Martin Saarinen

Q Preparing car for lay-up

I’M going to be leaving the country for six months, but don’t want to sell my beloved Audi S3. What can I do to make sure it’s still in good condition when I get back? Jonathan Lenk, E-mail

A

TRY to find a garage in which to store the car; this will keep moisture out of it. Also, before you put it away for storage, give it a good clean, pump up the tyres, top it up with fuel and change the oil. It’s worth keeping the battery charged via a trickle charger, too, and don’t engage the parking brake. Use logs or an equivalent to keep the car from moving.

Q Oil grade confusion

THE recommended oil for my 2013 Suzuki Splash 1.2 is 0W-20. The cheapest I’ve found is £49 for five litres. Would I do my engine any harm by switching to a cheaper 5W-20 grade when carrying out an oil change? David Blake, E-mail

A

WE’D always advise sticking with the oil recommended by the maker. The ratings refer to the oil’s viscosity – how well it flows when the engine is hot and cold. Each car has a set number of grades in which the engine can operate. It’s possible to switch between these.

Q Qashqai camshaft row

THE camshaft in my 2011 Nissan Qashqai+2 failed a few weeks ago. As the car has a full service history, I find it odd that the part should fail. Nissan has offered to cover the cost of the new parts, but not the labour. Is this fair? Chris Danner, E-mail

A

AS your car is out of warranty, Nissan’s offer sounds fair. You could have an independent inspection done for any manufacturing faults, but you’d have to pay for this yourself with no guarantee of success. We’d say take the offer.