A Most companies will not cover you for any more than 90 days driving abroad. However, the British Insurance Brokers Association (www.biba.org.uk) says a few firms offer longer cover options. One is the Service Insurance Bureau in Aldershot (01252 329 772), which can offer a policy for up to a year, although rates will be much higher than for UK-only cover. If you want more information you can call the Biba helpline on 0870 950 1790.
Q I am now 72 and find I have shrunk from 5ft 2in to 4ft 10in. I enjoy driving and have had six Mazdas during the past few years but now find it difficult to find one with a high enough seat. Could you recommend a car that is safe, comfortable and reliable and is not too big. I prefer hatchbacks to saloons, which tend to have darker interiors. I would ideally like a top-of-the-range model, old or new, with as many extras as possible and can spend £5,000-£10,000. — MH from North Yorkshire
A Toyota has just launched a new Yaris model that may fit the bill. Its relatively compact dimensions make it easy to manoeuvre, it has a small turning circle, and the interior is light and airy. Toyota also scores well for reliability and the dealers tend to be attentive. All models have a height-adjustable driver’s seat and good visibility. Prices start at £9,000 but for about £10,000 you will get extras such as air-conditioning.
It may also be worth looking at the Mitsubishi Colt, Fiat Panda or new Renault Clio, which has just been named European Car of the Year by a jury of motoring journalists.
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Q My car has a Freedom battery that seems to have different properties from other batteries with regard to charging. I’m finding it hard to get specific information. Can you help? — MP from Carlisle
A We think you have a Delphi Freedom battery (Delphi being the manufacturer) which, like many modern batteries, is sealed for life (SFL), removing the need for regular checking and topping up of the electrolyte (battery fluid).
If a battery is overcharged it can be subject to “gassing” — effectively the boiling off of some electrolyte, which in a normal battery is usually easy to top up afterwards. However, with a sealed battery overcharging is obviously a more serious matter, so it should be charged only using an automatic charger that cuts out when the battery is at full charge, such as the CTEK Multi XS 3600 (www.ctek-chargers.com, 0800 804 6479) at around £49.95.
This charges at a high rate until the battery is 95% full, then the charge rate is lowered, and stops and starts, to ensure maximum charge is safely reached. Somewhat confusingly a good 12V battery (standard on modern cars) will actually peak at about 14.5V and is only 90% charged at 13V. At 12V it is undercharged.
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Q In the interests of fuel economy, is it better to leave the car engine running during the minute or so it takes to open/shut the garage doors or to switch off? — RR from Worthing, West Sussex
A Leaving the engine running to avoid the stop-start while you open or shut the garage would probably save some fuel. But we’re really only talking about a few eggcupfuls a week and it is insignificant when set against the risk of losing your car. Car thieves are getting ever more cunning as shown by the recent spate of so-called “frostjackings” (as reported in Driving on January 1), where cars have been stolen from the driveways of motorists who left the keys in the ignition and the car unattended — even if only for a few seconds while the windows cleared.
Many thieves take the trouble to study drivers’ habits and are prepared to lie in wait until the owner returns home in the evening. If your car was stolen in this manner, your insurer would be unlikely to pay out because you would have effectively handed the car, ignition keys and all, to the thief. So unfortunately the answer has to be to keep the ignition key in your pocket unless you’re actually in the car with it, and don’t worry about a few pence extra on your weekly fuel bill.
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Q Six months ago I had the front and rear discs and pads replaced on my TVR Chimaera and ever since the brakes have squealed. I took the car back to the dealer, who deglazed the rear pads, but after just 50 miles the noise was back. The dealer then said the pads weren’t bedding in properly and advised me to “be a bit brutal” when braking. I tried this on every clear, dry stretch of road for a month but it has not made any difference. Can you advise the best course of action? — DG from London
A Brake problems always need addressing urgently and even more so when you have upwards of 240bhp under the bonnet. The most common cause of squealing is the pads rattling at a high frequency in their housings within the brake calliper, something usually solved quite easily by applying copper grease to the rear of the pads. This would normally be carried out during the original fitment, although some designs feature a special anti-rattle spring as part of the pad, which may need replacing.
The second most common cause of squealing is contamination. This is often caused by grit getting between the disc and pad and being embedded in the latter — the British method of road surfacing by throwing loose gravel down and letting traffic compact it doesn’t help here.
As well as producing the squealing, this could also reduce the frictional effect of the brakes. Swapping the pads is the only way to cure this. As the customer and one who has already paid out plenty, your course of action is to ensure the problem is solved by the dealer — sooner rather than later. No brake system is designed to squeal, so stick to your guns on this one.
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E-mail your questions for our experts on any aspect of motoring to carclinic@sunday-times.co.uk or write to Car Clinic, Driving, The Sunday Times, 1 Pennington Street, London E98 1ST. Please give a daytime telephone number. We cannot send personal replies or deal with every letter. Please do not send original documents or SAEs. Advice is offered without legal responsibility.