March 2003
I notice the Saturday Honest John spread had been reduced to a single page. Does this mean people are getting bored of HJs constant recommendations of the Toyota Yaris and Honda Jazz in this column?
Andrew
Regards
Andrew
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Needed to replace my two front tyres for my Ford Focus the other day. Rang around for best price to supply Pirelli P6000s (already on the car).
Visited a local fitter with the cheapest quote and the tyres in stock. After being told the work was all done, and having paid for the tyres, I inspected the work to find that the fitters had severely marked one of the wheels (alloy). To cut a long story short, the manager is offering a repair to the wheel, but at my inconvenience (i.e. car off road while wheel is repaired since Focus comes with a space-saver spare...). The repairers can\'t guarantee the colour of the repaired wheel will match the others, so I\'m holding out for a new wheel. The manager is not willing to entertain this and won\'t give me the details of his insurer so I can pursue an insurance claim.
However, things get worse...
This morning I\'ve noticed that the new tyres I had fitted have no E mark on the sidewall. The DOT web page on tyres www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/tyresafety and other threads in the Backroom seem to suggest that all new tyres must have the E mark.
Nor can I see any D.O.T. specifications on the sidewall, although there is text concerning USA & Canada. The original Pirellis which are on the rear also have this text, but in addition they have some D.O.T. text and the E mark.
Has the dealer been supplying me (& others) with tyres not approved for the UK & European market? If so, anyone know if the police would be interested in pursuing this company to get them shut down immediately? I\'m not sure Trading Standards have enough clout to do this.
I will keep you posted as to progress, and when the matter is resolved I won\'t hesitate from naming and shaming the tyre fitting company to protect other consumers. Read more
Oh dear! Another tyre fitting problem. I'm getting so paranoid now I can't take my car anywhere to get it seviced/repaired.
Contacted to a local franchise/main dealer to buy a used car. He didn't have what I wanted but could get it from another dealer (who also appeared to be a franchise/main dealer). The local dealer said that he would have to buy the vehicle from the other dealer, but first I would have to confirm that I wanted it (Without even seeing it!).
Is this normal practice with dealers?
I made an offer for the car, subject to RAC vehicle inspection and my own inspection. This was agreed and I contacted RAC. They immediately did an HPI check and found a finance agreement ouitstanding. The local dealer said that this was normal and that they would settle the agreement before selling the car to me.
Shouldn't they clear a finance agrement on a car BEFORE they offer it to a customer? Read more
I remember many moons ago, SWMBO had a Volvo 480 and wanted another, newer one. Local dealer didn't have one but wanted £500 deposit to source one from another Volvo dealer - within the same group.
Didn't buy another 480...
Barry Sheene has sadly lost his battle with throat cancer and died at the age of just 52. I can't think of a man who epitomised the very best aspects of sporting success and fighting spirit more than Barry and he will be sadly missed.
Rather like the late, great James Hunt, I'm sure he crammed far more than a normal lifetime into his life and his like will never be seen again. RIP Barry. Read more
Silverstone GP 1979, huge crowd (100 000 plus?) 99% cheering Bazza on .......... 2nd by half a wheel.
Kenny Roberts was a very skilled rider, but no charisma ...... and who fired the toilet block at Imatra? Disgraceful behaviour ;-)
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I'm the proud owner of Vauxhall Nova 1.2 i Luxe Plus, which has done me well but i would to move onto something different and perhaps a size up like an small car sized car.
My current car has electric windows and central locking so i'm afraid really need these on my next car!! (i'm not gonna downgrade!) Another factor that i am very concerned about in my next car is reliability, say what you like about novas but mine has always started first time, and never refuses to start in the coldest winder. Also it has excellent fuel consumption and would like a reasonable mpg (ideally about about 40mpg on the motorways since most of my driving is on motorways now). As it my current car doesn't have power steering i would like this on my next one. I don't really want to get any older than k reg and ideally since i intend to keep it for a while i want a mileage of at most 90K. I would like a little more poke than my nova too, especially in the mid range. I am unsure whether to go for petrol or diesel, diesels seem more expensive when they go wrong etc and more service intervals which puts me off a bit.
I would be prepared to pay upto £1600 or am i being unrealistic?
I considering either an Astra 1.4 MPI or 1.7 TD or a Rover 200/400 1.4 16v or 1.8 TD.
An advice on these too bearing in mine my comments above or any other cars that fill my bill would be much appreciated. Read more
re Astras:
The 1.7 TD engine (low blow turbo) was a development of the 1.6 diesel engine, and at high mileages suffers from lack of compression leading to cold starting problems.
The cars with the 1.7 TDS engine have the Isuzu engine thats also in the Cavaliers and the old Vectras. The main problem with these is that people assume that it has hydraulic self adjusting tappets and dont check them. This leads to valve recession. Also the parts prices for any of the Isuzu parts (like the alternator) is prohibitive.
