Ask The Guide

On the lower-right corner of the dashboard, you’ll find the rotary switch that controls the headlights. On the same switch panel (just to the left of the main headlight switch) are a pair of sliding controls that control the headlight aiming (the right-hand slide) and the dashboard-light brightness (just to its left).

When the car’s headlights are turned on, the dashboard lights are automatically dimmed, and sometimes this provides insufficient light to see the gauges clearly in bright daylight. But by holding the adjustment slide in the up position, you can turn the dashboard lights to their brightest level of illumination. 

Excess black smoke from a diesel engine is bad news as it can – among other things – cause the engine to run hot enough to cause internal damage. As for a cause, it could be anything from contaminated fuel to a block air-filter, a faulty sensor or a damaged intake system. Modern diesel engines like this one also have a habit of forming black deposits in their intake tract (a by-product of the engine’s own emission controls) and this can cause all sorts of problems including black smoke.

Another possibility is that the car’s diesel particulate filter (DPF) is blocked and the car is trying to regenerate it (clean it out) by dumping lots of fuel into the engine, and that’s causing the excess smoke. Either way, it needs to be fixed to avoid the potential for costly engine damage, not to mention the environmental havoc the car is causing in its current state. An electronic scan of the onboard computer would be a good starting point.

This type of problem can have any number of causes. The best option is to have the car scanned electronically to see what fault codes have been logged by the on-board computer.

You could be looking at a fuel issue, something purely mechanical (like the idle-speed set too low) a blocked air-filter, a computer issue or any number of sensors that are not playing ball. But until you interpret the fault codes, you’ll be flying blind and potentially replacing things that aren’t the cause of the stalling problem.

I’d certainly be taking the vehicle back to the workshop that serviced it and pointing out that the problem only occurred after they'd 'fixed' it.

The Kluger released in 2014 was initially only fitted with navigation in the flagship Grande model. But the facelift of the model in 2017 saw navigation become standard on the mid-spec GXL model, so that model now looks like the most cost-effective way into a Kluger with factory-fitted navigation.

I spoke to Mitsubishi Australia who told me that paint fade is not a common complaint among their customers. There is the possibility that your car could be covered by warranty, but that will all depend on the circumstances of that individual vehicle. That’s not as simple as it having been exposed to high temperatures or UV radiation on a regular basis, either; the car’s entire history will be taken into account including whether it has ever been treated with an aftermarket paint treatment or has had body repairs at any stage.

Mitsubishi’s advice, then, is to take the vehicle to your nearest dealership and have the car examined to assess what the situation is. If that doesn’t satisfy you, you can also contact Mitsubishi Australia’s customer service division to discuss the issue.

For the record, shades of red are historically the worst offenders when it comes to fading and paint degradation. Paint technology has come a long way, but it remains that red pigments do not appreciate Australian levels of heat and UV radiation. In some cases, the original colour of the vehicle can be restored without resorting to repainting and this process can take many forms.

It is legal for a private seller to sell a registered vehicle in Victoria without a roadworthy certificate (RWC) provided you remove the car’s number-plates and return them to VicRoads before the sale takes place.

Effectively, you’re suspending the registration until such time as the buyer obtains a roadworthy certificate. It’s largely for your benefit, too, as it means the new owner won’t be driving on toll roads and through speed cameras in a car that’s technically still registered in your name. Also, selling with a roadworthy certificate makes for a simpler transaction (the new owner can simply drive way after paying you) and also makes the car more valuable. Selling a registered car privately with no RWC is technically breaking the law.

The exception to the requirement for a RWC is in the case of a car that isn’t registered at all, or if you’re selling the vehicle to a licensed car dealer (at which point, the roadworthy certificate becomes their responsibility before they can on-sell the car).

Once you have the roadworthy certificate and have cleared any finance on the vehicle, you also need to complete a transfer form (which can be downloaded from vicroads.vic.gov.au). It’s the buyer’s obligation to lodge that form with VicRoads within 14 days of the sale, although if you have the buyer’s details, you can notify VicRoads yourself online (if you have a myVicroads personal account).

To connect your phone via Bluetooth to the Mazda 2, there’s a simple procedure to follow. The first thing to do is to make sure your phone has Bluetooth enabled and is switched to Visible/Discoverable. The second is to make sure that the car is stationary.

The pairing procedure then goes as follows: Select the Settings icon on the info-screen in the car. Then select the Devices tab. Then select Bluetooth and turn the Bluetooth to On. Select Add Device and switch to the device operation.

Using your phone, search for the car’s signal which should show as `Mazda’ from the list of devices on your phone’s screen. Depending on your phone, you then need to input the four-digit code (devices with Bluetooth 2.0) or a six-digit code displayed on the car’s screen (Bluetooth 2.1 or higher). That should complete the pairing process and form there you can add functions such as downloading your contact book to the car’s system by following the prompts.

For more instructions on how to play music through the system, more setup options, and troubleshooting problems, refer to the vehicle’s owner’s manual.

To connect your mobile phone to the Suzuki Swift’s Bluetooth, you must have the vehicle stationary and your phone’s Bluetooth switched on and set to Discoverable. The next step is to press the Setup button on the car’s media-control panel. The setup menu will be displayed and you can then turn the Tune knob to select Setup and then press the same knob to confirm that selection. Turn the Tune knob again to select Pairing and press the knob to confirm that selection.

Select Car Audio from your phone’s menu and that should establish the pairing. Enter the passkey code displayed on the screen to your phone to confirm the pairing. Then press the On Hook and you’re good to go.

For more instructions on how to play music through the system, more setup options, and troubleshooting problems, refer to the vehicle’s owner’s manual.

Hyundai i30 Bluetooth pairing is achieved by switching your mobile phone’s Bluetooth function to On and the phone to Visible or Discoverable. The vehicle itself must also be stationary; phone pairing can not occur if the vehicle is moving.

Then, press the Phone button on the car’s stereo system or the Call button on the steering wheel. The infotainment screen should then display the devices it can find (including your phone). At the same time, the vehicle’s name should appear on your phone’s screen. Ensure it matches the vehicle and then select it.

On phones that require a passkey, a screen should show up on your phone. Enter 0000 and the connection should be completed. On phones that require confirmation, the info screen should show a six-digit code which will be mirrored on your phone. If the code is mirrored exactly, press Enter or OK and pairing should occur. From there you can transfer phonebook information and call lists per the on-screen prompts.

For more instructions on how to play music through the system, more setup options, and troubleshooting problems, refer to the vehicle’s owner’s manual.

To connect your mobile phone to the Holden Cruze’s optional Bluetooth system for hands-free phone operation, the first step is to check your phone settings to ensure that Bluetooth is enabled and that the phone is `visible’ or `discoverable’.

From the info-screen in the car, select Add Device (Handsfree) at which point the car’s Bluetooth system will search for and find the signal from your mobile phone. When that happens, a four-digit code should be displayed on the screen which is then keyed into the phone’s keypad to make the connection. The car will then ask you if you want to pair your phone and you press `Yes’ to complete the pairing process.

As many as five mobile phones can be connected to the Holden Cruze Bluetooth system. You can then choose a different phone to pair by choosing one from the device list displayed on the info-screen. Once the connection is established, you can operate many of the phone’s functions through the car’s information screen including your address book and adjusting the volume of the phone call.

For more instructions on how to play music through the system, more setup options, and troubleshooting problems, refer to the vehicle’s owner’s manual.