If anybody knows a company that does or may do, please could they let me have the phone number.

Thanks a lot,

Giles Read more

I have a 1988 Polo 1.3 with about 140000 miles on the clock. Just recently ive noticed the following:
On the last two mornings, near the end of the 10 mile drive to college, the car has lost power and seems to have misfired badly. This morning it ground to a halt altogether.
However on the drive back just now, the engine will have been warmer at the start, and it drove really well going back.
It got me to the west coast of wales and back relatively trouble free, was a bit reluctant at some points. Did 80-90 for nearly 2 hours quite hapily, then cut out at a junction.
Cutting out after a fast or lengthy run is also a problem.
The main thing thats worried me is the misfire/power loss.
It has popped 2 water hoses recently.
A breather pipe going from next to the oil filler to somewhere is broken - could this contribute?
Any ideas about the cause of the probs? Read more

The December issue of AutoTechnology (I really should get out more) has an article all about 'The Nose Team' at Audi. It's their job to smell various interior components, material and the passenger space in the car as a whole, in an effort to improve the car's smell.

Bits of interior are heated in preserving jars (the kitchen kind) then smelt by the Nose Team who grade the smell from 1-6. No parts or materials can score more than 3 or they won't be used. Definition of grade 3 is 'clearly noticeable odour, but not yet annoying'.

Special mention is made of leather interiors and fittings - these are not to smell "fishy or caustic or cheap like belts and handbags from Morocco" the aim is the smell of "exclusive English furniture"

So now we know.

Strangely no mention of toxic fumes etc, but not a bad article all the same.

Rebecca Read more

I need to find a specialist to look at the rear active suspension on a 190 2.6. Any ideas anyone? Read more

As an opening strike in my 2002 "Hate the Freelander" campaign, I was struck by the CbC Breakdown and in particular the "What's good" section.

Firstly given that the subject was a Freelander, then the section was longer than I expected. Actually, I was surpised it even had a section for good stuff. Then I started reading..........

>>Good styling.

Subjective, I don`t think so, but ok. To me it looks like "Sophisticated Styling by Fisher Price". And that on a day when Mr. F. Price was having a silly day. But still, what else were they going to do with all that coloured plastic and ex-Habitat cloth.

>>Comfortable.

No it isn't. Its ok around town, but on high-speed [sic] journeys you get a numb-bum and off road you get thrown all over the place. The gear stick is bendy, the sun visors tacky and wobbly, the window buttons difficult to reach, the cup holder is ridiculous, the tyre noisy and un-grippy, and the stero drowned out by the various rattles.

At least, I assume that the ridiculous bit of sticky-out green pastic belt on the door pocket s a cup holder. Goodness knows what else you'd do with it.

The sunroof makes more windnoise than Blazing Saddles, assuming that it hasn't broken for the third time and therefore stuck half-open, or half closed if you're a salesman trying to see some good in it.

>>Likeable.

Speechless. It bloody isn't.

>>Plenty of room for four or five passengers. Kids enjoy the high back seat.

Adults less so due to thumping their head on the roof and having their legs cramped. And if you're carrying 5 people, or 4 for that matter, you're not going to be carrying much in the way of luggage.

>>Proper three-point centre belt.

I'll concede that.

>>Useful underfloor lockable cubby-safe.

Which you could get into with an old toothbrush. Its like waving a flag which says "Good stuff in car which you can get easily".

The hill descent control works well.

No it doesn't, it really, really doesn't. You might as ell put it in gear, leave the handbrak half on, leave the car on tickover and wander off for a cup of coffee. Assuming, of course, that you weren't carrying your own coffee, since if you were the container would have been smashed around the inside of the car, since there is no where to put such a thing, and unless chomping broken glass is to your liking you'd be better off with the little yellow button (Actually, I'm exaggerating, you'd be better with the mouthful of broken flask.

I was sitting in one of these at the local dealer talking to the salesman at whe weekend, bemoaning the little yellow button and the guy said that I'd appreciate it if I was somewhere extreme - I was in the Andes, you're not going to get more extreme than that and I still hated it.

Its obviously to replace the low-ratio, you'd be better of throwing a rope and anchor out the window, 'cept I'm not sure a Freelander is powerful enough to carry an anchor.

>>The more you drive it the more you like it.

May you be forgiven, there's no way you're going to Heaven coming up with a line like that.

And as for the four wheel drive, "wheel" would be the only applicable word from that phrase.

Sod all ground clearance, naff all grip, not enough power to pull itself out of, over or up something, gets stuck in anything vaguely soft, skips sideways on anything crumbly and gets stuck on anything over the height of a particularly short rabbit.

M. Read more