February 2003
Just looking to replace all four tyres on my Accord and am tempted by the Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD (195/60VR15) at £65 each.
However, there is also the new Bridgestone RE720 at £58.50
Now, the "problem" is, how long is the Goodyear likely to be around for? I don't wan't to buy four tyres only to find that in 12 months they stop making them. Is the Bridgestone, which is new, the better bet? Does anyone know where I can get them cheaper?
Cheers!
Andy Read more
I would appreciate a 'sanity check' from anyone out there on my intent to buy a new zafira.
SWMBO hands back her company BMW in a couple of months at the end of her maternity leave.
With the twins, we now have 3 kids under 5 and need something practical (it's a real struggle getting 3 child seats into the back of the 320 touring).
The zafira seems like a sensible compromise between an estate and full sized MPV, but the middle seat in the back only has a lap belt. Until now that is. The new 2003 model has 7 3 point belts. But I've never thought that buying a new car with your own money made financial sense. However, because the zafira holds it's value so well and I've sourced a UK one at 20% (£3,100) off list price and I can finance it at 5% apr, the numbers are starting to look quite attractive.
Any comments or favoured alternatives gratefully received.
Read more
I got mine from CarSelect (LLoyds TSB) at
www.motordirect.lloydstsb.com
but their prices have now gone up by nearly 10% on the 1.8 design I bought. We're very happy with it... boring, but extremely practicle.
At the time, after some serious haggling Reg Vardy came close to matching CarSelect's price.
I also considered buying from
www.broker4cars.co.uk/zafiraprices.htm
who are still offering very good deals.
Just wanted to say many thanks to all the backroomers who have posted about ill-running mondeos in the past. A quick search of previous threads turned up several apparently likely causes for a rather rough 1.8 belonging to the little brother. Top of the list was tracking on the plugs of cylinders 3 and 4. Lo, what do i find when i look at them, nasty black marks, iffy looking HT leads. Anyway, new plugs and a set of leads and problem appears to be solved.
But.......If this is a common problem, what is the cause behind it? It may be straightforward to fix, but the idea of throwing plugs and leads at the car on a regular basis is unappealing. And does anybody have personal experience with any plugs these Zetecs like - I removed a set of Champion (Eon 4?) and replaced them with the old NGK ones that were lying around. The Champion plugs had been in for a few months, the NGK ones presumably for rather longer before that and despite showing signs of tracking (noticably less than the new Champion plugs) seemed to sort out the misfiring. So a new set of the same NGK went in with the leads, and the car is apparently "sweet as a nut". But is it just going to happen again in a couple of months?
Any ideas? Or, even better, any explanations? Read more
Hi All,
Remember this one? Didnt see an explanation so here is my threepence worth.
I would venture to suggest that the cause lies with the unusually large 1.3 mm spark plug gap used on this engine. This was apparently to improve combustion stability at idle. The drawback is a significantly higher spark plug gap breakdown voltage than is needed for similar engines with a more common 1.0 mm gap. This had to be supported by the simultaneous introduction of distributor-less ignition (a 4 tower coil pack), since a conventional distributor would probably flash-over after a small mileage, not to mention the spark energy lost, and radio frequency interference generated. The system is reliant on good dielectric strength. To obtain good system dielectric strength it is necessary to block all paths from high potential to ground, with something dielectrically stronger than air! While it is easy to seal the coil end connections of the HT leads for life, the spark plug end presents more of a challenge.
At this voltage requirement the spark plug's upper insulator is not long enough to prevent flash over in free air between terminal and hexagon. The rubber boot of the HT lead is designed to seal tightly against the plug's insulator to prevent an air path. The plug and HT lead connector, situated deep in the centre of the cylinder head, is subjected to heat soak. After a while, this is sufficient to produce a permanent "set" in the rubber boot, such that it does not seal as well on a different spark plug, being changed at the recommended service interval. Note that outside diameters of insulators vary from make to make of spark plug. To make a good seal it is essential to fit either OE (Motorcraft) or another make of plug which has this larger insulator diameter. At this point as Andrew quite rightly suggests, new leads of OE quality should be fitted. Reason for this, in addition to the above, is there could be carbon tracks down the inside of the rubber boot, which will make subsequent tracking out more likely.
Now, on to why are cylinders 3 & 4 more affected?
