August 2001
Is it a common fault in the early Micra to have the front chassis cross-member fail due to rust? It is the metal strut below and in front of the radiator. The rust results in MOT failure and cost £208 to replace the part, most of it going on taking off other bits and putting them back on. The part itself was only about £55. Any point in asking Nissan to contribute? Read more
From this morning's Daily Telegraph advice to motorists holidaying abroad: "...don't forget your green card!"
For several years and using two or three diffferent insurers, I have been refused green cards, with the allegation that the insurance certificates, which carried translations in a number of languages, were sufficient. I believe the police in France, at least, will not recognise these. What exactly is the correct practice? Can I insist on a green card? Has any contributor had a problem over this while on the Continent? Read more
Chris,
WRT Laptops and cells,
I think you have taken that remark too literally!
Rgds
David ;-)
I would be very grateful for any help/advice with the following:
My son aged 28 is interested in buying an cheapish old car with low insurance and running costs and high mpg. (He has 2 years NCB). It will be used for trips from Nottingham to Bath (once every 4 weeks) and shorter 60 mile round trips approx 3 times weekly (motorway). It will be parked outside.
We are concerned about the safety aspect and potential running costs of an old banger - he has no knowledge of, or interest in car maintenance.
We have heard from a very reputable garage (that we personally use) of a car as follows:
Volvo 440 1993L 5 door 1.6i with FSH and 55Kmiles previously owned by elderly couple and serviced regularly at said garage. Comes serviced, with 1 yr MOT, 1 yr RAC membership, and 1year full warranty. Price £1995
Does this sound like a good car to buy and is the price reasonable?
What should my son look out for?
Is there anything else that would be more appropriate?
TIA
Linda Read more
Linda,
I would be very wary of this car. HJ says it is OK for price but only if you value the low mileage, and that is not always a plus. There will be many tidy 440s of this age flying about between traders for £1000 or so. Yours has a huge premium for the "credibility" of its past. These cars aren't that well thought of and most importanty they are not really cheap to run.
I'm an independent (extremly) small (very) motor engineer looking after cars in the 1990 - 1998 range. I maintain several for "youngsters" on a budget and the Escort or Golf would be my favourite to fit the requirements you gave us if you wanted a petrol car.
But I would advise diesel in these circumstances and look at a Citroen ZX, you would find a nice one for £1750 with loads of life left and nearly 50mpg. They don't rust and have a good ride.
If you are anti diesel or Citroen then I would go with Guy and say look at a VW Golf Driver/Jetta TX. Both are well trimmed with GTi styling features but normal engines and sensible running costs. They also give real ownership pleasure.
The ideal customer for this Volvo is another retired couple who will appreciate the way it has been looked after and have a whack of pension to pay for some of the Volvo only parts at prices that would make you weep.
It's not that the Volvo is a bad car, just not one that would come to mind from the requirements you mention.
Hope you get on OK,
David
Following Andy Bairsto's reply to my posting about build quality where he said that:
>You pay your money and make your choice.I think thed Rover 75 is a superb >car and sells through the model range at competative price against all >commers.The base 75 costs 10500ukp upto the fully loaded with nav etc at >14500 in Germany,Mondeos base at 9800 upto 15500ukp
(including German VAT at 16%!)
it made me wonder why not just import a LHD car as the savings seem phenomenal. Has anybody in the UK/Ireland done this? Did you get a good deal. I guess that you'd be hammered on resale unless you sold it in France, say......still, if you were buying a car too keep for at least 5 years.... Read more
Spotted a LHD Merc S600 limo in the Sunday Times today.
1996 21k miles - for a shade under 20k thats about £85,000 depreciation in 5 years before you add on the optional extras.
You could live in a car that big........
Home James !!
About three years ago the long awaited A50 between Derby and the Potteries was finally completed. This serves as the link between the M1 amd M6.
This updated road had been on the backburner for over twenty years with ever increasing traffic finally making it an essential project.
Good news???? Fraid not..The design has been found to be fraught with easily avoided mistakes which any average road user could recognise. For instance passing Uttoxeter two existing islands were used and of course these provide a bottleneck. HGV and through traffic has risen to amazingly high density as drivers spot the new route.
The Highways Agency who were in charge of design and proudly proclaim from billboards along the route that they are in charge of maintenance of this road, and are working to make us all happier on the roads
Alongside and in some cases in between are grass verges. These obviously need cutting so matey and his lads cone off a lane for safety (who can blame them) and get to work with their strimmers.
You can guess the rest.... traffic immediately begins to back up with only one lane to use and will stretch back up to 10 miles simply due to density.
