Car Servicing

While stopped in our 2011 Proton Gen 2 at traffic lights we heard a slight noise, and then we went to go we couldn't get gears. We left car parked for a couple of hours, after which gears where fine for a bit but we lost the gears again. There was plenty of fluid when we checked, we bled the clutch and there was plenty of flow and no blockage. What else can we do?

My 2014 Holden Calais V V8 has got an acoustic rhythmic rumble when cruising at constant throttle between 1000-1250 rpm. It's been at a Holden service centre for over two months and they have replaced the tailshaft, auto transmission, and engine/suspension and exhaust mounts with little change to the rumble. They have also put on different wheels/tyres and exhaust from another Calais. Holden concluded that: "it's a known characteristic with AFM engines" and nothing else can be done. Have you or your colleagues experienced the rumble? Was it a known characteristic to you? Is there a cure? I find it hard to believe that the "Flagship" of the Commodore range isn't as smooth as lesser models.

Petrol prices have soared in the past six months but filling up on fuel remains just part of the motoring cost equation.

Over the past five years, all Australian states and territories have phased out registration stickers for private cars and light commercial vehicles.The brightly coloured labels, previously a staple of everyone's windscreen, were not only a certification of road-worthiness but also served to remind motorists as to when their registration would be due for renewal.As the labels have been phased out, an increasing number of motorists have found themselves being caught out driving unregistered vehicles.RELATED: Top tips for keeping your car roadworthyHowever, there are a few ways to can make sure you don't find yourself on the receiving end of a hefty fine from the local constabulary.The transport authorities in every state and territory have tools on their websites where you can punch in your car's registration number and get the expiry date, along with other information in some cases.Australian Capital TerritoryNew South WalesNorthern TerritoryQueenslandSouth Australia (SA even has an app you can download for your smartphone)TasmaniaVictoriaWestern Australia A quick search on the internet will bring up a number of different retailers offering various stickers you can put on your car to remind you the date your registration is due for renewal. Designs and prices are as wide and varied as the types of cars on the road.Alternately, you can make your own with a blank sticker and a marking pen.When was the last time you didn't jump to action the moment your phone beeped at you?Simply adding a reminder in your smartphone or tablet calendar app is an easy way to be reminded your registration is coming up for renewal.If you think you might need a bit of prodding, you can schedule several reminders in the lead up to the due date to make sure you never find yourself accidentally driving an unregistered vehicle.

Does the 2014/2015 Fiesta have a timing belt or chain? If it's a belt how regularly do they need to be changed?

Australian Customs has seized a shipment of counterfeit car parts as authorities crack down on dodgy repairers.Car giant Toyota has sent an urgent bulletin to its network of more than 200 dealers across the country to help identify the bogus parts, which could cause engine failures and leave customers with repair bills in the thousands of dollars.According to the dealer alert obtained by News Corp Australia, Toyota is trying to identify oil filters for the Corolla, Camry, RAV4, and Kluger, which may have been used by independent repairers.The parts, which had Toyota labels and packaging but were not made by Toyota, were intercepted by Customs and Border Protection during their importation.Toyota is concerned earlier shipments have arrived undetected.the bogus parts could cause engine failuresIt is suspected the importers intended to sell the parts to independent workshops unaware they were non-genuine items.The shipment of more than 350 oil filters were seized on the docks in Sydney in February this year and were supposed to be forwarded to a residential address.Customs is yet to confirm if any charges have yet been made against the importer of the bogus parts.Mechanics say faulty oil filters, a part which typically costs $15 to $20, can cause thousands of dollars in engine repairs.“If oil can’t go through the filter it can starve the engine,” said Ian Rolf, a senior manager with the Motor Traders Association of NSW.“If the failure is severe enough there would generally be a catastrophic engine failure.”Toyota spokeswoman Beck Angel said the car maker was concerned because customers could unwittingly get caught out by counterfeit parts which can “cause engine damage through no fault of their own”.

I'm surprised to find the Australian service interval for my new Subaru Impreza is six months or 12,500km and, under some conditions, it may be more frequent. The owner's manual states 12 months or 15,000km, as do most other popular manufacturers. Are Subarus less robust or is this an extra revenue earner?

In April my Renault Clio was towed away because the brake fluid was so low that a brake system fault appeared on my display — the second time this fault has appeared. The fix was to use the same master cylinder cap, tighten it to a certain tension and then respray the engine bay where the brake fluid had taken the paint off. After 16 days I picked the car up, lifted the bonnet, and it was still leaking. In May a new reservoir from France was fitted and it's still leaking.

I am an angry, frustrated and disappointed owner of a 2012 Ford Focus. Bought new in January 2013, a mere four weeks later it was in for repair after it started to shudder severely on takeoff. Now, 18 months and five attempts to repair later, the car is running worse than ever. Disappointingly, Ford Australia is not prepared to discuss other options until the car has been repaired for a sixth time. I've no confidence it can be repaired and I'm deeply concerned about being left with this lemon of a vehicle. Ford has admitted a problem with the model relative to the issues I have been experiencing and has offered an extended warranty. Two Ford dealers said there has been a fault identified on a number of vehicles. Any information you can provide is greatly appreciated.

It costs $443.60 a week to keep the 5.6-litre Nissan Patrol ST-L on the road for five years, including its $90,000 purchase price, loan interest, fuel, new tyres, insurance and depreciation.According to the 2015 RACV's Driving Your Dollars study, the cheapest car to own is the Suzuki Celerio. With a drive-away price of $12,990, its weekly running costs total $97.65 over five years.Record low interest rates and falling fuel prices have made owning and driving a car more affordable in the past year, says the RACV. Its survey examined 111 popular vehicles across 13 categories, taking into account all expenses associated with ownership.RELATED: Australia's cheapest cars to own and run in 2014 This year's survey found the overall average cost of owning a car was $211.25 a week or 73.2c a kilometre - slightly down on the 2014 cost.The RACV's manager of vehicle engineering, Michael Case, yesterday advised car buyers to look beyond just the purchase price when shopping for a new car."Always be aware of the hidden costs - depreciation is the biggest single cost in owning a car, even if you don't see it until it's time to sell," Mr Case said.The survey also found that servicing costs have increased."It is important to know how much it costs to have your car serviced, to fill the tank, replace tyres, pay insurance, rego, stamp duty, spare parts and RACV membership," Mr Case said."Before you hit the showroom, do your homework... Ask yourself: 'Am I buying the car I want or the car I need?'."Nissan Patrol owner Ryan Mullins, from Bentleigh East, said he was happy with the costs he had to bear."I've never had a problem with my Nissan Patrol and the RACV survey wouldn't put me off from buying a new one," Mr Mullins said.Among the electric and hybrid cars, the Toyota Prius C had the lowest operating cost at $152.60 per week.RACV calculations were based on private ownership of a vehicle for five years, driving an average of 15,000km a year.For more complete information on the winners in each class, visit the RACV’s results here.