When to change automatic gearbox oil?
Hi,
When or how often should the oil in an automatic gearbox be changed? The manufacturers may say (I don't know?) it doesn't need to be changed at all, that it is good for the lifetime of the transmission: but what do they mean by the lifetime of the transmission? 100,000 miles? One would expect a transmission to last a lot longer. There are views out there on the internet that say change every 30,000 or 50,000 miles. Do you have access to any independent experienced mechanics that could give an authoritative answer? I have a C-Class automatic petrol Mercedes and an automatic diesel Volvo.
Thanks
Philip
Philip Donegan (Ballina)Jan 2020 Filed under: automatic
Expert answer
Hi Philip,
Every gearbox is different and our advice would be to follow the manufacturer advice. For life means for life, with no limit on mileage, odd as that sounds.
How much VRT on a 2015 BMW 4 Series?
How much is VRT on a 2015 BMW 420 Sport?
Roy Stephenson (Baltinglass )Jan 2020 Filed under: VRT
Expert answer
Hi Roy,
You haven’t said whether this is a BMW 420i (petrol) or a 420d (diesel), so we’ve checked both. For a 420d diesel, the VRT charge is going to be in the region of €3,900 depending on the specific spec of the car. For a petrol 420i, it’s going to be pretty similar — around €3,500. There will be NOx tax charges on top of that, but thankfully even the older 4 Series diesel models were very NOx-efficient, just 23mg/km officially, so that’ll only be an extra €115 onto the VRT for the diesel. Oddly, the petrol 420i was actually a little worse off for NOx (28mg/km) so that’ll cost you €140 extra.
Belt or chain on a 2017 Ford Kuga?
I have a 2017 Ford Kuga 1.5 petrol; does it have a timing belt or chain?
Len Reynolds (Gravesend Kent)Jan 2020 Filed under: servicing
Expert answer
Hi Len,
It has a timing belt, which must be changed at least every 200,000km or 10 years - whichever comes first.
Belt or chain on a 2014 Ford Kuga 1.6?
Does the 2014 Ford Kuga 1.6 have a timing belt or chain?
Elroy Malouly (Northern Cape)Jan 2020 Filed under: servicing
Expert answer
Hi Elroy,
The only 1.6-litre engine fitted to the 2014 Kuga was the petrol-fuelled EcoBoost unit. It uses a timing belt, which must be changed at least every 200,000km or 10 years - whichever comes first.
Why different tax for these Zafiras?
Hi!
I can't understand something. How come my Opel Zafira 161 is in the €570 tax band and a 141 is in the €280 tax band? The two cars are identical.
Tamas Giran (Enniscorthy)Dec 2019 Filed under: taxation
Expert answer
Hi Tamas,
Well, it depends on which version of Zafira each one is. From the detail you’ve given there on the tax costs, I’d suspect that the 141 car has the 2.0 CDTi diesel engine, the 129g/km of CO2 emissions of which would put it in Band B2 for a €280 tax cost. Is the 161 car a 1.4 turbo petrol? Because that version’s 156g/km emissions put it just into the €570 Band D. Or the discrepancy could be down to one having an automatic gearbox, instead of a manual. Without more details, I’m afraid, we can’t be sure.
What do you think of the Merc A-Class Saloon?
Hi,
have you some views of the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class Saloon? What models are available? Is it value for money? Thinking of buying one for the 201 registration.
Regards,
Pat Conway
Patrick Conway (Fountainstown)Nov 2019 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Patrick,
We have indeed reviewed the A-Class Saloon and you can read our thoughts on the car here. As for whether it’s good value for money, it kind of depends on how you look at it. Compared to other similarly-priced cars — Volkswagen Passat, Skoda Superb, or Opel Insignia for example — it’s not good value as you’re paying the same or more for a smaller car, probably with less standard equipment. That three-pointed star on the bonnet costs a fair bit… On the other hand, viewing the A-Class Saloon as a slightly smaller (but not that much so) alternative to the C-Class saloon — an entirely valid point of view — it’s actually really good value. Models available range from the basic A 180 petrol and A 180 d diesel versions, through A 200 and A 200 d, all the way up to the slightly rabid 300hp A 35 AMG model.
How much VRT on a Lamborghini Gallardo?
