Timing belts needs regular replacement. Suspension parts wear quickly. There are many reports of failure of Selespeed automatic transmissions. Image credit: Damien O'Donovan, CC BY 2.0...
My Volvo V50's rear-view mirror is pretty small and all I can see out of it at most times is what is directly behind me, and not the rear corners like I have been able to see out of most cars I have...
I recently bought a VXDIAG VCX NANO device which can be used with Volvo's VIDA software to communicate with Volvos from the early 2000s up to 2014 or so. The device is claimed to be compatible...
BMW Australia launched the E36 3 series in May 1991. The range initially comprised of the four-door sedan with 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine (318i) and two six-cylinder models - the 320i (2...
The new 3 series models were introduced from August 1998 with the 318i and 323i arriving first, followed closely by the 328i. Only the 4-door sedan body was offered initially, and E36 hatches,...
Excerpt from Wheels (Australia) magazine's annual car of the year feature in February 1998. Volvo's collaborative effort with Mitsubishi (whose Carisma shares this platform) should get the...
This time when I needed new windscreen wipers I thought I would give the modern, all plastic, frameless style wipers a try instead of the traditional metal frame wipers. As usual, I hopped onto...
After my last cheap dashcam failed I decided to buy another cheap one off eBay. This one is a good size - even smaller than the last one - and fits nicely behind my rearview mirror. It also has...
I've recently come across the brand BAPMIC when shopping for BMW parts, and they are usually some of the least expensive parts available. Are they any good? Who are BAPMIC? According to their...
I bought a set of new DBA 4000 series heavy duty rotors and Bendix Euro+ pads for the front of my BMW E36. After a month or two I started feeling vibration under braking, which progressively got...
I recently needed some BMW parts and, as usual, was looking for the best possible price. I often buy from Clickable Automotive but they were out of stock of one of the parts I needed, and don't...
Article from What Car? (UK) magazine, November 1997 Turbo puts 200bhp under T4's wheels. Look at what those fun junkies at Volvo are up to now. They've just slipped a turbocharged...
Article from Motor (Australia) magazine, May 1996 Volvo makes no bones about its ambitions for the new S40 sedan and V40 estate. Brimming with confidence following the success of the 850,...
Article from Car (UK) magazine, September 1996 They're an ad agency's dream, tailor made for a thirty-something lifestyle. PAUL HORRELL drives four 'estates' that put image way before...
An excerpt from Motor (Australia) magazine's annual "Bang for your bucks" feature about the Volvo S40 T4 from June 1998. Volvo has done a great job of shaking off the 'hat driver' image in...
Here's my top ten favourites from my automotive book collection. Most of the books are probably now out of print but available from the usual sources as pre-read copies. 1. Cannonball! By Brock...
I thought it might be fun to get a cheap car dashcam so I could record some of the interesting things I often see on the road and share them with Dash Cam Owners Australia on Youtube (one of the...
Due to a combination of my aftermarket supercharger and 240,000km of engine wear on my 1998 BMW 318is, I get quite a bit of oil through my PCV/CCV system that clogs the valve and gets sucked back...
If you've shopped for a universal air filter on eBay you've probably seen these carbon fibre cold air intake kits listed by a number of sellers. I recently needed to replace my K&N pod filter as...
The S40/V40 range was released in Australia in February 1997 and was initially available with a 2.0-litre normally-aspirated engine. Buyers could choose base or SE specification. The SE pack...
Article from Wheels (Australia) magazine, April 1997 Once hard-edged, Volvo has softened its corporate lines on the S40. But the S isn't quite up to speed through the esses yet, says...
Article from Which Car? (Australia) magazine, Apr/Jun 1997 Take off the hat and jump out of the box ... it's crunch time and Volvo is looking to the future with an all-new compact luxury...
Article from Wheels (Australia) magazine, June 1997 Dry-roads drive reveals safety-first handling bias Well, the rains came, and the rains went, so now we can tell you how the Volvo S40...
Article from Motor (Australia) magazine, October 1997 Never mind the safety, here's the bollocks More refinement and a bulk power injection makes the S40 T4 run hot...
Article from Car (UK) magazine, October 1997 Turbocharged and packing 200bhp, the S40 T4 is still a Volvo the stiffest clergyman could love. We're doing about 95mph. We've just...
Article from Wheels (Australia) magazine, January 1998 Volvo's small wagon adds turbo and joins the space race Fifth gear, 2000rpm uphill and still pulling like a dentist. This...
Article from Which Car? (Australia) magazine, Jan/Mar 1998 A turbocharger and a sticky set of tyres helps Volvo's S and V40 fly. But don't forget the cushion. TOBY HAGON explains...
Article from Motor (Australia) magazine, January 1998 Volvo is famous for wagons, right? So John Carey took out the new V40 and an Audi A4 to see which company builds the better...
Brooklands Books has released a new title for E36 owners, "BMW 3 Series E36 Restoration Tips & Techniques". As a collector of all books about 3 series I bought it as soon as it was available. The...
For fans of the Cannonball Run, Gumball 3000, Bullrun and illegal cross-country driving, here is my review of four books on these topics. The first title, Cannonball!: World's Greatest Outlaw...
Almost exactly a year after the introduction of the E36 generation of BMW 3-series sedan came the first of the coupes, the 318is. Although the coupe looks very similar to the sedan, virtually every...
