The web is causing all sorts of problems because overseas situations are rarely the same as Australia. I have been in touch with BMW Australia and even though your car is 13 years old and has not been regularly serviced by BMW, the reply is positive. Company spokeswoman Lenore Fletcher says: "The Cooper S has hydraulic steering and the overseas service campaign was with the electric steering on the Cooper. Nonetheless, if he takes it to a dealer we'll have a look and see what we can do."

You would need to have someone experienced in superchargers and turbochargers to listen to your engine to really determine whether or not it was the bearings in the blower. Rather than replace the supercharger see if it can be rebuilt, there are specialists who can do that work.

THE last time I recommended a reader swap his run-flats for regular tyres I was scolded by BMW's spin doctor, saying that it mustn't be done for safety reasons. What he was saying was that the run-flat tyres have a very stiff sidewall, which is the reason for the appalling ride of course. The engineers take that into consideration when tuning the suspension and if you swap to regular tyres, which have a much softer sidewall, you will upset that tuning. He's right, of course. The handling may not be as good with the regular tyres, but if you're not looking for the ultimate handling from your car it will be fine. The ride will be much better and there are those in the trade who believe the handling is also improved. All foam repairers are about the same, but talk to a retailer for advice. Be aware, however, that when used the foam creates a sealing layer inside the tyre that is difficult to remove to repair the tyre.