October 2002
My wife is interested in buying a 93K 1.8 CL Golf, with lowish miles and in generally good condition for £2300. The car drives ok, and all the usual bits seem fine, however, it has (we assume) factory fitted remote locking and alarm. The locking works from the remote and key, and the alarm can be triggered by the panic button on the fob, however the LED was hidden under the floor mat (it had been pulled form the dash but was still attached to the wire). We questioned the dealer, who claimed ignorance, so we are wondering how expensive these kinds of things are to fix, or will it be possible to just replace the alarm with a decent one that will still link to the central locking?
Many thanks
Adam Read more
Hi
Reading todays DT (best way, no charging Rhinos) I see that our sponsor HJ is doing question & answer sessions at the motorshow this year.
There's one on the Thursday and one on Sunday, I thought it might make a good opportunity to have the inaugrial (and possibly last!) HJ backroom get together.
I think the Sunday is the 27th, what do the assembled masses here think?
Lee.
PS - Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere, but I couldn't see it in a brief scan of the latest posts Read more
A good idea. May I suggest clear identification badges, a great help on such occasions. Sorry it's a bit far from Dundee at 75; and I have to look after the boss (SWMBO); and I don't suppose I'd find my way about in the big smoke, or get parked!
One thing. LOOK at the cars, or anything else that may interest. BUY nothing!
Tomo
Has GM / Vauxhall lost the plot with coupes?
The Monza GSi seems to have been the last decent GM coupe. The Calibra V6 might have been a decent replacement if the handling had been much sharper. The Astra Coupe is nice enough for a small car but is going to be replaced by a Corsa based coupe, ala Tigra. Is this really what we want?
An Omega Coupe with Holden providing the V8 power and Lotus sorting out the suspension would surely have sold well but this won't ever happen now.
I suppose we can't expect any more from a company that "replaced" the Cavalier with the Vectra. As someone else said, change is inevitable - progress is optional. Read more
The coupe that should be imported in the UK is the Holden Monaro. It is the 2 door version of the Holden Commodore, and is a available with a supercharged 3.8litre V6 (171kW) for about 14,500 pounds [1] or with a 5.7 V8 (225kW) for 17,530 pounds.
In my opinion it is gorgeous and the press out here love the styling. Haven't had a chance to drive it yet (might do in next couple of weeks) but the motoring press admire it as a drivers car. You can see the car at www.holden.com.au There are also some version breathed upon by HSV (Holden Special Vehicles) which are upto to 10k dearer but more powerful and seeing as the HSV Commodore has been imported into the UK, we may get them - but at vastly increased prices though. I also seem to remember that the HSV version was designed by an Englishman and that TWR had something to do with it.
[1] sorry no sterling sign on keyboard
Paul C
I have (had) a beloved Audi 2.6 TDi estate (160,000k, P reg) which has been regularly serviced by Audi dealers (OK I'm a bit overdue for the 150k service)and last week the Cam belt went wrecking the engine. Belt last changed at the 120k service. I was told that the belt was not due for changing until 180k. Do I have any recourse against Audi (not fit for the purpose for which it was intended etc). If not what other options do I have? The car's fine otherwise just run in,in fact!
Read more
Yep, 1997 'P' would be the old 5 cylinder engine....
Not good at all. There's no recourse to the dealership, there are many other variables here, one being the water pump. It's considered good practice to replace it at belt change time.
MG-Rover Questions? forums.mg-rover.org/
mate has escort 6 1.3 endura e engine.
was running rough and stalling so changed lamda sensor and cleaned idle control valve. also changed plugs and leads.
now if lamda sensor connected the car runs so rich that it floods itself. if disconnect lamda car runs not to bad but intermitantly will die like carb icing on old cars when under load. have tried running car with air flow meter disconnected no better. any ideas. has same engine as ford ka. Read more
My Sister's G Reg Golf was broken into last night and her radio stolen. They got in through the passenger rear window (not a 'wind-up' window, just a plane glass window).
They have "kindly" left the undamaged glass pane but the rubber window seal is damaged. My question is whether special tools are needed to refit the window (I think I could probably get a cheap seal from a scrapyard) or whether she's best going to a windscreen specialist? (she's been quoted approx £100 and that's using the glass that she's been left with). She thinks her windscreen excess on her insurance is also £100. Read more
Thanks for the comments.
Rear window seal £2 from scrapyard!
