Inquisitive about additive
My daughter and son-in-law bought a new Ford Everest diesel. The dealer did not tell them it requires AdBlue. Amid much panic they read the owner’s manual to find it’s needed every 10,000km15,000km only. It’s about $1 a litre but not available at all servos. It’s more expensive at dealerships. The Ford dealer tells me Rangers don’t need AdBlue as they are classified as commercial vehicles while Everests are passenger vehicles. The Holden and Isuzu equivalents don’t require AdBlue. What’s what with this technology? Bob Jeffs, email AdBlue is relevant to the Everest only because of the different emissions standards for passenger and commercial vehicles. Ford spokesman Damion Smy says: “For dieselpowered passenger vehicles the use of AdBlue is becoming the norm and is used to help optimise emissions. For Everest, it’s part of a Selective Catalytic Reduction system that enables it to meet or exceed new Euro6 standards. The AdBlue tank is an easy refill with a warning 2400km ahead of replenishment and every 800km during that 2400. (Owners) can easily do the job themselves with a filler next to the fuel filler or it can be carried out during one of the 15,000km services.” AdBlue is quite common on passenger diesels, including Benz and VW.
EXTRA INSURANCE
I’ve just bought a new Mazda3 and the sales staff said bring it back at about 1000km for a check. Do you think a new car should have the oil changed as well? Neil Power, email These days car companies say there is no need but if it was my new car I would definitely change the oil as a precaution and a bit of extra insurance. Don’t forget also to go over the car to find anything that needs fixing under warranty.
FITTER TYRES
Re spare tyres on a Benz. On my 2013 E250, tyres and wheels have been a huge problem, what with spacesavers, availability of replacements, bruised sidewalls and cracked wheels. I now have a can of tyre goo and repair kit plugs, a $100 inflation kit from Super Cheap and 18x8-inch aftermarket mags all-round (including spare) with Continental Conti-Contact 5s, so I now can do trips without fear. I would have gone to 17-inchers, had I found appealing rims. Innerrear tyre wear is a big issue and I hope a narrower tyre will be closer to the design parameters of the rear suspension. A tyre fitter told me 20-inch rims ensure you will have tyre damage, 19inch rims will occasionally result in tyre damage and 18inchers rarely result in tyre damage. Whoever at Benz decided to fit 19-inch wheels for marketing purposes should be put in the stocks and have rotten fruit thrown at them. Bob Stutsel, email Good advice and I can’t disagree with any of it. Now, where did I put those mouldy old pears?
BRAKING NEWS
I have been looking at the Kia Sorento. It has no automatic emergency braking so I’m wondering when an update is coming and if it will be so fitted. Will it be a new model, as I think the current one has been around for about two years, or merely a facelift? Mike Martin, email Kia’s Kevin Hepworth says: “The Sorento has AEB on GT Line and Platinum as part of the 2017 model-year update from the latter part of 2016. It is currently under study to expand that across more of the range for a fairly extensive product enhancement due later this year.”
RUNS IN THE FAMILY
Will there be a new release of the Toyota Prado in the near future? The current model has been out for some time now. Chris O’Reilly, email The LandCruiser family, which includes the Prado, has one of the longest runs of any Toyota model, at more than a decade. According to an insider at Toyota Australia it will be “a long time” before a full model change for the Prado.
SEMAPHORE SIGNALS
I read that you have a 1967 Beetle. My dad had a ’60 or ’61 Beetle and it was the most reliable car he ever owned except there was no fuel gauge. I still have the paperwork. He paid $350 second-hand about 47 years ago. It had half-round flashing indicators on the middle door pillars where earlier models had a swingout arm. Can you tell me if the flashers were original? David Lee, email My first Beetle was a ’59, which had the swing-out semaphores, before Volkswagen switched to blinkers on the front and rear guards. The flashing indicators were never factory but some people added them to cover the semaphores and do the turn-signal job.