Michael McAleer answers your queries
From Mr Flannery:
I had problems starting in the mornings and thought it might be the battery. I left the car with a local mechanic who said he'd take a look and give the car a quick service as well.
I thought I'd save a few euros this way, but a week later when I called back he had a long list of repairs and said it wouldn't pass the NCT without them. He's also billed me for wiper blades which I didn't think I needed. A friend suggests the mechanic might be a little eager to fix things up. What can I do?
As a rule, think of your mechanic as you would any other professional, be it a doctor, solicitor or plumber - the work done is only as good as the person you employ.
Many people are prepared to spend thousands on their car but go for the cheapest option when getting it fixed. That's not to say your mechanic is not right about the problems, but you're not the first motorist to wonder if a mechanic is over-enthusiastic in the standard service.
First off, you should have given the go-ahead before he replaced any major expensive parts. While wipers and suchlike are relatively easy to spot if they have been changed, under the bonnet there's no way of knowing unless you know your way around an engine. Even if you do notice a difference, it's hard to see if you have the high-price company part or a cheaper standard version.
Some feel pressured into agreeing through lack of knowledge of how an engine works. There's no shame in asking questions - an honest mechanic will explain why some- thing needs changing and what it means if you don't. There's no such thing as a stupid question when parting with money.
If you have any doubt about the service, get a second opinion. If questions remain, our advice would be to contact the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI), which runs a complaints service. The Consumer's Association is another avenue.
The best grounding for a case against a rogue mechanic is an independent engineer's report. It could be the basis of any small claims case you take.
Overall we can't stress the importance of going through the invoice properly.
From Brian Lawler:
As a loyal VW owner, I was interested to read about VW predicting lousy first quarter results, and the comments of Tom O'Connor (of VW Irish importer MDL).
I drive a 02 base model Golf. Compared to the opposition, the basic goodies,ie. electric windows,cd player, etc. are lousy. Mr O'Connor might consider taking advantage of the rebates (on offer in some European markets), and give loyal Golf drivers some helpful benefits instead of the only apparent action of constantly increasing prices.
The Golf has long been criticised for its low level of trim compared to competitors. Tom O'Connor of VW's Irish importers MDL, says that, while it's fair to say the previous model, your 02 version, didn't carry as many features as many of its competitors, "the same can't be said of the new Golf Mark V. It's true the Golf IV didn't feature electric windows as standard on the Base entry level models, but in the new car front electric windows are standard throughout the range."
About rebates, O'Connor says they are a dealer issue. "We pay incentives and offer rebates to dealers based on sales figures, dealer image and analysis. As for the €1,000 offer made in Germany, it was specific to the German market. Climate control did feature as standard in seven countries, but if we were to do that here it would drive up the price further and make the car uncompetitive.
"These are all tactical moves in particular country markets and we don't need to do that here. The new Golf has a level of features on a par with competitors - even the new Astra has no air-conditioning as standard."
O'Connor is not a keen supporter of VW tactics abroad. "I think in the long-term schemes like this cheapen the brand. If we were to offer free servicing or zero-per cent finance and the like, these attract customers initially but they all impact on residual values, something we're very proud of with VWs here. In the end, I'm not here just to fatten up the profit margins, but to protect the brand."
From Peter O'Brien, Cork:
I've just got my first diesel, a second-hand BMW. Why does the exhaust pipe point downards on diesels? I always liked to fit chrome tail-pipes on my petrol cars.
The main reason for diesel exhausts pointing down - or being tucked away behind bumpers - is to avoid soiling the rear bodywork with the small particles of black soot that comes from diesels. The other reason is probably to hide the puff of smoke that's still emitted from diesel engines even these days when they are started from cold.
• Send your queries to Motors Help Desk, The Irish Times, Fleet Street, Dublin 2 - or e-mail them to motorshelp@irish-times.ie