When should I service my Kia Cee'd diesel?
How often should I get my diesel car serviced? It's a 2007 Kia Cee'd 1.6 CRDi. I got it serviced in May this year. The garage recommends it gets servived every 10,000 km. I've now done 12,500 since last service. Theres 80,000km on clock. Money tight at the minute so wondering could I stretch it for another 2,000 km or so?
Lorcan Tobin (Dundalk)Aug 2011 Filed under: servicing
Expert answer
Hi Lorcan,
We spoke to Kia Ireland and they said that your car should be serviced at 20,000km intervals so you have another 8,000km until you need to do it again according to them!
When is the timing belt due on a Peugeot 807?
When is timing belt due for change on peugeot 807 and what else has to be done with it?
Padraig Sinnott (Donard)Aug 2011 Filed under: servicing
Expert answer
Hi Padraig,
We asked Peugeot Ireland about this and they told us - "For this vehicle with a 2 litre diesel engine we recommend 80000 km or 5 years with ever comes first."
Aside from that make sure to check on the diesel particulate filter.
I hope this helps
What's causing the whining noise in my Landcruiser?
I recently purchased a 3.0-litre Toyota Landcruiser in Northern Ireland and have noticed some rust in the chassis and exhaust, but more worrying is a whining noise it has developed in first, second and third gears at around 2,000rpm - the noise dissipates at about 2,300rpm. Have you any idea what the problem could be? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Neville Case (Wicklow)Jul 2011 Filed under: fault
Expert answer
Hi Neville,
While the Landcruiser is generally quite robust many large four-wheel drives give trouble with their gearboxes. They're more complicated than your average car's. It's not possible to diagnose your particular problem through email, but it could be as simple as a bearing in the gearbox. I'm afraid you need to bring the car to a mechanic to have it looked at before you'll know what the problem is.
Good luck with it.
Can I get a discount on a new BMW 520d?
Hi, I would like to know if it's possible to get a discount on a new BMW 520d from a BMW dealer. I have seen on the internet that it seems to be common practice in other countries but have not heard anything about what happens in Ireland. Thanks.
Sarah Jones (Limerick)Jul 2011 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Sarah,
As a cash buyer you can sometimes get a discount on a new car. Often this depends on how popular the car is though and the 520d is in massive demand at the moment, so I would suspect that discounts are likely to be pretty thin on the ground. It is worth a try, but I think aside from a small discount you would have to pay list price on this popular car.
I hope this helps
I need a stylish, practical car for low mileage use.
Hi, I am looking for a reasonably stylish and fun-to-drive car that is practical enough to carry a couple of sets of golf clubs. I only drive about 3,000 miles a year as I live in city centre and walk most places. I therefore was thinking a petrol model would be a wiser choice than diesel.
I am less worried about upfront cost and more about cost of ownership such as depreciation, servicing, maintenance etc. I don't mind spending more for quality, but value and reliability are important. I am therefore thinking a couple years old maximum.
Cars I have considered are a 2008/9 Mazda6 Sport five-door with the 1.8-litre petrol engine (tough to find) and a 2009 Audi A5 with the 2.0 TFSI engine. This probably shows that I have a pretty broad range of things I would consider and I would be open to something completely different. What are your thoughts?
Apologies as I know its a fairly broad question but I figure you guys need a challenge every now and again.
Thanks for the great site, there really is no equal in Ireland.
Derek Popkes (Limerick)Jun 2011 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Derek,
Glad you like the site. Let's hope we can live up to your expectations! We got a little bit of extra information from you and you told us that you are trading in a 2000 Mazda 323 five-door and that your budget is around €30,000-€32,000, which is plenty to work with.
Given your criteria, and the fact that you mention the Audi A5, then I've had a look at some of those. You mention petrol models and with your low mileage then you could quite easily run a petrol car, but given the fact that you are concerned about residuals then the diesels in the A5 would make a better choice. There is a lovely 2.7-litre TDI A5 in the classifieds and this is under €30,000. It would be a smashing buy and the fact that it has quite high mileage doesn't really mattter in your case. The 2.7 TDI version would hold its value better than a 2.0T petrol.
