March 2003
I'm shopping around on the internet for car insurance for my sister. I decided to try www.confused.com to get some quotes for my sister. However, as she had her policy cancelled two years ago, only two insurers were willing to quote. What Mark (RLBS) says about having difficulty in this situation is certainly true.
It is unfortunate as the cancellation wasn't her fault. A popular scam with young people is to only put themselves as named drivers. My sister rightly didn't want to do this and has always had her own policy.
Another scam is to put a low-risk parents address when keeping the car in a high-risk area. Again, my sister wanted to be 100% honest and told the broker to insure the car at her university address in Birmingham, since she would spend most time there. She did say that the car was registered at our parent’s house in rural Norfolk. The broker managed to sell my sister a breakdown policy, suggesting it would be very helpful when making the Norfolk to Birmingham journey.
Midway through the policy, after a failed break-in attempt, my sister didn't want the car at uni any more and tried to transfer the insurance back to the Norfolk address, where the car would be left.
The insurer's response was that this policy was not suitable for students living away from home, as part of a seven-day cancellation notice. After arguing with the broker and insurer, nothing was resolved. I found her a policy with a company that doesn't ask about cancelled policies.
The Confused website bundles the cancellation question in with having insurance refused or having special terms imposed so it has to be answered Yes.
There are companies that do not see the cancellation as a problem and at least my sister now has four years NCD so premiums are low. The cancellation questions never seem to have a time limit - my sister could be blighted by this broker's error for the rest of her driving life.
It seems unfair that being honest to a broker/insurer can mean getting heavily penalised, whereas many dishonest people get away with it.
James
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Hello,
Does anyone know how to remove the n/s A pillar cover on an '02 Focus - whithout resorting to brute force & broken clips.
I need to know to route a cellphone mic cable.
In anticipation.
Robert Read more
The upper A-pillar cover I was referring to is the one on the edge of the windscreen. I think you have to unclip it by pressing it away from the retaining clips and pulling it upwards to remove it.
The lower A-pillar cover must be removed with the panel beside the footwell.
Hope this helps... I haven't tried it, I got the info from a Haynes manual.
On replacing the sparkplugs on my 1.4 Astra 1993 Model yesterday, I found that I couldn\'t tighten 1 new plug properly. The other 3 had a nice solid feel, the forth not.
Obviously I realise I have an alloy head, am I being neurotic in refusing to tighten the plug fully? or by stopping am I saving the spark plug thread from being stripped?.
If the thread needs to be replaced is this a head off job and a trip to an engineering works, or can the job be done without any dismatling?
What are your views? Read more
There's a previous thread somewhere in here - quite possibly to do with a stripped plug on a Ford Ka engine. Anyway, IIRC one of the suggestions made was to cut a slot in the old spark plug thread and use that to recut the thread in the head. If I can find it, I'll post the link later.
Can anybody help - I've been driven round the bend by a Rover 414Sli 16v K Series early 91 'H' 82K. After a downpour, or a foggy morning or more maddening a wash the thing will not start. I'm on first name terms with the breakdown guys whose advice I've taken to try diferent fixes. All of the following is new in the last 12 months - battery, starter coil, all plug leads, plugs, distributor cap/rotor arm, vacuum pipes for starter sequence, air filter and the engine bay relays. I've also fitted a rubber coil cover off of a later model and cleaned all of the low tension leads from the ECU but all to no avail even after a liberal soaking of WD40. The car does several hundred miles a week, easliy passed all of its emission tests in last months MOT and when running is fautless. What else can I try? Read more
I used to own a rover 214 and would cut out on me when driving during a down pour managed to fix to problem by drying out the coil connections and smearing with waterproof grease it did not help that the coil sat behind the nearside headlight and used to get soaking wet on fast roads in rain seemed to cure the problem though
Does anyone know where the thermostat is situated Read more
I stand corrected. Andrew M is in fact correct. It's only the 1.8 and 2.0 litre engines that have the thermostat where Geoff C and I earlier suggested. It can be changed with the cambelt left in situ - I did one on my old 1.3 litre Astra - but it can be damn awkward.
