Ask The Guide

Because it’s a big, heavy, expensive, complex car, Rolls Royce Silver Spirit problems usually only come in one size. These really are second-hand cars for those who know precisely what they’re letting themselves in for, and even then, are not for the faint-hearted.

Start any inspection inside and pay attention to how the car looks overall. Often, cars like this lose retained value to the point at which a service costs more than the car itself is actually worth. When that happens, they get bought by speculators and go downhill fast. So make sure the interior isn’t tatty and check every single switch, button and lever (and there are lots of them) for correct operation. Just rebuilding the climate-control system in a Silver Spirit could cost more than a good hatchback is to buy.

Mechanically, there’s lots to watch out for too. Don’t forget, thee are older cars now, so the engine and driveline could easily be showing signs of wear. Any smoke from the exhaust or noises from under the bonnet are bad news. So is a car that won’t select gears quickly and smoothly. The Rolls Royce uses a convoluted (and, frankly, arcane) braking system that relies on hydraulic accumulators. If these are anything short of spot on, the car could be a death-trap.

Big heavy cars are also hard on tyres (and the Spirit is very sensitive to having the correct tyres fitted) and suspension components. Suspension bushes die early and the shock absorbers are expensive to replace (and require a special service tool to remove the front units). The bottom line is that this is a vehicle for the experts out there who will be able to deal with the problems when – and not if – they occur.

Nissan Terrano II problems are often related to poor running or rough idling. This can usually be traced back to the MAF (Mass Air Flow) sensor which `reads’ the amount of air going into the engine and passes that information on to the engine’s computer. Some poor running or difficult starting is also often blamed on the fuel pump or injector pump problems, but is often the fault of the fuel lines which can leak and allow air to enter the fuel system.

Difficulty in selecting gears in the manual gearbox version often means a worn out transmission, while a humming or whining noise at speed can point to worn wheel bearings. The turbocharger on the Terrano II is also a wearing part and poor performance or a whistling noise under load suggest wear in this area.

Aussie families love SUVs and, given your circumstances, you’d be buying an SUV for the right reasons, most notably easy access to the child-restraints in the back seat. That means the Tucson, Sportage and CX-5 make sense, while the Skoda, with its conventional wagon body and lower ride height might make this process a little tougher. The Skoda’s dual-clutch transmission also remains to provide anxiety for some owners and it represents the biggest potential common problem among the group of vehicles you’ve listed.

As far as general reliability goes, there was a time when the Japanese makes (in this case Mazda) were regarded more highly than the South Korean brands (Kia and Hyundai) but that’s absolutely no longer the case. And when it comes to the Kia Sportage, a 2018-built car will still have three or four years of factory warranty left to run. That would be enough to sway many buyers and is definitely worth taking into account.

It doesn’t sound right to me that simply having the navigation turned on would preclude listening to the radio as well. The navigation will certainly cut across the radio when it needs to deliver the next direction, but beyond that it should just work away in the background. If that’s not the case, I’d say you have a problem within the system.

My insiders at Honda tell me that the MY2021 HR-V (released last month) has an upgraded entertainment system that has been developed in response to customer input and is said to be a better all-round device with greater connectivity. At this stage, there’s no word on whether the system will be able to be retro-fitted to your model Honda, but there’s a chance that it might be. A chat with your dealer sounds in order.

That price sound about right for a manual Lancer with those kilometres on board. If anything, it’s probably a little on the bargain side. A lot of cars need a windscreen to gain a roadworthy certificate, so that’s no big deal and, provided the car is in good condition generally, it sounds like a decent buy.

Common problems with this model often involved the electrical systems, so make sure all the lights and gadgets in the car work properly. Manual lancers also had the odd problem with a gearshift that could become disconnected from the gearbox itself. If that has happened, you’d definitely know about it as you wouldn’t be able to select gears. It’s not a huge fix if it does happen.

Other relatively common faults in this model included a faulty ABS module that needed to be replaced and this can be a big expense. Oil leaks from the front of the engine are also an issue (particularly for a roadworthy inspection). And don’t keep the ignition key in the same pocket as your phone; stray signals can wipe the key’s memory and leave you stranded.