I was stuck in this and knowing what it was that was holding us up because we had suffered the same a day or two before and to amuse ourselves (cause wer'e not very bright) my buddy got out his calculator and we attempted to calculate what it was costing to cut this bit of grass.
We calculated HGVs at so much per hour and reps another figure, extra fuel used and so on.
The guesstimate we arrived at was several thousand pounds.
The next question which I am sure one of you will know is who are the Highways Agency???? private????? Government?? and was it a clever move on their part to have a contract for cutting grass built into their plans when it was on the drawing board. Call me cynical but surely it could have been maintenance free using either concrete or ground hugging vegetation.
regards
Alvin Read more
Dont forget how much harder grass is to keep litter free. With concrete its easy. You also ended up with shreaded pop cans [from grasscutters] which are highly dangerous to everyone.
But i guess it looked nice for about a week, whilst important people had their photographs took.
Kev
I have just travelled almost 3,000 miles through France with no problems, but on my return, my Peugeot 306 has developed a problem with starting. It starts up OK but runs very unevenly for about five seconds. The glow plugs have been checked are are fine. There is no water leak, so the head gasket is OK. Anyone any ideas? Read more
Yes, but if you DO replace them,make sure you use NGK or similar, reputable make.
I fitted H**fords in my Peugeot 405 , and the went in a few k's - cost me a lot , 'cos I assured the garage it couldn't be the plugs, so they changed a relay, at a cost of £70+, and, of course, it STILL wouldn't start !!
(The retailer DID refund the cost of the plugs, though!)
Got a Clio 1.2 petrol in tonight for its first MOT and 30,000ml service tomorrow. Chap had been quoted £300 for this MOT and "three yearly/36,000ml service" as the Renault dealer called it.
Now the Car's service book and two other sources give 10,000ml intervals for this car with a small 10,000ml service, medium at 20,000mls, a small again at 30,000mls, a whopper at 40,000mls....and so on.
This is an August 1998 car so has anyone else heard of doing them at 12,000ml intervals with the large service at 3yrs/36,000mls?
Thanks,
David Read more
Andrew,
Just had a good look in the Renault book. No coolant change period specified, I will do it at this three year service though.
Brake fluid advised at 40,000mls/4yrs, too long so I will also do this time.
As I now notice the car has recorded 36,000mls in three years whichever way you look at it the major service is either due now or due in 4,000mls so I'll do it all today.
But these long service intervals, daft. This one has only seen the dealers twice in 3yrs/36,000mls.
David
Hi folks,
Thanks for all your comments on speed cameras on my holiday route a couple of weeks ago.
I need your help again. Does anyone know of a site that gives a list of camera locations? I have the UK speed trap guide listed in bookmarks and very useful it is too, but it doesnt give a list of camera locations. I found one some time ago and lost it when the HD went down on the PC and cant find it again.
Thanks again,
Bill Read more
Yes www.abd.org.uk will give you a map and by clicking on each area you get a list of the camera sites including info on how well hidden they are
Good luck
Can anyone suggest a reason why two VW Golfs would persistently fail to start when the engines are hot. The starter motor won't turn the engine, but all other electrics work. The cars start ok when the engines are cold. The cars are/were '93 and '83.
Any ideas? Read more
If these cars have been fitted with exchange Bosch starter motors, there's a chance that the replacement bush/bearing/widget supplied with the replacement starter motor wasn't fitted. Independent garages not familiar with the problem wonder what it's there for and either shove it in the car owner's glove box (just in case) or bin it. Unfortunately, replacing this bush/bearing/widget is essential. Sorry for not being more technically precise, but that's all I can remember.
HJ
does anyone have any experience of the current c class merc, in particular the 220 diesel? Have read many reports around build quality but not heard from any owners? Should I keep it on the possible list when it comes to replacement time? Read more
The auto works better than the six speed manual with this engine. See my road test reports.
HJ
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David Woollard wrote:
>
> I look after an otherwise superb Micra of this age with a
> genuine 30,000 miles. At each MOT the tester and I comment
> that the wax/underseal gun was moved very quickly across the
> bottom of this car, huge areas are missed and starting seam
> rust.
>
That's true enough with these - mine (a '95) had no underseal and looking at newer ones I see they don't either. I recently gave mine a healthy dose of Hammerite Underbody seal AND a spraying of Waxoyl, to be on the safe side. I should say though that there was no rust evident anywhere, but had I not done this then the story might well be different in a year or two...
Unfortunately I have seen this 'forgetting' to underseal is a common feature on many other new cars. I can only assume that the manufacturers want their cars to last no more than about seven years.