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How do I cope with the slippy conditions in my two-wheel drive SUV?

Can you recommend any budget all-wheel drive SUV or estate car? I tow a caravan for a couple of weeks over the summer and live on a road that occassionally floods so four-wheel drive could be useful. I have a Hyundai Sante Fe with two-wheel drive at moment and it is particularly poor in snow or slippy conditions. Would you have any recommendations?

William Neale (Dublin)

Dec 2010 Filed under: tyres

Expert answer

Hi William,

We'd be only too happy to help you choose a new car if that's the route you want to go down, but one suggestion we'd have that could save you the cost of changing cars is to change the tyres on your Santa Fe to winter tyres.

Many people think that winter tyres are only of use in snow and ice, but that's far from the case. Regular tyres begin to go hard (and hence lose grip) at just seven degrees Celsius. That's regardless of how wet or dry the road surface is. Winter tyres, however, do not go hard at these temperatures and hence retain much higher levels of grip.

It's often said that a two-wheel drive car on winter tyres is better in slippery conditions than a four-wheel drive car on regular tyres.

I have first-hand experience of using winter tyres over the past week and I can confirm that they really make a huge difference. Bear in mind that they help with braking and turning, as well as traction.

You may have heard people say that winter tyres wear out quicker, but actually that's not the case at this time of year. When the temperatures are low, regular tyres wear quicker than winter tyres.

Admittedly, winter tyres wear quicker and their braking performance isn't as impressive as a regular tyre's in warm weather.

There's no doubt that winter tyres are more expensive to buy, but it'd be cheaper than changing your car.

If, however, you want to change your car regardless, come back to us and we'll help you through it.


Will changing my speedo and odometer raise alarm bells?

Hello,

I may decide to import a car from Britain; as I would plan to keep it for a long time I would like to change the speedo and odometer to km/h. How would this affect the VRT inspection and the NCT? How can I record it that it was changed?

I do not want a scenario that it pops up on a car checking website as suspicious, but would like it to show that the speedo and odometer where changed at a specific mileage. 

Jerome O'Connor (Wicklow)

Dec 2010 Filed under: importing

Expert answer

Hi Jerome,

I spoke to a representative from the National Car Test on your behalf who said that changing your speedometer or your odometer would not affect your NCT at all or the VRT inspection in any way.

I hope this helps


Should I keep four-wheel drive engaged?

When driving in snow while in a four-wheel drive, should it be engaged at all times or just in dodgy areas? I.e. main road is clear versus side roads slippy - or take it as given that it's on all the time driving?

Sean Vigna (Kildare)

Dec 2010 Filed under: winter driving

Expert answer

Hi Sean,

The answer really depends on the type of four-wheel drive you have. Most road-biased SUVs and crossovers with four-wheel drive apportion the engine output to the wheels with the most grip. Some won't use four-wheel drive unless slip is detected anyway. In those cars it makes sense to leave the car in four-wheel drive mode all the time, certainly in the snowy weather we have right now. Best to not get stuck rather than turning on the four-wheel drive when you might already be having an issue.

Some four-wheel drives have a 'differential lock', which makes sure that all the wheels receive equal amounts of power. That should only be used in really tricky conditions, as the car won't be very responsive to turning and the tyres would wear out quicker on a normal road in that mode.

Hope that helps, but feel free to ask us more.


Should I get the Santa Fe with fog lights?

I am looking at the new 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe in the "Classic" spec but am worried that this spec does not come with front fog lights as standard and I am told that these cannot be retro fitted after purchase. 

I cover around 40k km per year and need to know if this will be a issue in the winter especially?

Noel Slater (Limerick)

Nov 2010 Filed under: choosing new car

Expert answer

Hi Noel

There is quite a small amount of money between the Classic and the Deluxe model (€1,500) and as well as the fog lights that you mention, you get things like Climate Control over manual air conditioning, a leather steering wheel and gear knob and cruise control. 

These are all pretty necessary things in the Santa Fe, so I would do my best if I were you to strike a deal up on the Deluxe model. I don't know if you are restricted budget-wise but you would be surprised how much you could get off if you negotiate. 

In relation to the front fog lights, they aren't hugely essential, but are 'handy' when the weather is really bad. Once you have them on the rear, which you will, then other cars will at least see you. I wouldn't not buy the car because they weren't there but do your best to shop around for the Deluxe model. I would be confident you could get that Deluxe for the right price. 


Should I buy an Alfa Brera?

Hey Paddy,

One of the lads in the office has a pal that's looking at this Alfa Brera.

What do you reckon?

Runner or not?

