Michael McAleer answers your queries
From AC, Dublin:
I think I've picked up two penalty points but I don't know what to do next or how to check it? I was stopped down the country doing 70 mph in a 60 mph zone and the garda issued me a ticket.
Later I went to pay it at the Garda fines office and queued for over half an hour, only to be told curtly that they took payment only for fines issued in Dublin - I had to go to the station of the garda who issued the ticket, on the other side of the country.
I rang the station and was told I could post a cheque, which I did.
That was several months ago but I haven't heard anything since. Do I now have points or will I eventually get a letter or stamps on my licence, or what?
I'm too embarrassed to ask any of the local gardaí about the matter and I don't want to draw attention to myself in case there was an error and I end up getting the points.
You should have had a letter from the Department of Transport telling you that points are allocated to your licence. The points apply 28 days after the date of the letter.
If you don't want to contact the gardaí, you can visit your local motor tax office and for a nominal fee of €6 they will check how many points you have. Incidentally, you should also have received a receipt from the Garda station in question.
From J Jones, Galway:
My car has been overheating when stopped in traffic or going uphill when carrying passengers. My mechanic has checked it out, left it idling for over an hour, and drove it up hills with two apprentices on board. He says it's okay. The fan is coming on as required, all fluids are present and topped up. He says not to worry. Should I?
Generally we'd suggest you should trust the mechanic. He has undoubtedly carried out the sort of checks we suggest, so our questions would really be to you rather than about the radiator. Not knowing what sort of car it is, it's hard to make a call on this.
Perhaps the problem lies with the way you are filling the radiator, and what you are filling it with. Most modern cooling systems are filled with coolant rather than simple H2O, so you may be adding water, which is then boiling off.
Also, when checking the level of the coolant/anti-freeze, don't just look at the plastic overflow bottle, but remove the radiator cap (when the engine is cold) and look inside the radiator. You should normally be able to physically see the fluid level if it is at its proper level.
One of the most common reasons for overheating is a radiator leak, so check the ground after the car has been parked for a while to see if there's any liquid on the ground. If so, also check the hoses.
Another problem with older copper and aluminium radiators is that they tend to get clogged, restricting the flow of coolant.
According to one mechanic we spoke to, coolant systems are one of the most neglected areas of cars. People who encounter a problem simply travel around with a bottle of water and refill it regularly. In the long-term you might have to face up to the fact that the radiator needs replacing.
Remember it's all about the heat - internal combustion engines depend on heat to run, but we still waste a great deal of it. As good as today's engines are, they are still only about 22-28 per cent efficient. That means over two-thirds of the heat produced by each litre of fuel either goes out the tailpipe or is soaked up by the engine itself. All that wasted heat must be carried out using the coolant system. So ends the lecture on engine cooling. Best of luck.
From Rosemary Lucas:
I read Kilian Doyle's Emissions column on 'Animal Harm', (August 4th), laughed at the humour, agreed with the sentiment. Please tell where can I get one of those whistles? (Seriously!).
The animal whistles that you attach to cars are only coming onto the market now, so you probably will not find too many in the local motor factors stores.
On the web, several US sites sell deer warning devices, but the reviews have been mixed at best.
The thumb-sized warning device referred to by Kilian is being marketed in Britain by Anderson Speciality Products, Dept FI, PO Box 311, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 3GG. They say the devices are still on sale at £9.95 plus 50p post and packing (€16).
We can't vouch for their quality as we've never tested them, so if you still find yourself running over our furry friends we take no responsibility for their demise.
Send your queries to: Motors Help Desk, The Irish Times, Fleet Street, Dublin 2 - or e-mail them to motorshelp@irish-times.ie