Michael McAleeranswers your questions
From Peter K, Dublin 4:
I travel less than 3,000 miles a year in a 02 Mercedes C-Class, which would imply about three years between services, according to the service interval indicator.
Would it be desirable, or indeed necessary, to increase the frequency of servicing? Do any of the various oils in the engine, gearbox and braking system, etc degrade over time, irrespective of mileage?
There is a perception by some that if you have low mileage then the car should last forever.
The fact is that underused engines suffer nearly as much as overused ones. Car engines are complex devices designed to do about 15,000km a year, so doing a fifth of that doesn't really help them last.
You are best to ignore the service lights in your case, and have the oil changed every 12 months. They should also give the car a quick check-up to ensure there is no problems with other parts due to underuse.
From Áine Carvill:
I am interested in changing my car (1999 Hyundai Lantra Coupé) to an Acura model. I have a friend in the States who has this car and I love it, but have never seen a dealer here. Can you help?
Acura is the premium brand from Honda, but it is not sold in Europe. While there are plans to introduce the brand to Australia in the near future, there have been no indications that they have even considered entering the European market.
Acura was introduced in 1986 specifically as a premium brand for the US market. I don't think it would be worth importing one from the US, regardless of how much you like it.
From Jim Morrissey:
I refer to Conor Twomey's article on used executive cars on January 30th where he advised avoiding multitronic models of the Audi A4, and would be interested in any info you can provide on his reasons, as I am considering purchasing a 2004 A4 with multitronic.
We've gone back to Conor for elaboration and he says that: "Apart from being appalling to drive (put your foot down and the engine howls until the car catches up) multitronic transmissions have a bad track record in the A4.
"Knowing how haphazard Irish people can be with servicing and maintenance, I believe that multitronics are simply best avoided. The six-speed tiptronic automatic on the A4 is excellent and extremely tough. Go for that instead."
From Mark Dodd:
I was planning to change my car this year, but following a bad knee injury I reckon buying an automatic would be worthwhile.
I don't need a particularly large car, I'm looking at 1.4-litre maximum, and I would prefer a hatchback. I'm planning on buying a used rather than a new car, and including trade-in on my old car I reckon I'll have a budget of around €16,000 to €18,000. Are there any models that you would recommend that fit my criteria?
If you want an automatic hatchback with a maximum of 1.4-litres, then you'll hardly need €18,000 if you are buying used. At this money you might as well buy new.
For a start, I would suggest picking up an ex-demo from a dealer with low mileage.
Of the small cars, I particularly like the Suzuki Swift, which you can get with a 1.3-litre engine and automatic gearbox well within your budget.
You can also pick up several 1.4-litre Peugeot 206 models, but my personal recommendation - if you are also concerned about getting into and out of the car - is the A-Class. You can get a low mileage 2005 A150 with automatic gearbox within your budget. That would be the one I'd opt for.
From A Bennett:
Great news on the front page of Motors last week about barrier-free tolling by August next year. I estimate the removal of the barriers will save 20-30 minutes on my journey to work every day. Perhaps you could briefly explain how the system will work and what we will have to do.
The first thing you will have to do is register. That way the toll operators know where to send the monthly bill for your vehicle.
The system works using sensors and cameras that will track vehicles crossing the tolling point.
While it is unclear at present, it's likely that numberplate recognition devices will be used along with regular cameras to identify those who have not registered but are using the route.
According to the NRA, unregistered vehicles will be given 24-hours to register before being charged a higher fee.
However, an issue remains with the enforcement of vehicles registered outside the State. At the moment, there is no method to enforce tolls on vehicles from outside the State and there will be no tolled lane for unregistered vehicles or those from another country.
Another issue that should not be overlooked as we celebrate the removal of barriers: the new rules make provision for the introduction of a series of tolling points.
This could signal the start of a completely new issue for motorists: road pricing.
While it is welcome that barrier-free tolling is finally being introduced, its application could lead to the start of a system of road charging similar to the one being espoused in Britain at present.
Once introduced, there is no technical reason why the new system could not be expanded to a congestion charge system for the city and ultimately a road charging system for the country.
While that may seem an equitable alternative to the current road tax system, it all depends on the pricing structure and would be unfair if it punished those living in rural or suburban areas who had no option but to use private transport.
Also consider the number of people who may use busy city routes during their commute to work, but spend most of the journey to work on back roads unserviced by public transport.
We must not forget that for many motorists the car is not a luxury but a necessity in their daily lives.
Send your queries to Motors Helpdesk, The Irish Times, Tara Street, Dublin 2, or e-mail motorshelp@irish-times.ie