November 2000
I have a Honda Integra Type-R fitted from new with Bridgestone Potenza RE010 195/55 R15 85W tyres. I have looked on the Bridgestone Europe web site and this type are not available. There are none that match this size/ speed rating combination. Can you suggest an alternative tyre choice? Read more
In your car by car breakdown for the Peugeot 405, rust appears at the top of the list of what's bad.
Where should I look to check for rust on these cars?
I have looked at a few 405 estates already, but have not seen any rust problems.
Problems I have found are coolant leaks, heavy clutches on turbo diesels, leaky inboard driveshaft seals (gearbox oil leaking out) and rattling aux. drivebelt lensioners.
Thanks in advance,
Regards,
Mike. Read more
Thanks for the advice.
I found a 405 estate that I like, 1995/N reg. I can't find any rust in the seams at present,
but if this is a known weakness, should I be treating the seams with something to
prevent them rusting in future?
If so, what should I use, and where should I apply it?
Thanks,
Mike Humpherson.
I've got a 2.0 Focus ESP and am slightly disappointed with the fuel consumption - I get 28 mpg on my daily commute, 32 mpg on a long run. I do have a heavy right foot though! I was wondering if I switched to 97 octane from the 95 I cuurently use if I would get better mpg and performance.. Ford recommend 95 octane
Also you may wish to know that my car was recalled for a brake master cylinder change - this isn't in your list of recalls Read more
Dear Nigel,
Thanks for your input about the master cylinder. If I can get 40mpg on a run from my 2.0 Mondeo, you can from your 2.0 Focus. Obviously you won't get this sort of economy from mixed motoring involving town work, but you should still average out at about 33 - 34mp. Try switching to Shell Premium unleaded rather than Super as this is around 95.6 Ron; 0.5 higher than the average for premium unleaded and has a good detergent package.
Let us all know ho you get on.
HJ
I was intending to get a model year 2000 one via Ford Direct, I have now read that they had a lot of problems with the auto box, which came from Mazda. What is the situation now. Has anybody experience of them. I am to take a test drive in one this week, a feb 2000 registration, I won't take this one until I find out what's going on, It's also the wrong colour.
Regards Read more
In Honest John,s Telegraph column a correspondant was (more or less)
rubbishing LPG powered cars.
Here in Australia the current story is very different.
Ford sells its big car, 4.0 litre six (FALCON), sedan, wagon and utility with factory fitted dedicated LPG
as an option. (NO petrol tank) and Ford cannot make enough of them.
Petrol here is half what you pay in the UK. So why bother? I hear you ask - Aussies like Big cars)
LPG is half the price of petrol.
LPG burns cleaner - less pollutants - and the power issue vanishes
when you stop trying to make cars burn petrol OR LPG. These Fords which are
engineered to run LPG only you lose a little at high peak power but gain in peak torque.
All larger filling stations now sell LPG. More and more fleet buyers are moving
to LPG. I just swopped leased petrol Falcon for for a dedicated LPG Falcon.
I dont notice much difference till I see the numbers turn over on the petrol pump
LPG is here to stay.
Max Bancroft Read more
I have recently purchased a 1.8S Nissan Primera (my third Primera) and within a month began to wonder about an LPG conversion. I was puzzled to be told by the Hendy Group (who do conversions to new cars for Nissan) that "Nissan fit hardened cylinder head valves and seats to compensate for the higher running temperatures on LPG powered vehicles". Thes cars have to be preordered and are specially built on the production line before going to Hendy for the conversion. So my car cannot be retro-fitted.
I cannot understand this because many converted vehicles are pre-unleaded and will not even have the harder valves etc which were said to be necessary for that fuel - so how do they survive?
J M Kenny
does anyone have the names and addresses of specialists in central locking systems please ? Read more
thank you sir.
The clutch is seemingly about to go for the second time on my R reg pre-registered Citroen Synergie. The first one went a little after one year -- a few weeks after the warranty expired. Citroen UK were extremely unhelpful and grudgingly made a small payment after an inordinate amount of fuss on my part. Now its going AGAIN. Anybody got any ideas or thoughts? Read more
I also have had a clutch problem with my Citroen Xantia TD 1.9 P reg. The clutch failed at 26,000 miles! the cost of replacement quoted by my main dealer was £640, I went to a local independent Citroen specialist and paid £340.
A local Ford dealer is offering ex-hire-cars, imported from Jersey. They are around 6 months old, showing 2-3 thousand miles. The prices seem to be good - one W-reg Fiesta (a 1.25 Zetec) looked as new, and was on for just over £7,000
We're considering buying one to keep for several years, but how worried we should be... Obviously, there's a good chance the cars haven't been driven properly during the run-in period, especially as they've never been much above 40mph. (At least you can only over-rev in 1st gear!).
Also, as the cars are being imported, are there any issues to worry about - will the V5 ring alarm bells to the next owner?
I wonder if we'd be better off buying a privately-owned example with a few more miles on the clock?
Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated,
Thanks, Mark Read more
Dear Mark,
Very often, ex Channel Island hire cars are older than the registration date suggests. So be very careful to check the glass and the plastics for the exact build date. But in any case what;s the point of buying a 2000V ex-hire car when you can get a new W reg one from Trade Sales of Slough or Motorpoint of Derby for pretty much the same sort of money?
HJ
does anyone know please where i can find a replacement central locking motor for a '92 seat toledo ?
seat can only supply air operated units whereas mine is electrically operated.
alternatively, can anyone supply the names of central locking specialists please ?
much obliged
philip Read more
Through my work I have a Fiat Marea Weekend Leased to me.
I ordered the standard model which should not have an air bag on the passenger side, it came with one but I thought no problem I will get it dissarmed if the wife gets pregnant.
I now need it disarmed as my wife is expecting our first child and for our use, baby will have to travel in the front at times.
Asked the main dealer who says it can not be dissabled, Fiat have confirmed this verbally to me.
Can't send the car back to Fiat as I have had it 15 months.
Lease Company wants £1400 from me to send it back early.
Can't believe it can't be dissabled.
Thanks for any sugestions Read more
Dear Tim,
In the circumstances the best thing you can do is push the passenger seat back as far back as it will go. This might locate the child seat out of range of the inflation zone of the passenger airbag.
HJ
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Dear Chris,
Your best UK source is Micheldever Tyres, Micheldever Station, Andover, Hants. They import theiur tyres from world markets and are not dependent on manufacturer distribution systems.
HJ