April 2003
Hi,
I discovered HonestJohn yesterday and have since spent a couple of hours browsing this forum. I've got back to a message posted in Jan about diagnosis equipment and software.
Since 1996 I've had a Polo, Golf and am now on a Passat and it was only recently that I witnessed diagnosis equipment being plugged into the vehicle. The rear door would not lock/unlock using the keyfob, central locking button, nor the automatic drive off lock. It could only be unlocked/locked manually. The engineer plugged the computer into the car and straight away knew that a connector was loose in the door.
I am not mechanically minded but I am very electronic/computer minded and reading about the diagnostic software at www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/ had got me fascinated. There are over 7000 fault codes!?
I do not want to know what these codes are, but I am fascinated to know what type of areas these codes cover, and just what the car is doing as I drive it. Is it constantly checking everything about itself? The screenshots show messages about voltages being too high, or faults with the horn. I also understand, from the drivers handbook, that the engine management software adjusts parameters to match the drivers driving style. This sort of thing really fascinates me, so any useful links or information would be really appreciated.
Thanks Read more
I don't know what work is done on the Mercedes S280 'Small Service' at 6K or 9K. Anyone know? I imagine it's oil, oil filter and air filter .. ? Read more
Oil and filter, plus lots of checks, every 9k miles.
All the following are additional to the basic service and changed at *extra cost*: Air filter every 4 years; coolant every 3 years, fuel filter at 54,000/4 years; charcoal cannister at 72,000/4 years; brake fluid every 2 years.
Their servicing for Mercedes seem very cheap. Any experience out there?
If it's any good, it would be worth me driving there from York and pop into a friends and back for the money saved.
mercedesservicing.com/servicedetails.asp
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Yes, he's fine. Use with confidence.
I became paraplegic (not the drunk sort) after an accident last year. I will get some compensation in the next year or two.
After a recent change in the law, wheelchair users who need to have a car adapted in some way, no longer have to pay vat on new cars.
These two things combine to give me the rare opportunity to drive and own some fantastic cars, without it costing a penny!
example, Porsche 911 turbo, list price £89,386, minus 17.5%, equals £73,743.45, a saving of £15,642.55. If iI sell it after a year at the parkers trade price of £80,395, that will leave almost 9 grand, which should be more than enough for fitting and then decommissioning hand controls, insurance, fuel, travel sweets and probably the odd speeding fine!
As the Porsche isn't the most practical car for a wheelchair user (where do you put the wheelchair?) I could really do with some suggestions, what other cars have great residuals?
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Probably not. If you buy one car a year it would be within your £7900 annual exemption - it's charged on profits, not revenue (assuming you haven't used it for anything else), plus it's a car so as a chattel is exempt.
If you were doing it regularly, it would of course be taxable - but as income. And of course, if you were trading - more than £55k a year as an INCOME stream, you would be compulsorily registrable for VAT anyway.
Over the weekend the ABS dashboard light on our 1998 406 2.1TD GLX Estate came on and refused to go out. I booked the car into our local Peugeot dealer who have just called me to advise that the car needs a new ABS ECU at a cost of £ 490.- plus labour and VAT. It's going to cost the best part of £ 700.-. I'm stunned. Do I have an option on this or have Peugeot got me "over a barrel". Any comments would be much appreciated.
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Waino,
Many thanks, as you say this was an unusual case. I'll tuck the info into my brain to possibly assist a future diagnosis.
MM
I was up and around the CC zone this morning but wasn't really paying attention so am not sure if I crossed into the chargeable area or not.
I rang up TfL and asked them to see if my car was on the computer and was told that they couldn't help me and that it was my responsibility to know if I had crossed the boundary or not.
If TfL are going to charge me (or not) surely they should be able to tell me if I had crossed into the chargeable zone or not. Is this unreasonable?
Basically I will pay (as I think that I was in the zone) as it is £5 charge vs £80 fine! Read more
I said I have looked into public transport but forgot to mention that most of the time I have very expensive testing and measuring equipment with me so transporting that lot on public transport would be nigh on impossible.
As was pointed out above some people HAVE to use cars, vans etc. but if public transport was better the general public would use it more so the transport companies would generate more revenue allowing better services.
...well not for speeding as such; I believe the misdemeanour is failing to respond to the Notice of Intended Prosecution.
Basically I was caught on camera speeding back in October of last year, but didn?t know because the paperwork was sent to my old address.
I hadn?t bothered to inform the DVLA of my change of address, at least not until December of last year when I renewed my tax. As a result, an officer of the law turned up on my doorstep in February, after they?d ?tracked me down?.
He was pleasant enough and suggested I explain the situation to the local magistrates. This I did, pleading not guilty (as advised by one the magistrate courts? staff on the phone) to not responding to the Notice of Intended Prosecution, but confirming I would?ve paid the fine for the speeding there and then if I?d known about it.
The result: an invitation to appear in court next month, billed rather grandly as ?Police v. Craig Jones?. What do you think I?m looking at??
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You're right, DVD, alleged guilt is that of failure to identify driver.
I'm sure it was the wife!! ;-)
My car is currently fitted with 205/50 16 but one of them is barely legal. I have been offered a 215/55 16. Is this slight difference in width & profile significant (and legal) for one corner? Read more
Thanks for that chaps - knew I could depend on the backroomers for good advice (i.e. DON'T!).
Richard, could well be interested there, would you like to email me frostbite@lineone.net.
My friend has one of those funny little 3-cylinder Corsas and his mass flow sensor has gone. The garage want loadsa money to replace it. Are they fixable? I would assume that they work on some kind of hot wire principal, so perhaps a good clean up could cure. He has located said item and looked at it but got confused by the number of wires coming from it. Can anybody shed any light on it's wiring and correct functioning? Is this the sort of thing that one is likely to be able to get a reasonable replacement from a scrappy for? Thanks! Read more
This is either a hot wire or thick film device. If it has failed i.e no output then it will need to be replaced £110-£130 from GM.These items cannot be repaired but if a hot wire device try cleaning the wires by gently spraying with carb cleaner. DON'T TOUCH THE WIRES!! Try AutoVaux, they are usually cheaper.
Andrew
Happiness is a T70 at full chat!
How about this.
Guy's plate gets cloned and over 6 weeks the cloner (is that a word) racks up £2,000 in speeding tickets/parking fines/bus lane fines.
The guy contacts the Council, not interested just pay up, contacts the Police who call him a liar.
He tracks the cloned plate and provides phtographs of the car to the Police/Council plus the cloners address.
Fines get cancelled but has the cloner been arrested/charged? Of course not, the Police are pursuing 'lines of inquiry'. Pathetic. No wonder people do this, even if you get 'caught' you won't get caught. Read more
Vehicle Interference!
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Just to update anyone interested, i bought a comms lead via ebay for £65 with postage (auction), and today used vagcom for the first time, managed to communicate ok with no problems. Checked the engine module for fault codes and found none listed so that's a good start.
Has anyone made any mods to the central locking, i would like to convert to superlocking, but obviously need the code to enter.