Ask The Guide

Many cars don’t appreciate having the brake and throttle peal pressed at the same time. It’s partly a response to cases of pedal error in the USA many years ago that almost bankrupted some car companies via legal cases brought by owners who had pressed both pedals and had their car rocket through a wall or into a shopping centre. The US courts called it Unintended Acceleration. The rest of the world called it Pedal Error.

In any case, if you do press the brake and throttle pedal together, the throttle may – as you have noted – become unresponsive. But it should return to normal operation within a few seconds. You claim not to be pressing both pedals at once, but sometimes, even a light, unintentional brush of the brake pedal is enough to send the car into no-throttle mode.

That said, you could have a vehicle that incorrectly 'thinks’ you’re pressing both pedals when you are not. In that case, the sensors that detect pedal pressure may need to be changed. You could also be dealing with a car with a faulty body computer – the brain that links all these functions together cohesively.

In modern vehicles, there are usually two oil warning lights. The first – an orange or yellow light - is to alert you that the oil level in the sump is becoming too low. This is easily fixed by stopping and topping up the engine oil. Provided you do it promptly and don’t ignore it, you shouldn’t do any permanent damage.

The second light is a red one and indicates that your engine has insufficient oil pressure to lubricate the moving parts. Sometimes, when this light shows, it’s already too late and permanent damage will have been done. But if you do see the oil-pressure warning light, drive to the nearest safe place to stop and switch off the engine as soon as possible. The vehicle will then need to be towed to a workshop to be checked out.

If you stopped the engine early enough, you might be able to repair the cause of the low oil pressure. But in many cases, it’s all over and done by the time the light flickers on, and you may need a replacement or reconditioned engine.

No, it shouldn’t be difficult at all. Plenty of online advertisers list the ABS module for this vehicle, including second-hand, reconditioned and brand new examples. Prices range from a few hundred dollars for a second-hand unit (that might have the same problems as the one you already have) to about $1300 for a reconditioned unit and up to $3000 for a brand new module.

Despite its patchy reputation, the Captiva sold well for holden (mainly on price) so there’s plenty of knowledge and spare parts out there for them in the repair industry. Don’t forget to try traditional auto parts stores, either, as these can sometimes be a better bet than an online seller, particularly if you need the part in a hurry.

This could be caused by something inside the engine bay rattling or vibrating, but could also be linked to the exhaust system or its heat-shielding doing the same thing. When you hit the accelerator up a hill, the engine and driveline (and exhaust) are suddenly put under a lot of stress which can be passed along any mechanical link or fixture, making things flex or vibrate that don’t normally do so when they aren’t subjected to the same stresses and loads.

When the engine is cold, have a feel around the engine bay to find anything loose or poorly mounted that could contribute to such vibrations. It could be as simple as a poorly located clamp of a loose piece of trunking or internal panelling vibrating against another part. Often these noises will be conveyed into the cabin via the fresh air vents, making them sound even louder.

Just be sure not to confuse a rattle with the normal cacophony of noises a modern turbo-diesel produces as part of operating under load.

Yes it is, which means that if you don’t do regular runs at highway speeds, the filter is prone to clogging up and requiring either cleaning out or even replacement. The filters for this car are advertised for anything from $200 to $800 for a second-hand DPF, but you could be buying one that is well past its best.

In a more general sense, any second-hand Epica would need to be super cheap before you’d consider it, as they were a slow seller and not a particularly good quality car even when brand new. Unloved then, they’re unwanted now. There are definitely better choices.

While not a common problem, this could be caused by a faulty oil pressure sensor. But it’s important to have this checked out by a mechanic because you could be dealing with an engine that really is suffering from low oil pressure. If the latter is the case, you risk doing permanent and catastrophic damage to the engine because the oil pressure is insufficient to fully protect the internal parts of the engine.

The reason you’re seeing the light come on when the engine is idling (and presumably at operating temperature) is because this is when the engine’s oil pressure is at its lowest. When you rev the engine, the oil pump turns faster, creating more oil pressure. When the engine speed drops again, the pump slows, the oil pressure falls and the warning light switches on.

By having the actual oil pressure checked at a workshop with an independent gauge (separate to the one in the car) you’ll know if the light is coming on because of a duff sensor or because the oil pressure really is too low.

The M3 is based on the four-door three series sedan/wagon, while the M4 is based on the two-door 4 series coupe/convertible. There is a four-door M4 Grand Coupe.

The BMW M4 has a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged in-line straight six, which is good for 405kW/650Nm.

The most commonly reported problems with the Kia Stonic are loud engine noises and rattling.

The G87 M2 carries the same engine as the M3, M4 and X3 M, a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged in-line straight six, which is good for 353kW/600Nm at the top end of the range.