At the other end of things you mention the Mazda6 - an odd contrast to the Audi but still a nice car nonetheless. You are unlikely to find a petrol-powered Mazda6 because Mazda really hasn't sold any in the last few years in Ireland. Plus, it wouldn't be a good use of money because it would be hard to sell on again a few years down the line. The diesel version is so much better anyway these days and you could have a demo 2011 model for well under €30,000. It is a nice car, but to be honest we can find you something a little more interesting.
How about a Jaguar XF 2.7 D Luxury? What a super car, for €33,000. This is a marvellous example and fully loaded with kit. Another outside bet would be a 2008 Lexus GS 450h. We found a low mileage one that would be great around town and it is super fast.
After all that, this is the car I think would suit you best. It is petrol, a 320i, but it is a hard-top convertible and it looks awesome. I don't know if you are a BMW fan but this could be a brilliant buy for you.
Come back to us if we've not hit the nail on the head.
I am thinking of buying a Fiat Panda under the scrappage scheme
I am considering buying the Fiat Panda 1.1 petrol Eco Active under the scrappage scheme. Your advice here would be most welcome.
Tony Kearney (Wicklow)Jun 2011 Filed under: scrappage
Expert answer
Hi Tony,
Thank you for your query. I love the Fiat Panda. It is an honest, simple car and absolutely loaded with charm - and they cost from just €7,295 under the scheme, which is really great.
The only thing I would say Tony is that time is running out for you. It is not just the issue of having a Panda in stock and getting it registered before June 30, but you also have to make sure your old car is scrapped and the paperwork is done for it before that date too! So get down to that Fiat dealership near you!
How good is the Nissan Qashqai?
I am looking at the 2009 Nissan Qashqai diesel. Is it a good buy?
Maty Meehan (Donegal)May 2011 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Maty,
Overall, the Nissan Qashqai is a great car and has been a huge success in Ireland. You didn't specify which diesel model you're interested in, as there's a 1.5-litre and a 2.0-litre. They're both good, though obviously the latter has more oomph and is better suited to the car if it's full of people and luggage all the time. Saying that, the 1.5-litre is no slouch so don't be put off by the engine size.
It's worth trying a petrol version too, as they're cheaper to buy and quieter around town. The diesel model is more economical, but that only pays off if you do high mileage. Saying that, over 83 per cent of the Nissan Qashqais sold in Ireland in 2009 were diesel, so there are not many petrol versions available.
Hope that all helps. If you want to know anything specific about the car come back to us.
Toyota Camry engine management light woes
My Toyota Camry engine management light is going on/off depending on what brand of petrol I use. What is going on?
Philip Morrin (Navan)May 2011 Filed under: fault
Expert answer
Hi Philip
We spoke to Toyota Ireland and they had this to say about your issue. "There's very little info to go on but the clue seems to be in the fuel used. It could possibly be a knock sensor reacting to octane rating or fuel quality causing the light to come on."
It might be an idea to stick to the best fuel possible and check with your local Toyota service agent. Come back to us if you need more help.
Are BMW swirl flaps a problem?
Hello I would like to know if swirl flaps are a problem in BMW cars please. I would also like to know at what stage should you look out for this.
Thanks.
Declan Reidy (Kerry)May 2011 Filed under: servicing
Expert answer
Hi Declan,
I must admit that it wasn't a problem that I was aware of up until now, but there is quite a lot of literature about it on the internet. Here is a forum thread on the topic.
We also found a website that offers a cheap solution although we cannot verify its effectiveness. We will find out how bad the probem is in Ireland.
It would seem to be that there is no real way of checking for this in advance because it doesn't appear to be on the service check list, though we do know that an improvement was put in place post-2004.
Why the delays on the Kia Sportage?
Have you heard anything about why it is taking so long for the new Kia Sportage to reach Irish showrooms? Is it just right hand drive cars for Ireland and UK that are slow to arrive or is it all over Europe?
Kevin Leonard (Rush Co Dublin)May 2011 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Kevin,
Yes I recently had a conversation with the guys from Kia Ireland about this. There simply aren't enough of them being made and they can't make them quick enough. It is a problem that Kia have with the Sportage and Hyundai have with the ix35. Apparently they are going to add a new run on a different plant and this will help relieve the backlog, but we are being told that the delays are 'significant' and obviously with such a demand for them in right hand drive markets, especially in the UK, this is making the situation worse.
Kia Sportage - delays
There are a couple of unregistered ones around - so maybe these would be suitable if you are looking for one?