September 2002
I have just purchased a Peugeot 306 SR Sedan for my wife, which has totally changed my opinions of this marque!
8 years old, with only a genuine 14,800 miles under the wheels, and FPSH, by golly it rides and handles rather well for one that looks so staid, and the accuracy of steering can teach many a newer car I have driven a lesson or two. The 8 valve 1.8 lump is rather torquey too, and as one would hope for a car used so relatively little, everything works as it should.
Or rather, almost everything works as it should, because the only fault we have found is that when driving at a constant 30 MPH in 4th gear, the car kangaroos badly, with the engine appearing to cut in and out at half second intervals. Other than this, the engine works perfectly, with instant, clean, throttle response. Engine mounts are sound, and nothing is obviously loose.
Having purchased the Haynes manual, I see that the fuel and ignition systems are closed loop controlled by the ECU, with nothing I can adjust, but I wonder if this could perhaps be an over zealous fuel cut off, or pressure regulator problem, that I could easily fix by component replacement?
If anyone has any light they can shed from previous experience, I would be grateful to read it please, and cure the one problem that exists.
Having performed all my own maintenance until company cars came along (co-incidentally, also eight years ago!), I am quite happy to get my hands grubby again on SWMBO's motor.
Many thanks,
Steve Read more
I've been enjoying the reports from the Top Car Auctions.
I can't help wondering if the amount of time spent at these auctions is just for our information and entertainment, or has he been commissioned to buy something lovely! Read more
I'll look forward to reading about what you choose and why you chose it.
When I'm looking for another car I always approach it in a logical fashion, do my research, draw up a short list of suitable cars, then buy something else!
Any chance you will do the same, or do you know precisely what you're looking for?
I have recently bought a used Focus 1.8 Zetec. All 4 tyres were replaced with what appear to be cheap Far Eastern ones by the dealer because the original tyres were very worn (with just 2mm tread depth remaining).
What tyres is the Focus supplied with originally, and what have other Focus owners found to be the most suitable make/model of tyre?
What difference in performance/economy could I expect by replacing them with more expensive branded ones?
Thanks,
Tim Read more
That's possible, TrevorP. I don't have any personally acquired evidence, and David W's experience is valuable here. My piont is that Kumho is an up and coming mfr who are concerned with quality, and are not to be confused with the no-name products that you see around.
My wife wants to buy a new car in about a months time. We have about £12k to spend and have narrowed the choice down to a new Ford Focus 1.6 (LX or Zetec) or a new Toyota Corolla T3 1.6. We are planning to keep it for about 6 to 8 years.
We would like some help / advice to enable us to make our decision.
Thanks in anticipation
Jason Read more
My wife bought a new MR2 from Trade Sales in Slough and saved over £3,500. Completely painless experience which was a bit of a surprise as I was looking for the catch(es) throughout the whole process and it never came. Only downside no in-car sound - easily sortable for £300. Everybody else's comments about Toyota relaibility and better residuals are true. Toyota dealers also well ahead of Ford and very helpful. Take the Focus for a test drive though, they're a hoot to drive! Good luck
Just thought the Backroomers might like to know that Halfords have started their seasonal offers on oils. This year it's just on oils (previous years have included other service parts too). They have knocked 20% off the price of all semi-synthetic and fully synthetic oils in 4, 4.5 & 5 litre tubs. Here is a sample of prices:
Synthetics:
Mobil 1 0W40 (petrol & diesel versions) 4l was £33.99 now £27.19
Castrol RS 0W40 4l was £31.99 now £25.59
Halfords FS 5W40 5l was £25.99 now £20.79
Semi synthetics:
Castrol GTX Magnatec 10W40 4.5l was £21.99 now £17.59
Castrol GTX Magnatec 5W30 4.5l was £24.99 now £19.99
Castrol SLX longlife II (for VW/Audi) 0W30 4l was £34.99 now £27.99
Halfords own semis for petrol and diesel are also reduced by 20%
These offers usually seem to run for about 6 weeks.
