Andrew Hamilton answers your queries
From David Byrne, Co Westmeath: Like a lot of Irish people, I have a property in Spain and some people down there told me I should buy a cheap car and keep it based there. So could the Help Desk advise if this is a good idea? Obviously, I want something that's cheap, capable of starting after being left standing for long periods and with air conditioning because of the heat. I would prefer diesel and space for five adults. Some other people have suggested that hiring is a better option.
We think hiring is a much better idea, especially as car rental in Spain is much cheaper than in Ireland. A car left for long periods will deteriorate, especially with air con. It needs to be run at least once a week to lubricate the seals. If left unused, it will lose its refrigerant.
From Jane Power , Co Dublin: I own a Peugeot 206cc that's going on two and a half years now and I am very happy with it. A friend who is a car enthusiast and a bit of an amateur mechanic, told me that it should have an oil change every 10,000 miles. The service intervals for the 206 are every 20,000 miles. My Peugeot dealer says the 10,000 mile oil change isn't necessary.
We think you should listen to your dealer. Peugeot was among the first manufacturers to extend service intervals to 20,000 miles. It has happened because of the advances not just in lubricant technology but also in improved oil filters and ignition and injection systems. We doubt if Peugeot would have introduced a longer interval if there was any risk to the engine. Changing the oil more often than is recommended will not do your car any harm but it's probably an unnecessary expense.
From Sean Tilson, Dublin: My problem may seem trivial but it's very annoying. I own a second-hand 1995 Ford Fiesta and the interior rear view mirror keeps falling off the windscreen. I have tried various adhesives but none have worked. I was told this is a common problem.
We certainly know of one other Fiesta owner with a similar experience. You should contact a motor factor who will supply you with the right adhesive pads but these need to be applied using heat as per the exact instructions.
From David Frame, Galway: I have a two-year-old VW Polo and I have had not one but two failures of headlight bulbs. It was a replacement job and something that I thought I could do myself but how wrong I was. It meant a trip to the Volkswagen dealer. After the latest bulb failure, I looked at the handbook and it said: "It is normally no longer possible to replace a bulb without first removing other vehicle parts. Several skills are required to carry out this work. We recommend that bulbs only be replaced by an authorised Volkswagen dealer, or that you ask your dealer for expert advice."
I am very surprised given that so many manufacturers including VW, are claiming lower service and maintenance costs.
We checked with a VW dealership and what you say is correct. The dealer spokesman, however, insists that bulb replacement has always been a dealer job and that's the standard practice with most other marques as well. We sympathise but design that takes no account of simple service requirements is still very common.
From Bernadette O'Mahony, Cork: What's the cheapest car on the Irish market? I want something that will give me over 55 mpg as I am on a small pension.
A flick through the latest price list of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry shows the cheapest accolade to be held by the Suzuki Alto which has a 1.1 litre engine. It is €10,500 ex works which means you will be really be paying almost €11,000 with the delivery charge. The Alto has an official combined mpg figure of 57.6 so maybe 55 mph is achievable. Incidentally although Japanese, the Alto is Indian-built. Watch out too for a new Malaysian arrival, the 1.0 litre Perodua Kelisa coming here in January at around the same price. Details are caried on page 1 of Motors today.
From David Adams, Co Louth: I am a Citroen 2CV enthusiast and in past years I have attended the 2CV 24-hour race at Mondello Park. But it didn't happen this year. Was it cancelled or held elsewhere?
Our information is that it was simply transferred to Snetterton in England. We suggest you go to www.2cvracing.co.uk for the latest. A lot of people enjoyed this slightly bizarre race: it would be a shame if it's not back at Mondello again.
From Georgina Smyth, Wicklow: Why do we not see pop-up headlamps any more? I think they make a car very stylish looking. I owned a Mazda 323F about 14 years ago and I was very happy with it, especially the smart lamps. Is there any new car with these lamps ?
We don't think so. Safety considerations have put paid to this kind of design. Headlamps are also now much more the jewellery of the stylists and the open and closed lamps of cars such as the 323F don't give any scope for embellishment.
Send your queries to
Motors Help Desk, The Irish Times, Fleet Street, Dublin 2 - or e-mail them to motorshelp@irish-times.ie