Hi, I was wondering would you have any idea on the VRT of the following car:
Year: 2005
Mileage: 67191
Seats: 2
Colour: Silver
Drive Side: Right-hand drive
Transmission: Manual
Power: 520
Fuel: Petrol
Engine Size: 4,961cc
Manufacturer: Lamborghini
Metallic Paint: Yes
Model: Gallardo
Safety Features: Driver Airbag, Passenger Airbag, Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS), Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Immobiliser, Safety Belt Pretensioners, Xenon headlights, Four Wheel Drive, Alarm
Body Type: Coupe
Interior/Comfort Options: Air Conditioning, Climate Control, Central Locking, Leather Seats, Electric Adjustable Seats, Electric heated seats, Electric Windows, Power-assisted Steering (PAS), Tilt Steering Wheel
Doors: 2
In-Car Audio: AM/FM Stereo, CD Player, Navigation System
Nov 2019 Filed under: VRT
Expert answer
Hi Paul,
Basically, rocking up to an inspection with a Lamborghini is a licence for Revenue to charge you whatever it fancies… I wouldn’t be surprised to see a VRT bill of more than €30-40,000 for this one.
Which Skoda Octavia parts carry over?
What parts from a 2006 Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDI Sport will fit a 2002 Skoda Octavia 1.4 petrol?
Tony Halpin (Abbeyfeale)Nov 2019 Filed under: servicing
Expert answer
Hi Tony,
The second-generation Octavia launched in 2004, which means you're most likely looking at two completely different generations of the model. There will be some small number of parts potentially shared across both, but not a lot at all, especially as the engines are also different.
Can I fix my Audi's slow gearbox response?
Hi,
I have a 2019 Audi Q3 35 TDI S tronic and it's a great car, but with an annoying trait, especially in heavy traffic in Galway, Dublin etc. The gearbox is hesitant and dim-witted and changes into second gear in about five metres after take off, even going uphill, which leaves it very lethargic. It seems to hesitate for 1 to 1.5 seconds, which means it's hard to nip into gaps in traffic. Have you heard of any cure or is this a trait of this gearbox?
Thanks,
Pat Higgins, Galway
Pat Higgins (Galway)Nov 2019 Filed under: gearbox
Expert answer
Hi Pat,
We certainly have noticed this trait in all Volkswagen Group DSG-based gearboxes (that's what the S tronic transmission is) and their attendant engines of late. The only explanation seems to be that VW’s various brands have trimmed back both engine power and responsiveness at low speeds, and especially at idle or when waking up from a stop-start cycle, in order to optimise their figures in the new WLTP emissions and economy tests. VW is certainly not the only one to do this, but it does seem to be more obvious with VW Group models than with some other manufacturers. Shifting the gearbox into Sport helps a bit, but it’s not a total fix.
One cure might be a total vehicle upgrade — we’ve noticed that the new ‘Evo’ versions of the 1.5 TSI petrol and 2.0 TDI diesel engines are noticeably less sleepy. Or, alternatively, trade in for a version with a manual gearbox — that is the simplest cure of all.
Which fuel to get for lots of commuting?
Hello,
I have a 1.4-litre 171 hatchback Volkswagen Polo with manual transmission and a diesel engine. I drive approx 100km a day five days a week for work, and the car currently has a mileage of approx 116,000km on the clock. Given that diesel and petrol cars are currently being phased out of the market, what's the best car for me to invest in, going forward given that I drive long distance and also do a lot of driving in cities? Is hybrid or electric the best option for long distance commuting and city driving?
Thanks
Anne O'Sullivan (Cork)Oct 2019 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Anne,
Is that a 100km round trip every day? Or 100km each way? Either way, you could potentially get away with a fully-electric car, assuming that you can charge at home and charge again at work. Either way, though, you’ll have to spend big and go for one of the latest electric cars with a 50kWh or 62kWh battery, such as the Hyundai Kona Electric or the new Renault Zoe. What could well be an easier (and much cheaper) option would be to go for a hybrid. There’s only one hybrid-engined car in the Polo-size class at the moment, and that’s the Toyota Yaris. The current version is pretty good, but there is an all-new one coming next year, so you might be best off waiting for that to appear. By then, the new Honda Jazz, also a hybrid, should be available. Or, you could keep it a lot simpler and go for a new Polo with the excellent 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine. It'll be tough to beat your diesel Polo for outright economy, though.