Help me to banish this whiff

Q

I BOUGHT a two-year-old SEAT Ibiza for my son, but the interior smells of stale smoke. Can you recommend something to get rid of the smell? Wilson Smith, E-mail

A

THIS has to be one of the trickiest valeting tasks. Start with all the fabrics – seats, carpets and headlining – using an upholstery cleaner and a wet and dry vacuum. Steam cleaning is also an option. Use an air-con cleaner, and if the car has one, change the pollen filter, too. If the smell persists, your final option is to hire an ozone generator for a few hours.

My friend’s been LED astray

Q

A FRIEND has just upgraded the exterior and interior lights on his car to LEDs. I thought these were illegal on the outside, he says it’s okay. Can you tell me who is right? Wilson Smith, E-mail

A

EXTERNAL LEDs are technically illegal because they cannot be given an E mark, which is a legal requirement for use on the road. The confusion arises when they are correctly fitted and work within the halogen guidelines – they’ll pass an MoT because there’s no requirement for testers to check E marks.

Classic coolant query

Q

MY family has an old MGA in long-term storage awaiting restoration. It still has the same old-fashioned ‘blue’ ethylene glycol antifreeze it was put away with many years ago. There have been no problems, but should I change it? Martin Leonard, E-mail

A

YOU could leave it because there haven’t been any problems, but there is a risk that the old coolant could become corrosive depending on how long it’s been in there. We’d either drain the system thoroughly and leave it empty or refill it with a suitable classic car antifreeze and change it every few years.