Ask The Guide

To connect your phone to the Ford Territory Bluetooth system, start by making sure your phone has its Bluetooth switched on and is in discoverable mode. You also need the vehicle to be in Park with the engine running; having the ignition in accessory mode is not sufficient, the engine must be running for phone pairing to take place.

On the stereo info-screen in the Territory, touch the Phone button, followed by the Add a Phone button. You should next receive a message that the pairing process has begun and a six-digit code will be displayed. Enter that code into your phone and the pairing process should complete. You’ll know it has when the phone’s name is displayed on the car’s screen as being added successfully.

If more than one phone is paired with the car, the system will ask if you wish to make the current phone your favourite. If you do, this is the phone that will be automatically paired with if more than one paired phone is detected.

The system will then ask you if you wish to automatically download your phone’s contact book to the car. If you touch Yes, this process will begin and could take a few minutes depending on how many contacts you have.

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.

Subaru Outback diesel problems don’t seem to be too frequent or too common. And that’s probably in line with the brand’s overall reputation for reliable engineering.

Probably the biggest complaint from owners is that the engine lacks a little oomph from a standing start and suffers from what’s called turbo-lag; a delay between putting your foot down and the car responding. Even though Subaru claimed a torque peak of 350Nm at anywhere between 1800 and 2400rpm, in reality, the engine didn’t feel that strong down low, particularly just off idle. The other barrier to the success of the Outback diesel was that it could only be had with a six-speed manual transmission and no automatic option was offered in the model you’re talking about.

Beyond that, the usual diesel-engine caveats apply including the requirement to give the engine a decent run at highway speeds every few weeks at the very least. Without this, the engine’s particulate filter (which aims to clean up tailpipe emissions) will clog up and may need to be manually cleaned or even replaced, and that won’t be cheap.

Subaru engines have, over the decades, proven themselves to be tough customers on the one condition that they’re serviced absolutely by the book. Skipping scheduled services is a sure way to send a Subaru engine to an early grave. So make sure any car you’re considering has a full and complete service history with no evidence of missed oil changes. It’s also worth noting that this model was caught up in the Takata air-bag fiasco, so make sure this critical recall has been attended to.

The Hyundai i40 has a great reputation in the trade for being a solid, dependable car with few inherent problems. In fact, it’s one of the models that has recently helped forge Hyundai’s overall reputation as a safe bet. The brand’s five-year warranty hasn’t hurt it in that regard, either.

In terms of Hyundai i40 diesel engine problems, the news is good. And that’s largely because Hyundai has been building small capacity passenger-car diesel engines for decades and has the technology all worked out.

But there are a few things to watch out for and those include the propensity of modern, common-rail injected diesels to require plenty of preventative maintenance. If injectors, pumps and filters are not looked after, they can all give trouble down the road and fixing common-rail injection is generally not a cheap pursuit. So make sure any second-hand i40 (petrol or diesel) has a fully stamped service book and that no preventative maintenance has been skipped.

The other thing worth mentioning is that unless you plan to do at least some highway driving, then the turbo-diesel – as nice as it is to drive – may not be your best bet. The Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) fitted to modern diesels needs a good run at a decent speed every few weeks to ensure that it can regenerate properly. If it doesn’t see this sort of running, it can become blocked and, in a worst-case scenario, require replacement. This is by no means a Hyundai-specific problem and many modern diesels with DPF technology carry the same caveat.

The bottom line is that even though the diesel version of the i40 may squeeze more out of each litre of fuel, it’s not necessarily the cheapest-to-own variant in the long run.

Both the petrol and diesel engines available in the current-generation Tucson have enviable records and reputations for reliability and longevity. Perhaps the factor that will ultimately sway your decision will be the driveline layout, because the all-wheel-drive version of the Tucson is available only with the turbo-diesel or turbo-petrol engine; the normally aspirated engine is available only in front-wheel-drive. To be honest, both the turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol and the turbo-diesel are the natural choices, and the non-turbocharged two-litre petrol engine is very much an also-ran in this model line-up.

That covers the Hyundai Tucson petrol vs diesel debate on a driveability basis, but in other aspects, the question is harder to answer. The petrol turbo is known to be a reliable unit but, in reality, the turbo-diesel probably suits this style of vehicle better with its relaxed feel and effortless nature. That said, if you’re only going to do suburban miles, then rule the diesel out as modern, common-rail diesels with their DPFs really don’t like that type of use. Unless you’re going to drive a decent distance at highway speeds every couple of weeks, the diesel can wind up costing a lot more to maintain.

Even used properly, a diesel engine can be costlier to own and service in the long run and, in the case of the Tucson’s unit, there have been reports of black sludge forming in the intake system, caused by a combination of soot and oil mist which are by-products of the engine’s emissions control. In extreme cases, this black ooze needs to be manually cleaned and that’s a big and expensive job.

But, to confuse things even further, the only transmission available with the turbocharged petrol Tucson is a seven-speed double-clutch unit. Hyundai’s seems better than a lot of such transmissions out there, but many feel this technology is less than perfect and some owners avoid these transmissions at all costs. The turbo-diesel Tucson, in contrast, uses a conventional automatic.

