When to change my Astra's timing belt?
When does the timing belt need changing on an Opel Astra (A16LET engine)?
Peter Hill (My Waverley)Jan 2019 Filed under: servicing
Expert answer
Hi Peter,
The A16LET engine is a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol unit according to our records, producing 179hp and manufactured from 2009 to 2014.
If your engine is pre-2010, the recommended change interval is 150,000 kilometres or 10 years, whichever comes first. For engines made after that date, it's still 150,000 kilometres, but the maximum time between changes is six years.
When to change my Astra diesel's belt?
When does the timing belt need to be changed on the 2.0-litre diesel engine of an 2012 Opel Astra GTC?
Lucy Lynch (Dublin)Dec 2018 Filed under: servicing
Expert answer
Hi Lucy,
It depends which version of the 2.0-litre diesel engine your car has, as there were several power outputs. Most have timing belt change intervals of 150,000 kilometres or every six years (whichever comes first), but if your engine is the single-turbo 190hp or bi-turbo 195hp unit, then the distance between changes reduces to 120,000km (or six years as before).
Timing marks on a 2006 Opel Astra?
Can someone help me with the timing marks on a 2006 Opel Astra H GTC 1.9?
Annelize Davis (Cape Town)Nov 2018 Filed under: servicing
Expert answer
Hi Annelize,
I'm afraid that's too complicated to illustrate on this page and, actually, it's recommended that several special tools are used when changing this engine's timing belt. If you do not have those, we suggest you invest in a workshop manual for the car, pay to access a service such as Autodata or give the car to a good mechanic to do the work.
Fuel costs to commute in an Opel Mokka?
How much would it cost in an Opel Mokka diesel to travel 201km four days week?
Corionna Corcoran (Galway)Expert answer
Hi Corionna,
We're going to assume that this is a relatively recent Mokka, using the 1.6-litre 136hp diesel engine. That car has rated combined fuel consumption of 4.3 litres per 100km, so you’re going to burn roughly 8.7 litres covering 201km, and that’s going to work out at about €11.22 in fuel costs each day. Except, of course, you’re not going to get 4.3 litres per 100km, not unless you drive like a saint anyway. Safer to assume you’ll burn through 6.0 litres per 100km of fuel, which means you’ll pay around €15 in fuel costs for each 200km journey. Depending on fuel prices, obviously.
Fuel consumption of the 2017 Opel Insignia?
What is the fuel consumption of the 2017 Opel Insignia 170hp five-door?
Donal Keohane (Cork)Oct 2018 Filed under: taxation
Expert answer
Hi Donal,
I presume that you mean the previous generation of Insignia, not the new Grand Sport model? If so, then the quoted official combined fuel economy for the 2.0-litre CDTi 170hp model is 62.8mpg - or 4.5 litres per 100km.
How much to scrap my BMW 530d?
Hi there, I have a 2004 BMW 530d, still a dream to drive, it's working perfect, but I want to update; what would it get for scrapping it?
Janeen
Janeen Territt (Dundalk Co Louth)Aug 2018 Filed under: scrappage
Expert answer
Hi Janeen,
BMW doesn’t currently have a scrappage offer on, but it is offering a nine per cent discount across the entire model range, which is rather nice. If you want to make the most of scrappage, you’re going to have to trade down to a mainstream brand. The likes of Hyundai, Peugeot, Opel and others all have scrappage deals still going, and you can get as much as €4,500 off the price of a new car, depending on which model you’re looking at.
How much for my 2004 Renault Scenic?
Hi, I have a 2004 Renault Scenic that is still driving; what will I get from scrappage for it?
Michael Oneill (Shannon Town)Aug 2018 Filed under: scrappage
Expert answer
Hi Michael,
Renault currently doesn’t have a scrappage offer available, but other brands — including Hyundai, Skoda, Peugeot, Opel and more — do and, depending on which vehicle you’re looking at buying, you can get as much as €4,500 off.
Ford Focus, Opel Astra or Hyundai i30?
I intend to replace my car soon with something more powerful than my 1.0-litre Corsa. I've been looking mostly at an Opel Astra, Ford Focus, or Hyundai i30, and my budget is up to €10,000. Would there be an obvious standout to buy in those three, or any major issues with them? Also, I cover about 650km/week between commuting and life, 90 per cent of which is on good regional roads. Would you have a recommendation either way on whether to choose a petrol or diesel engine?
