March 2002
I've garaged my cars overnight for the past 35-odd years but once needed to leave my Triumph 2000 Mk1 outside because I was working on a friend's Cortina 1200 in my garage, having volunteered to replace the main bearings for him as a favour.
The Triumph had been left on the road for a few hours with the sidelights on (it used to be a legal requirement to show a light when parked on the road during hours of darkness) so I moved it onto the driveway and put the battery on charge overnight. This entailed lodging the battery charger under the bonnet, which I closed for security, and trailing a lead to a power point in the garage.
Rushing out late for work in the morning, I started the Triumph and was greeted with an almighty commotion as the trailing lead caught up on the crankshaft-mounted cooling fan, yanking the charger into the fan so hard that it bent one of the aluminium fan blades over at right angles and sliced a neat core out of the radiator.
Result: Even later for work - and radiator, antifreeze, cooling fan and battery charger up the spout.
This is just one of the very many silly things I've done in my time. Tell me I am not alone! Read more
Re HJ's latest news item.
I note the engine fitted is not particularly kind in respect of its CO2 burden.
So does this mean that the Government has got it wrong and ministers will be the first to benefit? Or maybe that it is a case of don't do what we do but do what we tell you. Or a case of we don't pay benefit in kind tax for our cars and chauffeurs so sod you lot.
Oh so sorry Simple Simon, I'm obviously an angry silver tinged surfer then. By the way you picked a very apt nick. Read more
Top Car Auctions.
HJ's response about the SL280/320 low mileage right colours being entered by traders was not explicit.
Where do the traders source these cars and why do they choose to sell them through Top Car.
Are they a bad buy Read more
Read between the lines.
POWT
After a hectic couple of days in the backroom, thought I'd try and lighten things up.
The Genève 2002 Motor show starts tomorrow, you can check out the official site.
Voilà des questions:
Un.
Given free choice of a car to take home from the show, what would you choose? Why?
Deux.
Which car do you realistically think you'll end up acquiring from the new cars shown? Why?
Trois.
Which car would be the best purchase for your mother on mothers day? Yarises/Yariss/Yari/Yarisses are exempt!
Pour moi -
1. Volswagen Phaeton - controversial, especially when I could have a ferrari or new RangeRover, but ridiculous speed and as anonymous as a big passat....
2. Citroen C3 1.4HDi - love citroens, love diesels, great reviews
3. 206 CC Roland Garros - seems every lady loves the 206, and a full luxury convertible version would make a great mothers day present!
Lee.
mail the gallery. Read more
yeah! But just watch out for them airbags ...
Hi there,
I have a fiat cinquecento sporting 1997 with an intermittent problem where it stutters along the road and/or hunts on the revs - occasionally revving madly! Before I bought it it turns out it had the following parts replaced by a garage in an attempt to get rid of the problem which just wouldn't go away:
Spark plugs, HT leads, 2 map sensors, complete single point injection unit, 2 temperature sensors, crank sensor, lambda sensor, and 3 ECUs.
My Fiat dealer did a diagnostic test and recommended a new lambda probe (which I replaced). When this didn't work they took it in again and said that the computer kept telling them it was one fault and then the other (low battery voltage was a common theme). Nothing they tried actually worked so they can now only suggest that they take the car in and 'have a good look around' (at £40/hour!)
Today I had an interesting development: when the car goes into a mad revving stage it is calmed down when I remove either of the coils (but still keeps running). I was very hopeful I'd found the problem but I've replaced the coils and it's still the same! - Revving and not revving on a 30 second cycle then going into a complete mad rev after about a minute and stumbling when I drive it at low speeds (when you put your foot down on the accelerator the revs actually drop causing a flat spot and when you take your foot off they drop too)
I think I'm going to give up soon, it's looking impossible to fix. Have you any suggestions as to what it might be? Read more
Relays and associated circuits can cause strange problems. I had a fuel pump problem that turned out to be a dry joint (bad soldering) on a little circuit board inside a relay. Easy to fix, but a b- to locate!
Agree that earthing is worth checking - a loose nut on an earth post, or a dirty spade/block connector, can create havoc.
The cost of advertising a car for sale seems to have gone up a lot recently.The main two ,Exchange and Mart/Autotrader now charge about £ 22 p/w for a very basic advert. Find it surprising considering all the internet competiton.
Whenever you place a advert these days you seem to have more calls from companies wanting to advertise your car than potential buyers. I've started to put N/C for the first time.
Selling your car privately will allow you to obtain above trade value but if the costs keep going up this will soon wipe out any gain. Read more
David W
Thanks particularly for the wobbly writing advice
John
I have had a VW golf on order with Oneswoop since 15th december but am still waiting for delivery and they're giving me excuses after excuses to explain the delay. I have had to pay for the car in full since end of January.
anybody got similar experiences and what do you think I cold do to get them moving?? Read more
test1
i have recently retired and spend 3-4 months a year near Marbella. I want to buy a new Ford focus. Does anyone know a company that does a "complete package" or can recommend a Ford Dealer Read more
Fair comment about the dealers but, if you are in Spain, the best place to ask is among the local expats surely, not among the many and helpful members of this forum. Not many of them 'post' from Spain I think!
I've just bought a Fiat Punto Sporting from Trade Sales and there's a problem with the paintwork. It's bubbly - looks like something has spilled or landed on it. (which by the looks of it isn't Fiat's fault). It is ON the paintwork rather than in with it (front wing, little bit on the roof and bonnet) When I picked the car up I did inspect it thouroughly but couldn't see this as they neglected to clean the car properly, and the day was overcast and dull so no sunshine could show it up. I don't expect this from a new car.
As i've signed the forms and everything saying I've accepted it, where do I stand? What can I do about this? I live in Cornwall, and Trade Sales is a long way away in Slough. If anyone can help suggest anything, please mail me at prenowden677@hotmail.com
Thanks in advance to anyone who may be able to help. Read more
Got an update, Paul ???
My BX estate has recently begun making a strange noise, and I've been waiting to have it serviced before checking with you lot.
The thing is this. When turning to the left and accelerating hard (light pressure is fine) there's an odd gurgling/grumbling noise from somewhere in the region of the nsf. I deliberately didn't mention it to the garage, but waited to see if they would pick it up - I haven't been using them long, and I wanted to know if they would spot anything untoward in their service, which is supposed to include a test on road, but clearly doesn't.
I know it's not a wheel bearing (I know what that sounds like, and this isn't it), and it's not a CV joint either (same reason). It actually sounds like it's coming from something in the power steering; like a kind of gurgling hydraulic sound mixed with some vibration. I should add that there's no play in the steering, the car tracks just fine, and there are no knocking or clunking noises or noises other than under load turning left, and not always then either.
A bit weird really. Should I be worried?
Chris Read more
Chris Watson is an expert on this subject
Browse
Greasing the chain of my Triumph 3TA with the Duckhams chain grease in a tin on the stove. 1/2 hour later my friend says "is that smoke comming out of the kitchen window". "No" says I, 5 mins later he says "it is you know", "arghhh the chain". Flames 3 feet high and smoke all over the place, grab and wet dish towel and place over burning grease, it sinks through the grease which catches fire on top of it. "Arrrhhhhh", grab bath towel from washing basket, wet and plonk on top, it slowly sinks through the grease but fortunatly doesnt catch fire again. The towel is brand new my mums washing it before use, the kitchen had only been painted 2 weeks previously. Dohhh!
Bill