The 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine fitted to the Jeep Wrangler (and some Cherokee models) in the earlier part of this century seems to be a decent proposition in terms of reliability and ability to go the distance. The engine is made in Italy by VM Motori, a diesel engine specialist that was owned by Jeep’s parent company, Fiat Chrysler (as it was then).

A large capacity four-cylinder engine, the basics seem well engineered and inherent problems are uncommon. As such, Jeep Wrangler 2.8 diesel problems are more likely to come from the engine’s ancillaries including the turbocharger unit, intercooler and some of the emissions-control equipment.

Turbochargers have a shelf life in pretty much any vehicle and, depending on how hard a life the vehicle has had, these can require replacement when the bearings begin to wear or the internal components become damaged by carbon deposits.

Intercoolers can fail over time, and the car’s emission controls, which see it consume a proportion of its own exhaust gases as well as its own crankcase fumes, can lead to black, sticky deposits in the intake system which can require manual cleaning.

The engine is also a common-rail design, so injector and fuel-pump life can be shorter than for older, conventional diesel-engine designs.

The key to any engine’s longevity, of course, is its service history. Even the best design will be a source of ongoing grief if a previous owner has not followed the correct servicing regime. A complete service history is an absolute must when buying any second-hand turbo-diesel.

You need to keep using an oil that is compatible with LPG as this fuel places different stresses on the lubricating oil compared with an engine burning petrol or diesel. Provided you stick with the correct grade and API rating and choose a known brand (not the Brand-X supermarket stuff) you should be fine. Don’t forget to change the filter every time you change the oil.

It’s quite possible for a car’s engine to lose a little performance over time as it wears internally. When that wear occurs, the compression ratio can fall a little, the valve timing may alter a fraction and the fuel injection system might get a bit slack. All these things can lead to a slight drop off in power. Because this dwindling power output happens gradually, most owners never notice it happening.

But since the Holden Combo was a fairly low-powered car to start with, there could be some external factors that are making it feel a little tardy at times. Again, since you’re not playing with a whole lot of power in the first place (a Combo had just 66kW when it was brand-new) even tyres that have deflated over time (perfectly normal) can make the car feel a bit slower from time to time. The same goes for a brake that is dragging slightly or even having a second occupant or a heavier than usual load in the car. Even a decent headwind can make a Combo feel like it’s struggling.

The best idea in the long term is to service the vehicle properly and make sure it’s in top condition. That will rule out some of those external factors and will keep the thing in good mechanical condition so that it can muster up the maximum number of kiloWatts when you need them. You could also try a bottle of injector cleaner in the fuel tank now and then, and don’t forget the basics like a blocked air-filter, and old, stale fuel which can also rob power.

It sounds as though there’s some slack somewhere vin the driveline that is taking up suddenly with a clunking noise as the result. This is actually pretty common in cars as they age and relates to general wear and tear on the driveline components.

What you haven’t told me is whether your car is a petrol or diesel model which will determine whether it’s a front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive vehicle respectively. Why does that matter? Because, fundamentally, the all-wheel-drive version – which has a centre differential, a transfer-case and a driveshaft for each wheel – has more than double the driveline components of the front-drive Sorento. And, clearly, that means at least double the opportunity for a clunk or creak or groan to creep in as the vehicle ages.

Regardless of the driveline layout, of course, any free-play in the driveline is bad news because it means there’s wear somewhere and that needs to be identified and fixed before it wears further and, ultimately, fails, leaving you stranded or even contributing to a crash. So have it checked by a workshop familiar with that make and model and nip any problems in the bud while they’re still annoyances rather than catastrophes.

In the meantime, you can do a bit of detective work of your own: Many driveline clunks are caused by worn CV (Constant Velocity) joints which allow the wheels to turn (with the steering) as well as drive the car. Find a nice, deserted car-park and slowly drive in circles first with full left lock and then with full right lock. You’re listening for a clattering, clicking or rumbling noise as you do so. If you can hear such a noise, then you might just be well on your way to diagnosing the problem.

Towing capacities for hybrid vehicles has been a bit of an issue for Australian car buyers for a while now and remains one of the biggest hurdles to ownership of this type of technology. There’s also a fair bit of misinformation around, too, including the fact that hybrids can’t tow at all. That’s simply not true for some manufacturers, but in this case, it’s a fact.

While Mini specifies a 1500kg towing limited (with a braked trailer) for its Countryman range, there are exceptions. In fact, Mini does not specify a towing limit for two variants of the Countryman; the sporty John Cooper Works version and, sadly, the plug-in hybrid variant. In fact, there’s not even a factory-option tow-bar listed for those variants, which is another way of saying they’re not designed for towing at all. You may need to look elsewhere.

The V6 engine in the Captiva is well known for its propensity to suffer from worn or stretched timing chains far too early in life. Early signs can be a rattling noise when the engine is first started (hot or cold) as well as a check-engine light on the dashboard. The check-engine light is a result of the stretched chain allowing the camshafts to move so far out of sync with the rest of the engine that the sensor that measures their position can longer 'find' them. At which point, the warning light is triggered.

You can also have the car electronically scanned to see what’s going on. If the computer throws up fault codes P0008, P0009, P0016, P0017, P0018 or P0019, then you almost certainly have a stretched timing chain. Replacement of the chain is the only proper fix.