Thanks
Colm McGrath (Kildare)Aug 2018 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Colm,
OK, first off, with that kind of mileage you’re well into the sort of levels that would justify a diesel engine, although the best of the down-sized turbo petrols are still certainly worth looking at. Of the three cars you’ve selected, I’d leave the Astra, as your €10,000 budget won’t get you into a new-shape model, and the older Astra was pretty dull. Of the other two, the Focus is the best, by far, to drive, and has solid reliability, but the i30 is better for interior space, and would be the more reliable in the long run.
Why do Irish car buyers not get discounts?
Hi,
I wonder if you could explain something I don't really understand about the Irish car buying market, even though I have a big interest in cars and the industry. Why is it that Irish car buyers hardly ever seem to get the sort of discounts that buyers in Britain do? I'm not just referring to the fact that overall new and used prices are cheaper there.
I wanted to buy a new or nearly new Peugeot 508 here recently and thought I would get a reasonable discount, which I pushed for, as that model does not sell as well as many of it's rivals and I thought the Peugeot dealer would be delighted to sell a saloon seeing as the market for them is declining so much and so many people now want SUVs instead. Alas, I could not get any sort of decent discount for a new or nearly new 508. It is well known that in Britain the buyer often gets a sizeable discount for car types or models that lag behind many rivals in sales, or for certain brands such as Vauxhall/Opel and Citroen. From what I observe and hear, you don't get decent discounts either for certain makes and models here in Ireland.
Higher VRT and other taxes here, don't explain these differences alone. I thought with Brexit and the vast increase in used and nearly new imports that Irish dealers would be more price competitive, but I'm surprised also that the prices of good fresh second hand cars here haven't come down more in this backdrop. For some good reasons, I'd prefer to buy here than from abroad, but it just seems that Irish car buyers can't catch the breaks that UK buyers get at all! Do you agree with me or can you kindly explain these differences in both markets?
Thanks, JC
JC Holohan (Waterford)Jun 2018 Filed under: used car values
Expert answer
Hi JC,
The big issue, really, is the size of the market. In the UK, vast dealer groups, with multiple outlets, are the norm and, obviously, these groups can be more cost-efficient and can potentially offer bigger discounts. Although there are dealer groups in Ireland, the norm is still very much the individual family-run business. That’s equally true on the import side of things — although there are now importers here that are tied directly to the car maker itself, many are still private, individual, locally-owned companies and those struggle to match the sort of discounting that is more common in the UK market. Plus, the fact that we buy in and around 100,000 to 130,000 cars a year here means that there’s less volume to spread discounts across. The UK market shifts two million cars a year — a considerable difference. VRT and VAT costs also play into it, as the wholesale price is often kept artificially lower to try and keep the added tax price down as much as possible.
Looking at maybe a new petrol SUV.
Hi,
I'm looking to change my 151 Toyota Corolla 1.4 Luna diesel at the end of this year or early next year. It currently has 93,000km on the clock. About 70 per cent of our driving is on short journeys such as short runs to town of about 10km. Would I be better to stay with diesel or go to petrol? I'm thinking about getting a crossover/SUV, something like a Peugeot 3008, Nissan Qashqai or a Kia Sportage, or would I get better value getting a smaller SEAT Ateca, Suzuki Vitara or Opel Mokka? My children are all adults now and are only around at weekends so our mileage will be decreasing a bit. Any advice would be great.
Thanks
Rob
Roddy McMyler (Kilkenny)Jun 2018 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Roddy,
Well, it sounds definitely as if petrol is the way to go, and as you’ve mentioned the Ateca, that’s a good one to look at. It’s cheaper, by a little, than most of the competition, has an excellent 1.0-litre 115hp turbo petrol engine (don’t be put off by the small engine — it copes just fine) and isn’t ‘smaller’ at all — it’s the same size as the VW Tiguan, thanks to using the same chassis. The same goes for Skoda’s Karoq. A Peugeot 3008 with the 1.2 PureTech petrol engine would also be a good choice, but the Sportage isn't currently offered as a decent small petrol version, so we’d give that a swerve. The Nissan Qashqai comes with a good 1.2 turbo petrol, but doesn’t feel as good to drive in that form as the diesel. The Opel Mokka X is just too old a design and feels well out of date, but actually if you can cope with the smaller size, the Suzuki Vitara’s a good shout — good to drive, good looking and hugely reliable.
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