I have just picked up a new car from a well known supermarket (i wont mention their name at this point,but will be happy to do so if they dont give appropriate customer service).
I was a little bemused by the system they run and the fact that you sign documents before even seeing the vehicle. when you do see the vehicle you are pretty much rushed off the premises as there are so many other cars coming and going.
I accepted that my car was an import,but that was reflected in the price. What i couldnt accept was that the car was clearly not new. It had a number of blemishes and had obviously been cleaned up,but it smelt like it had been sitting around for months and did not have the new car smell or feel i was expecting.
My investigations with the makers confirmed my fears.The car was made in july 2001,ie that is the date it came off the production line.It was then exported from Ireland to the UK in October 2002. I bought it last week (March 2003).
So as far as i am concerned it isnt new and the age of the vehicle was not disclosed at the point of purchase.Had it been i would not have proceeded.
I would be gratefull if anyone could let me have their opinion as to my legal rights and/or any similar experiences and hopefully succesful resolutions.
sadly the car also came minus a proper service guide/booklet,radio guide,cigarette lighter for the receptical and a few other blemishes.
Thanks in advance. Read more
I know this might sound a bit out of date at 20 years ago - when I was a student back in 1983 I used to drive cars for a very very well known manufacturer of pug ugly French cars. At the main distribution centre they used to bring cars in at night which had been sat on the French coast for up to 3 years. I kid you not these cars were in absolutely appalling condition and the first thing that happened to them was a full respray and complete new fitout - new chrome, lights, seats, carpets etc. The insides of the cars were completely full of brambles which had grown up through the interiors and engine compartment etc. Whoever had got them going at the French end had just cut out the driver seat compartment with a pair of secateurs. About a week and a half later those cars were handed over to buyers as brand new cars.
I have purchased an omega radio cassette and tried to get work without any joy. I have power and the code but the computer display is not responding. I can see a few numbers, all ones and they move if i use the column arm. I'm assured the radio works. Does the computer display have to work for the radio to spring into life? Omega 2.0i 16v CD 1994. Help appreciated. Chris Read more
i had a kenwood mask front cd player fitted to my omega . the annunciator panel will not repeat the info off the kenwood , it needed a seventy quid part to make it work in conjunction with the panel so i didn`t bother.
The large number of people that I see driving round with their foglights on have made me wonder if they have ever read the Highway Code. The Code specifically says that they should only be used under conditions of reduced visibility and this is backed-up by legislation.
Surely people who drink-drive, speed, dive without due care etc are also people who have not read, or taken any notice of the Highway Code?
I suggest that anyone banned from driving, for any length of time, should have to re-take a full driving test (with the Highway Code test) before getting their licence back. For anyone banned for the more serious offences, this test would be a longer one to the Institute of Advanced Motorists standard.
What do you think?
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Chris. A good point. I have to rather sheepishly admit to parking on double yellow liness when going to the chippy in Brixham. It's either that or park 2 miles away. Looks like I'm destined for purgatory then. Gulp.
Wonder if hell is full of speed humps, speed cameras, and traffic wardens aplenty. Hmmm. Traffic wardens definitely belong there anyway. :)
One of those roadmarking wagons decided to drop part of its load in the middle of the road. Everyone had to drive (slowly) through it. Result being that my sills, front doors and wheelarches are now spattered with white paint. Plan of attack tomorrow is to tackle paintwork with turps soaked rag and plastic wheelarch liners with a brillo pad.
Anybody with experience of this type of situation have any quicker/easier solutions?
Thanks Read more
not much point, I just disabled it.
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Looks like a hoax to me. I think even a fairly rough journalist would know how to spell 'retrieving' (i before e except after c), when to use '5' and when to use 'five' and the difference between 'braking' and 'breaking'.