Subaru Impreza Problems

The ADR demands that speedos not read slower than the actual speed of the car, but they are allowed to read up to 10 per cent faster.  Your daughter's car falls within that tolerance, which makes it legal. She now knows how far out the speedo is, so she can adjust the speed she drives at accordingly.

Assessing what is "normal" wear and tear on things like carpets is always difficult, but for the carpet to be wearing heavily after four years is not what I would call normal. I would also agree that the dealer should have told you they were fitting non-genuine parts to your car when they advised you to replace them. Perhaps the dealer was thinking they were doing you a favour by fitting cheaper wiper blades and saving you some money, but I doubt that Subaru would be happy with the dealer for doing that. I would approach Subaru's customer assistance people and argue your case for having the carpets and floor mats replaced, and at the same request that they have the non-genuine wiper blades replaced by genuine parts.

WE CONTACTED Subaru with your question and asked for their response, which was: ``We recommend the use of fuel additive SA718 every 6000km to prevent flaking of carbon in the combustion chamber that can be caused by additives in some brands of petrol. Typically what happens is after a short run, usually just moving the car on a Sunday afternoon to wash it, the additive in the fuel soaks on the carbon deposit in the combustion chamber and causes it to flake off. Because of the characteristic of a boxer engine with its cylinders lying on their side, the flaking carbon falls onto the seat of the open exhaust valve. When the engine is cranked to start the carbon particle prevents the closing of the exhaust valve. This means no engine compression and therefore the engine doesn't start. The spark plug is soaked in fuel and this also prevents starting even if the carbon particle becomes dislodged during the cranking. If the engine starts it often runs roughly for a while as the excess fuel is burnt off. The additive that we recommend, SA718, acts to counter the additive in the fuel and stops the carbon from flaking.''

THE short answer is yes, but it might not be all that easy. There is no technical reason why it can't be done successfully, but you need to find an approved kit with emission compliance and an installer experienced in doing the conversion. I would talk to WRX specialists and get their opinion.

EVERY kilometre you drive is one closer to a major meltdown. That's the reality of owning any ageing car, not just an Astra. It's impossible to predict when that might happen. The reality is your car's best days are behind it. Should you sell? It's impossible to say. It doesn't matter what the badge is on the bonnet, your car is six years old, so you should expect a few problems. Your upgrade option is four years old, and though the Subaru is a good brand and the Impreza a good model, it is also getting on. I would press on with the Astra, or trade it in on a new car.

BIRD droppings are quite corrosive and can leave a permanent mark on your car's paint if you don't clean it off quickly. As we've advised previously, it's best not to park your car under a tree or power lines where birds are likely to perch. The birds in your area must leave particularly nasty deposits to eat the paint away to the metal. I've never seen anything like that. It could be that their diet in your area produces a very corrosive end product. Talk to paint experts such as Meguiars for the best course of action. Water-based paint is used by most carmakers today. It was introduced for environmental reasons.

PERSIST until the problem is fixed to your satisfaction. If you can't get a satisfactory explanation of the problem from your dealer, go directly to head office and make your feelings known there.