April 2003
...in the Classics Auction. Tempted to get someone to bid for me.
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On the verge of purchasing 03 Focus 1.6 Zetec 3-door from a well-known supermarket based in the East Midlands (guessed who it is yet!!).
5 miles on the clock, first registered 31/3/03, UK sourced (from a Ford main dealer based just down the road from where I work in Coventry - obviously looking for their new registrations bonus from Ford). Excellent price for 'new' car.
Just taking time out to get the finances sorted out but just wanted to know has anyone had any recent experience with these guys and gals?
Previous postings I could find have been favourable.
Also am I likely to get anywhere if I push for extras in the final negotiations (mats/flaps/fuel etc.)?
Any comments would be will be gratefully received.
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True, and the March bonus is likely to be particularly large.
However, the difference might be only a few hundred if they always work on getting large volumes through and it might be worth it to some people to be the first owner.
Hi all,
Since buying my Carina E its always had a problem with hesitation. It only ever happens when trying to accelerate on motor ways...when it changes from its lean burn mode.
Also it has a problem with 'Pinking'... it again seems to occur when accelerating but at low RPM around 1500 - 2500. I have checked the timing and bridged the terminals in the diag box and its running @ 10.
Lastly the throttle seems to stick closed when cold... this only happens when the car has been left. Once you give the throttle a blip its fine.
The car is a 97 model with a 1800cc 7AFE engine.
So any advice on any of my problems would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Stuart Read more
Probably I'm the closest back-roomer to the tragic incident which occurred 2 weeks ago on the M3 when a brick dropped/thrown from a bridge penetrated the windscreen of a lorry, striking the driver on the chest, and resulting in a fatal heart attack. Miraculously the driver brought the lorry to a halt on the hard shoulder, preventing other casualties.
I'm lost for words in admiration of this skilful action, and in condemnation for the type of scum who indulge in this hideously and self-evidently dangerous practice, thankfully rare - I think - I hope.
Oz (as was) Read more
A reasonable precautionary measure Chris, except that this latest incident apparently happened at around 12.30 am.
According to the local press, Ford (the driver's employer) have put up a large cash reward for information etc., and it's being treated as a murder enquiry.
Oz (as was)
My 9 year old 2.0 mondeo is losing coolant gradually for some time now. I usually add a top up mix of 0.5l every few weeks. seems to lose after long crawling journeys. Garage replaced a rusting pipe under the radiator a few weeks ago but problem remains. Has original radiator, so should I chuck in a can of radweld and monitor or risk further expensive investigations ? Read more
I've only once ever had Radweld not work when I've used it. That was because the head gasket had gone and not what I first thought was leaking.
All the other times I've used it I've never had a problem. It sealed the leak in my mk1 Astra's radiator and it was still leak tight when I sold it 3 yrs later. It sealed a leaking coreplug on my mk2 Cavalier and still no leaks 2 yrs later when I sold it.
My philosophy of Radweld is "if I can fix a leak with it for around £5, why spend £100?"
Of course a lot of it is down to what part of the cooling system is actually leaking. If it's a split rubber hose, or a paper thin rusting radiator, then forget about using Radweld and replace the parts.
Friend has 2001 vectra 2.0 tdi, it has done about 50k miles. It is running fine but is leaking a small amouont of oil from the underside of the exhaust gas recirculating valve. On this model it is a circular plastic thing that sits at the front of the engine. There is a small hole in the underside that leaks oil, not enough to make an impact on the dipstick level, but it does make rather a mess of the engine bay if not regularly cleaned up. Have heard that this used to be metal on older vectras and has been replaced by a metal one in newer versions. Does anyone have any idea what is causing oil to leak from here, or even get into EGR in first place? Heard they are expensive to replace. Is this a common problem for this model?
Any help appreciated.
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Looking ar jcII's profile, he hasn't logged in since Wed 27 Aug 2003, so you *might* be unlucky with a reply from him.
Apologies if this may have been covered before, but I was just wondering whether anyone has had much experience of using the Cyclops GPS-based Driver Safety system?
It appears to be a new way of "discovering" speed cameras and is all above board.
Does it do the job well and realistically?
Thanks.
