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    How do I remove possum urine stains from my Subaru XV's windscreen and bonnet?
    Answered by CarsGuide · 9 Dec 2022

    By far the best thing to do with anything like animal urine, bird droppings, tree sap and industrial fallout on your car is to remove it with hot, soapy water as soon as you notice it.

    Windscreen glass is not such a problem as it's more or less impervious to such stains, even though they can contain large amounts of acid (bird droppings are particularly acidic). But the car's paintwork, being potentially porous, is another matter altogether and plenty of paintjobs have been ruined by allowing these contaminants to sit on the car for longer periods. Leave them long enough and they'll eventually leach into the paint itself, leaving permanent stains.

    You can use all sorts of detergents, but make sure they're designed for cars and painted surfaces. Don't be tempted to use household dishwashing liquid, as this has high levels of salt which can actually scratch the paint.

    If the stain is already proving difficult to shift, you can try a cutting polish that might move it, but be careful that you don't remove too much paint, especially in the case of a metallic colour with its clear top-coat. A better bet might be to take the car to a specialist in what's called paint correction, who might be able to reverse the damage already done.

    Once that's done, keep the paint protected with a good layer of automotive wax (which forms a physical barrier between the paint and whatever's trying to stain it) and try not to park under trees.

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    My 2001 Volkswagen Polo's water bottle is full of a milky substance
    Answered by CarsGuide · 8 Dec 2022

    Firstly, check that it's the coolant overflow bottle you're referring to and not the windscreen washer bottle; it sounds basic, but they can look similar from above.

    If there is a milky looking fluid and it is in the radiator overflow bottle, then you potentially have a head gasket problem on your hands. The first thing to do is take the car to a workshop which can confirm or rule out the gasket drama, and take it from there. Most workshops will probably conduct what's called a TK test which checks the radiator's coolant for traces of the chemicals that are created during the engine's combustion process. In a normal engine, these chemicals can't reach the coolant, but if the head gasket has failed, the combustion and cooling systems can intermingle. When this happens, a murky, milky coolant is often the result.

    The recent cold, wet weather across much of Australia has meant that many car owners are suddenly finding milky deposits under their engines' oil filler caps, too. This is also a classic symptom of a blown head gasket, but it can also be simple a build up of condensation in the engine thanks to the prevailing weather conditions. This is especially true if the vehicle is used only for short trips. A decent run at highway speeds will often be enough to get the engine hot enough to evaporate these harmless deposits.

    But don't assume that this is the case, as a car that really does have a failed head gasket can easily overheat in such conditions and that can lead to complete engine failure. Have the car checked by a professional and you'll know how to proceed.

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    My 2005 Ford Territory keeps shutting down when driving
    Answered by CarsGuide · 7 Dec 2022

    Relatively modern, computerised cars like the Territory absolutely loathe low battery voltage. Without enough electricity to power all the fuel-injection and electronic ignition systems (not to mention the electric fuel pump and the on-board computers) the car will never run properly and is a good bet to enter limp-home mode as you've described. Other symptoms include the dazzling array of warning lights on the dashboard as the various on-board computer systems are left high and dry by a lack of voltage.

    You're possibly on the right track with a replacement alternator as the 12.6 volts it's outputting is nowhere near enough to power the Territory successfully. Closer to 14 volts (at least about 13.7) checked at the battery terminal with the engine running and all lights and accessories switched off is where you should be.

    Unfortunately, you've already replaced a whole bunch of parts that were probably okay. This approach of random replacement can ultimately cost you a lot of money you didn't need to spend, and a much better way is to have the car scanned to see if there's any electronic fault codes to give you a clue on what's wrong. But even if the alternator is not the sole cause of your problems, at 12.6 volts it is, indeed, worn out and should be replaced or reconditioned.

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    When should the front wheel bearings on a 2013 Mazda BT-50 be replaced or repacked?
    Answered by CarsGuide · 6 Dec 2022

    After 100,000 hard off-road kilometres, you'd be wise to check pretty much every system and component of your car, including the wheel bearings. Bush tracks and rough regional roads put all sorts of stresses and strains on mechanical bits like bearings, suspension, brakes, bushes and the whole driveline.

    If you read most owner's manuals closely, you'll see that the recommended servicing schedule is based on normal or moderate use, not hard-core off-road work like you've been doing. With that in mind, the advice is to shrink the service intervals and the distances at which major parts like wheel bearing are checked and/or replaced. Give some thought to changing out the vehicle's fluids, too, including the front and rear differentials, as contamination from water crossings can destroy the lubricant and lead to extensive internal wear.

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    The back left bulb in my 2008 Ford Falcon is not working
    Answered by CarsGuide · 5 Dec 2022

    It seems a little odd that a new bulb hasn't fixed your problem, especially as the other tail-light is working properly. If both tail-lights had failed, the first thing to check would be the fuse or relay that controls that circuit. But since it's only the light on one side that's affected, that probably won't be the case (both the BF Falcon's tail-lights share a single fuse).

    The BF Falcon launched in 2008 was the first local Ford to use CAN BUS electronic technology and that could be the cause of your problem. If the computer isn't sending the correct, coded signal (as opposed of just a stream of volts) to the component in question (in this case the tail-light) then the light may not work. A scan of the vehicle might throw up some more clues.

