January 2002
Does anyone have the recipe for a cheap and effective screen defrost liquid to use in a squeezy spray bottle? I seem to be using a can every morning, and it freezes over again within seconds.
Many thanks,
P. Read more
I?m always interested to see what cars are used as taxis. I think it says a lot if a car is reliable and economical enough to earn its keep as a taxi. Where I live they are almost exclusively diesel, the majority powered by some variation of the VW Group TDI engine.
On a new year break in Cardiff, I noticed the majority of city centre taxis I saw were Vauxhall Omega/Carlton 2.0 petrol. I was surprised, then I thought should I have been surprised?? Read more
From observation, Dundee is really catholic in this respect, lots of things from oldish Cavaliers to quite recent Mercs. But the Octavias - actually from new, too - do seem to have a good share of the action. I was in one - an unusual experience - and was really quite comfortable apart from the usual worry about the tip - that hairline between looking mean and looking a sucker!
Have just been offered 25 litres of Morris 10 40 semi synthetic diesil oil for £43 from a stockist.Have been using Duckhams QXR, is this just as good ? I run a 306 turbo diesel. Read more
Thanks for all the info on Morris oils , looks like I should get some. The place I sourced this oil was Auto Diesel at Portrack in Stockton on Tees.This is a Motorfactor on an industrial estate. Just shows its worth looking beyond the usual places like Halfords etc.
Please help me 'cos I don't understand. Surely I am sure I'm not the only one. The new Mini is heading for both best and worst car? I presume this is by two distinct groups. I am a nearly-thirty DINKY, with a nice sensible Mondeo for long journeys and owned a "proper" mini which I loved when I was younger. I would not buy an old mini now because they are unreliable and rusty and our second car does 40 miles a day.
I love the new Mini - it looks cute, is well built, well engineered, fun to drive (not blindingly fast but the old one wasn't either), keenly priced, should be reliable, reasonably practical ... IMH it is a great car.
Who doesn't like the car and why? (or for that matter who does like it)
Preparing myself for a torrent of abuse!!
Andy Read more
Oooooo, dont know anything about cars..............
Must be a Nova though, or a Saxo. With permanant fog lights, pumping stereo, sewer sized exhaust and no insurance. ;-)
In all seriousness, ill raise the topic in a few months as to everyones favourites. There was one a few months back. Get the Golf mk II appreciation society wheeled out.
Thanks for support, keep you informed.
Kev
Has anybody watched the new Skoda ad. on TV where the potential customer escapes the salesman.
The intimation is that potential customer doesn't know that Skoda has changed utterly from its problematic past.
Very clever. Read more
Surely the guy knew it was a skoda before getting in. So why get in in the first place?
FfwlCymraeg
nit-picking since the 1960's
A colleague is considering buying one of these - in the car by car breakdown it says that this engine is not a good performer for its size.
What are we talking about here ? Real snail's pace, unacceptable noisy at motorway speed ? He's replacing an elderly 309 diesel so he's hardly used to the highest level of refinement.
Any experiences welcome.
Thanks. Read more
Well it is still the panto season :
And I quote :
"What's Good
Compact. Good looking. Low wind noise at speed. Stainless steel kickplate 'Rover' image. All good performers for their engine size apart from 1.1 and 1.4 8-valve. Vi, fitted with MGF VVC engine tremendously quick and also very economical. Perky 1.6 CVT automatic offers instant acceleration out of side roads. 1.1 replaced Rover 100 as a sub-£10,000 offering. All have three three-point rear belts. One of the few cars offering warm air to the feet and fresh air to the face at the same time."
I'm talking about newer Rover 200, same shape as 25, not the old stylee half Honda, half Rover jobs.
Unfortunate incident with my wife's ZX last night - whacked the passenger door mirror. The casing's gone back OK but the glass is cracked and broken. What's the most cost effective way to replace the glass without bothering Citroen please.
Cheers
Ian Read more
many of last model xsaras are the same, ill remind myself about new ones over the weekend
Does anyone out there know where I can buy a repair manual for Citroen Synergie /Peugeot 806? Although my Synergie has been utterly reliable I would feel a little more secure with a manual!
PS I've tried Haynes already Read more
Well they are based on a 406 same engines and gearboxes ,same breaks ,same electrics.The only problem is that they are built in the Spanish/Portugese van plant along with just about every other van in Europe.
Having said that I have run Citroens for years (XMs)without any distrous problems.THe synergie is also badged as a Fiat and Lancia
Hi all,
Just before Christmas I bought a 2001 Honda Accord 2.0i VTEC with 10000 miles on it through the official UK Honda used car network, with 2 years 2 months manufac warranty left on it.
Pretty much since Day 1 I've noticed little power "blips", but sort of put it down to my imaginatiom, but it definitely happened 3 or 4 times on the way into work today (16 mile drive) and in my own head I know it's been happening all along.
Basically, when accelerating or pulling away (only notice it in low gears) there's an (admittedly tiny) "blip" in the power delivery, you usually can't feel it (through a loss in acceleration) at all, but there is definitely a dip in the headlights for a split second.
Also, when sat at traffic lights this morning it was idling at just over 500rpm when the revs dipped to 350, it felt like the car might stall and the lights dipped again, but it recovered very quickly and was OK. When I got to work I sat in the car park for a couple of minutes and it did it again.
Obviously it's going to have to go back to the dealer, but before I go does anyone have any pointers? I don't have much faith in the dealer, I can just see them hooking it up to all their gizomos, giving it me back and saying there's nothing wrong. (My own experiences with the dealer have not been too good (had an 89 Prelude last, and they didn't do me any favours with that) and I've heard some bad reports about them, their "fix" for a colleague whose 97 Prelude 4 wheel steering warning light kept coming on was to tell him there was nothing wrong, show him how to reset the warning switch, and charge him £90 for the privelige.....).
Thanks for your time,
Alex. Read more
My VW 1.8t 20v has done it since new - a hesitation rather like a misfire.
As David W said it has been discussed on this forum and I have put it down to a charachteristic of the ECU rather than a fault.
Bob H
My brother has just got back from Australia and is looking to buy a car that he plans to keep only for a year and can afford to pay £1,000 maximum. He has a bad back, so is looking for something comfortable as well.
Any suggestions ? Read more
consider buying whatever he can find in good nick in his price range, and get another drivers seat from a breakers yard, as long as you do your homework on fittings this would be my approach
you can get good old recardo seats for diddly squat from an old thrashed capri or whatever
be careful if either car has pyrotechnic seat belts, you wont want one of them going off
Browse
Warm water is still the best way of removing ice from windscreens and side windows, etc. The fact that it freezes quicker than cold water is neither here nor there - because when you get in the car you operate your windscreen wipers and hey presto the water (warm or cold) gets swept off the windscreen!! :). For the ultra careful I suggest using two containers with different temperatures of water in each. Start with the cooler first.