HONEST JOHN EXPERT ADVICE

The dealer you can trust is on hand to answer your questions on car problems and consumer issues

LOOK, DON’T TOUCH

I am likely not to require my car for a few months. In order to keep it on the road, I am considering using a hire company to make the vehicle available and to earn some money. Have you any experience of such companies and would you recommend their use? RW

No, and I don’t advise it. You need to be very sure who will pay for any damage, or any loss if the car is stolen by a hirer. Also, who is responsible for the mechanical condition and safety of the car – and who pays if it breaks down? You could get yourself into a right old mess.

THREE-POINTED STAR

My elderly friend has decided to sell her beloved 1994 Mercedes-Benz E200 auto, with 26,000 miles. It has been owned and garaged by her from new. How best can I help her sell it?

That will be what is called a W124series Mercedes and, although it has the smallest engine, its very low mileage makes it quite special. Talk to Nicholas Froome at w124.co.uk or try a classic car auction, such as Historics at Ascot Racecourse on March 2: see historics.co.uk.

FALSE ECONOMY

ML

My insurance policy states that it is invalid if the driver doesn’t hold a current driving licence. A friend has been notified that his photo licence needs renewal but, being hard up, he has put it off in the belief that, although no longer in his possession, his original paper licence was valid until he is 70. What is the legal situation? RG

The photocard replaced his old paper driving licence. If he

I agree that it’s very expensive temporarily to replace summer tyres with cold-weather items. But, of course, on the rare occasions that we get a lot of snow, there will be days when you simply can’t take the car out – despite 4WD. Besides, if you can afford to buy and run a Porsche Macan the safety benefits surely outweigh any cost implications.

COSTING THE EARTH

My usually reliable 12-year-old Ford Fiesta Mk3 recently suffered a total loss of power. I was driving on a country road at about 40mph and managed to bring the car to a stop safely. The power-assisted steering went off, as did the lights and the radio. A diagnostic test was inconclusive, although it might be caused by the alternator. Would it be safe to continue driving it for now? DM

A common cause of such faults is the earth cable from the battery to the car body becoming loose. That breaks the electrical circuit, leaving nothing with any electrical power. Check that first, although if it’s not that you should consult a specialist car electrician.

DAY OF THE MATCH

I am thinking about upgrading my 2012 VW Golf 1.4 TSI Match for the 2019 model year 1.5 Evo TSI 150 five-door

PRINCE OF DARKNESS

I recently acquired a second-hand, low mileage Renault Laguna Mk3 Initiale and could not be happier with the car. However, the one and only drawback is what I feel are relatively weak headlights. Are there any alternative bulbs that would cure this problem? BY

Sorry, I don’t help anyone brighten their lights because the result might dazzle oncoming drivers and could also be an MoT failure under the latest rules. You need to find the car’s beam height adjuster to set them to your preference.

manual. What are your thoughts on this 150PS version of the 1.5-litre engine, and would you prefer it to the 130PS version that’s also available? TM

The whisper is that VW is well aware of a problem on 1.5 TSI Evo 150 engines subjected to the new WLTP emissions and fuel consumption tests, and is working to cure low-speed jerkiness. It should be coming through in the next few weeks and is worth the wait. Deliveries of new cars with this engine have been held

up as a result.

You need a good broker such as aplan.co.uk – direct insurers will not favour you and neither will the many online comparison sites.

SLIPPERY CUSTOMER

During a service I asked a main dealer to check the clutch of my 34,000-mile, 2014 Peugeot 308 1.2 Puretech because it had started to slip slightly. I was assured that the reason was that the clutch master cylinder needed replacing. This was done and cost just over £300. However, on driving to France immediately afterwards I found the clutch was still slipping. What would you suggest I look at next? GM

A failed master cylinder would not have led to clutch slip – although a failed slave cylinder would. If that leaked fluid on to the clutch and dual mass flywheel and they were not replaced at the same time as the master cylinder, that explains why the clutch would still be slipping.

MODESTY BLAZE

I have always driven Volvo estates and, apart from an initially unreliable 340, they have served me well. It is time to change my V70 and, as my children have grown up, I would like a smaller model. I prefer a petrol engine and am looking for a used car, up to three years old. What would you suggest? MP

Volvo now has an excellent 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, but it has only been around for the past few months. The “smaller” Volvo is the V40, which is Ford Focus-sized. As a used buy it’s best with a 2.0-litre Volvo petrol engine in more modest 120bhp form. Avoid the 1.6-litre Ford engines fitted to some V40 models.