If you really are after an Astra, i would consider a 1.4i 82hp multi point injection unit. I used to use an Astramax 1.7D and occasionally used an Astra 1.4 82bhp estate and found they both did 43mpg. (Yeah i know, white van man) but the estate was far nicer to drive
Ive never driven a Citroen ZX, but ive had lots of experience of a 306 D and TD, very nice!
Why do manufacturers persist with "space saver" spares? Why do they design hubs with bolts to go in rather than nuts to fit on to protruding bolts? My wife's Rover 75 had a flat so I switched it. The real tyre has a nail through it dead centre so I said make sure it's a repair job not a new one. She calls me from Kwik Fit and says where's the real wheel 'cos it's not in the boot? That's because it's in the space where the space saver came from....it's a great place to put it because there's loads of space to spare in there.
Just been out to switch it back. It's taken a good 20 mins of messing round in the wet and dark to do what should be a 5 minute job. Result is I get supremely hacked off with it and I'm just about to walk back in to the house when fortunately I remember I haven't tightened the bolts after letting it down off the jack. I'm damn sure I wouldn't have forgotten if I hadn't spent 10 minutes of frustration messing about in the dark trying to line up the holes for the bolts. It's an annoying task which happens at the most inconvenient times, I wonder how many times it's hurried through and safety is compromised through stupid, stupid design? Read more
Well all the more reason if it's that special it should have a proper spare wheel.
I was trying to think when this abomination first appeared. To the best of my recollection I first observed the space saver phenomenon on the Dodge Aries "K" series back around 1981. Willing to debate id anyone has better info?
My Vectra TDI wouldn?t start this morning. The dashlights were dim and the engine wouldn?t even try to turn over. After a good run yesterday in daylight it should have been well charged up.
I put it on charge and it took a good 5 amps for the first half hour and eventually settled to 2 amp.
After about 5 hours reconnected and the result was exactly the same with little life in the battery.
Its back on the battery charger now at the same steady 2 amps.
This is a Vauxhall freedom maintenance free battery rated at 70Ah R.C 125 minutes.
It is now 4 year 11 months old which seems a bit early to me for sudden death.
I don?t imagine these batteries carry a 5 year warranty on a new car so it looks likely that I will have to buy a new battery tomorrow. I recall someone on this site saying that Unipart batteries carry a lifetime warranty.
Do all batteries of the same amp hour have the same external dimensions?. I ask this not only because of the battery carrier but also because they have a jacket fitted around the battery exactly to this size on the Vectra.
Also is it worth gaining access to the filler plugs which I imagine are beneath the big Vauxhall sticker on the top, topping up and trying to charge again.
Any advice please.
alvin
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So then Alvin, being a Burton man myself I assume you live somewhere in the vicinity of Burton-on-Trent?
Hi all,
Can anyone recommend a Nissan specialist in Cambridge area?
Thanks,
Garrison Read more
some one in Maldon Essex silver or sillver enginering?
Doing some research with regard to when to change the coolant on my Primera 2.0 SRi 1998 model (32k) I read that the concentration should be maintained at 50% & checks on the presence of corosion inhibitors being indicated by the level of alkalinity of the fluid.It gave no level of alkalinity but suggested that if was alkaline then there was no need to ghange the coolant.The alkalinity can be easily checked with litmus paper.I consulted a Nissan specialist who does most of my maintenance and he said that he checked the concentration on a service and if it was adequate he would not recommend a change.His primera has covered some 160,000 mls.
My concerns reading other posts are comments about air locks & sometimes overheating that can follow changes of coolant.Any opinions on this subject would be greatly appreciated on this my first post,
Thanks,
Millers57. Read more
Just copied this quote from my search on google:-
"Extensive testing has shown that a coolant pH below 8.3 pH is not acceptable for use in engines due to its corrosive nature. The correct pH value should be maintained between 9.5 - 10.0 pH. Below 9.0 pH it is advisable to flush the cooling system and refill with a new coolant solution".
The quote was from a supplier of hand held pH meters so they do have an interest in promoting the checking of the pH value of your coolant.In my opinion it gives you a clear indication of when the coolant should be changed.
Best regards,
Miller57.
engine running fine, cut out suddenly, now won't start. diagnosed initially with busted cam, all that's been checked out and its o.k. 1600 petrol XU engine, Marelli G5 fuel injection system, '93. engine turns over but doesn't attempt to start. Suspect fuel problem. Fuel pump tested o.k. petrol getting thru to throttle body, spark plugs firing, but engine not even attempting to start as if being starved of fuel. Took top off throttle body, can see petrol coming in. Any ideas? Any tests I can do on fuel injection system. Manuals advise taking to dealers!! Read more
If,as you say, you have fuel and sparks I suggest that the cat has blocked up. Try removing the oxygen sensor from the exhaust pipe.
Andrew
Happiness is a T70 at full chat!
Browse
Used to look foward to motoring telegraph. Now quite boring. Same thing with the magazine. Used to do some interesting articles. Still do at times, but far too few now. Advertising seems to take over. Am going to change for a while.
Regards to all.