Can anyone confirm the correct cambelt change interval for our Mondeo (2.0 Zetec LX Auto 1/97 facelift model). Car is just coming up to 6 years old with a confirmed 60,000m.

Local Ford dealer says 5 years/80,000m
Service book supplied says 10 years/80,000m
My friendly local garage reckons it should be done now.

Which is right? Any other suggestions?
Also, will the car benefit from using a synthetic oil at next weeks oil and filter change?

Thanks
BB
(My first post!) Read more

Has any one experienced problems with a rear golf door mk iv refusing to open either from inside or outside. Central locking was working ok and all other doors worked normally. The central locking button was locking and unlocking on the faulty door but the door wouldnt open. Subsequently the fault corrected itsself and the door started working normally again. The problem has happened twice - the only reason I can come up with is that my wife on opening the car had pulled out the handle on the offending door before the central locking had disengaged, although you would think that the design would allow for this. It is now working normally and she has been told to wait until the central locking has operated - a couple of seconds - before using the handle to open the doors. This behaviour seems to work. Has any one else experienced anything similar, or have any suggestions why it happened. The whole episode was weird. Read more

I have received a D46 to renew my licence - I am aged over 70. Part B says "Only complete this if you have told us about a medical condition before". Then, "What is the condition?" I forget if there was one or not. Is this a trick question i.e. if I ring to ask will I will be told "It is up to you to remember" and be penalised if I can't? I am certainly not suffering from any driving disability at present. Read more

Hi all,

Thanks for everyones previous assistance on this site, I always review articles here hoping not to have to write my own again - but here i am :(

I am having starting troubles with my BMW 316, 1996. I just had the starter and the battery and the alternator checked (I had a dodgy connection between battery and ignition unit causing everything having to be checked over!). But I now have starting trouble again.

The starter turns over and over when I turn the key, but the engine will not start until I have done this probably two to three times, and when it does start (and I don't think that I am being paranoid here) I smell a sulphorous (eggy) smell when it does start.

When the engine is warm, it doesn't do this, but when it is cold it does this all the time - i.e. every morning.

Does anyone have any idea what might be causing this?

I have done a fair few miles in her since I bought her three months ago (12,000+) - would this be anything as simple as a service??

Thanks in advance all,
And merry christmas to everyone too :)

Dindo.
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Similar to another thread, does anyone have any stories or experiences buying and selling cars over the internet?

Were you a seller that got stood up somewhere, or were you a buyer that travelled a long way to see a pile of pink fluffy dice? Or did the transaction go as planned? Or are there any amusing stories?

I sold my 1968 Morris Oxford by creating a simple website linked it to the free advert sites, chased it through search engines etc and waited.

Received a number of enquiries, one from as far away as California. I eventually ended up selling to a chap from the Irish Republic.

I had to drive it from Devon to Bristol Airport where he duly arrived slightly later than planned due to a delayed flight.

He looked it up and down and drove it around the car park and was happy enough to pay the agreed price.

All went well in the end. I caught the train back and by that night I was tucked up safely in bed minus car but richer!

Trick is if you're selling and are asked to go somewhere is, make sure you are meeting up in day time in a populated area. Get as much info as you can about the person you're meeting up with. Keep this until you've done the deal incase anything goes wrong. Also play safe. Don't meet up in an unpopulated area or at night. And take other safety measures.

In addition, I asked for enough money to be sent in advance to fill the car up with petrol. 2 reasons:- 1, if there was a no show, the return journey would not have left me out of pocket, and his willingness demonstrated a level of commitment.

As a result, I was happy to answer his intelligent questions, all of which he comfortably verified when he saw the car. Read more