April 2002
I bought a '97 Fiesta 1.25 Zetec Auto with c.12,000m in April 01 with one owner and a one year warranty.
Only 4,000m - and 11 months - later a problem developed which proved to be gear box failure. Warranty accepted it as being covered but said it strictly wasnt as the car had not "broken down" i.e. come to a halt, but would repair strictly as a good will gesture - oh yeah !
Warranty engineer said it was a known inherant fault with the Fiesta which was recognised by Ford.
The specialised auto box repairer confirmed that Fiesta boxes last on average 17,000m. "Would it happen again ?" I asked. Most certainly was the reply !
How come this is not publicised ? More importantly why is it not in Honest John's Car-by-Car Breakdown - Breakdown ! - which I always check before buying any car. Not blaming John but I did a lot of research before buying but never got a hint anywhere.
Anyone have a similar problem ? Read more
how long can I expect my 1995 2.0 mondeo to last? It has been well maintained (by me) for five years and was previously a ford directors car. I do about 10k a year butneed to budget for the future. Should I bank on changing it when it is a 10 yo? It has done 80k Read more
I have an L reg 1.8 TD (not the same beast as yours obviously) now on 160,000 + miles, still getting 50 mpg to and from work, not using a drop of oil, same exhaust and clutch that it had when i bought it at 52,000 and that's doing 140 mile round trip, 5 days a week (plus social mileage!). Only things I had go wrong were a fuel pump at 66k and clutch operating arm snapped (3 times if you count the 2 welds...doh!). New arm was not too expensive from Ford and is a more substantial one. I say that if you are happy with it, keep hold. Seems to be a typical Ford workhorse to me. Still...would really like to go to an Audi RS4....sigh...!
Does anyone know what the increasingly common red paint with cross hatching that is appearing on many roads means?
I'd always assumed it was illegal to drive through these areas, but just reading on the www.speedlimit.org.uk site has made me reconsider.
And did anyone prove conclusively if the flashing motorway matrix speed limit signs were compulsory?
Lee. Read more
www.thamesvalleytransport.org.uk
not content with taking lots of public money to design and implement ever more road thinning, and roundabouts, and cameras
this lot are also taking public money to invetigate (impartially of course) what a good idea it is
democracy it isnt Read more
The Holy Graoh. I'm often in search of them.
One or two have accused me of being Holier than Graoh.
Can't think why.
KB.
Hi Guys,
Travelling down the A14 from the M6 to the A11 to Mildenhall tomorrow. What cameras etc do I need to know about?
Thanks in advance
Bill Doodson Read more
Now that IS worth knowing...
got opportunity to buy privately a 1.4cl 5dr Polo 38K full service history 1998R, no warranty. Wants £5k is this reasonable? Read more
Must be all those roundabouts in MK Phil?
Rest assured that I'll be 'speaking' to her this evening!...
Hi everyone,
Just thought l'd share the deflowering of my driving licence with you. A47 westwards, saw a perculiar blue van sitting on a bridge from about a mile off but didn't want to break the flow of traffic. (was in overtaking convoy in outside lane). Got a ticket from the mobile speed safety team god bless 'em.
Sent off the l was driving at time of alleged offence bit. According to the bumf, what 'normally' happens next is they will make conditional offer of £60 fine and 3 points. I just hope its not 6....
thing is, l can only get 6 points in my first 2 years of driving and l get an automatic ban. If its 6, its off to court l go and 3 means l spend the next 18 months crawling around as one slip and l'm !
For this reason l can't risk the court route and it was a fair cop guv'. But just out of curiosity does anyone have any info on mobile speed camera accuracies (you'd think it would be less than static) or previous cases should they want the pleasure of my company at court?
Thanks for reading,
dan Read more
>By "crawling around" do you mean keeping to speed limits?
Why are speed limits so absurdly low? ok, 30 & 40 round town = good,
but why not 90 on dual carriage ways, and derestricted on m-ways?
A. Driver
Pottering about in the garden yesterday and became aware of a bike in the distance roasting down our road from the North at a terrific speed, from the way the sound closed it had to be way over 100mph....bit much for daytime!
I stopped to get in a good position to see this hurtle past through a gap in the hedge.
