edbostan

Thank you for your advice. I will look into it.

Local Motor Factors have a Bosch 60Ah for £111. I think I will plump for that one. Thank goodness I don't have stop/start looking at those prices

After 8 years my battery has lost the will to start my engine. I have a 1.2 tsi 85bhp and there is nothing in the handbook mentioning battery specification. I have looked at the local motor factors and there are choices of battery. I don't have stop start to a standard battery is listed. The specification fogs me. One battery is 60Ah with hold-down Type B13 Post positions 0; Terminal Type 1. The other battery is 45Ah while another is 63Ah. The fuses are mounted on the positive terminal. Also what is the purpose of that felt wrap around the factor-fitted battery and does it need to be replaced around the new battery?

Thank you for putting my mind at rest

Had front pads replaced last week by an independent garage. I can't remember seeing the old pads with shiny clips. Does the photo show anything amiss?

I am getting to the end of my motoring life when the insurance companies will ask me to hang up my keys. I doubt I will ever own an EV but I might invest invest in one to experience the latest mode of travel as a final throw to pronounce my modernity in motoring. When riders gave up their horses for the horseless carriage they mourned the convenience of fuelling a horse as opposed to winding up petrol in the early manual petrol pumps. Oh! the march of progress.

Will there be a revival of nostalgia for the internal combustion engine as we are witnessing with vinyl records? I am pleased to have learnt to drive and own, which may be my last car, with the internal combustion engine. The weekends adjusting points, renewing plugs and engine oil are memories of pleasure. My vehicle was maintained and cherished which can be compared to playing a vinyl record. The removing from the sleeve and carefully placing on the turntable and lowering the arm onto the record with care is an immersive experience. My son who represents the youth of modern-day motoring is told what to do by a display of warning symbols on the dash and has no love for his vehicle and thinks of it as a tool rather like his Apple MacBook or i-phone. I envy him as he has a Mini Cooper S and I have always yearned to own one but bringing him up with his sister has reduced my finances in buying practical over style. In eight years time his Mini Cooper S will be a dinosaur and considered to be the vinyl equivalent of the motoring world - unless nostalgia comes rushing back and the excitement returns to drive an internal combustion propelled car.

Up until covid I had the car serviced by a Skoda dealer who used Castrol 5W 30 LL or Shell Ultra Helix 0W 30W. Last year I decided to do it myself because the costs of dealer care was rising.

It says 'recommended for applications requiring ACEA C3'. But even on the Castrol and Shell websites it only says 'recommended' I have been trying to find who blends the oil but all it says on the container 'Made in GB'

Update. After last night's heavy rain and the pushing in of the sensors yesterday they are working ok.

When the battery on our Fiat Multipla became sluggish I bought a Varta and it did us the 10 years until we sold the Multipla.

I believe garages are reluctant to fit parts not supplied by themselves as it will make problems in giving you a warranty for faulty parts. I bought the fan speed resistor pack from a dealer and tried to fit it at home but was reluctant to because it was under the air bag. I asked the dealer to fit it and he was happy to do it because I had purchased the part from his parts shop.

I have bought Redex 5W 30W Motor oil to service my Roomster 1.2tsi and it meets VW 504, BMW and Porsche specs so favoured it over my usual Shell or Castrol counterparts and can't fault it. Being half of the price made me wonder if the quality is on a par but if it meets the C3 and low saps specification even for the long drain (even if I don't do it) it must have been certified to do the job. Another benefit seems to be a quieter start from cold.

Did the glass implode inwards or outwards? If inwards the glass may have had a blow. Did the alarm sound?

On the A10 in north London a bus lane was shown in red and a sign showing end of bus lane. Roadworks had been done at the end of the bus lane but before the bus lane ends sign. The road surface was replaced with black asphalt so the unfamiliar would assume that designated the end of the bus lane. Easily caught

Mine have started to play up. It started in the summer when I got a continuous tone with the display showing a long line on one side. It only happened once and then rectified itself. Stayed OK until last month when after washing the car the same thing happened and then rectified itself. Yesterday after the heavy rain it played up again so I went round the sensors pressing them into the bumper and the seals seemed squishy. Reversed towards a wall and it was ok. Don't fancy removing the bumper to replace or mend the offending sensor(s). I have never had the car pressure-washed which can damage the sensors.

Hard to know what is fact and fiction. My son has bought a Mini Cooper S diesel and it is a 2-litre with emissions equalling his previous 1.2 litre petrol Ford Fiesta. When he starts up there is no smoke or a diesel smell. Then, this week I read that direct injection petrol engines produce smaller particulates which are even more damaging to lungs. Who knows?

It has made no difference to my Roomster. I have the detuned 86bhp 1.2tsi so it does not breathe fire. There is a roundabout about half a mile from me and I aim to get 36mpg (shown on display) by the time I reach it and I achieve that with the E10. My son lives 50 miles away and I still show 53mpg on the display when I reach him.

Ah! the smell of a new car. After 8 years my Roomster still has the showroom smell especially on a hot summers day. I doubt you will rev the engine into the danger zone as that is three-quarters of the rev band when new. During the first 1000 miles and forever avoid labouring the engine. It is preferrable to drive at higher revs lightly loading the engine than slogging along at low revs in a higher gear.

Interesting. My fob battery is the original now 8 years old: just wonder how long it will last

Still smarting from a recent sub-standard car purchase I used the 30 days consumer law and got a full refund. Give the dealer the photos for proof and declare it is not of mechantable quality and not fit for purpose. Put it all in writing so there is a trail, either by email or letter. It was my son's car bought on the Saturday and rejected on the Monday. Only 3 days ownership. I was told by my friendly mechanic always ask for an MOT even if there are months still remaining.

At 50k the engine has just run-in

Just an excuse to raise the price

If you service it yourself does it matter if you revert to fixed service notifications?

Mate had a fail on his Passat 1.8 turbo and it was the cat which needed replacing. His mileage was 113k. His was 2001 reg