As well as a fix, I’d also be looking for a new auto electrician, Troy. Every one of these problems can, I reckon, be traced back to the car’s body computer, a component that Ford had all sorts of trouble with in its Australian made cars over the years. It’s a well known problem, can be an intermittent one and will definitely produce the glitches you’re seeing. A new body computer can also often mean a new key which has to be electronically coded to the computer before anything will work again.

I’ve heard of a few Mitsubishis whose owners have experience creaks or knocks coming from the steering column, but yours is the first one I’ve heard of where the column has actually separated. The fact that it happened on the move is crazy and makes me wonder whether it was a one-off or whether this could develop into a trend. Like all modern vehicles, the Pajero Sport uses a collapsible steering column which is designed to collapse in a crash to avoid protruding any further into the cabin. Perhaps it’s this joint that has failed, but I really can’t say without looking at the vehicle.

Whether Mitsubishi will offer you your money back will probably be dependent on a few things, including whether the vehicle has been modified in any way and whether it believes those changes may have contributed to the failure.

As well as contacting the dealer – which you clearly have – the other piece of advice would be to contact Mitsubishi Australia’s Customer Service Department on 1300 131211 immediately and get the ball rolling towards a resolution.

My Kia insiders tell me that Kia is likely to retain its current mix of two and four-wheel-drive options for the Seltos into the future. It may well be true that only the base-model will get two-wheel-drive in some markets, but here, I am told, a greater mix of price points is the aim, meaning that you’ll still have plenty of choice.

As for an LX-badged model, that’s a real left-field one. Kia’s badging structure in Australia generally follows the S, Sport, Sport Plus and GT (for turbocharged models) so even if there was a new LX badge to emerge, I have no idea where that would fit into the range. Neither does Kia Australia (because I checked with head office). Even then, it would be likely that a new badge or naming policy would be introduced for a new model or at least a facelift of the current car, but since the Seltos is only about 12 months old here, that isn’t due to happen for some time. Perhaps the LX is a model in, say, the US market. Always check the country of origin when using websites to research.

It’s very difficult to diagnose problems over the phone, just as it is via this website. But, I’d be taking the vehicle straight back to the mechanic in question, because whatever is wrong is going to be fairly major.

In the majority of cases, an engine with a broken crankshaft won’t run. In fact, it won’t even turn over. Sometimes, it will still run, though, and the symptoms you’ve described are spot on for that. Either way, a broken crankshaft is one example of what’s called catastrophic failure and a new crankshaft (at the very least) is the usual result.

But those same symptoms can also be the result of a loose harmonic balancer. And here’s the clue: The harmonic balancer has to be removed to replace the front crankshaft seal (which was done the day before the problems started). If the balancer is not reinstalled correctly, it can start to wobble, tear up the new seal and make all sorts of noises and vibrations. The bad news is that often, the wobbling balancer destroys the end (called the snout) of the crankshaft in the process, so even though the crank is not broken or snapped per se, it may still need to be replaced. It does seem like a fantastic coincidence that the balancer started wobbling the day after it was removed and refitted. That said, if the crankshaft has failed, then a coincidence is precisely what it might be.

It sounds like you’re dealing with a fuel-air mixture issue when the engine is started from dead cold. If the mixture is too rich – which would be my suspicion – then black smoke is often a consequence.

A coolant temperature sensor should be telling the engine’s on-board computer what the temperature of the engine is, so that the computer can then tell the injectors how much fuel to inject into each cylinder. A dud sensor can cause the computer to inject too much fuel, and there’s the source of your black smoke. As the engine warms up, the sensor starts sending the correct signal to the computer and the smoke stops.

Of course, it’s not always that simple and you could also be looking at a blocked air filter, a blockage in the air intake system, worn fuel injectors and plenty more. Even a stuck or jammed thermostat can cause an engine to run poorly and blow black smoke if it can’t maintain the engine at the correct temperature. Old or stale fuel in the tank can also cause these symptoms. The fact that your car is not showing any fault codes suggests that perhaps you’re looking at one of these old-school problems.