Got any car queries?
QAny help for key worker with costly battery replacement?
THE high-voltage battery on my Mercedes C350e needs replacing for £12,000. My dealer has been great, but Mercedes UK won’t help. The car has done 80,000 miles, but is only four years old and has a full dealer service history. I’m a key worker, and my car is essential to me. Can you do anything? Phill Hunter, E-mail
AMERCEDES’ plug-in hybrid powertrain warranty covers the battery for six years or 62,000 miles (whichever comes sooner), so yours is out of warranty from a contractual point of view. Given the circumstances surrounding your case, however, we contacted Mercedes, and the company agreed it would meet half the cost of the repair work as a goodwill gesture.
QShould I keep using my car’s annoying stop-start system?
MY car has stop-start, which intrusively jiggles the car when the engine fires back up. I leave the system off because of this, and also because I’m sceptical about how much fuel I would save. Are start-stop systems really that worthwhile?
Evan H, E-mail
AWHILE it might not feel like you are saving much fuel, studies indicate these systems can improve economy by as much as 10 per cent in heavy traffic. Obviously, if you don’t do much urban driving, the figure will be lower, but there is also the pollution to consider, since the car won’t be emitting exhaust fumes when its engine is off. Newer start-stop systems are far smoother and quicker to restart the car, too.
QCan I use Google Maps nav with car’s own graphics?
I LIKE the graphics of my Mazda 6’s built-in sat-nav, but Google Maps on my phone gives better route and traffic guidance. Is there some way I can blend the two together? John Brandon, E-mail
AUNFORTUNATELY not – graphical interfaces are intrinsically linked to the functionality of navigation software, so it’s one or the other. It’s worth seeing if your 6 has Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, though, since these allow much of a phone’s functionality – including Google Maps – to be mirrored on the car’s infotainment screen; plugging your phone in via USB should reveal if your car has these. If it doesn’t, Mazda can retrofit Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for around £350, which is worth considering.