November 2002
My Espace is only 5 weeks old and I noticed a "lifting" of the bumper covering in a very small area. The dealer is suggesting that someone has "touched" the bumper whilst parking and nudged it (there also appears to be a pin missing holding the bumper to the chassis). There is absolutely no mark on the bumper and I think they've left the pin out and the movement has caused the lifting. The have now ordered a new bumper which seems extreme but have not accepted it as a manufacturers fault as they havent removed the bumper. How do I prove its not my fault and should be fixed under warranty? Read more
What is it with fiat handbrakes that makes them so inefficient? For as long as I can remember small Fiats have always had this problem. I understand that Volvos are also v poor on the handbrake front.
Anyway, as I've mentioned on another thread, I've got my Punto booked in at Arnold Clark's for a service and MOT right now. They phoned me to say that most of the components of the back brakes are seized and need to be replaced and quoted some extortionate sum. Obviously I'm not letting them touch it. I'm not convinced that they haven't invented this problem themselves. I was under the impression that the handbrake just needed a good adjustment. Can anyone tell me some symptoms of seized rear brakes? Read more
I would also ask them for a written quotation for solving the problem. Then ask for a second opinion, which should be fairly easy to come by from quickfit centres offering free brake checks.
Hi,
A really quick question in regards to VAT on Imports. Who is actually liable for making the 17.5% payment to Customs & Excise?
I purchased a Saxo VTR in Belgium in 2000 (saving £4,000) and got a VAT bill at the end of the quarter for it. I sent a cheque to C&E and heard no more about it.
But, (for those who've been kindly reading and replying to my post about Clio DCi), I'm thinking of importing again, this time through a broker rather than privately. The company based in Holland has given me a quote including 17.5% English VAT, all inclusive of charges etc.
Seems simple, however.. At the bottom of the quote, in very small print it reads "The company is not liable for payment of VAT" even though their quote includes the 17.5% VAT.
Confused? You will be... :-)
James
PS: Broker is: www.unitedmotors.net Read more
James:
The alternative would be to buy a six-month old car here, save having to visit Belgium and have the car now!
I suspect the savings would be very similar
Andy
Anyone know if any shops stock this product, or can you only buy it from their website??
Cheers Read more
Umm, well i don't want it fordeveloping photos.
well there's a suprise
As it says
on the tin (or bottle) it's for engine water cooling systems
never having seen a tin or bottle, i wouldn't know what it says on it.
But I bet a bottle from your local Jessops would be the a lot cheaper than the equivalent from Dearest Treats
I have to grow old - but I don't have to grow up
Has anyone suffered with a rushing water noise when they start up their engine (mine is a 98 Citroen SaxoVTR)? Which becomes louder on applying revs. Is it getting to the point now where i am getting really pink furry dice and miffed.
Started hearing the water noise and then the temperature gage went into the red. Got it bled told it was an airlock. Noticed I was losing water-searched for leaks nothing. As the water noise was still there I presumed there was still air in the system, so I had it bled at my local citroen garage (who are very good), and they couldn\'t find a leak. This process carried on a few more times.
I had a chemical head gasket test-negative, got a pressure test-rad started leaking so got that changed. Had another pressure test no leaks found anywhere and i don\'t have any other signs that it\'s a head gadket prob.
Now I am at a dead end. I don\'t want to leave it as if there is air in the system surely this could eventually damage the head? I can\'t go on bleeding the system all the time. Has anyone else had this problem or know how to solve it
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I had the same symptoms on a Mark 2 Cortina back in the 70's, the usual pressure tests, compression tests etc. showed normal readings. Because it was only a one hour job, I decided to remove head and investigate. Turned out to be a cracked head which was only letting avery small amount of pressure through when the engine was warm. Another symptom on mine showed up on a trip from Sheffield down to Devon, the temperature gauge would creep up to the red over a distance of 100 miles and after stopping and letting it cool it required a top up of about 2 pints.
Hi,
A friend has a '99 fiesta and is having problems with water ingress to the cabin. The front footwells are filling with water during heavy rainfalls.
