MICHAEL MCALEER answers your questions
From P Dunne:
I'm hoping to change my car this Christmas, for collection in January. The dealer suggests that I need to get my order in fairly soon to avoid delay. Is this true? Also, I was planning to get the car in white but the dealer keeps trying to put me off. Any advice?
When the showrooms reopen on January 3rd, there will be the usual rush to get new cars, but most dealers suggest that unless you are ordering a special edition or a car with extremely unusual specifications, you shouldn't really have to wait that long.
That's particularly the case if you begin talking to your dealer at this early stage. As usual, the advice is to shop around and get the best overall price - looking at the net cost of change. There's really no excuse why a dealer can't deliver a regular model in January that's ordered at this early stage.
For special orders, the delays can be up to three or four months and in extreme cases the dealer may ask for a sizeable deposit, if only because they are not confident they could sell the car again quickly if you pull out of the deal.
We've heard one tale of a customer ordering a luxury flagship model with bespoke leather trim and tinted bullet proof glass. The car duly arrived at the dealers with all the necessary adjustments to the suspension and doors to take the extra-heavy glass, but without the tint.
The manufacturer said that you could have one or other but not both. Vanity got the better of the customer and he decided that he really preferred the tint.
The dealer was duly told by the manufacturer the glass couldn't simply be changed as the car was virtually custom-built to accommodate the bullet-proof lining. So the potential buyer walked away, minus a rather hefty deposit, but the dealer was left with a large bespoke custom-built and bulletproof car to try and flog.
It's a similar case with the exterior colour of a more mainstream car. In many cases dealers will discourage owners for going for white cars these days and may ask for a deposit if you do choose that colour.
If your dealer is advising against a particular colour you would be well advised to listen to them. After all, their opinion is based on the likelihood that the car will eventually make it back onto their forecourt.
From Niall O'Toole, Dublin:
I drive a 1995 Toyota Celica GT-4. I need to run it on 97 octane super unleaded fuel. Super unleaded fuel has been removed from the market but it is still being sold in Britain and Northern Ireland.
Is there any way of getting a supply of super unleaded or anything that can be done to increase the octane that actually will bring the 95 octane unleaded to the level of super unleaded?
Many people, especially driving performance cars, will have the same problem. A lot of those cars can't run on 95 octane fuel without getting the engine management reprogrammed which is an expensive solution to a lack of a suitable fuel on this side of the border.
First off, nice car.
We've spoken with the experts at Toyota and they reassure us that you can use the lower-octane fuel without damaging the engine. Most modern cars, including yours, are fitted with what's called a "knock" sensor that senses pinking and automatically retards the ignition timing. The end result means you will not damage your engine. At most you may notice a slight fall-off in power, but in reality it's pretty negligible.
If, however, you are a pure power merchant, then you can always opt for Octane booster, bottles, which are available at most good service stations. They are a bit expensive, at €6 to €8 a go, but they bring the fuel up to the required octane. You can use this as often or as rarely as you wish and each time the octane level falls below the necessary 97, the knock sensor will set the engine right. Happy motoring.
From James Mc Guinness:
I currently own a 1999, 1.4 Opel Astra Saloon (Five door). It has 80,000 miles on the clock and I am thinking of changing it for a new Hyundai Coupe. I therefore want to sell my car privately and I would be grateful if you would advise me approximately what my car is worth.
We tried getting in touch with Mr McGuinness to find out more about the car but didn't get a response. However his query is similar to the many requests we get in here during the year and it's worth outlining the qualifiers for all used price information.
First off, it should be noted that even with general mainstream models such as the Opel Astra, the Irish market still is not really big enough to have a natural price bracket.
Even before we consider your particular car, the price offered by a dealer may depend on such things as the number of Astras on the market in your area.
When selling private it's always a good move to watch the classified ads, both in the newspapers and online for not only the sort of prices similar cars are selling for but also how many are on the market.
So to your car. Taking the mileage and age into consideration, we would offer a very rough approximation of about €4,500 to €5,500, depending on the state of the car. I'm sure, like every other owner you were hoping for more - and perhaps you might get it. We just want to give you a realistic idea of what to expect.
Send your queries to Motors Help Desk, The Irish Times, Fleet Street, Dublin 2 - or email to motorshelp@irish-times.ie