Should engines from a dismantlers be under warranty?
We bought a second hand car and the sump broke and damaged the engine. The mechanic said he could source a second hand engine from a dismantlers and fit it. He said the car is ready now and that there is no warranty on the engine. I would have imagined the dismantlers give a warranty when you buy a second hand engine from them?
Priscilla Rowley (Castlebar)May 2024 Filed under: warranty
Expert answer
Hi Priscilla,
Actually, we would not expect any warranty on the engine in that situation. Before you buy the engine there may be a chance to negotiate such a thing, but it's not the norm as the engines come from dismantled cars and the dismantler usually knows very little about their history etc. Hence they're far cheaper to buy than new or properly reconditioned engines.
Timing belt or chain in a 2006 Peugeot 407?
Does my Peugeot 407 HDI executive from 2006 have a timing belt or a chain?
Sergiu Lungeanu (Belfast)Mar 2022 Filed under: servicing
Expert answer
Hi Sergiu,
All the HDI engines (there were 1.6, 2.0, 2.2 and 2.7-litre diesels in 2006 in the 407) use timing belts.
Why differences in Suzuki tax prices?
I have a Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.9 DDiS with a DPF filter from 2009 and the motor tax is €1,250, while the 2010 Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.9 DDiS tax is €750. Why, because both are NEPC qualified? They have the same engines. I also found the same 2009 DDiS model on DoneDeal, but registered in a different county and the tax was €750. Where are the differences in prices and qualification from?
Yours sincerely,
Robert
Robert Gambin (Ennis)Nov 2021 Filed under: taxation
Expert answer
Hi Robert,
The €1,250 rate is for cars registered in Ireland before 1 January 2021, with CO2 emissions of 191-225g/km.
The €750 rate has been upped to €790, but it applies to cars registered in Ireland before 1 January 2021, with CO2 emissions of 171-190g/km.
So there appears to be a reason that your car is in the higher bracket. Larger wheels can do that, or maybe it's the difference between the weights of the three- and five-door body styles.
Is there a plan for EVs in apartments?
The government have a stated plan to phase out internal combustion engines. If they are serious, they must have a plan for how people living in apartment blocks, terraced housing and anywhere else without a driveway are going to charge their full or partly electric cars while at home.
The question is, do they have a plan?
Thanks
Philip
Philip Donegan (Ballina)Aug 2021 Filed under: electric cars
Expert answer
Hi Philip,
The answer is yes — kind of. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is currently going through a public consultation on this very process, and it hopes to start rolling out the first grants to support apartment-block chargers by October of this year.
The plan, as it currently stands, has two levels — a grant of between 50-80 per cent for landlords, management companies and other apartment block owners who want to invest in the wiring and infrastructural installation for charging points, and a second level that gives the same €600 grant to private residents who want to install a charger, where possible. The SEAI is currently seeking public submissions on the plan, so head over to the SEAI website if you’d like to get your views across.
What to replace my Mondeo with?
Please point me in right direction. I have a 2018 Ford Mondeo and would like to change in January 2022, so I need some advice. I like diesel. What three cars should I be test driving? Around the size of the Mondeo with five doors. Help!
Fergal Reidy (Celbridge, Co. Kildare)Jun 2021 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Fergal,
OK, at the very top of your list should be the Skoda Superb. It’s massive inside, hugely comfortable, has a huge boot, is well made and has an excellent 2.0-litre TDI 150hp diesel engine. It’s well worth checking out the 150hp TSI petrol too though — it's smoother, quieter and nearly as economical unless you're driving at motorway speed all day.
Next go and check out the Mazda6. Now, there’s no five-door fastback version, but there is a hugely handsome Touring estate model, and it’s very good to drive. Tremendous interior quality too. Only problem? Mazda has dropped diesel engines from its line-up, but the 2.0-litre petrol is an excellent unit, and surprisingly economical.
Finally, you could go for one, last Mondeo. It’s coming to the end of its production life right now, but it’s still a firm favourite of ours, and with it being on run-out, you’ll get some proper bargains if you want to buy one of the last ones.
Diesel or petrol Skoda Kamiq?
Is the diesel or the petrol a better investment in the Skoda Kamiq?
Anne Heffernan (Listowel )Feb 2021 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Anne,
It entirely depends on the type of driving you do. If a diesel engine isn't used regularly at higher speeds and loads (i.e. on the motorway), then its various components, including its Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in the exhaust, don't get up to temperature and can't burn off desposits of soot etc. They eventually clog up and can cost a fortune to repair or replace. Along with that, diesel engines emit more NOx, which is a pollutant that is bad for human health.
So, petrol is the sensible way to go in the Kamiq unless you rack up well over 20,000km a year at higher speeds in our opinions.
Will my BMW 220i's tax change in 2021?
Hi,
I'm considering buying a car in the UK. It is a BMW 220i and has a 1,998cc engine. I would hope to have it registered in Ireland before the end of Dec 2020. I understand that the motor tax on higher-emitting engines is going to change from 2021, but is it likely that the tax on this car would be increased greatly?
Thank you for your assistance.
Mary
Mary Newe (Dublin)Dec 2020 Filed under: taxation
Expert answer
Hi Mary,
If you do manage to get it registered before the end of this month (if you've not already got a VRT appointment, I'm afraid to tell you that you are unlikely to now) then your car will be taxed on its NEDC CO2 rating, which I believe is 127g/km. That means €270 per annum now and no change for 2021. These guides might be of interest:
Thinking of buying a Volvo hybrid...
Hi.
I'm thinking of changing my Volvo. Can I ask how the XC40 and the XC60 plug-in hybrid models are set up? Am I correct in understanding that the electric motor and the petrol engine in the PHEV XC40 both drive the front wheels whereas in the XC60 the electric motor drives the rear wheels, so that four-wheel drive would be available when the electric and petrol engines are used in combination? Also, can I ask a separate question about "self driving". In the modern Volvos, they just talk of a lane keeping aid. Does this function in the same way as what was labelled Pilot Assist in models of a couple of years ago?
Thank you
Philip
Philip Donegan (Ballina)Oct 2020 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Philip,
The T5 hybrid version of the Volvo XC40 (read our review of it here) is front-wheel drive only, as you said, while the XC60 T8 hybrid (here's our review of that) has an electric motor on the rear axle, giving the car all-wheel drive at times.
As to your second question, lane-keeping aid/assist technology is quite different to what Volvo calls Pilot Assist. The former can warn a driver if they're wandering out of lane and assist with a small steering correction if needs be, while Pilot Assist is an advanced for of active cruise control that also helps with steering inputs.
Is pre-2008 tax for petrol and diesel different?
Hi.
Is there a difference in motor tax between petrol and diesel pre-2008 cars?
Dean Kinsella (Westport)Sep 2020 Filed under: taxation
Expert answer
Hi Dean,
Not specifically. Pre-2008 motor tax is calculated on engine capacity, so there’s no direct distinction between petrol or diesel engines.
Is a newer petrol car cheaper to tax?
I have a 1990 Mercedes petrol car and the tax is expensive, if I bought a 2012 petrol car would the tax be cheaper?
Pat Campionlaois (Westport)Sep 2020 Filed under: taxation
Expert answer
Hi Pat,
Yup, such are the vagaries of the CO2-based tax system that we switched to in 2008. The idea was to reward those choosing vehicles with lower emissions, and that is often most starkly shown up when you start looking at older cars with larger engines versus newer models, which probably have much more power, but have smaller, more efficient engines. Of course there’s an argument that says that keeping an old car going, rather than buying a new one, is actually overall better for the environment, but that’s not going to wash with the tax authorities I’m afraid.