March 2002
I have taken my Omega for tech2 tests but they can't find anything wrong, but I don't think the box should be changing as aften as it does. ie if going up a slight incline @45>50mph the revs keep jumping from 1500 to 2000 and back again untill I give more trottle, then if cruise @70mph the auto is not locked up because on a slight hill you have to give a bit more throttle the revs will drop from around 2500 to 2200 and then as you go over the brow and ease off the revs go back up from 2200 to 2500. This is the exact opposite of what I would expect. Other than this it is smooth and correct when changing. Has anyone else experianced this and more to the point know how to cure it, as I have had no joy with Vauxhall Motors Uk. They say that their technical department are not Particularly concerned by the description and if the tech2 test did not find a fault, then basically there wasn't one. Read more
Intriguing to see that, contrary to our tame DT guru ('brakes are for stopping, gears are for going'), the current AA mag says:
'anticipate braking and change down, so its done gently and with the aid of the engine - you can double the life of your brake pads and disks this way.' Read more
Thanks, Simon - that's reassuring, and accords with my practice.
A friend intends to rationalize his ownership of several vehicles by selling them and buying one durable, comfortable, used estate car. Apart from quality and comfort, his main concern is to find something suitable for towing his vintage boat. He was leaning towards a Mercedes-Benz E300 TD or the like, but has seen cautionary comments from HJ and others about the impact of towing on these vehicles, especially horse boxes. Further, there are the worries about quality problems in the first-generation new E-class (post-1996); as a W124 owner, I have been persuading him of the virtues of a well maintained older model. He's keen on a diesel and has also thought of a Range Rover.
All thoughts and suggestions welcome in terms of the MB options and the alternatives. Read more
Lovely description, HJ - Pykies. Reminds me of the time SWMBO worked for Worthing Borough council and they needed to move the Pykies out of a layby.
Council trucks turned up, complete with bailiff. During all the inevitable verbal argy-bargy, hidden Pykies removed the towballs from the council trucks.
Mission impossible!
Ian
Just to confirm that anything vaguely utilitarian, eg Transit flaresiders & dropsiders, is fetching good money.
I saw 25 assorted Ducatos & Scudos go through at Manchester Belle Vue (a Fiat Sale) and all failed to reach reserve. Read more
That must be what Growler meant by points scoring. :)
I am a student looking for a cheap, small first car. I have recently found a V-reg Fiat Seicento SX for sale (privately) with 11k miles for just £2500 -- £1200 less than the value given in parkers used prices guide. The car appears to be immaculate, but it has a 1.1 litre engine, which according to the price guide was not introduced in the UK until december 2000, a year after this car was registered.
The car looks like a bargain but I am concerned that it might be a foreign import which may be difficult to sell on in the future.
Can anyone suggest why this car has a 1.1 litre engine, or tell me if it may have come from abroad? All i want to know is if the car is a genuine bargain, or am i right to be slightly suspicious of it? Read more
Some Golfs are made in Bratislava
TTs are made in Hungary
Some BMWs and MBs come from South Africa, others from USA
Beetles come from Mexico
but they're all "German" aren't they?
Mothers k reg 214 sli 16v Rover went bang onthe A1 at 95,000 miles Number three's conrod decided to make a bid for freedom! Result = new engine.
Is this common on these cars I know about cylinder head problems but had never heard of them doing this.
It was however quite powerful for what it is could this be a factor? Too much power being extracted from quite a small engine?
Anyway having recon engine fitted for £650 yeah I know car not worth a lot more but comes with new clutch and a years guarantee so will keep it for 11 months and trade it in.
Also what would be a good replacement for it probably only have £5 to 6 grand to spend and unlikely should would like a Ford or anything French.
Is an A3 / New Golf going to be too ambitious? Read more
There is a possibility that the little end bearing went?? I'm good up to a point but if it is major surgery I don't have a clue.
I'll keep you all posted
Is it this that detects too much unburnt fuel in the exhaust as a result of cold start then stop?
If so, how does it detect it? I thought it detected oxygen, not hydrocarbons.
Also, if it packs up, then engine can still run, so how does it tell the ecu to shut down firing? Read more
Adam, You are quite right! Thanks for the courteous reminder. I should know better really.
Regards
Mike
I think this one is pretty good.
www.claimsguru.org.uk/>Insurance
Search out the "Fraud Indicators". Read more
Quite interesting, it seems that whichever side of the argument / coin / fence you take they will suspect a fraudelent claim - knows too much, knows too little; angry or calm etc etc. I guess we all have to do our job.
My wife and I were travelling through the Brecon Beacons in South Wales one dark night when in the headlights we saw a sheep running down the mountainside, straight into the road and headbutted the backdoor of our car, severly denting it. It just ran off again. After some initial shock we decided it wasn't worth claiming as our claim form would most likely have done the rounds in the office before being dismissed. Car was reasonably old anyway but can you imagine putting this in writing.
And yes, I am Welsh !
I posted this question some days back but no one came back with actual official book valuations.
I have now decided to go for car 2, which is a 2.4litre V6.
So once again, can someone give me a book or trade value for the following, (in the knowledge that if I do not buy it, the lease company will offer it an auction in the Midlands):
car 2 - 2 yr old E240 Avantgarde, 4 door, 5speed-auto-tiptronic. Extras include auto climate, xenon, 6-disc CD. May 2000, W-reg, 20,000 miles. Mixture of short and long trips typical of a "family-leisure-car". Interior and exterior condition immaculate - normallly would be found on a self-owned "pride and joy" example.
The lease company had indicated some time ago that the price they want is likely to be about £21 to £22K when the car is offered to staff later in March. Read more
If you can, wait at least 12 months, preferably 18 after the release of the new model to buy a current shape (about to be phased out) E class. Old shape C class prices are now very realistic - could you cram yourself into a C240?
Following HJ's (and others) recommendation of Chris Longhurst's website, you might enjoy pointing your browsers at mad Australian Dr. Karl's site which can be found at www.abc.net.au/science/k2/trek/default.htm
IT's a bit more 'off the wall' than Chris Longhurst's stuff, but there are some interesting articles on oil, particularly oil coolers and loads of 4x4 stuff (more pertinent to those of us who plan to cross the Gibson desert than to a Saturday shop at Tesco though). Read more
Phil,
Tried your site, interesting. The author mentions 'cooked' engines, this reminded me of a chap I met a few years ago. Every morning he wrapped a few rashers of bacon in tinfoil and placed them on his exhaust manifold, when he arrived at work 30 miles later - hot bacon sandwich.
Browse
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Les
I run a 2.5td Estate and can only describe the gearbox as 'wooly'. It will catch top at 50mph but any incline and it will change down. I would have expected that with such a large engine and bags of torque it would be able to hold top. Certainly with a manual box there would be less changing up and down.
I use mine for ocassional towing and had a oil cooler fittted. Each time I towed to the south of England it was fine but on each return journey I noticed that it wouldn't hold top unless on a decline. Result - overheating and more fuel consumption. I have spoken to a local specialist and he says the box really needs to be out, stripped and inspected. Total cost about £600. And I know he is not a leg lifter.
Andrew