GWM Reviews

Don’t even bother trying to fix this important safety feature yourself. Instead, take the vehicle to the dealer you bought it from, as this is a classic warranty job. Plenty of makes and models have problems with camera systems either freezing or shutting down, and sometimes it’s as simple as a dirty lens on the camera.

But, in reality, a 360-degree camera system is a pretty complex piece of gear and needs to be tackled by the experts, especially given its importance to the vehicle’s safety.

If you are determined to fiddle with it yourself, sometimes a reset of the car’s body computer will do the trick. Leave the car’s battery disconnected overnight and reconnect it in the morning. Sometimes this will reset things back to factory settings and the camera (and other functions) will magically come back to life.

If the GWM Tank 300 appeals to you, check out the latest addition to the Tank range which is a version with a plug-in hybrid driveline. CarsGuide recently tested the new Tank 300 and recorded fuel consumption of 8.5 litres per 100km in the sort of rural driving you’ve described. That’s hardly a guzzler considering the Tank 300 is a very capable off-roader and will take the rough stuff easily in its stride.

Even better is that you can charge the Tank up overnight and get something like the first 100km of your journey on electricity alone, meaning you’d only be running the petrol engine for half of your daily round trip.

A lot of car owners would be horrified at the thought of having to top up their engine oil between services. But the reality is, all car engines use at least a tiny amount of oil. It’s just part of how an engine works.

There are other factors, too, including the extended oil change intervals we’re seeing these days as car-makers try to drive down servicing costs and down-time. But some modern engines also use what are referred to as low-friction piston rings. These don’t exert so much force against the cylinder walls during the engine’s operation to reduce internal friction and, as a result, can contribute to noticeably lower fuel consumption. The flipside is that these low-tension rings can also contribute to an engine using a bit more oil.

Haval specifies an engine oil change every 12 months or 15,000km whichever comes first, and that’s a pretty decent length of time (and distance) to go without servicing. So full marks to you for keeping your eye on the dipstick and knowing when the level is dropping.

The general view in the trade is that the oil you use to top up should be a fully synthetic 5W30, but you really need to find out what oil Haval put in it at the last service. That’s because you don’t really want to mix oils as different brands have different additive packages that may not necessarily be compatible with other brands.