May 2003
Is there a "non-trade" IE consumer accesible website that details safety recall campaigns that are live at present. I have summat very odd happenning to the brakes on my 2001 Ibiza and would like to find out if there is a more widespread issue. my garage (not a dealer) said that the part should last "longer than the car" .
ThankYew
Diz
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I know even talking on a mobile ‘hands-free’ is not recommended, but taking a call on the move is sometimes a necessity.
So what options does someone have new to the technology? I’ve seen these cradles in Halfords, but I assume they are simply that – a cradle to hold your phone? Is a system whereby on receiving a call you simply turn off your radio and talk megabucks?
Hope that makes sense. :-(
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I've tried full in-car installations, plug-in cradles with speakers, cheapy in-ear with mike on a wire and bluetooth and find the latter to be by far the least distracting.
For some reason, when using any handsfree with a speaker, I find myself talking to the speaker, so taking my eyes off the road. It's as if the person I'm talking to is in the ashtray and I'm trying to make eye contact!
The cheapy ones with an earphone and a mike on the same cable are limited as the cable tends to snag or pull, so limiting your natural movement, for example, stopping you from doing an over-the-shoulder check on a slip road.
With Bluetooth headset, I can have a natural conversation and have full head movement, and yet feel quite comfortable on pausing the conversation as the road conditions require. An added benefit is the clarity of the call (for both parties).
Hope this helps.
ND
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If I don't reply it's nowt personal, I'm just working!
I have a Tx1 london cab and have experienced severe wheel wobble but only when cornering around even a shallow bend.
I have no problem when straight driving.
the problem occurs around 40-60 mph , havent had a problem at 70mph
It feels like the front end is about to fall off !!!! i either have to slow down or speed up to stop the wobble.
any ideas as to what it is ????
thanks for your help Read more
Assuming the front end is not about to fall off i.e. a spanner check is required, or a completelt shot ball joint, it may be a faulty tyre. Regards Peter
hi all
i live in France and need another car but don't dare buy the home product (all ugly, unreliable and appear to be cobbled together between strikes - just like the old days, eh?). I am thinking of sticking with RHD and buying a Honda Legend 3.2 coupe I found in UK. I had a 2.7 Legend coupe for years and it was brilliant except for British Leyland bodywork. The one I fancy is 95M, very low verified mileage, full dealer history, looks like a minter, with new ticket and six months tax. Guy wants £5k for it and I am very tempted. Questions are: is there anything I should know, does this sound about right or am I the dreamer? PS: super unleaded is 64p a litre over here at the moment so economy is not a huge problem - although my 2.7 coupe never did less than 30mpg.
Hope somebody out there can tip me off the fence - one way or the other! Read more
Mike
I've been keeping an eye on Legend coupe prices with a view to replacing my wife's 2.7. The £5K is an average ballpark asking figure for a 3.2 of that age although hard to say what these actually go for without digging deep. Could be worth ringing round a few of the Loot advertisers to get a feel for it.
Points for debate are whether you (a) want a RHD car in France (b) level of servicing available (c) a catalysed and very computer-dependent 3.2 engine not used in any other car.
My own views are that a LHD Honda or Acura would be better for long-term use. There are two Legends on www.webcarcenter.com/cgi-bin/findex?http://www.web...l but getting a good LHD coupe might mean looking to Switzerland or a nearby country. I would also favour the 2.7 on spares and replacement grounds; no catalyst, used in similar form in Rover 800 and 2nd hand spares in breakers etc. Honda France's website has full info on the whereabouts of their dealers so finding an authorised servicing agent won't be difficult. Finding a specialist with knowledge and access to spares for the 3.2 might be trickier.
One other thought for Continental use would be the state of the air conditioning. I don't know if the 3.2 uses the new style refrigerant and what French law is on replacement if it is the older material.
Incidentally, Haynes or Chilton repair manuals for the Legend or Acura are available through Amazon in 3-4 days from the States. Allegedly, some spares are also freightable at less than you would pay in the UK. The Legend is still a hot favourite with youngsters in the US and there are many after-market accessories available for lowering and tuning, particularly the 3.2 and 3.5.
HTH
Been searching around for a new car to get in about 6 months time, and I really like the look of the 406, especially in Executive trim level with its very high specification.
The only snag up to now has been the fact that the quoted figures show the car as being very slow - the 1.9TD is infact 4 seconds slower to 60 than my Xantia TD. However, I have now found the 2.0 Turbo, which apparantly takes 9.1 seconds (Source: UK car), and is Group 13, which should make it easier considering I'll be almost 20 when I plan to buy.
Has anyone ever owned a 406, especially this model, and what did they think? Whats the economy like? Is it going to be a huge shock coming from a 1.9TD Xantia? I'm intending doing quite a bit less than my current 10k annual mileage while at uni, so that won't be *to* much of a problem. Any comments on reliability?
What age would I be looking at getting for £3.5k or under at auction? 99T perhaps? I've seen S reg ones on Autotrader for as little as £3k.
I'm told Peugeots figures are unreliable. Where can I find accurate, indepedant performance figures for the 406 range?
Is it worth considering or should I just go back to the predictable but safe idea of a 1.9TD Xantia SX, on a S plate? My priorities are high equipment levels (I love toys) and reasonable performance.
