My present car is a Mercedes-Benz C 220 CDI, with the torque converter automatic gearbox. After 50 years of manual gearbox driving, I took the plunge and changed to automatic life, and I am thoroughly sold on it, and on…
Looking for a comfortable ride
Hope that you can help, Doctor, regarding thoughts on purchasing some new tyres. There’s plenty to read on various tyre manufacturer and retailer web sites, there are group tyre tests to read from other magazines, including some by European magazines,…
Filter tips
I wonder if The Doctor might offer me a few words of advice on whether, in view of all the problems with diesel particulate filters (DPFs), I should look at having mine on my 2013 Focus Zetec 1.6 TDCi taken…
Something lost in the translation?
Further to your letter from Dan Deakin, he was correct in saying that you do not add petrol in any amount to diesel fuel. I do recall the recent quote from a service manager of an Audi garage saying that…
Soapbox – Motoring Journalism
I guess it dates me somewhat to confess that as a lad I used to buy Autocar when it was “one and nine pence” in old money (around 9p today) when a new Porsche 911 cost well under £3,000. Many…
Judder and Whoosh!
I have a 2009 Citroën Grand C4 Picasso 1.6 HDi EGS which has done some 79,000 miles now. You were kind enough some time ago to reassure me over clutch slip, as this car is an EGS semi-automatic, which you…
Mixed Feelings on Diesel Brands
Some recent letters to you have been on the subject of unexplained variation of mpg figures. I too was perplexed by variations going back some 15 years. I concluded that, for my motoring style, supermarket fuels used by themselves i.e.…
Chips (NOT FRENCH FRIES) in the USA?
In your Diesel Car Magazine there are a lot of claims made for chips that make diesel engines more powerful and give better fuel mileage, and a lot of other claims. Are these all true, and are these conversions worth…
Variable Resistance (Not a Rheostat)
Hello Doctor. I’ve been keenly reading stuff about fuel economy and economical driving in Diesel Car. One of the things that seems particularly effective is fitting eco low rolling resistance tyres, and I see that there are now ratings A,…
Worried of Wantage….
Dear Doctor Diesel, I would welcome your thoughts on future legislation on diesel engines, i.e. talk of scrappage schemes, charging to go into town and city centres etc. I have been driving diesel engined cars for twenty years, and my…