A mate has beeen quoted 130 labour for a replacement Cam belt on a Rover 218VVC Coupe with power steering.

Reckon any other main dealer should beat that by a big chunk?

Otherwise we'll have to do it between us.

I got a place to do my 414i for 90 quid all in after hardly any negotiation... Are garage prices cheaper in the winter? Read more

I've just filled up at my Local Shell Garage and they have a big promotion on their new unleaded Petrol. I can't remember the exact name (Optimax or something similar) which shows up either their promotion or my attention span. The flier made some wild claims about improved performance and that it replaced super unleaded as well as normal so I assume it is a higher Octane than normal unleaded. One of the main claims was that it would help you accelerate out of danger faster in "a typical family car". It also keeps your engine cleaner and reduces fuel consumption. It sounds like some of the wild claims made in the past for petrol additives / economy devices, surely they can back up some of these claims? Of course it's about the same price that Super Unleaded was but as it claims to cure most ills they obviously think we will buy enough of it

Robin Read more

A large number of pedestrian involved accidents today are blamed on the car or vehicle driver but have seen people walk out in front of cars, lorries and even buses as if they don't even see them, aren't they big enough to see coming towards them. How many people instead of waiting at the pedestrian lights walk across them right in front of vehicles. Cyclists are just as bad some of them are OK but others seem to have had their brain removed before taking their cycle on the road. I had one ride up on the inside of me the other day and then chop right in front of my car to turn right how I missed him I will never know, he then proceeded to go straight in front of a car going in the opposite direction up the kerb and narrowly missed a woman with a small child. A lot of accidents are blamed on the vehicle driver but one sometimes has to put a great deal of blame on pedestrians and cyclists who are rarely blamed for causing accidents. Cyclists should also be aware that riding at high speed through shopping precincts and pavements is dangerous for old folk who cannot move away quickly and when appoached from behind the shock can send them quickly off balance. If a car jumps the lights at a pedestrian crossing huge howls would go up from the pedestrians involved but how many of them jump the lights when they turn red against them and run over as cars are moving off ? Drivers are no angels but they are not always to blame for accidents. Read more

April has come late this year, I think. Check out page 10 of today's Daily Mail, and pay attention to the author - Simon Heffer's - comments midway down the fourth column.

For those that do not have access to this "great british newspaper" it reads and I quote " We have heard regretable stories of angry drivers wrecking speed cameras, or coating their number plates with hairspray to avoid detection by them". Reference the last comment, why have we not been told? Should I off myself to the local supermarket while stocks last? Read more

My Passat went back to the garage in April for what VW called a 'track rod end' recall (associated with the 'VAG recall' topic of 260801?) and when I got it back, noticed there was a very low frequency 'drumming' noise coming from somewhere at the front. Took it back to the garage and got a mechanic to come out with me; he confirmed that there was a possible noise coming from the nearside but it'd be very difficult to pin it down. I asked him if the noise could be associated with whatever was done at the recall but he didn't think so. Have just noticed this week, however, that about 1.5" of the outer edge of the nearside tyre has worn unevenly, suggesting that that something's out of alignment. Not being mechanically minded, could the recall work have affected the alignment on one side? The tyre wear previous to the work was even across both. Any ideas appreciated before I go and accuse the garage of not setting the car up correctly! Read more