November 2002
...seem to be breeding in my part of the world. Is there a Dodge Ewe?
One seems to have taken up residence in Leatherhead (Texas registration) and I followed a second down my road this morning -I couldn't catch the reg on that one.
Was Mark (RLBS) going to import his too?
Fearsome looking motors but lovely exhaust note :o)
Terry Read more
I have recently enquired into a 40,000 mile service for my Vauxhall Astra and was shocked to find a variety of quotes ranging from £140 to £220 all with main dealers. Is it necessary to use a main dealer in order to maintain the full service history.
On another note they recommended that I have the cam changed at 40,000, is this right? I used to service my own cars before the days of computers and don't remember doing that early in the car's life?!
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The stamps are almost meaningless. You can *easily* get hold of counterfeit rubber stamps made up to any pattern you like and do the stamping yourself. A nice thick sheaf of paper receipts with date, mileage and details of work carried out is much more valuable (not to mention more difficult to forge).
RM
another problem with my 406, recently the whistle when the turbo kicks in has got louder. i'm worried that another costly repair bill is round the corner.
anyone have any knowledge of this because i really need to plan in advance how long till something go's!!!!! Read more
Mike -
re Oil leaks using semi-synth. That's very interesting, I'd never considered that the type of oil I was using might be causing a problem! My P-reg Peugeot 405 TD estate (loads and loads and loads of miles) seems to be weeping oil from about 4 different places on the engine, and I always run my old diesel ex-cabs on Castrol GTD Magnatec (fully synth). It doesn't actually seem to be losing a great quantity, probably goes down to 2/3 on the dipstick over 6,000 miles, but it makes a helluva mess on the drive! They never seem to break down though.
I'm not fixing it anyway, it's going in part-ex at the weekend for a petrol Mondeo...
I'm thinking of buying a Peugeot 206 (my first car) and was wondering if anyone has any advice on what I should ask for etc... any pitfalls out there or anything I should demand...that sort of info. Also, anyone any idea on insurance after the first free year? Cheers, Jeff.
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Oh, and I forgot, a Ford would have better seating position and handling. :)
Can anyone advice me on who is responsible for damage to your car by another customer while it is parked on the dealer's parking space/forecourt, when the car was with them for servicing.
thanks Read more
i would check to see if the garage has a notice up on it's premises stateing "no liability" for vehicles left in the car park, if there is'nt one you may be able to claim them.
prokon
I am experiencing a complete loss of power in my Rover Metro (no jokes about not having any power to start wit please!).
When at idle, she will rev fine, but as soon as she is under any load (eg going uphill), she loses power completely, and needs to drop into 1st or second just to keep going. The engine does not rev highly when this happens, so its definately not the clutch.
She did overheat on Friday night, and she has been getting worse since then. There is no mayo on the oil filler cap. She has always lost coolant (throught the heater fins), so its difficult to know whether she has lost more than usual, but I have a suspicion she HAS lost coolant. No bubbles in the radiator filler tank when running though.
I am hoping (probably in vain) that the overheating and the loss of power are unconnected, and that I haven't blown the head gasket. Any thoughts?
Thanks,
D7 Read more
Awww, you beat me to it! I was going to say, my first car, an Allegro 1.1, had exactly the same problem. I even had to leave it halfway up a hill one night and walk the rest of the way home to fetch me dad! Turned out the air filter element was black and soggy, take it out and full (!) power (!!) returned.
I have heard something about Smartnav which I understand is made by Trafficmaster. I believe they operate the traffic monitoring system using the blue poles along the side of the road. I understand that Smartnav integrates satellite navigation with traffic monitoring. Sounds very interesting but I would value any opinions or comments especially from any actual users of the system.
Many thanks, MGs Read more
Dave - what's that link?
I've been told by a helpful ex-VW garage that the announced re-organisation of dealerships is now under way.
VW UK's web site is not helpful about these changes.
I like VW cars but I am getting fed up with the dealers closing- three in the North Derbyshire / Cheshire area in the last 6 years. My Passat will need servicing in the next 2k and I do not want to put it in the hands of a digruntled garage just about to lose their franchise.
Any accurate information out there about the re-structuring?
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Only a little point and worthy of consideration in the scale of things.
If you contact a garage unknown to you and you are told that they cannot make an appointment until many days later then your near the pot of gold. If however the reply is fetch it round now beware.
People do vote with their feet and stay away from those with bad names.
DVD
When manouvering slowly our Honda Civic N Reg make an odd chirpy sound when you start to press the throttle. Is this anything to worry about? Otherwise its fine. Read more
Hi all from a newbie
[Mitsubish Galant 2.0/auto/1992]
This is a problem that has dogged me or 18 months or more. My garage has repeatedly misdiagnosed it until this week - though I am on extremely good terms with them and they have always been totally honest with me.
Starrting about 18 months ago I started to get a rumbling noise from under the car that got slightly worse. I had it check by my garage and they said it was the exhaust. That made sense and I ended up getting a half exhaust fitted. The noise continued.
Each time I left it in for servicing I asked them to check it. They couldn't find a cause one time. The next they told me it was the universal joint between the two sections of the exhaust. But when I left it in to have a new one fitted the guy told me that it wasn't the joint after all - he just needed to tighten a few bolts. The noise continued and continued to get worse.
The rumbling vibration comes mainly when the engine is pulling in a slightly lower gear than the car speed - if that makes sense. So starting from stop and driving off doesn't always produce the noise, unless it's uphill.
So this week they told me they would spend whatever time it took to nail it. When I came back two days later . . . to collect it they told me they had thought it might be the gearbox mounting, but had ruled that out and had tracked it down to being inside the gearbox. I am now left with the quandery of whether to try to get a second hand one or a recondishioned one - I really can't afford either :(
The gear changes seem normal, silent and quick. Though I have had a slight problem since I got the car where from time to time it doesn't change up as I accelerate and appears to 'stick' in 2nd until the revs get VERY high or I take my foot off the accelerator and it 'jogs' unto gear.
Can anyone comment on this problem ? Does it fit with a gearbox problem ? is it serious and could the box crash on me while I'm driving ?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Piliger
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Thanks Terry // and also to Dizzy !
Actually I'm in Dublin, Ireland. There are only two gearbox specialists and I expect to drive over to one later this week. The trouble is the usual one we non-experts have; it is so easy for them to 'diagnose' something that I am in no position to argue with. However I am assured by my garage that they are as close to trustworthy as I am ever likely to get :) so finger's crossed :) They have said they will drive it around and give me some kind of assessment before I commit.
The sticking in 2nd is common, though it changes up to 3rd eventually quite smoothly. The noise has got worse steadily, if not suddenly; it wounds as if I'm driving a diesel :)
I always associate a gearbox about to go with screaming or scraping noise...
I have been told that a reconditioned gearbox for this model will be ca ST£1,000 ! I could get a used one from a breakers yard for less, butmy garage tell me that anything I get will have 100,000 miles on it so I should forget it.
Thanks all !
Piliger
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He's also got a silly haircut..............