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Hi Gary,

There is no adjustment to be made. We spoke to Honda Ireland about this and it's suspected that fuel contamination and/or a blocked fuel filter is to blame.

First thing to do is change the fuel filter, clear the code and try it again. Honda says it would normally look at what is in the old fuel filter before running the car again, as it may reveal a need to drain and clean the fuel tank.

Let us know how you get on

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Hi Nelius,

Cracking car the original Mazda6. One of the best-to-drive saloons ever built and the good news is you're looking at mostly pros, and very few cons. The only real mechanical weak point is the clutch - we've heard of them failing at as little as 50,000km so check to make sure that the action is smooth and not too heavy and that the gear changes are crisp and quick. Any slipping or smell should set off alarm bells.

Other than that, there are a few recalls that you need to make sure were attended to (leaky fuel lines, dodgy fog lamps, brake warning light and oil seals) and it's worth checking to make sure that the suspension and steering are in good fettle and that there's a good set of high-quality tyres on the car; the better to enjoy that wonderful handling balance.

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Hi Kevin,

We've done a bit of digging into this and... there is no good answer. As a general rule of thumb, a USD$2 fall in the price of a barrel of oil should translate into a fall in the price at the pump of between 1.5c and 2c. Since June, the price of a barrel has fallen by, as you point out, USD$18 so where's our 18c cheaper litre of petrol? Answer: no-one's saying.

All the oil industry analysts are pointing to a weaker global price for crude oil, in spite of the recent and current turmoil in the Middle East. US reserve stocks are up, usage in China is down a little, all of which puts the price of oil under pressure. 

In fact, the price of a litre of petrol in the UK, which takes its feed from the same Brent Crude contract as us, has fallen by a few pence per litre recently, but in Ireland the price has actually gone up by 2c on average. Inflation? Nope, that's not the cause - the Central Statistics Office has inflation pegged at a lowly 0.4 per cent right now.

So, are the oil companies and distributors just gouging us? Possibly, yes. None of those contacted for an explanation deigned to respond, and there has been no increase in fuel duty nor carbon tax from the government side so the only logical explanation left is... yup, gouging.

All we can suggest is to do the usual - shop around and try and find the best price you can. There's no point in popping across the border, sadly - the UK's price of around STG£1.29 for a litre of petrol equates to around €1.64 and that's before bank transaction charges.

Come on Apple Green, Texaco, Maxol, Topaz et al; your input cost has fallen significantly. Why aren't we consumers getting the benefit?

Expert answer

Hi Kevin,

Because, unfortunately, there is always a lag between the price of crude oil falling and the price coming down at the pump. It’s rarely the case going in the other direction of course, but before you go blaming rapacious fuel companies remember that the actual wholesale price of oil represents only a tiny fraction of the price of a litre of pump fuel – most of it is fuel duty and VAT. In fact, according to the AA, the price is on the way down. The average price for a litre of unleaded has fallen by 5c since June, and the average price for a litre of diesel has fallen by 3c. 

Expert answer

Hi Kieran,

With that kind of mileage, you could probably look at saving yourself a bit of money by going for a petrol model - as long as the price gap between it and a diesel covers the fuel cost. Get your calculator out...

Of the cars you've mentioned, we'd go for a 3 Series. Few cars are as good to drive and it's the kind of thing you should own once at least. Check it carefully for wear and tear though and don't buy anything without a full service history. 

The only catch could be trying to find one that ISN'T a diesel...

Expert answer

Hi Mark,

Right, obviously it's always a bit of a scare when you slip on the road and damage your car, and it's natural for the reaction to be "I'd better get a 4x4." Hang on though, because there are 4x4s and 4x4s... First off, the Tuscon. According to the official figures, the 2.0-litre diesel 4x4 Tuscon does 39mpg while the 2.0-litre petrol model does 35mpg. We'd bet that you'll struggle to match those figures on the road and will instead get around 30mpg on average. Also, 4x4 Tuscons are a little tricky to track down in Ireland.

So, as an alternative, why not consider a Skoda Octavia 4x4? You know you like the car, the all-wheel drive system is just as good at finding traction as any big SUV's and the lower, lighter body means you won't pay as heavy a fuel consumption penalty. We've found one for sale on Carzone for just over €10k, so they're not even too expensive.

Worth a look, at any rate.

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Hi Bernard,

An individual injector is going to cost in and around the €170 mark, depending on where you source it from. After that, it’s down to the garage you bring it to and what kind of labour rates they charge.

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Hi Susan,

For your budget, you could consider an Audi A3 1.9 TDI five-door. Classy, good to drive and very economical. Perhaps not the most spacious car in the world in the back and boot, but it will take a buggy.

Or, how about a car based on the same mechanical package as the A3, but with the boot space to be able to handle a whole creche's worth of kiddy clobber? I speak of course of the Skoda Octavia. A brilliant car, with tonnes of space, and your budget would get you a 2008 model with the 1.9 TDI diesel engine in range-topping 'Elegance' trim. So, comfy then.

Skoda not your thing? Want something classier? I have just the thing... How about a 2008 Volvo V50 estate with the 1.6-litre diesel engine? An easy 50mpg, family practicality thanks to the estate body and your mind will be forever at ease on the safety front.

What do you think?

Expert answer

Hi Marcus,

No, but we can work out a rough figure for you. The 2006 320d had a quoted combined figure of 5.7 litres per 100km (about 50mpg). Now, we know that official fuel consumption figures are basically rubbish so let’s be on the pessimistic side – the urban consumption figure was 7.8 litres/100km so let’s split the difference and say 6.8 litres/100km as the halfway point. On your 80km per day, therefore, you’re going to nominally get through about 5.4 litres of fuel per day. That works out at 37.8 litres per week, which at the current average price per litre of diesel comes to €42.90 per week.

Now, that’s an estimated figure, and everything from the traffic levels, to the type of road you use to your own driving style to how much weight you’re carrying in the car to the condition of your engine and your tyres to whether you use the air conditioning or not and so many more variables will have an effect on that figure, so consider it ballpark only.

Expert answer

Hi Bart,

We asked Volvo Ireland about this for you. Here was the response:

"The flexi fuel engines generally have shorter service intervals (10,000km or one year) and the system will say book for the next service if the mileage or engine hours or time have been reached. Even if the customer has not reached 10,000km, which seems to be the case, he might have reached the engine hours or time requirement for a service. I would advise bringing it into the dealership to get it serviced and make sure the correct oil and filters are used."

Hope that helps explain the situation.