Ask The Guide

The oil change process hasn't really changed much in the last 100 years of internal combustion engines, as you need to drain the old oil out, remove the old oil filter, fit a new filter, refit the drain plug and top up the engine with the correct amount of oil. However, some modern cars (like Fords) have sensors in the oil pump that cause problems if you take longer than 10 minutes to change the oil. For this reason I recommend taking your car to a qualified mechanic to have the oil changed to avoid costly engine repairs.

Unlike back in the day when cars had headlights as powerful as a candle in a thunderstorm, adjusting modern headlights can have serious effects on road safety and should only be done by qualified professionals. Changing headlight bulbs is simple, just unplug the wiring harness on the back of the headlight you need to change, then turn the bulb clockwise and remove it. Fit the new globe, turn the globe counter-clockwise, and refit the wiring.

We haven't had any feedback on the issues you mention, but have had complaints of poor build quality. Your problems would seem to be because of build quality issues.

How long is a piece of string? Without knowing specific information about you (your age, budget for a car, where you drive, if you have a garage or not), as well as what you need from a car, the advice is going to be fairly pointless. The "best" Civic is generally the latest and highest-spec model you can afford as this will have more features to make driving nicer.

Owners complain about many things, most of them relate to build quality, but one problem hat stands out relates to the automatic transmission. I would be cautious about buying one, but you'll get a good picture of all Captiva issues on our Captiva problems page.

Although most Civic models are rated to tow up to 800kg of braked trailer and 500kg of unbraked trailer, the high-performance Type R model is not rated to tow anything at all. Bear in mind the maximum tow rating includes the trailer weight, and even a small box trailer or boat trailer will weigh over 100kg.

If it's not getting any spark, you should check the ignition coil and the engine computer. If you're not sure about doing it have a mechanic check it.

Maintenance lights are an important way your car tells you it needs to go to a mechanic and have consumables like engine oil, or faulty parts, changed. There are ways to turn these lights off when they illuminate, but that does not fix the problem (which is the reason the light turned on in the first place), so if you see the maintenance light come on just book your car in with a mechanic to have it diagnosed and fixed properly. They can turn the service light off for you.

The latest update actually arrived this week, and you can read our full review here.

Volvo launched the second-generation XC60 in 2017 and, given the first-generation model lasted nine years I wouldn't expect a new model soon!