Otherwise, what about the Xantia Activa Turbo? I love my Xantia (It's just a bit old now, at 94M) and if it were not due to reliability concerns about the even-more-complex suspension, an Activa would be top of my list. Is it likely to be more likely to go wrong than my current 1.9TD, which in the last 12 months has needed only service items and a height corrector (touch wood)?
Ta :) Read more
I'm surprised no-one has commented on this. Last night's Fifth Gear had a report by QW on a short tempered driver who was counselled by a driving psychologist. In a short while he was transformed from an angry, aggresive, swearing, hooting idiot and into a polite calm courteous driver. I was impressed. The technique could be crudely summarised as "Keep your distance, assume the worst of other drivers, and remember that they are people in those cars."
I reckon we should clone this psychologist chappie and send his test tube siblings out to train anyone convicted of driving without due care and attention. At their own expense of course.
And why isn't this a fundamental part of learning to drive? Read more
SteveB: I think the point was that the nasty driver was in practice a nice guy with bad driving habits. His bad habits - such as driving too close - meant that he got very wound up and then his bad side came out. Cure his bad habits and you got a good driver. Most drivers aren't like that, but some are and they don't realise why they get uptight.
Has anyone noticed the alarming rate at which traditional petrol forecourts are disappearing? The nearest one to me, where I have filled up most of the tinme in the last five years or so, is now closed. Is this a symptom of the low profitability of selling petrol these days? Will we all have to eventually drive miles out of our way, and queue for interminable periods, to fill up with petrol?
Or is it simply that the supermarkets are winning the battle for our petrol money? Read more
Have certainly noticed the trend around here, as well, reckon that only about 25% of our petrol stations are exactly that, petrol stations only.
Personally my pet hate is that all bar one of our Esso stations have now been converted to Tesco Express' which happen to sell Esso petrol, the local BP has been converted to a similar version of Safeway.
My real gripe with this is that I have to use Esso for my company van as I have an Esso agency card and it now seems to take anything up to 25 minutes to fill up. Firstly, I always seem to have to wait for someone to finish their weekly shopping before they deign to move their car from their personal parking space in front of the DERV pump. Then, having finally filled up, I have to queue behind all the people with shopping trolleys before I can pay.
Why is the five items/fuel only till the only one that is never manned?
I have complained long and loud to the managers of these places on numerous occasions but basically they reckon they can make more profit out of a basket full of shopping than they can out of a tankful of fuel. One manager actually told me that as far as he was concerned it wouldn't worry him if he never sold another litre of fuel!
Never use the places for my private vehicle because I then have a choice. Unfortunately the independent garage is an endangered species, just like the little corner shop, if people continue to vote with their wallet rather than for service and civility then they will all surely be gone within a very short time.
USE THEM OR LOSE THEM!!!
Cockle
I have a problem with the power steering on my peugeot 405 1.9 turbo diesel. When turning right the steering is very stiff and notchy but when turning left it\'s ok. Has anyone got any ideas as to the problem .
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Slightly bent rack as the result of kerbing or a vicious pothole?
I had a bent rack on my quick-rack equiped Avenger after a strenuous event once. the bend was almost impercetable, but it was there and made steering very awkward.
Hello,
Okay here goes, Astra P reg 1977 1.6gls 16v estate with massive mileage but kept well with a service history etc.
Around a month ago the engine electronic indicator appeared and almost immediately the engine died. Pure coincidence I was next to a layby and checked the oil which was almost off the stick - eek! So almost 2 litres of oil, a pause and the engine started. Strange because not 200 miles earlier the oil was perfect and has been since its last service.
Never thought anymore, kept checking the oil and a friend drove the car and alas that light came on again. Weird because the oil was almost on the full level. Anyhow he put some small amount in and away he went with no problems.
Now that was 2 weeks ago and on my way to work (around 10 miles) that blasted light came on again. This time it sounded like the car was not firing correctly, I pulled over, waited 2 minutes, started it up and as sweet as it usually is away I went.
Any ideas on this, like why the oil had like vanished as there are no leaks and then like fuel not getting through correctly? Plus of course I realise that the settings of the ECU have probably defaulted so some suggestions there too.
Thanks in advance
Michael Read more
Before you do anything else get the ECU fault memory read and cleared. Either go to Vauxhall dealer or a competent independant.
Come back with the results.
Andrew
Simplicate and add lightness!
Peugeot 405 1994 model , can anyone tell me how the front wings attach to the car my front wing is dented and was contemplating fixing it myself . Is this an easy job or will it be left to the profesonal ? Read more
205s and 306s have bolt-on front wings. Lift the bonnet and look at the top edge of the wing - there will be 5 or 6 10-mm bolt heads. Probably some sealant in the A-pillar joint and another few bolts in more hidden areas. Get a manual!
If you do it yourself you will have the colour-match problem, unless you strike lucky at the scrapper's.
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The VI do not have the power to enforce a recall on a manufacturer. Recalls in the UK are an entirely voluntary affair, through an SMMT code-of-practice.
This is somewhat different to the USA, where NHTSA (a Federal agency) have the power to investigate customer complaints and can enforce a recall or a design change. If you have a car which is also sold in the US then it's worth checking their website for complaints/investigations/recalls - this can be most illuminating!! www.nhtsa.dot.gov/