I have reason to suspect a problem with a bulkhead seal, but before embarking on the painful task of tracking a hole down, I'd be interested to know of any common troublesome areas.
And yes I know it's a ford, etc... so please only constructive comments.
Thanks,
Mr Smith. Read more
The roof drains down to the cill but this has to drain out of slots on the downside formed between the inner and out parts of the cill panels. If you drive along country lanes, these slots can fill with mud and block up. The cill get full of rainwater from the roof and then overfoows into the car, hence a wet floor.
The other rain entry I've experienced is from the plate in the bulkhead (I'm not going to get this description right!) which is under the drain slots where the wipers sit. This collects water off the windscreen and lets it out via slots to drain down the bulkhead behind the engine. But there's a horizontal plate that has been know to leak. It's at a location equivalent to under the wiper motor but on the nearside of the car. I used silicone to solve this one.
I went to the National Classic Car Show at the NEC on Saturday and got talking to a very helpful chap on the Bugatti Owners' Club Stand whilst he was showing me around a beautiful vintage Bugatti Limousine.
I noticed a strangely familiar crest on the driver's door and asked him about it. Turned out to be the Chancellor of the Exchequer's crest. The car is owned by Lord Raglan who has no descendants and so the car, for some reason, has been given on long term loan to Our Gordon.
Two questions sprang to mind:
1) How did this come about, given that cars are officially nasty smelly things and that GB himself couldn't drive until quite recently;
2) What's Lord Raglan's phone number?
It's hell at the top, isn't it?
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Whilst Grabbing Gordon is hardly very popular with the man on the Clapham omnibus, I would hesitate to class him as a prime terrorist target.
Haven't posted here before but was hoping someone would be kind enough to help me out. The missus wants to bet rid of her current car (Mitsubishi GTO 3000 twin turbo) as we have moved to the country and the fuel consumption is a bit heavy now she is earning less. She wants to buy a 4x4 but the fuel/mpg figures are quite shocking talking to local people with Range/Land Rovers etc. Could anyone tell me what 4x4's give the best MPG?
Any websites anyone knows of would be very useful...cheers
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Thought you might like to know yesterday the Missus fell in love with a 2 year old Subaru Forester Turbo and we are now awaiting delivery. Cheers for your help......anyone want to buy a GTO!!
I've seen a few threads regarding fixing alloy wheels.
Here's a link I found - it's a law from canada, and there is some very good (and safety driven) info there.
www.qp.gov.bc.ca/statreg/reg/M/MotorVehicle/5_97/5...m Read more
I filled up at the weekend with the cheapest petrol I've seen for ages - 69.9 pence per litre.
There was no catch and no supermarket shopping to do either to get this price. It was, unfortunately, only available over the weekend, though.
Is the the cheapest petrol at the moment?
Dave H Read more
I have heard that all petrol (except Shell and Texaco) come
from exactly the same tanks.
Hi BB
What you say is pretty much true, the company i work for in grays in Essex has a fuel line running through our yard from the river Thames into a fuel storage/distribution depot.
The Thames side of things is a jetty where fuel tanker ships unload their spoils. The depot it self has a string of road tankers arriving and leaving all day long, from companies such as Shell, Jet, Texaco, Murco, to mention just four, plus all the outside hauliers delivering the fuels.
The base petrol is the same, all that is different is the additives that are put in, usually this is done at the point of delivery from a seperate tank on the lorry.
Where i live is about 5 miles from the Coryton Refinery in south Essex. All day long you will see tanker lorries from various different retailers rolling in and out of this refinery, these include trucks delivering for Major supermarket chains.
Hope this helps.
Pastyman
Browse
Rear windscreen was replaced on my previous Cavalier under Network Q warranty as some of the heated lines failed. Mr clusmy windscreen fitter shattered the glass while changing it. Glass chipped the paint on the roof and rear wings quite badly, and he also scratched the paint with his boilersuit zip/buttons. Paint colour was metallic Westminster Blue. Bodyshop only resprayed roof up to the sunroof, both rear wings and both rear doors. 4 yrs later and still no difference in colour between old and new paint.