Proton Problems

The Preve was not a huge success in this country, which is probably why many parts outlets don't carry spares for it in Australia. But if you jump online, you'll soon find plenty of overseas suppliers selling what you're looking for.

Alternatively, you can ask a transmission specialist to investigate supply of the cooler. Perhaps that same shop can match the cooler with a part number from another car that will fit and do the same job. As a last resort, there's every chance a completely different cooler could be adapted to fit your car. This could take some fiddling and workshop time, but if it keeps the car on the road, it's probably justified.

It’s most likely to be a faulty engine sensor, perhaps the crank angle sensor.

Proton's Preve comes with an 80kW naturally aspirated 1597cc (1.6-litre) four-cylinder, or a 103kW turbocharged 1561cc (1.6-litre) four-cylinder.

While it wouldn't really be considered a bad car, per se, there are plenty of other cars in the Proton Preve's class that you should buy before considering the Malaysian-built sedan. However, if you are buying on a tight budget and looking to update to a modern car you could definitely do worse than the Preve.

Get out of the car, it’s a money pit. Have an auto electrician check the electrics for you. I assume the transmission is automatic, if so have it serviced, but it could need a rebuild.

Get out of the car, it’s a money pit. Have an auto electrician check the electrics for you. I assume the transmission is automatic, if so have it serviced, but it could need a rebuild.

Sadly, the Jumbuck has gone the same way as the Subaru Brumby — the world now wants bigger utes. In any case, the Jumbuck was based on the old Mitsubishi Lancer, which meant it was barely safe, and Proton has insufficient funds to develop a new model.

It would seem likely to be an air leak in the system, which you should look for. Perhaps a damaged hose, loose fitting, or something like that.

The Jumbuck only got a two-star safety rating from ANCAP and the Mighty Boy was regularly rated in the bottom 10 cars sold in Australia for safety. You should not consider either but get something like a pre-loved Nissan Navara.

The short answer is no-one. Subaru was first with a half-tonne ute in its Brumby, which I owned and loved. But it has no plans for a replacement and neither does Proton, as all utes are now one-tonne and bigger. Hyundai revealed a ute based on the ix35 compact SUV at Detroit, but any production version is still a couple of years away.