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My gadget of the week is the latest solution to an old problem. It’s a fuel cap that prevents you from misfuelling a diesel car with petrol. The clever gadget replaces the standard filler cap and prevents the narrower petrol nozzle from entering the tank. The unit, called the Diesel Head is easy to fit, simply unscrew the factory fitted unit and place the Read more »

Warnings have come out again from the AA who have reported a 6% increase in callouts for miss-fuelling during the first 6 months of 2010. It all seemed to have settled down last year as filling stations made sure that pumps were more clearly marked and manufacturers made it more obvious as to what fuel needed to be pumped into the tank. But for no apparent reason we have suddenly had this increase. The AA Read more »

A warning from Warranty Direct suggests that turbo charged engines are more likely to break down than non turbo charged. Around 11% of their customers suffer an engine failure with a typical repair cost of £619 but turbo charged engines have a failure rate of  28% with an average repair cost of £875, worth considering if you are thinking about buying a used car. Don’t forget that most diesel engines, especially those fitted in larger cars, are turbo charged. By Graham Hill

The old question of which car to choose has risen its head again as diesel has now been roughly on par with the cost of petrol for months now compared to a year ago when the difference was 13pence per litre. Whether petrol has increased to meet the cost of diesel or vice versa we’re not sure but with better fuel consumption one would assume that diesel would be more popular, however, petrol engines have been vastly Read more »

As motorists attempt to save costs in the current recession many are reducing the number of miles they are travelling and keeping speed down. Whilst this is great in terms of costs, safety and the environment it may not be so great if you are a diesel driver. First of all you may find that covering very low mileage makes the new generation petrol engines far more fuel efficient than the equivalent Read more »

Is diesel still best? Research by GE Capital Solutions has shown a return to petrol power as petrol cars become more efficient and some diesel drivers find out, too late, that you have to take action to stop the particulate filter from clogging which, if not done, can lead to the filter requiring replacing at a not inconsiderable cost. In the meantime a clogged filter can lead to Read more »

A recent conference sponsored by leasing company Lex suggested that drivers and all businesses should consider ways of saving money. They concluded, as I have already suggested, that finance is one important area of consideration along with vehicle choice, emissions limits, fuel policies and for fleets even drink and drugs policies. Nothing very new there then but the interesting debate was over fuel choice. The proposal was that diesel Read more »

Diesel car sales are exactly the same as they have been since the beginning of the year. That’s my experience however if you believe press reports diesel and petrol car sales swing backwards and forwards like a pendulum. A couple of weeks ago when fuel reached its all time high the press reported the bottom falling out of the diesel market and everyone immediately turning to petrol. According to my sales and enquiries diesel demand was just as strong. A couple of weeks later and an unexpected drop in fuel prices sees Read more »

For those that lease diesel cars they aren’t aware that the cost of a diesel car is generally still more than a petrol equivalent as the higher cost of the car is more than offset by the much higher resale value of a diesel car at the end of the lease making the diesel cheaper in monthly costs than the petrol equivalent. However, we are starting to see a change as used diesel cars fall out of favour as the difference between petrol and diesel at the pumps continues to increase. Backing this up is research by EurotaxGlass (Glass’s Guide) which shows Read more »