October 2001
An interesting site saying what I have been saying for a long time, especially in Council Meetings.
www.tspeurope.com/
Paragraph 13 reads.......
>>>>There is an even more sinister reason. In May 1996, The Car Free Cities Network of the European Union (www. edc.eu.int/cfc/about. html) adopted the 'Copenhagen Declaration', which included the following exhortation:
"All decision makers at the local, regional, national and European levels are urged to play their part in changing our culture of mobility.'. Thus car use is to be discouraged by all possible means" Read more
I posted this at perhaps too quiet a time on the list and received no responses other than one about a leaking Xantia! So, here goes again:
My partner's P-reg Rover 200 turbo diesel (67k on the clock) makes a grinding noise when she changes gear from second to third and from third to fourth, a noise that is not audible on any other gear change, even down the box between the same gears. Any clues as to what may be causing this? Read more
Or learn to double-declutch.
There are now three problem areas with Toyota Carina Es, all of which have been acknowledged by Toyota with extended warranties. They are lambda sensor, power steering rack and throttle butterfly. See car by car breakdown. If you have one of these cars make sure the remedial work is done before the warranty runs out. (Too late for 99% in the case of the throttle butterfuly.)
HJ Read more
Does any of this apply to the Avensis? I have just bought a R plate 1.8 GS 80,000 miles estate from a main dealer.
Having read your comments I asked them to check the steering before I bought it and they said it was fine. What are the signs - wouldn't a fault have become apparent by now? It has a year's extra warranty so I would like to sort it out over the next 12 months.
One other question - is there anything that one can do to lengthen the life of the Lamba sensor?
many thanks
Miles
PS Very happy with the car - extremely quiet and fantastic on fuel!
I have a slight problem at work. One of our fleet Mondeos is stuck in Germany. It was involved in an accident, and while it was in a local body shop being repaired, the tax and MOT ran out. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how we can either get it back home (legally), or get a good price for it where it stands now? The best we've been offered is two grand, which isn't really enough for a tidy R reg turbodiesel. Read more
Its a Mondeo, disclaim all resposibility for it and leave it in Germany. Then to make ammends to the Germans buy a new Passat for your driver who will love you for the rest of his/her natural life.
Bill
I have a 1998S 306TD saloon (long story - the price was right). Since delivery it has been prone to accumulating soot on the bumper above the exhaust pipe.
Three dealers have assured me this is not an emission problem but a long body, short exhaust pipe problem.
My worry has been rekindled with an impending first MOT and seeing an identical car with a huge black mass on it's rear.
Should I trust the dealers?!? Read more
Thanks fior your reply.
It look's like an old man's car with a boy racer exhaust trim!
M
As a sort of follow on to the fleet auction thread just gone onto page 2 does anyone know how leasing companies calculate the amount they need if someone wants to buy a car before the lease is up.
Apart from the obvious comment that they try to maximise what they get out of the mug I have seen a few quotes lately which have had me wondering.
Eg case of a car two and a bit years into a three year lease.
It appears they ask for about the current book price which is fair enough but on top seem to ask for almost all of the remainder of the lease monthly payments which seems either stupid or a rip off.
Now I can accept that the monthly payments include a big element for depreciation. If they have assumed a straight line between purchase and residual values, then as most occurs in the first years they will have under recovered the true depreciation. But an amount of the monthly payment must be for tax, tyres, servicing, repairs and a profit element.
So what is the method? I have seen a quote for a 99T Focus Ghia TDi 5 dr 50k miles which amounted to £9900. That can't be right! Way over top book. Read more
They will ask for what they think they can get away with,and if they have an enquiry from a private punter they will often build in some extra to take into account the aggravation factor.Most leasing co's these days are pretty switched on and the days of real mega bargains are long gone [if they were ever here] .
2 questions really!
On Monday I had a 'Kueberl' tuning box unit fitted to my Vauxhall Vectra DI 16v (82 hp) by Bromleys Volvo in Chorley, near Preston I am very impressed with the improvements, as the car has more torque lower down and when I 'floor it', the car goes like a rocket!
