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Hi Sandra,

It shouldn't cause any damage, but it could indicate a weakness in your battery or electrical system, so it's best to have it looked at when you can. 

Read our Why won't my car's stop-start system work? feature for more information

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Hi Rosalind,

You've not given us the model year, so let's take 2011-2015 as an example. The 1.6 TDCi diesel engine's belt should be replaced at least every 180,000 kilometres or 10 years, whichever comes first. Apparently, for cars  built up to July 2011, the interval is 140,000km or 10 years.

And yes, it's advisable to change the water pump at the same time.

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Hi Pete,

Yup, if it’s been registered as a commercial vehicle in the first place, and you’re using it only for work purposes, then you’re entitled to continue to tax it as a commercial. 

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Hi Alannah,

Probably not much, no, though insurers seem to be wary of cars over 10 years old. Saying that, when you’re under 30 and on a provisional, you’re the risk factor, not the car. Keeping the engine size as small as possible will help (closer to 1.0-litre is better), but it won’t make a huge difference. 

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Hi Declan,

That’s right — the NOx tax will only apply to Category A vehicles, i.e. private passenger cars. Vans are in Category B and are exempt. 

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Hi Patrick,

We have indeed reviewed the A-Class Saloon and you can read our thoughts on the car here. As for whether it’s good value for money, it kind of depends on how you look at it. Compared to other similarly-priced cars — Volkswagen Passat, Skoda Superb, or Opel Insignia for example — it’s not good value as you’re paying the same or more for a smaller car, probably with less standard equipment. That three-pointed star on the bonnet costs a fair bit… On the other hand, viewing the A-Class Saloon as a slightly smaller (but not that much so) alternative to the C-Class saloon — an entirely valid point of view — it’s actually really good value. Models available range from the basic A 180 petrol and A 180 d diesel versions, through A 200 and A 200 d, all the way up to the slightly rabid 300hp A 35 AMG model. 

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Hi Aidan,

No, the new NOx tax is only applied to Category A vehicles — which means private passenger cars — from Jan 1st onwards. 

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Hi there,

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Hi Clare,

A Hilux has a 2.4-litre engine (well, the current one does, but remember that older versions had 3.0-litre units) so if you want to tax it as a private vehicle that’s going to be €1,034 per year for motor tax. I’m pretty sure you can’t register and tax a horse lorry for private use as it’s over the 3,500kg limit for private cars. The tax therefore would be the commercial rate of €333 per year. As for insurance, that’s probably more down to you and your own driving record than it is to the vehicle, but the good news is that there are specialist horse lorry insurers, such as Wexford Insurance, who would probably be able to give you a good quote. 

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Hi Barry,

I think this sounds more like a tyre issue than anything else. Is there a possibility that the car is on cheap, aftermarket, tyres? If so, get them replaced with a set of something decent — Michelins or Bridgestones. Going for xDrive would help, of course, as the extra bit of traction is never a bad thing, but it does add (slightly) to your running costs because of the weight and the extra frictional losses.