Michael McAleer answers your queries
From Joyce Scott:
Could you help me find a new Opel Agila? A few weeks ago your Motors supplement listed it as the cheapest car on the Irish market.
I have one which I love. It's the most useful car to transport my mother and her wheelchair. The height of the seat is ideal and the car is exactly right. It's nearly three years old and I've decided on a trade-in.
I spoke to one Opel garage which said the Agila is not being sold here any more. It says the Meriva is the preferred choice now but I have a learner driver in the family so it has to be the 1-litre Agila.
Regardless of what the dealer has told you, Opel Ireland has reassured us that the Agila is very much on sale in Ireland - it suggests you try another Opel dealer.
My only guess is that your dealer was keen on making a more profitable sale on the Meriva. The current Agila was launched only in 2000, so it has some way to go before being replaced. Agila sales are small, but Opel still sells about 50 a year. So, find another dealer.
From P Hill:
In the past you've been called upon to settle family disputes. So we've decided to turn to you. There's disagreement in our house over whether you should turn your car off while sitting in traffic. What are the benefits and the drawbacks?
This is not the first time I've heard of this debate. Only a few weeks ago, while sitting for an hour in gridlock at the Port Tunnel, a conversation with a colleague rounded on this topic.
Apart from toxic emissions which build up in traffic and pollute the air, there are mechanical reasons to avoid excessive idling. The effects of emissions, particularly on children, has been well publicised. Research has also shown that it effects male fertility. A study in Italy found that men who are exposed to traffic pollution every day, through work for example, are most at risk.
On the mechanics - idling in traffic can be hard on your engine because fuel doesn't undergo complete combustion. Some fuel residues condense on cylinder walls. And, of course, idling wastes money - you're burning fuel going nowhere.
Claims that the engine will be damaged by letting it go cold, don't really apply in Irish temperatures and certainly not if the engine has already been running for more than a few minute. Besides, many components - including wheel bearings, tyres and suspension system - will warm up only when the vehicle is moving. As for the oil, you need to idle no more than 30 seconds to get the oil circulating through the engine.
There have been concerns about starter motors. However, according to Ford, starter life will not be seriously jeopardised by the few extra turns needed or the small increase in the number of times it will be put to use.
In a response to a similar query some time ago, a senior engineer said: "Tests by a European automaker (albeit at room temperature) showed that an automobile could be turned off and restarted 30 times per minute and still return better fuel economy than when left idling for the whole minute."
So all the arguments seem to side with the idea that you should switch off in traffic. But, like all things in life, there's a qualification. Some people suggest applying the 10-second rule - cutting the engine if you think you're going to be idling for more than 10 seconds. However, while the 10-second rule is a good one, you can't avoid some idling.
Turning off your vehicle in these situations can disrupt traffic. It could also cause you to speed away after you restart the engine, which would offset any fuel savings and lead others behind you to do the same, thereby cancelling out all your good environmental work.
There's more to environmental driving than simply switching off in traffic for a few minutes. Try staying in a higher gear at lower revs. That uses less fuel, so long as the revs aren't too low, causing the engine to strain.
From P Redmond:
Is it still possible to register a car in Dublin even if you live down the country? Does the D-plate still mean a premium rate when you go to sell it?
You need an address in Dublin - be it rented accommodation or owned - to register in the city. Alternatively you could get the dealer in Dublin to register the vehicle for you under its name and then immediately change it over.
As for the D-plate issue, it's a case of preference rather than premium. A D-plate - or these days a Meath or Kildare plate - will sell quicker than say a Cavan or Leitrim plate, but not necessarily for more money. The registration is not really relevant on regular models but impacts more at the premium end.