However I had the unit fitted by them, but the installation is not as straight forward as I thought. The loom for the box connects to:
A) The white accelerator cable just above the pedal position sensor
B) The red coloured ignition cable
C) the cable to the boost pressure sensor above the inlet manifold is split, and the two ends are connected to two wires from the tuning unit
D) A cable is clamped onto one of the black wires leading into the injection pump
Has anyone got a similar unit? Anyone care to comment on its reliability or the effect it has had on the performance of your car? I am just curious!
Secondly! The next day after having the unit fitted, I started the car and drove to work with no problems. Later that day when I attempted to start the car, the battery was completely dead! The battery is the original Vauxhall Delco maintenance free battery, and is only 15 months old! How can a battery just suddenly fail without any warning whatsoever? Any one had any experience of this before?
I was wondering if it had anything to do with the new tuning unit, but I doubt it has anything to do with it.
Anybody got any ideas or experience of batteries failing so suddenly?
Sorry to ramble on....
Regards,
Richard Read more
on the off chance that someone cares....
Implied terms pertaining to quality and fitness have been changed and/or amended since the last time I looked. A brief interpretation follows, but don't take my word for it, ask a lawyer !
Also HJ makes a very valid point in that all statutes must be interpreted as to meaning and purpose. This adds [sic] to the clear [sic] understanding and adherence and enforcement of lawas. This interpretation is referred to as case law, and is essentially all verdicts, comments, defences and justifications which have been used in any previous, similar and relevant case. This can substantially change things.
However...
Goods must be of a satisfactory quality if..
they meet the standard that a *reasonable* person would find satisfactory (this doesn't mean perfect !!)
subject to..
Description -
Intended and/or normal purpose - (especially if this purpose was stated to the vendor, if this purpose is not normal for these goods)
Price - more you pay, better it should be, and you should expect problems with a cheapie
Condition - except if you examined the goods before and that examination *ought* to have revealed the issue, irrespective of whether it did or not or the vendor drew your attention to it, irrespective of whether or not he explained the ramifications or implications
can be amended by..
agreement or contract or circumstances
also, comparative expertise matters. This means that if you are a mechanic buying a car you'll be better protected if you get your wife/whatever to do it for you. e.g. any examination you do *ought* to show a defect, one done by your partner who is a solicitor may not be expected to reveal a defect.
Archives have several Conti Eco recommends. My current ECO are terrible appalling tread wear & noisy.
European forum confirms high number with similar problems.
Has anyone else suffered this experience? Any update from You HJ?
regards
Simon. Read more
Still listening thank you.Have been studying www.tyres-online.co.uk.Comprehensive comparisons & very informative reading.
regards
Simon
i am thinking about getting a sunbeam rapier convertible restoration project, 1962 series 3, so i was wondering if anybody used to have one, please no daft remarks, i just want an opinion about the sunbeam. Read more
Apologies, I stand corrected. Alpine indeed it was.
God, but I hate that Mondeo!!
Still trying to get a good price for the collapsed cat so the car has been laid up for 2 weeks or so in the garage. Wife went out in the Panda and I had to get the kids to a firework party tonight about 1 mile away. Left it to late to walk and they wont all fit on the Blackbird, so thought take the Mondeo it'll be ok for 5 mins. Battery so flat the clock doesnt even work. Kids wont take no for an answer, so root out the old battery I kept when I scrapped the Passat months ago. On with the jump leads and it starts first time. Well done Passat. I wish I had sold the Mondeo to pay for the MOT repairs to the Passat.
God but I hate that Mondeo!!
Bill Read more
probably get the owner to drive the car around in circles, and see if it topples over.
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Yeah, I have that random buzzword list also.
Management consultants and anyone who's never done a decent day's work in his life (for which read seat-warmers on local councils, Eurodrones, politicians, MP's, need I go on) would be lost without it.