Gavan O'Brien (Kildare)

Nov 2010 Filed under: choosing used car

Expert answer

Hi Gavan,

That is a lot of car for very little money. There are a few things to consider here. It is a V6 model, so it is one of the lesser sold Breras. Yes, it is the best one, but it will also be pretty difficult to sell on again and 2-3 years down the line it could be pretty worthless. 

On the plus side though it has bags of character and that V6 is lovely and the Brera has been reasonably headache free.

With this car, it is entirely a heart purchase, the head doesn't come into it. Do all the relevant background checks, be surgical about how the service history is examined and have an Alfa expert run their eye over it and you could have a very nice car that makes the German clones look dull as dishwater. 


Should I worry about the coolant warning light in a Passat?

Hi, I'm currently looking to move to a diesel as my new job has me doing a far longer commute. I've spotted a second hand '03 VW Passat 1.9 TDI that I like the look of. I did a full history check on the vehicle and it seems genuine. Only issue is that the coolant warning light is flashing when the coolant level is fine. A friend suggested it could be the sensor needs to be replaced, but I don't want to buy if it's something more serious. Is this a common problem with VWs?

Thanks. Sean.

Sean McDermott (Cork)

Nov 2010 Filed under: fault

Expert answer

Hi Sean,

Stephen McDonnell from Volkswagen Ireland contacted us with some really useful information on this. Apparently the sensors themselves are quite robust, but they can be fooled into thinking the level is low by poor quality coolant. So, if there's more water than coolant in the car it may not register properly. Likewise, if there's oil in the water it could throw up a strange reading.

So, the advice is to have a look at the quality of the coolant and ask the buyer when it was last changed.

It could still be the sensor, but it's more likely that the above is the reason for the warning light.

Hope that helps,


What are average prices for the 2007 Toyota Corolla and Avensis?

How much can I expect to pay for a 2007 Toyota Corolla or Avensis without a trade-in? 

Martina Watson (Longford)

Nov 2010 Filed under: used car values

Expert answer

Hi Martina,

You can expect to pay from around €9,250 to €14,950 for a Corolla of varying mileage. Wipe about €800-€1,000 off this for a cash deal if you push hard. 

You will pay €8,945 for a high mileage Avensis diesel at one end or as much as €17,000 for a low mileage example. These prices are all from SIMI dealers. You might pay less for a private car or from an independent dealer. These prices are at extreme ends of condition and mileage too. 

Again, perhaps take €800 - €1,000 off these for cash buying. There is always the chance a dealer hasn't a lot of 'value' in a car so might offer less, so shop around!


What is the best satnav?

What is the best and most up-to-date satnav product available for the Irish market?

T Swift (Dublin)

Nov 2010 Filed under: satellite navigation

Expert answer

The satnav giants are TomTom and Garmin and it is a bit like Coke vs Pepsi, in so far as people generally like one over the other. We tend to like TomTom here and the latest and greatest is the new Go LIVE 1000, which has live traffic updates and will change your route depending on the weather conditions, incidents and speed cameras. 

The Go Live 1000 costs €279 and TomTom LIVE is free for the first 12 months and then €49.95 for the second year of subscription. 

I have a couple of TomToms and they are great. Also if you have an iPhone, the TomTom App is really good and that means you don't need to carry two devices around.


Does the Skoda Octavia have a problem with its fuel injectors?

My 2007 Skoda Octavia 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine seized because one of the fuel injectors broke and allowed diesel to be injected constantly rather than intermittently. Is this a common problem with this car?

Gerard Flaherty (Dublin)

Oct 2010 Filed under: fault

Expert answer

Hi Gerard,

Sorry for taking so long to come back to you, but we wanted to investigate this a little. I've asked several independent and franchised garages about this and nobody has come across this problem with the VW Group TDI engines.

How did you determine what actually happened? Just add a comment below this question.


Do I have to use specific anti-freeze in my BMW X5?

Hi, my 2005 BMW X5 3.0d is taking its time to start these mornings. It's due a service shortly (1,000 miles). Should I put anti-freeze in it now or wait? Also, will any anti-freeze do or does it have to be specific type as the manual says or is this scaremongering so I get it done by BMW?

Thanks

Justin Mc Elwee (Sligo)

Oct 2010 Filed under: servicing

Expert answer

Hi Justin,

It is important to use the right type of anti-freeze, though obviously you don't have to use BMW-branded stuff! Just note down the specifications from the manual and pick some up at a motor factors or service station.

We would always recommend that you top up fluids for yourself before bringing a car to be serviced, as some garages charge a fixed fee for topping up an item like anti-freeze regardless of how much they use.

I'm assuming of course that you're talking about topping up the system rather than draining it and re-filling. That's probably best left to the experts, as the system will require bleeding of air.

Make sure you mention the slow starting when you bring it in for your service and there's no harm in bringing it in early either.

Hope all that helps.


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