Michael McAleer answers your questions
From Gabriel Duffy:
I'm a long-term Citroën owner - now in my fifth C5 - and I like the car overall. However, I have a problem with the economy setting that turns off the radio after four minutes when the car is parked up.
I've spoken with the dealer and he tells me there is no way to over-ride the system. As someone who spends lengthy periods in my car, it's particularly annoying having to restart the engine every few minutes in order to keep the radio on. Surely that's not very economical?
It's the perfect example of where a good idea in theory becomes a problem in reality. Citroën has opted for a new power saving system to prevent the battery from draining. That's a positive step.
On the facelifted C5s the on-board computer adjusts the power to the radio depending on the length of time the car has been running beforehand.
While it has some technical foundation, it all seems a bit ridiculous in reality, for the distance of your journey has little or no relationship as to the time you might have to spend waiting in the car.
Therefore, if you only did a short journey then the radio will only remain on for four to five minutes when the car is stopped. If you have driven a long journey then it will stay on for up to 30 minutes.
While that may conserve energy in the battery, it does seem like a very uneconomical situation for you, as you'll have to keep restarting your car.
According to a spokesman for the firm, there's no way to override the system. The radio is now part of the main electronics of the car, so to take it out or remove it from the car's main circuit could cause serious problems with the car's electronics.
That means, sadly, the only advice I can give you is to bring a pocket radio with you when you travel.
Still, that's hardly the sort of advice you want to hear after spending over €25,000 on a new car.
From A Cullen:
I bought a new car several months ago and now - despite having clocked up some 18,000 km, the dealer says an oil change is not necessary and that the car is fitted with a service indicator.
However, I'm old school: I used to change the oil and repair spark plugs on my cars in my earlier days of motoring. I don't trust these indicators and 18,000km seems an awful long distance before a change.
Incidentally, the car is on its second set of front tyres, which also seems excessive wear as I'm not exactly a budding Alonso behind the wheel.
I would generally trust the car's indicators on these occasions, but it does seem like a long time without an oil change.
A cynic would suggest that it's not in the interests of car firms to have you changing the oil regularly as that would only lengthen the lifespan of the engine, and thereby reduce their potential profits in replacement parts and/or replacement car.
In the US, people change their oil every 5,000 to 7,000 miles. Certainly oil is cheaper over there, and we've started to see some "premium" oils on sale here that claim longer mileage. Personally I'd still prefer to change the oil regularly, even if it meant you had to use less expensive oil in the process.
Keeping the oil in your engine regularly topped up is a well-proven way to increase the engine's lifespan. So is changing the oil. If your dealer won't do it for you, find another one who will.
As for the tyres, I would suspect that the dealer didn't check the tracking before handing it over. In fairness, many dealers don't bother to do this.
For longer lasting tyres, I'd suggest that new owners be sure to ask their dealer to get tracking done before they collect their new car.
From D Rachek, Co Louth:
I drive an imported BMW but it's left-hand-drive. It's fine on motorways, but I have real problems with visibility on rural roads.
Are there any devices that would help me see oncoming traffic?
I've heard of several mirrors that can be fitted to the a-pillar and work in the same way a periscope does in reflecting the view of oncoming traffic.
However, there may be issues with not being able to adjust the mirrors when the lights of oncoming cars are strong. Apparently none of them have the same auto-dimming features as modern rearview ones. Personally, I think it's best to rely on an alert passenger with good eyesight.
From T O'Brien:
Is it law to keep a reflective jacket in the car here? A friend from Spain told me recently that this was an EU law, but I can't find any reference to it applying in Ireland.
It might make sense to have such a law applied throughout the EU, but at present it's only in selected countries such as Spain. Then again, given the number of pedestrians and cyclists who ignore laws already set down regarding lights and reflective clothing, it's hard to see why this particular law would be enforced any more rigorously here.
In reality, anyone with common sense knows it shouldn't take a law to persuade you to make yourself more visible to passing traffic.
The fact that there is no legal requirement is no good to you when you are six feet under.
There's a time when people need to take responsibility for themselves, and having these reflective vests in your car is one of those instances.
Send your queries to Motors Helpdesk, The Irish Times, Tara Street, Dublin 2 or e-mail motorshelp@irish-times.ie