Cylinders 3 & 4 are sparked with a positive spark, whereas cylinders 1 & 2 receive a negative spark. This is a feature of the 4-tower coil. With a positive spark it can take approximately 20% more voltage to breakdown an asymmetric spark plug gap, that is where the centre electrode area is much smaller than the sidewire area (typical of platinum tipped plugs). Hence tracking out is more likely on cyls 3 & 4.
"Is it going to happen again in a couple of months?" No, if using OE quality parts, it should be possible to get at least 50, 000 miles in before the plugs/leads need changing.
I have a polo which takes in fumes through the air vents on the dash. Smells of petrol and engine. Worried it might also be exhaust. Seems to happen when the car is stationary.
Any ideas why this happens, what is causing it and how to stop it.
Stan Read more
It sounds like your oil breather hose has split, depending on the age of polo it should be a the rear of the engine just behind the inlet manifold, its only made of rubber so the oil does tend to rot them.
I'm thinking of trading down from a Subaru Impreza turbo (X reg MY00) to something more sensible and cheaper to run for about £5-7k. Will a garage take my Impreza in part exchange and offer cash to make up the difference? Read more
As usual I'm no expert, but I would try selling for cash to a performance specialist - depending on what you are thinking of replacing it with. You may get a decent price, and you will also have more haggle-power.
I'm considering a used Jag xj8 v8 1999-2000 vintage. Does anybody have experience of 3.2 & 4.0 versions (not xjr). Has the 3.2 got enough mid-range go,is the 4.0 too thirsty? Looking around 4.0 seems rarer.Is it worth hunting one out. Do either have a scary service cost at certain mileage. I'm trying to find an independent opinion from you knowledgeable people out there. Read more
Thanks for the info. Any more Jag people out there with ideas or opinions? Honest John is a bit of a Jag man I believe.
I have a 2002 Mondeo Ghia with Climate control that blows cold air after 45 mins driving, does anyone else have this problem? Also i have poor radio reception which cause sibilence esp. on left hand speaker
Mondeoman Read more
Mine's the same, except it blows cooler after about 15 mins, just as the engine temperature has reached normal. I've had the software update and checked the fault codes, none showing except the obligatory, B1242 air recirculation flap code, which may show up even when there is no fault. I think it may be the flap that lets cold air in that is sometimes sticking. The car is going in to the dealers tomorrow for a new seatbelt and they are going to take another look at the heating, I'll let you know tomorrow night of the outcome.
Are there any experts out there that have heard of a firm called Bickley Motors. They were active in S London, 1920ish, making bodies for RRs and other chassis.
I ask because the owner, a Mr Levett, was my Grandfather, I now have no family that were around in those days to ask.
I found a huge tome on coachbuilders in Waterstones but could find no mention in there.
Read more
They did stuff for RR didn't they Mutterer ? BTW like many places Bickley has 2 halves - the nice bit with houses in the £1-£3m range.
Ahhhhh.... if only I'd invested more wisely !
... or whatever it is called.
Saw one in the flesh today, the Lotus Elise wannabe.
Looks nice enough, anyone here own one? What's it like?
clariman Read more
Nope :) Yet more ammunition for Vectra 20k service intervals... The VX220 intervals are in fact 10000 miles apart.
Vx dealer allowed me to drive one of these whilst trying to pacify me for a Vectra related incident. Very fast and it felt good to drive. Very low output for an engine this size, bhp-wise I couldn't help feel.
It'll also be prone to coil burnout as well, along similar lines to the VW issue.
Big the biggest laugh of all - Would you buy a new one of these and then trust a Vauxhall dealership to go anywhere near the thing as regards servicing? My local one is incapable of even managing an oil change properly.
Have noticed that chrome is starting to make a comeback on some models lately, the obvious example being the new mini.
I personally think it looks great and would love a car with lots of chrome but that won't be possible for a while yet.
I did see some chrome today on a car in the form of an after-market no. plate base which you attach the actual no.plate to.
Does anyone know where these can be bought?. Read more
Mal, Halfords for sure. Saw it the other day. They also do a 'carbon fibre' look.
Browse
Just on that point I have found that to be totally true. My garage replaced one Pirelli 600 with a Pirelli 6000 on the front and the handling was nought to hedge in three seconds.
pat