Hope you find this useful.
Regards
Cyd
BTW - If you can find a copy of Halfords parts catalogue instore and enter the compo, next year they'll send you a new catalogue and a 10% off voucher. Then you wait for next years offers to come round and get a further 10% off the prices above. Last year I got 16 litres Castrol RS for £72 and 10% off the rest of this years parts requirement by doing this and I'll be doing it again in a couple of weeks.
Read more
I bought a load of Castol from Asda. Not bad at all!
I am wanting to buy a BMW Z3 2.8 - these are expensive cars, so is it worth the risk of buying privately and saving some money (and have a much wider range to choose from!) or should I play it safe and get one from a dealer?
Does anyone have any feedback about how good the AA/RAC are at checking cars?
Cheers,
Mike Read more
If you can find a good clean example with service history (invoices as well as service book stamps!) I'd consider buying private.
As has been suggested I'd deffo get an HPI check as younever know if the seller has stopped paying the 'never - never' and may not have legal title to sell it.
If the seller is genuine, he'd also allow you to get a local BM dealer have a look at it
I find myself in the sorry position of having purchased a "new" tuning kit for a Saab 9-5 (consists of new injectors & remapped ECU), and finding that the ECU has not only been fitted before but is faulty.
The tuning kit is a genuine Saab item, retails at £825 but I bought it online for £225....no need to explain why! Whilst the injectors were in sealed packs, the ECU was in an open poly bag. I arranged for the items to be fitted at a local independent Saab garage, who found that the engine would not run with new (upgraded)ECU. Still runs fine on original ECU. It has been taken to a pukka Saab dealer for diagnostics today, turns out that the ECU has been fitted before and is definitely faulty.
I have checked the FAQ sections on this site & phoned a couple of companies but no-one I've found so far is prepared to fix this unit. Does anyone either have a tame wizard who can, or a unit they wish to sell which works??
I am of course attempting to retrieve said £225 from seller but having trouble contacting him....can't think why! Read more
Make sure you give the seller lots of negative feedback. Ebay gives you the opportunity to tell other potential victims that you were ripped off. Make use of it.
Richard Hall
bangernomics.tripod.com
I have a Peugeot 406 with a knackered cat and I have been thinking about puting a cat bypass instead of replacing the cat. The car runs on LPG so has lower emmissions. Would it still pass it's MOT without the cat because of the LPG? Any advice gratefully received! Read more
Altering the mixture to make it very lean will help get through the MOT. Then make it normal again afterwards.
Can anyone suggest a Mercedes specialist in S.E. London or Kent? I have recently purchased a 1994 S280 and would like to get a big (72,000 mile) service without costing 10% of the cost of the car!
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Great - thanks for the tip. It's called the German Auto Centre, (with a website at www.germanautocentre.co.uk. After your recommendation I have booked my car in. £165+vat for a full service beats the £550+vat being quoted by the main dealers! If all goes well I shall submit it to the garage recommendations section for others. Thanks again.
Twice in the last month I have been in lane 1 when someone on the hard hard shoulder doing about 20 mph indicates and then moves to lane 1. Isn't this illegal (as well as very dangerous)?
I find that rapidly decelerating from 70 mph to 30 mph puts me at risk of a rear end shunt by an exhaust sniffer.
Seems the more I drive the more I take into account the stupid things others might do. Read more
I think that one of the biggest pieces of driver education that needs to take place (and I'm not criticising you Tony), is that people joining a motorway from a slip road don't seem to appreciate that it necessary to ADJUST their speed to ensure it is safe to join - sometimes this means that it will be necessary to slow down slightly as you approcah the entry point to enable a safe and clean merge. The vast majority of people assume they must go accelerate in order to merge in. As in your case Tony, this took you to a point where there was no safe entry gap. Slowing would have enabled you to slide in behind the lorry.
hello steve
just bought a 1996 306 1.8 litre, and i´m having exactly the same problem.
Did you find the solution?
please write at martin--gomez@hotmail.com
thaks in advance
martin