Ask The Guide

To be sure you need to measure both, preferably side by side, and see if everything lines up.

It sounds like a problem with the turbo or the fuel pump. Get it to a diesel mechanic and have it checked.

It’s a dual-clutch auto similar to the ones that gave so much trouble in other models. As you say an auto transmission should last more than 80,000 km, it’s worth pursuing a claim for a replacement transmission.

It depends how much you would have to pay out on your current lease.

It’s a pretty standard offer, and while I agree that the heater core should last longer your car is five years old, it’s out of the factory warranty period. I would take the offer and move on.

There are numerous things that go into determining the towing rating of a vehicle, the valves not being one of them. It would be illegal to try and uprate the towing capacity of the 1992 model, your insurance company would certainly be unhappy about it.

Until you described the condition I would have said the Mazda, but if the condition were only fair I would think twice about it. On the surface it’s the better option, but I would want it checked by an expert to get a true reading on the overall condition. The Honda could be a good buy, the mileage isn’t excessive for the age, but you have to think about the future and what could happen in the next 2 to 3 years.

No, it doesn’t.

Try disconnecting and reconnecting the battery. If that doesn’t do it take it to a Holden dealer, as the body computer probably needs to be reset.

As there are no warning lights, and it recovers if left, it doesn’t seem likely that it’s an electronic issue, rather a mechanical one. It would worth checking the turbocharger.