Expert answer

Hi Stephen,

That is very frustrating. It does, however, point to the coolant sensor, which is a known weak point of this engine. You say you replaced it, but did you fit a new part? Is there any possibility the wiring or connector is the issue rather than the sensor itself? 

Failing all that, I think it's time to get a good mechanic or Skoda dealer involved to get to the bottom of this.

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Hi Mary,

Actually, yes, it is. If you’re in the market for a small crossover, the original 2008 was one of the better ones. Aside from a slightly cheap-feeling cabin, it was good to drive, reasonably roomy, well-made and reliable. Good choice.

Read our Peugeot 2008 reviews here

Expert answer

Hi Mark,

Actually, the rules on this are a little unclear, because the examples given by Revenue don’t relate to a bike as old as yours with as little mileage. I think the best thing to do is to get onto your local motor tax office and check with them before making any decisions. 

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Hi Lar,

A crew cab is theoretically a commercial vehicle, so you’ll pay 13.3 per cent of the OMSP (Open Market Selling Price) as defined by Revenue. As to what that value is, that will depend on the individual van you’re looking at. 

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Hi Alan,

It should be, as the vehicle would have conformed to the N1 regulations when it was first registered, but to be safe I’d check with your local motor tax office before making any firm decisions.

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Hi Ray,

In the initial launch countries for the Ami it will be permissible to be driven on a moped or quadricycle licence, which is from 14 years of age in France and 16 years in other European countries. A full car licence would also cover driving it. Currently there are no plans for this vehicle to be offered in Ireland, or in other right-hand-drive markets. 

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Hi John,

A Defender with only three seats in the front and no glass panels in the back would certainly qualify as a commercial vehicle, so as long as you can show that you require it for work, and that you’re not using it for social, domestic, or pleasure use, then you should be fine.

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Hi Niall,

I’m afraid not. Revenue only applies BIK relief to electric cars and flatly states that ‘hybrids do not count as electric vehicles.’ BIK is calculated on the value of the car and the annual mileage, not on the CO₂ emissions of the car. That may change in the coming months, with the new FG-FF-Green coalition promising to review the motor taxation system, but for now, there’s no BIK benefit to driving a hybrid. 

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Hi Richard,

There are no issues in terms of seats etc if you want to run a commercial vehicle as a private car — it’s simply a change in the rate of tax that you pay, and all you have to do is talk to your local motor tax office. You’ll be charged a tax rate based on the cubic capacity of the engine. As for the NCT, you’ll still have to get the vehicle tested on the Light Commercial Vehicle test, every year. Even if it’s taxed privately, it needs that rather than an NCT. 

Expert answer

Hi Niamh,

OK, there are a few options here. You could go down the DIY route — there are second hand instrument clusters available on eBay, and plenty of tutorials on YouTube, but — and we can’t emphasise this enough — that’s the risky option. Lots of opportunity for an expensive mistake.

The simplest thing to do is go to your local Nissan dealer. Now, they might offer to swap out the entire panel — which is expensive — but really you’d be better off asking them to simply replace the face of the speedometer dial with a new one, which sometimes can be done with a sticker. A much more affordable alternative.