Fitted very easily using Cyd's instructions - thanks again.
Hi All, first post so please be gentle! Have recently joined the ranks of the (seemingly) numerous Omygod, sorry Omega owners here. My '96 2.5 CD manual petrol, 86,000 miler, has been fine for the first few months of ownership but has now developed a loud medium-high pitched turbine/fan like noise that increases with speed.
If I coast in neutral it still increases with speed, so assume it not to be connected with the engine. It is very difficult to pinpoint exactly which part of the vehicle it is coming from, but an assistant reckoned it to be louder when sitting in the back of the car.
It is not a low, rumbling or metal-on-metal type of sound that I would associate with a knackered bearing. But then again it is a long time since I had trouble of this nature.
Is it trouble with the diff or the axle?, I think that this has been mentioned in this forum previously.
SWMBO reckons there is a smell of 'burning rubber' from the front end after the car has been driven, but this may not be connected with the noise problem. Read more
If it was the fan, and mine make quite a turbine-like noise, then road speed would affect the noise - at least, in the form of wind speed.
If not that, does braking have any effect on the noise ?
My 20V Skoda Octavia auto has a tendency to drift slightly to the left and the steering wheel is also slightly off centre (to the left, as it happens). The front wheels have been balanced (slightly out) and the tracking checked (spot on) so I`m wondering what to consider next.
Any thoughts? Read more
I thought I had a slight problem with my 2001 Octavia 1.4 classic
pulling to the left until I drove abroad - and yes it pulled to the right!!
I have just got a new job and with it comes a company car or an allowance of £385 per month. Both options have an additional and identical fuel allowance that depends on the engine size of the car. The cash option involves complete freedom to buy any car I want and the cost of maintenance falls to me. If I choose the company car option, all the servicing etc is taken care of but I am taxed as a benefit in kind. What should I do - take the money or the car? Also, if I take the car, what should I buy. The job image means it couldn't be a banger and would need some image so I have been looking at BMW, Audi, Merc, VW, Saab, Volvo, Honda etc. I would prefer 5 doors or an estate but that's not crucial and I have about £5,000 capital I can afford to spend up front. I have been to the local auction to check out what you can get for the money. Any advice to all these points from anyone who has been there done that?
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Absolutely agree. I'd always come at this from the other direction. The only reasons I'd buy my own car are:-
1. If I couldn't get a good enough car within the limits of the scheme.
2. If I did a low mileage.
3. If I never had to worry about where it was parked.
What's a bit of tax against having the car you want insured, serviced, and fixed the minute anything happens?
HJ's report that literally thousands of pre registered cars are available at dealers shows what state the UK market is in, but why do manufacturers persist in registering these cars just to massage the 'sales' figures?
The practice also cause in part, the massive depreciation cars go through because once you buy any product for say £10,000 then the seller offers virtually the same product days later at say £9,250, the product you bought for £10k has immediately lost another £750 in value!
UK dealer should have to comply with the same registration regulations as private importers in that a vehicle must be registered with 14 days of arrival in the UK.
If I import a car into the country and don't sell it within 14 days, I have to register it and so should they. Read more
Watcher
Please make your mind up!
In the same post, you criticise the car manufacturers for pre-registering cars, and then demand that they should register cars within 14 days of import.
You can't have it both ways! I agree that pre-registering distorts the market - but then it's really just their way of admitting that few people want to pay their list prices. I don't see why it matters to you if they import a car and keep it in stock for a month or two (or six!) until the right customer comes along wanting that model.
HJ's report that literally thousands of pre registered cars are available
at dealers shows what state the UK market is in, but
why do manufacturers persist in registering these cars just to massage
the 'sales' figures?
UK dealer should have to comply with the same registration regulations
as private importers in that a vehicle must be registered with
14 days of arrival in the UK.
If I import a car into the country and don't sell
it within 14 days, I have to register it and so
should they.
Browse
these alarms were dealer fit usually scorpion or gemini. if the remote is rectangular and about 1inch long with only one button on it its a scorpion. the dash led should be fitted to a trim blank just below the radio area. behind the glovebox will be the control unit and possibly a small metal flick switch. this will permantly switch the alarm off. this could also be fitted up underneath the steering column. on the subject of the car is it a 75bhp single point injected or a 90bhp multipoint injected. 90bhp ones a much better. if single point then make sure injector is taken out and serviced £16+vat as soon as you get it.