The Northern Territory news Fri 22 Jun 2018
NT news
The Northern Territory news; NewspaperNT
2018-06-22
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English
Community newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin; Australian newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin
News Corp Australia
Darwin
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News Corp Australia
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00042
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/300594
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/375800
FIND YOUR NEXT CAR ON MOTORING 05 V1 - NTNE01Z01MO 18 MOTORING FIND YOUR NEXT CAR ON 18 MOTORING, Friday, November 3, 2017 MHSE01Z01MO - V1 R O A D S I D E A S S I S T Re your test of the Peugeot 3008. Couldnt you have used the key to unlock the SUV when the button on the fob failed to work its magic? Its akin to saying, Well be eating from dirty dishes because the dishwasher didnt work when I pressed the start button. Tony, email If technology exists then it should work. What if the stability control did the same trick? PERISH THE THOUGHT Im driving a fairly new Holden Commodore VFII SV6 with low kilometres but I thought Id update to one of the last cars. Which, as its eventuated, isnt as new as Id hoped. My Holden dealer can order a VFII SV6 but allocated stock is limited and the car, although at the Holden plant, is almost five months old. Im concerned that the car has been out in the weather, exposing the paint and trim for a few months, and that the perishables including oils, wipers and tyres would also have deteriorated. Should I be wary? Michael, email There is no reason to fret, as thousands of cars sit idle between the factory and their final owner. Its no different to it being left exposed once it has arrived at home and will get a detail in any case before you take delivery. CRITICAL PATH I totally agree with your safety-first approach to setting up before you drive. The business of driving is complex and requires total concentration and the growth of electronic entertainment devices in modern cars places a distraction before the driver and is not conducive to safety. The driver may get away with fiddling with controls and swiping screens while on the road if, by sheer good luck, nothing critical happens at the same time. But I prefer not to just get away with it or to be coming the other way at the same time. Alan, email Even the autonomous driving tech being developed by many car brands demands that the driver still has to be present and aware, with eyes on the road and mind on the job. CONVERSATION STOPPER The Equinox is going to be a make-or-break vehicle for Holden. But its start-stop gear is non-defeatable, which for many including me is a deal-breaker. Maybe Holden will have a dealer fix for this, perhaps something that can permanently disable it. With your industry contacts it could be worth asking the question. I have two Holdens, a VE SSV manual wagon and JH 1.6T auto Cruze hatch. I love them both but VE is getting old and Im looking around. Rick Arden, email If youre looking at the Equinox then you need to continue your search as the official news from Holden is: Equinoxs emissions are kept as low as possible using a sophisticated auto stop-start feature designed to cut the engine while standing still and restart as soon as the brake is lifted, therefore eliminating the usual split-second customers may wait for the engine to restart. It cant be deactivated but Holden promises it is smooth and asks you to take a test drive before passing final judgment. IN PARTICULAR We have had enough of our Porsche Macan diesel after almost a regular monthly visit because of the diesel particulate filter. It culminated in a near collision with a tram due to a lack of accelerating power, something that never happened with the diesel Range Rover we traded on the Porsche. The Macan is very strong when running correctly unfortunately this is really only two to three weeks out of four. Every time we lose power because the DPF is full, which is often, we have to take the car in to the dealer. Im wondering if you have any information on the problems suffered by the diesel Macan. It seems intrinsic to the DPF fitted to this model, as opposed to the Cayenne. Jeremy King, email Porsche is apparently working to get you into a petrol-engined Macan, as the problem with the particulate filter comes with doing slow, short trips. Its something Ive heard from other brands but Porsche spokesman Toni Andreevski replies: The engine needs to operate for a longer period, 15-20 minutes at 90 degrees, to burn off unwanted particulates. ROUND EM UP My husband is planning to update his 17-yearold Holden Rodeo twin-cab ute, which has 180,000km on it. He feels the Ford Ranger and Holden Colorado are too big for him. He wants an automatic but doesnt want fourwheel drive. What would you recommend? Judy Miles, email All utes have grown massively since he bought his Rodeo. The Ranger is best of the bunch and it gets The Tick from me. If you want something else to consider then perhaps try to get one of the very last Commodore utes it will be a ripper thing, also gets The Tick and is closer in size to the old Rodeo with auto and rear-wheel drive. DONT KEEP US IN SUSPENSE I have a 2017 Ford Fiesta and first thing in the morning, as I drive about 200m and go over a speed hump, there is a clunking sound from the front suspension. It then goes away. But after sitting for a couple of hours it does it again. The local dealer has heard the noise but will not commit to doing anything without further investigation, even though the car only has about 1000km on the clock. Ian, email Get straight back to the dealer and demand they investigate, as suspension problems can lead to safety issues. It may be something minor, such as a sticking damper or one of the rubber mounts settling badly, but you must get an answer ASAP. The Peugeots key fob failed to work its magic PAUL GOVER WRITE TO MOTORING AT PO BOX 2808, GPO SYDNEY, NSW, 2001 OR PAUL.GOVER@NEWS.COM.AU GOT SOMETHING TO SAY I am weighing up the Honda Civic 1.5 turbo against the Holden Astra 1.6 turbo and Mazda3 SP25. Which do you recommend? Selwyn Herberg, email Id go for the Civic, perhaps surprisingly, although the Holden and the Mazda both get The Tick. For me, the new Civic is well designed, roomy and a bit quieter than the SP25. THE TICKING OF TURBOS Tricky tech: Peugeot 3008; bottom left, Porsche Macan A HOT BUTTON ISSUE [ ]