What’s probably happened is that the battery of the vehicle has been disconnected as part of the repair process (perhaps there was some welding done, or the workshop disconnected the battery while waiting for parts to arrive). In the process, the radio’s stored stations have been lost.

This is a pretty common problem in most cars that have had their battery disconnected for any length of time, and it requires you to retune the radio to store your favourite stations. If the stereo unit is the one that came with the car from the factory, the owner’s manual should detail how to store your stations, but if the stereo is an aftermarket one, you’ll need to find the instruction sheet, or just wing it until you work out the process.

In some vehicles, you’ll also need to find the radio’s security code and key that in before the unit will even switch on.

This sounds like a problem with the rear or centre differential not working properly. When a car turns a corner, the various wheels must turn at different speeds (because they travel through different arcs). The differentials use a complex series of gears allow this to happen, but if they’re not all working properly, there’s a chance that the individual wheels are not able to turn at the correct speed. When that happens, the tyres have to skip and spin. Either that, or something like an axle or drive-shaft will snap.

The rear differential allows the two rear wheels to turn at different speeds, while the centre differential (which an all-wheel-drive car has) allows the front and rear wheels to turn at different speeds and maintain harmony. Being all-wheel-drive, your Captiva also has a front differential, but since you’re feeling the rear wheels skipping and skating, the front differential is probably not the cause. Which leaves the rear or centre differential.

Differentials can fail for a variety of reasons, including excess heat build-up or a lack of the correct type of lubricating oil. It’s entirely possible a seal has failed, allowing the oil out and letting the differential run dry to the point where it’s now damaged. But don’t ignore the simple things like a biding rear brake or poorly adjusted park-brake.

As part of a car’s exhaust system, a catalytic converter contains some pretty exotic metals that help convert the engine’s exhaust gasses to less harmful chemicals. It’s pretty high-end chemistry, but the converter’s job is to make the overall exhaust emissions less harmful to people and the environment.

Several things can go wrong with a catalytic converter that can stop it doing this job, and that’s when the dashboard light will flash on, alerting you to the fact that the converter needs attention.

Sometimes, the converter’s internal structure (the matrix) will collapse, at which point the only solution is to replace the unit. But sometimes, the matrix simply gets clogged by soot and other contaminants from the engine’s combustion process. In the case of the latter, you can remove the converter and manually clean it or, add a chemical to the car’s fuel tank that will be burnt in the engine, pass through the converter and hopefully clean it.

However, the jury is still out on whether using either method to clean a catalytic converter is worth the time and effort. Many cleaning attempts have led to the dashboard light flickering back on within minutes of the cleaning taking place. Perhaps the additive method is worth a try, but in a high percentage of cases, converter replacement is the only fix. So why not just remove the converter? Because it’s illegal to tamper with a car’s emissions control devices and there are big fines for those who do so. Also, a catalytic-converter warning light on the dashboard is actually a roadworthy item.