Had to look up a bit because actually it was a black RAF Tucano aircraft at about 250ft and the same in mph I guess. Nice vehicle.
See Tucano www.raf.mod.uk/airpower/tucano.html
David Read more
mybrainhurts wrote:
>
> Didn't some government advisor suggest that aircraft carrying
> Blair & co should be painted black to make them less
> conspicuous ?
>
> Aren't government advisors sharp ?
Perhaps one really is!
Hi there,
I am having problems with my Mk 3 Golf (M plate 95)
When I start it in the morning, it starts first time
but is really chuggy, then after a while it runs OK.
I though it was just in the cold weather
but it seems to do it all the time now.
It only does it in the morning though??!!?
Can anyone help?? Read more
I also have a 95 Golf - 1.6 Petrol. Mine starts with no problems but then stops after a couple of seconds. This only happens occasionally ath the moment, but seems to be getting worse. I would welcome any suggestions on what to investigate first.
The ridiculous attitude to cars by this government and Red Ken is receiving more attention in the media, at last.
Bus lane decision riles Wogan
by David Williams
An "insane" bus lane, famously attacked by radio personality Terry Wogan for almost causing him to miss the start of his early morning show, is here to stay.
Mayor Ken Livingstone launched the bus lane in Marylebone Road last year: it was instantly savaged by furious motorists who said it caused huge delays on their way to work.
Millions of Radio 2 listeners then heard the veteran presenter lash out at the scheme after he became stuck in a mile-long traffic jam on Marylebone Road, where cars have been reduced to a single lane in some places, to make way for the experimental bus lane.
Now, however, Transport for London is risking Wogan's very public wrath once more by announcing that the lane is to be made a permanent feature on one of the capital's busiest roads. To make sure motorists get the message, it will be painted bright red.
Derek Turner, managing director of TfL Street Management, announced: "This scheme is vital to keep public transport running smoothly and we are pleased with the feedback we've received.
"Initial problems have been resolved and it is evident that buses, coaches, taxis and cyclists have all experienced considerable benefits and will now continue to do so."
Terry Wogan, however, had a very different view.
He told the Standard: "It makes everybody late - it would not be so bad if you sometimes saw a full bus on it but when you do manage to spot one it is always empty. It is a complete joke: it is a major access road and they seem to have forgotten the needs of the motorist.
"No doubt they will tell us - as they did with the M4 bus lane - that by closing one lane everybody is getting to work more quickly. It is insanity.
"They do not want anyone to use cars any more - having driven us all to live in the suburbs they now won't let us drive back in again.
"I cannot imagine any other country in the world tolerating such a scheme; only the phlegmatic British motorist, who is apparently content to sit in his car fuming, then go into the office and forget all about it instead of writing to his MP."
Wogan warned that he would be returning to the subject on his morning show.
TfL blamed "initial difficulties" with the bus lane in its first week on the simultaneous breakdown of traffic lights and roadworks by Westminster City Council which carried out resurfacing on nearby routes.
The bus lane had now "stabilised" and was achieving its objective. It was also vital to protect bus journey times while highly disruptive work was carried out at King's Cross, for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, said Turner.
© Associated Newspapers Ltd., 21 March 2002
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Now, Brian, come on. I said he was good at it. I didn't say I liked it!
Browse
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Doesn't help you but I've said before on here that I've had two company Fords with CVT gearboxes without any problems whatsoever whereas others do seem to have difficulties.
First was a Ford Escort which I took to 73K or thereabouts. Chap who collected it on replacement said he'd heard of them having problems at his dealership.
Second was a Fiesta 1.25 Ghia X because they'd stopped building the Escort auto. I had this for around 45K and it was a superb little car. When I changed jobs, my successor took it over and as far as I know took it to the 70-80K replacement mark with no problems.
All I can say is that I did a lot motorway miles, including the M25 Heathrow section stop-start, and not so many short, in-town journeys where the gearbox or engine don't warm up properly. I had Fiesta RS1800 before these two so wasn't inclined to hang about on the m-way but always take things easy round town.
Maybe I was just lucky but I do wonder if driving usage and style has something to do with the Ford CVT problems. Frankly, I love the CVT boxes and am quite convinced a derivative will play a major role in the future of motoring.
David