    If it's not that, that leaves you with a bad connection (possibly a bad earth) within the wiring for the troublesome light or perhaps even a problem with the bayonet mount into which the globe clips. Don't rule out something as unlikely as the new globe being faulty, either. It's happened before. Spray some terminal cleaner into the globe mount and see if that restores power to the light.

    Fords of this era are notorious for electrical problems, including brake-light switches that fail and even body computers that crash, taking many functions including the central locking with them.

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    The oil light in my 2010 Ford Territory is coming on and off after I drove through water
    Answered by CarsGuide · 2 Dec 2022

    With the recent flooding across so much of Australia, there's a serious push by the government to convince people that they shouldn't drive through floodwater of any depth, let alone water that is a deep as the patch you've tackled.

    The first thing to do is not drive the car any further. If there really is an oil pressure or level problem, permanent damage may already have been done. This needs to be checked by a workshop. However, since you seem to have already driven the car with the oil light flashing, here's the reality.

    If the car still runs and drives as it did before, it's unlikely that the water has damaged the engine per se. The problem is more likely to involve the pressure of the water damaging a sensor or switch (or the wiring associated with it) that is designed to warn you of low oil pressure or low oil level. If the engine is running properly and there's oil on the dipstick, the next thing to do is have the vehicle scanned which should throw up a fault code that will lead you to the cause of the problem.

    Floodwater is terrible stuff. It's full of silt and contaminants and as well as damaging an engine that ingests it, it can also destroy the gearbox or differential (by entering through the breather) and ruin electronics if it gets inside the cabin. The silt content can even act as an abrasive and wear out wheel bearings in short order.

    That said, you could have a legitimate oil-pressure problem that happened to coincide with the water crossing. Stranger things have happened. A scan is the answer.

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    What are some good options to replace a 2004 Ford Fairmont?
    Answered by CarsGuide · 1 Dec 2022

    Sadly, Aussie cars like the Ford Fairmont just aren't being made any longer. As you've correctly identified over many years and almost 300,000km, this big, rugged, relaxed type of vehicle was perfect for travelling in Australia, but the onslaught of SUVs and the death of the local car-making industry put an end to these big sedans.

    There's nothing wrong with a Kia Sportage (in fact, it's a good choice) and you might find the effortless turbo-diesel version suits your needs and preferences quite well. You may also appreciate the higher ride height and easier entry and egress. But what you won't find in any mid-sized SUV is the same dynamic feel of a conventional sedan like your current Ford. This is not to say modern SUVs don't drive well; they do, and improved fuel efficiency and different packaging is all part of where the Australia car-park is going.

    If you're not venturing off the bitumen, however, there are a few alternatives to an SUV in the form of some very accomplished medium-sized sedans. The Hyundai i30 Sedan would be one and, if you want to retain the rear-wheel-drive feel and big performance, then the Kia Stinger is another alternative to an SUV.

    The other alternative would be to take the time and effort to seek out a later-model Ford Fairmont with fewer kilometres on its odometer and start over again with the packaging you clearly already enjoy.

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    What are the differences between the 2022 and 2023 Kia Sportage GT-Line?
    Answered by CarsGuide · 30 Nov 2022

    Kia introduced the fifth-generation Sportage in 2021, so there won't be any wholesale changes to the car for a while yet. Kia – like most car-makers – is constantly fine-tuning specifications of its vehicles, so there may be a mild facelift of the car due in 2023 or soon thereafter, but it's unlikely to involve much in the way of engineering.

    The biggest news for the Sportage range in 2023 is likely to be the introduction of a hybrid model. Kia isn't saying when that will be, however, and it could even be 2024 before we see it. The other new Sportage variant is likely to be a plug-in hybrid version which has been slated for the North American market, but not confirmed for Australia. Yet.

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    Is there a way to get an English workshop manual from the manufacturer for a 2008 Holden Colorado?
    Answered by CarsGuide · 29 Nov 2022

    I'm with you, Allan; I much prefer a hardcopy book I can lay out in the engine bay with me while I'm working on a car, rather than an e-book that requires an electronic device to access it.

    A quick online search revealed that while the official Holden manual is, indeed, most commonly available as an electronic document, there are plenty of hardcopy workshop manuals from other companies available to buy. Another possibility would be to try a Holden service centre to see if it still sells workshop manuals for its cars. Some public libraries also keep a selection of workshop manual to borrow.

    The best place to find workshop manual is a swap meet where some vendors have literally hundreds of titles to choose from. A second-hand workshop manual is not only a great form of recycling, the pages with the most greasy fingerprints will give you a good hint on the major problem areas of the vehicle.

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    How can I get rid of the reminder to 'maintain my car' in my 2019 Haval H2?
    Answered by CarsGuide · 28 Nov 2022

    There's absolutely nothing wrong with having a non-Haval workshop service your vehicle and, provided the workshop is qualified, there will be no problems with any warranty claims down the track. In fact, the relative scarcity of Haval dealers in Australia means that many owners living in regional or remote areas have very little choice but to use a non-Haval service centre.

    As far as the service reminder message goes, the solution is not so simple. While many makes and models have a simple method of cancelling this reminder (usually via the infotainment system and a series of menus) it appears the Haval H2 requires the Haval factory computer to achieve this. The message cancellation appears to be performed via the car's diagnostic port, rather than any simple method you could do at home. So, next time you're near a Haval dealer, drop in and have the message erased.

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    Disclaimer: You acknowledge and agree that all answers are provided as a general guide only and should not be relied upon as bespoke advice. Carsguide is not liable for the accuracy of any information provided in the answers.

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