The original Audi A2’s front service flap provided access to its oil dipstick and the filling points for engine oil and washer fluid. More extensive engine access involved removing the bonnet. O
A stuck fuel door may have a manual release accessible from the luggage compartment. First check that the car is unlocked, then consult its handbook for the correct procedure. Some cars have a release
Open the back of an early Honda CR-V and the cargo area looks ordinary enough. There is room for shopping bags, a muddy pair of boots, perhaps a cooler. Then you lift the floor panel and discover that
Few automotive features can make a parked car look as alive as pop-up headlights. Turn the switch and two neat sections of bodywork rise from the hood, pause with theatrical precision and reveal the l
The charging session is complete. The battery has enough range, the dashboard looks satisfied and everyone is ready to leave. The plug, unfortunately, has made other plans. Pressing its rele
A seat belt can work perfectly all week, then refuse to move on the one morning when the car happens to be parked nose-down on a steep driveway. Pull gently and nothing happens. Give it a firmer tu
A slow turn into a parking space should not feel dramatic. The car is barely moving, the steering wheel is wound around and there is little opportunity for anything exciting to happen. Then a front
Opening a car’s hood is oddly ceremonial. First comes the lever beneath the dashboard, usually hidden low enough to require an undignified search around the driver’s footwell. The hood
The key slides into the ignition normally, but refuses to turn. The steering wheel feels almost solid. Trying harder only makes the key flex in a way no piece of metal that small should ever flex.
A small square or circular panel sits almost flush with the painted bumper. It has no button, light or obvious reason to exist. Once spotted, though, it becomes surprisingly difficult to ignore. Be