Car Servicing

I would like your thoughts on the Toyota hybrid battery, as this week the battery died after 230,000km in my Camry taxi. I thought it was a bit premature and to replace it will cost about $4000. Calling around some of the Toyota dealers, generally they mentioned that they haven't come across a situation like mine but I think it's a lot of money if I have to replace the battery every two and a half years.

My 2006 Kia Rio starts fine first thing in the morning, but I have real trouble restarting it when it's warmed-up. Why?

After having the dealer "repair" the "faulty" double-clutch in my Ford Focus twice, I was informed that it would probably need to keep being repaired and that they were offering a better than average trade-in price on this car. I want my money back! It seems to me that the dual-clutch transmission shudder fault was inherent in the car when I bought it and I was ignorant of it, and I should get a full refund. Is this feasible?

My girlfriend's 2012 Ford Fiesta has the famous automatic clutch shudder. We have already taken this car to Ford twice and had it 'repaired' (ECU adjustment, then clutch replacement). Ford clearly doesn't have the answers. There is a class action lawsuit going on in America right now for this same thing. Is that the only way to get Ford to work on a permanent fix?

I recently had my Ford Escape in for a 50,000km service at my local dealership. I was told I needed to have the coolant and brake fluid replaced for $280. Is this necessary? I am the original owner of the car and I don't drive it on long distances, only locally to and from work.

I have a 2010 Audi A4 1.8 with 32,000km and it drives very well. This was the model that used excess oil. Audi, at no cost to us, rebuilt the engine with larger pistons. It runs great but I'm wondering, as it's five years old, whether I should be looking to update rather than hold on to it. I am a senior lady doing local driving only.

As a 73-year-old I have been looking at buying a new car. A Subaru Outback 3.6R suits my needs with all its safety features and ease of driving and space. I have looked at Audi, BMW, Mercedes, VW and most of the SUVs and found it interesting to see how much servicing costs vary. The BMW 2 Series interval is 24 months/ 30,000km, which seems a long time to have oil doing its job, cost undisclosed. On the Outback I drove, the interval is six months/ 12,500km, costing about $2600 over three years. I am a retired mechanic and I have serviced my Toyota RAV4 for the past nine years. After 160,000km, the all-up parts cost for oil, filters, two sets of tyres and battery is $2050. What turns me off the Outback is the excessive frequency and cost of servicing to keep your warranty. If the Outback is so good, why does Subaru reckon it needs so much servicing?

There are few better feelings than the one you get when you first drive your new car home. With its paint gleaming, wheels shining brightly, and fresh smell, it looks and feels great. However, if left alone it will deteriorate, the paint will fade, the wheels will blacken, and it will soon develop a lived-in look. But

