![Suzuki Jimny (2019)](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/images/2021/05/20/TELEMMGLPICT000258369861_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqekQBqG5K5m3d_5e2RK3pF6ErYfziNYJtZB41GOihRkQ.jpeg?imwidth=680)
Honest John: I don’t want a massive SUV like a Land Rover. What can I buy instead?
Our consumer champion advises on the best smaller four-wheel drive in which to negotiate floods. Plus: solving an insurance conundrum
![Suzuki Jimny (2019)](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/images/2021/05/20/TELEMMGLPICT000258369861_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqekQBqG5K5m3d_5e2RK3pF6ErYfziNYJtZB41GOihRkQ.jpeg?imwidth=680)
If your car has developed a fault, or for consumer advice, turn to Honest John by emailing honestadvice@telegraph.co.uk
Fillip green
My neighbours all negotiate local floods in huge Land Rovers but I would prefer a smaller four-wheel-drive car. I was considering the Suzuki Jimny but I read that it is not ecological. Is there an alternative to the usual massive SUVs? TB
By “not ecological” I presume you are referring to the latest Jimny’s comparatively high CO2 emissions. That is causing a problem for Suzuki in terms of massive EC fines for a high corporate emissions average, which has forced it to severely restrict Jimny sales to reduce that average. Therefore you might not be able to find one anyway. Anyway, I think you’d be far better off with a mild hybrid Suzuki Vitara 1.4 BoosterJet AllGrip SHVS. Its CO2 emissions are 128g/km and I achieved an average of 46mpg.
Blame, claim & name
My wife and I are named drivers on each other’s insurance policies. I had an at-fault accident in her car and the claim was against her insurance. I need a definitive answer about how I should declare this single incident on an insurance proposal. Does my wife declare the claim on her own insurance history and then also an accident by me as a named driver? When I fill in a quotation proposal it feels as if I am referring to two accidents. And should I declare an accident on my own driving history for my separate policy, even though there hasn’t been a claim against it? AM
You have to declare to your insurer any claim in which you were involved. She has to declare any claim against the policy when reinsuring her car.
False economy
According to its handbook, the timing belt of my 2016 Audi Q3 2.0 TDI should be good for about 130,000 miles. Audi UK suggests five years or 75,000 miles. My car has done less than 50,000. I don’t want to spend £750 or so on something that in theory is not yet necessary. What do you think? BH
If your timing belt snaps or comes off, your engine will be scrap. That is why every experienced VW Group independent recommends a timing belt, tensioner and water pump replacement at five years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first. Top money for the job at an Audi dealer should be £600. An independent will probably do it for £500. I have just had the timing belt, tensioner and water pump done on a Fiat for £400.
History lessens
![1964 MGB Roadster plus (behind) 1975 MGB GT](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/images/2020/10/21/TELEMMGLPICT000196443086_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqHzrkLRsT2gSr1xioCI5RuwtrBtCWgmdUf6p17pd1k5Q.jpeg?imwidth=350)
I have been considering a vintage or classic car, such as an Austin Seven, Spridget or MGB. Will prices plummet because of practicalities such as petrol supply or attitudes about emissions? What do you think? PW
Values of desirable 1970s and 1980s “classics” have rocketed over the last year, due to restrictions on expensive holidays, but might have overheated. In coming years you will face increasing restrictions on where older, higher tailpipe-emission vehicles can be driven and also potential problems with the fuel available as a greater ratio of ethanol is added. For a car to be considered a collectible that continues to increase in value, it would have to be very special indeed. It depends how much enjoyment you can get out of a historic car before the shutters come down.
Idle wise?
I have a 1947 Bentley MK6, which I haven’t driven since the lockdown started in March 2020. On the advice of a friend I have started it, allowing it to tick over for 20 minutes, once a month. The engineer who recommissioned the car for me suggests it is better not to start it. Which approach is best? And will I find the petrol has deteriorated next time I try to start the car? MD
Inactivity is the enemy of old cars, so if you’re starting the engine it’s better to drive it gently than letting it idle. That way, all components get up to working temperature, not simply the engine. Yes the water in the ethanol in the petrol, together with condensation inside the tank, has probably emulsified and could be blocking the fuel pump. According to Esso, its Synergy Supreme + 99RON petrol contains no ethanol, despite being labelled E5 (denoting five per cent ethanol content).
