Changing the starter motor on this model is a bit tricky as the transverse engine locates the starter on the side of the engine, down low and sandwiched between the engine and firewall. You may need to remove some other brackets, wiring and plumbing to gain proper access, but the starter can be removed with the manifolds in place. It just takes some fiddling and patience.

Replacement is the opposite of removal (as they say in the best workshop manuals) but it’s critical to make sure the wiring goes back in the right order or you’ll fry the new starter. Taking a photo of the starter’s location and wiring before you start to pull it all apart is often a wise move as you can use the image for reference later on.

This is typically not a difficult job, but due to the cramped engine bay of this make and model, maybe it’s not a great first project for the home mechanic.

The rules in QLD are based around pre- and post-2010 vehicles. Since the car you’re looking at is a post-2010 model, for it to be legal for a P-plate driver under the age of 25, the vehicle can not have eight or more cylinders, have a power-to-weight ratio of greater than 130kW per tonne or have a modified engine that would otherwise need to be inspected and certified by the authorities.

Fundamentally, this means that most Lancers should be fine while turbocharged variants such as Ralliart and Evo models are not legal for P-Platers to drive. However, many state governments are continually refining these rules, ruling cars in and out. So check with the authorities before handing over money for a car you may not be allowed to drive.

There’s nothing wrong with your car, Regina, this is just the way a car’s air-conditioning works. And yours is behaving completely normally.

Although the fan will blow air when the car’s engine is stopped, the actual air-conditioning (which is what makes the air cold) needs the engine to be running to power the AC’s pump. Without the car’s engine, the AC pump won’t work and the air coming out the vents won’t be cold. When you start the engine, the AC pump suddenly has the power it requires and the air gets cold. That’s just how it works.