RB Read more
I have had a Snooper GPS device for the past 4 weeks or so and am pleased with it. I have found 3 cameras not on the database (which requires regular update via phone) but you can enter them yourself so that you will get a notification, then upload it (I guess once it is verified they will add it to the database).
I imagine these devices are uch of a muchness. The one thing that wasn't made clear before I bought it was that there is a subscription cost for keeping it up to date. Worth checking.
btw I bought the Snooper radar and laser detectors but having done so I feel these are less useful for me personally.
Can someone be done for driving too slowly on a dual-carriageway/motorway? Does this count as dangerous driving, even in the inside lane?
Just trying to settle an argument :-)
Mike Farrow Read more
"So, I now drive on motorways at 60mph during the day and 55mph at night time when roads are empty"
Sorry Greg but I read the above first and then the rest and thought you plonker.
I then read the rest and I couldn't agree more with you. That will teach me to speed read.
I dont drive at 60mph all the time but like you I have found that in most cases speeding along in the outer lane on a busy motorway will not get me anywhere quickly. I have slowed down considerably in the past few months and have found I get less stressed, save fuel and have less chance of getting pulled for speeding again.
There was a bit of a shunt at the junction at the bottom of our road on Friday lunchtime. I heard the impact and went outside to see what had happened. An elderly woman in a new Nova had pulled into our road and a middle aged man in a Sierra then followed and parked just in front of her. They'd obviously been the 2 parties involved and I watched in amazement as he got out with small notebok and pencil and she then decided to to drive off, right past him! He jumped back in his car and followed at some speed. The road's a cul-de-sac so she had nowehere to go and it transpires that there was a bit of a scene in the turning circle as they argued about what had happened and eventually exchanged details.
All this begs a question: Did she see the guy and simply try to do a runner or was she so unaware of what was going on that she didn't even realise he was there, in which case should she be on the road at all ?
I don't want to sound ageist and realise that there are other, far more serious, problems on our roads but should the rules on driving beyond a certain age be changed and tightened up. There seem to be hoardes of old folks who can't see past their steering wheels in cars round here. Read more
Gen, I appreciate what you are saying but in practice it falls down.
Secondly, The extra grunt I am speaking of is not related to overtaking when cars are coming the other way, its meant for staying out of danger for the least time philosophy, whether there are cars coming or not.
It is not possible at all that I (we) are trying to overtake in the wrong gear, I (we) do have a fairly comprehensive grasp of ratios and power/torque curves.
Thirdly, that is a crazy scenario as my brother is not a boy racer and the scenario is wrong, there is a huge gap, the car both were waiting for had turned off! and the corolla had gone quite way beyond the junction line when there was clearly nothing to stop for. The fiesta locked up and continued to skid (partially on the white arrows on the roundabout) until it bumped the corolla. The corrolla stopped quicky due to abs. So small gap=no boy racer= no.
And I am sorry, in the other situation all witnesses and the police were on the side of my brother, even the police that attended the scene couldn't believe it as she mad no attempt to brake and no attempt to avoid, even though she had time to do so as my brother (to his credit/reactions/experience) realised that she was going too fast to turn (she was speeding as well) in good time to stop his manouvere imagine this: manouvere.1.stop the manouvere.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.CRASH! plenty of time to move out to avoid on this wide road.
Perhaps if he had waited he wouldn't have crashed but how long until the next junction, and the next junction when she is blissfully unaware of her indicators and someone will do exactly the same as my brother.
Hi,
I've got a problem with a J-reg Nissan Sunny in that when you press the brake peddle, the sidelights come on. Haven't seen it for myself yet, not my car, but the only solution at the moment it to drive with the sidelights on!
Any idea what could be causing this? Owner says she also hears a click when she presses the brake peddle. Relay perhaps?
Regards
Mike Farrow Read more
I used to drive a Nissan Sunny with a similar problem - When I braked, the reverse lights would come on - I traced it to the aftermarket rear-light cluster, which was allowing water into itself (and the boot) ;-) not sure if this could be a similar fault as that affected only the rear cluster, where your faulr concerns the front lights...
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HJ I'm glad you said that but I wish you hadn't.......