Prius answered
![Toyota Prius cut-away/ghosted view](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/images/toyota/prius/7-Toyota-Prius-fuel-economy-1_trans_NvBQzQNjv4Bq6jlhJRrmy240-AFfn450r3fub1pjibcmyV7aBYG-oCM.jpg?imwidth=350)
During lockdown I have driven my 2018 Toyota Prius for 33 miles once a fortnight, to ensure its electrics are maintained in good condition. When using a pump powered from the socket to inflate the tyres, I was horrified to find that the 12-volt battery lost its charge completely. I was able to pump only one tyre to the correct level before the battery went flat. I had assumed that the 12-volt battery would be kept fully charged. The handbook is not helpful at all. Have you heard of this before? FB
You should never use the accessory socket of a Prius to run an electrical device when the car itself is not running. The 12v battery is charged via a converter from the hybrid drive battery, so any charge it gets depends on the larger battery being fairly well charged. If the hybrid battery is low, then it won’t charge the 12v battery. To ensure the 12v battery gets charged, best to put the headlights on and any other electrical accessories while the car is switched on and that forces the integrated starter/generator to charge the hybrid battery. It’s best to use a hand pump or a foot pump for the tyres anyway, and a barrel type gauge to check the pressures.
Kodiaq bare
I own a 2017 Skoda Kodiaq 2.0 TSI with 30,000 miles on the clock. During a service, an oil leak between the bellhousing and gearbox body was diagnosed. The warranty had just expired. With such low mileage, should the dealer bear some responsibility towards the repair? What would be a reasonable cost if I had to pay to fix it? MC
I guess this is an oil leak from the crankshaft end seal. The only way to fix it is to remove the transmission and replace the crankshaft end seal, plus probably the dual mass flywheel and clutch. That’s a £1,500-£2,000 job if the crankshaft bearing has not damaged its housing in the block, which would mean a new engine. Yes, the supplying dealer should be liable under the Sale and Supply of Goods Act 1994 and the case law Clegg v Olle Andersson (trading as Nordic Marine) House of Lords 2003 and the later Consumer Rights Act of 2015.
Cam era equipment
My wife has an Audi TT 2.0 TFSI, registered in November 2012. It has done 32,000 miles. Does it have a chain-driven camshaft or a belt? JD
![Audi TT - side view](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/images/audi/tt/Audi-TT-fun-to-drive-2_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqTBlXXf_eeZQhN0ihxsXy57WNgTJRm1TvGrj_Hrgm-BU.jpg?imwidth=350)
It depends. The Audi TT 2.0 TFSI (1,984cc) had an EA888 timing chain engine. But the TTS version (also 1,984cc) had the earlier but more powerful EA113 engine with a timing belt. This continued until 2014 and was also used in the VW Golf GTI Edition 35.
Faro from home...
My car’s MoT expires soon but, due to lockdown and border restrictions, I am not allowed to travel to return my vehicle from Portugal to the UK in time for the MoT. The DVSA says there are no exemptions. Aside from paying a fortune to have the car freighted back to the UK, I feel like I am out of options. Can you suggest a solution? GB
When the restrictions are lifted you could ferry it back to the UK from Santander or Bilbao in Spain, first pre-arranging an MoT at the port of arrival in the hope that it doesn’t need much work to pass. Unless there is an exemption, you could get into trouble with the Portuguese authorities for keeping a UK-registered car there for more than six months. You should probably get in touch with the consulate to explain the situation.
- Read Honest John’s latest column on telegraph.co.uk every Friday from 10am
For tips and advice, visit our Advice section, or sign up to our newsletter here
To talk all things motoring with the Telegraph Cars team join the Telegraph Motoring Club Facebook group here