Tyres provide a vital link with the road, one that properly maintained gives us the ability to steer, brake, corner and accelerate.They also help determine the fuel economy we value so highly, but most importantly they keep us out of trouble.The best things about checking and maintaining the inflation pressure is that it is easy and it's free.Every service station has a pump you can use to both check and inflate your tyres. It's easy to use, it can be done in a minute or two, and there's no charge.The pump is usually located away from the petrol pumps so you won't delay anyone else while you do it, and it usually has signs to allow you to identify it.If you're not sure ask the service station attendant.Tyre retailers also have pumps and they're usually happy to let you check your tyre pressures, and for a smile they might even do it for you.Tyre pressures should be checked at least once a month, and the best time to do it is when the tyres are cold. That's in the morning before you motor out of your driveway.Checking the pressures cold gives you the most accurate reading of the inflation pressures; the pressures will climb as the tyres warm up and you'll then get an incorrect reading.If you can't check the pressures before you drive away head to the nearest service station and do it there.The recommended inflation pressures are displayed on a sticker attached to your car's body.It's usually in the driver's door opening, but could also be inside the fuel filler cap, or on the inside of the glove box lid.If you're not sure the pressures are also shown in the owner's manual.The inflation pressures given are the cold settings and they are usually shown in metric kPa or the equivalent imperial psi.Pressures are given for normal driving and also for when you've got a load in the boot or when travelling at high speed.The recommended pressures are a compromise designed to achieve the best combination of safety, comfort, handling and braking, and fuel economy.Deviating from those recommendations will affect one or more of those things, so carefully consider the consequences before deciding to set your inflation pressures higher or lower.Setting the pressure a little higher can result in improved fuel economy and handling, but can make your car ride less comfortably.After locating the pump at your service station, check to see what the displayed pressure setting is and reset it to the pressure recommended for your car.Remove the dust caps from the valves on your tyres and slip the hose fitting over the valve stem and release the clasp so that it attaches to the stem.The pump will automatically adjust the pressure to the level you have set and an audible signal will tell you when it has reached that pressure.Release the clasp and remove the hose from the valve stem and move on to the next tyre.Also check the spare in the boot so it's correctly inflated and ready to use if you need it.After you've checked each tyre remember to replace the dust caps, they're there to keep dust from getting under the valve and causing a leak.Service station gauges can generally be relied on, but they are subject to misuse and abuse, and they can vary from station to station.Check the hose and end fitting that attaches to the valve stem and don't use it if you find any damage. Instead report the damage to the attendant.The best way to ensure your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure is to check them with your own gauge.They're inexpensive and can be carried in the glove box, and that way you will be better equipped to maintain the inflation pressure to a more consistent level.If you choose to have your own gauge, take it to a tyre retailer and have it checked for accuracy against the retailer's gauge before you use it.Don't just stand there while the tyre pump is doing its thing, it's a good time to get down and inspect your tyres for wear or damage to the tread or sidewall.

Stranded on the side of the road with a blown tyre, this person spent hours waiting for help. All the while, people zoomed by. Even tow trucks and roadside assistance vehicles streamed past. People stared but no one stopped.Desperate, this person made a sign in their window that said "Need a jack" and offered money to anyone who would stop. No one did. Until, as they were about to give up, an old van pulls over and a man bounds out.He can't speak English, but his daughter, who is in the car, speaks a little. The man conveys through his daughter that he has a jack and he sets to work.Just as they're making way, the tyre iron snaps. The man runs to the van, gives the broken tyre iron to his wife, who speeds off to buy another one. She returns and they finish the job. Sweaty and filthy, but happy, the wife produces some water for them to wash their hands in.The stranded man, grateful and indebted, tries to hand his rescuers some money, they refuse. He slips it to the wife quietly. They ask if he's had lunch, and when he says no, they give him some food. The girl tells him they are on their way to work, picking fruit.The man thanks them again, astonished that a poor family, probably being paid by the hour, would take a few hours out of their day to help a total stranger. He walks back to the car, gets inside, opens the foil wrap on his food and what does he find inside? His money.Today you...tomorrow meHe runs back to the van and the guy rolls his window down, and waves him away, still refusing to take it. He smiles and with what looks like the greatest concentration, says in English; 'Today you...tomorrow me".It was a sentiment echoed in our State recently as mother nature tore a black hole through the earth. We responded with random acts of generosity. People waving firies away as they tried to pay for groceries, beers or hotel rooms. Communities rescuing wildlife, housing friends, sheltering neighbours.It's proof of why our state still feels like a big old country town; because when it comes down to it - we are. We care about each other. We feel a responsibility to help each other. We're inherently good. And we have more heart than Phar Lap.A lot of the time I feel like modern life has shifted to a default position of selfishness. We've put greed on a shiny pedestal and we're taught to be in everything for ourselves, to compete, seize the day, capture the castle, take what we can from wherever we can get it and then post it online to self-congratulate.It's the little things that make a big differenceAnd with all this, are we any better off? Are we happier, healthier, richer? Not really.Adelaide, you have started the year off with actions that seemed small but sent a powerful message: we are better when we help each other.We promise ourselves at the start of each new year to be better but soon enough the feeling fades. Could we do more? Give more? Help more? Do something that would put another person in a better position?It's the little things that make a big difference. From cooking your neighbour a meal, to stopping when someone needs a hand, to just saying hello when you pass someone on the street, goodwill has a far greater impact than we can ever know. People who are in need never forget the help they're given. And you never know when you'll be on the other side of it.