull over and have the vehicle towed to a workshop.

This sounds like a classic case of a hydraulic lifter (also called a lash adjuster) that is dying a slow death. These components rely on engine oil pressure to maintain the correct clearance between the engine valves and the rockers that actuate them, and any wear will show up as a ticking noise when the engine is first started and is still building oil pressure. They can often 'tick' for a few seconds or more before going quiet.

The recurrence of the noise has probably got something to do with a fall in oil pressure at idle when the engine warms up, allowing the lifter to start ticking again. But the engines in this series of Navara were also known for ticking or rattling noises as the result of worn camshaft-chain tensioners, broken or damaged cam bearing bolts and wear in the auxiliary pulleys and belt tensioners. If the noise does turn out to be a dud lifter, do the smart thing and replace them all, as wear in one means certain wear beginning in the others.

By buying a manual Focus, you neatly sidestep the biggest problem with this car, that of the perennially faulty DCT transmission. As a rule of thumb, the advice is to never buy a Ford with this transmission, purely because its failure is a question of when, not if.

The irony is that the rest of the car was actually pretty reliable, so as long as the recall for a potential fuel leak caused by a blocked carbon-canister has been attended to, you stand a good chance of buying a reliable car.

It sounds like you've tackled the obvious causes of this type of vibration. The dual-mass clutch is a prime candidate and any car with worn engine mounts can vibrate when it's running.

Digging deeper will involve ruling things out in a process of elimination. So, to start that process, does the vibration go away when the vehicle is stationary or only when it's moving? If it's the latter, you could have some kind of transmission or tail-shaft problem. Ot perhaps even a warped brake rotor or seized brake caliper.

But if the vibration is there whenever the engine is running, then you need to start to look at things like the harmonic balancer on the front of the crankshaft and whether the engine itself is actually running smoothly (regardless of where the idle is set). The stepper-motor (which controls the idle) could be faulty leading to the engine flaring between gear changes, and an engine that has a blocked exhaust, dirty air-filter or even worn spark plugs can run roughly. It could even be something like camshaft timing that has jumped a tooth, leading the engine to run poorly and contribute the bad vibrations you're feeling. Also, check the rubber drive belt that powers the alternator and power-steering pump. A worn belt or worn out tensioners and pulleys can also create problems like this. Check the power steering pump itself for signs of its seizing or jamming as it turns.

This sounds like another one of pesky electrical problems which occur but don't really create havoc beyond making you wonder why it's happening. In many cases, this sort of problem can be caused by a poor earth somewhere on the car or even a chafed wire that is short-circuiting and turning random lights on and off.

But it could also be a symptom of something more serious with the car's electrical systems, so an electronic scan of the vehicle should be your next move. That will rule out a lot of things and also possibly pin-point the problem.

Unlike fuel and oil filters which are often located in easily accessible places and are able to be removed and replaced easily, most automatic transmission filters are located inside the actual transmission. Usually, this means removing the transmission's pan which is also usually the way to access the transmission's valve body and other parts that are part of a transmission service.

The best way to access this area is to have the car on a hoist and work from underneath.

It sounds as though you either have a problem with the car's electrics or the electronics within the ignition remote. If the car's battery is dead flat, you'll get the symptoms you're reporting, but if the remote has a flat battery (or is faulty in some other way) then you an find yourself in the same boat.

But it could also be an electrical problem other than a flat battery. From memory, some of these Holdens had suspect battery terminals which lacked the grip they should have had and could lead to a loose connection which could produce these symptoms. This would be a good place to start.

But there's another trick you can try. On some Cruze models, there's a process that can over-ride the remote locking and ignition protocols. If the battery in the remote is weak or the remote itself is damaged, this is definitely worth a try. From the driver's seat, locate the small, round plastic bung in the cup-holder in the centre-console. Place the remote key over this hole with the Holden logo facing up. Then try the starter button. With luck, the engine will start and you're away to have the remote fob fixed or replaced. You may find you need to hold the stop/start button for two seconds to get the engine to stop.

Meantime, I have no idea why the actual physical key will not lock the doors from outside. That sounds more like a job for a locksmith.