May 2003
During my daily perambulations and perigrinations, I regularly pass a motor trader in Bamber Bridge (just south of Preston). He has a wide selection of vehicles in stock all of which, I have to say, look spot on.
Last week, he had a 'Y'-plate Fiat Multipla (don't know which engine/trim - hard to see that closely when you're piloting a bus!) in at £7495.
Today, that same car is £5995! How so? I know that the Multipla is hardly flavour of the year, never mind the month - it's the type of car that only it's mother could love! Having said that, I'd have one just 'cos it's different. Anyway, I digress (for a change!).
What I don't understand is how he could have reduced the price by £1.5k in the space of a week? Dodgy HPI report, anybody????? Read more
Was lent one of these today whilst the 530d was in for a minor glich (rough running, traced to a ECU software fault). What a great little motor, certainly had plenty of poke and felt just as solid as its bigger brothers that I have driven, felt more like the 330d (character etc etc) than the 530d does. Read HJ\'s test when I got home. Sums it up. Read more
Similar story with the straight 320d saloon, Pug. I've had a new ES version for the past few days and, while I take my hat off to the sheer grunt of the 330, I'd say that from the pay-your-own-way perspective the 320d is arguably the best 3 series there is.
Beaut of a chassis, great steering, solid interior, and a motor which has surprising amount of poke yet decent everyday economy.
Don't like the armrest, though; just gets in the way wherever you park it.
I took two of my spark plugs out this morning to check the condition. Gave them a wipe and stuck them back in.
When the engine is running I\'ve noticed a clicking sound coming from the engine, in the area of the plugs that I took out.
Have I over tightened one of them or just not put the leads on correctly? The engine seems to drive fine no other problems.
Any ideas?
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Or not tight enough....
Simplicate and add lightness!
Just fitted a 6 disk multi-changer to the factory fitted radio a ccr600 the cd player is lighting up but wont let me enter the security codes the display unit just goes blank can anyone give any advice on this thanks Read more
Kev, there's no need to post the same question to both forums.
Anyone wishing to answer Kev's question can do so in the Technical Forum.
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=4&t=13...7
Thread writelocked.
i recently bought a blaupunkt 6disk multi changer to add to my ccr600 head unit unfortunatley even though it is powering up i cant get the unit to accept the code the bottom half of the display just goes blank when i try to access the code function any help from you guys would be much appreciated Read more
As driven by Jacques Chirac ............
tinyurl.com/c8gt Read more
I have an old shape 520i (6 cylinder). After starting it from hot or cold it normally idles perfectly, but if I start it from cold and stop it again before the water temp rises, then the next time I start it, it runs really roughly for about two mins, like its only firing on 4 or 5 cyls. It does not matter whether the restart is a few minutes later or a few days.There are no other symptoms. Auto choke/ airflow meter spring to mind but I dont know much about the workings. Any brains out there? Read more
Yes, yours will be the M50 as well. Perhaps the increasingly tighter emissions regulations forced a change on the later ECUs but it does seem a backward step if it introduced the problem that you and many others are now facing.
On the other hand, as others have said, letting the engine run for a few minutes is good for engine life!
I posted last week saying how my E320 CDI W211 at only 5 months old had sprung a diesel leak and an oil leak and that the oil was dripping onto a coolant pipe and was damaging it.
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=4&t=12...3
They have lent me an old shape E-Class and rung today to say the new pipe was on back order and to expect a wait of a further 10 days.
Can it be possible that in this day and age that they cannot find a replacement pipe any quicker. I presume that all production of the E-Class has stopped!
Do you guys think it unfair that I have got the raging hump with Mercedes or am I being silly considering they have got me into a hire car and are paying silly amounts of money per day for it. Read more
Aprilia,
Just to let you and others know I severely lost my rag with them today and all of a sudden the part turned up today and i'll get my baby back tommorrow.
Makes me wonder if something a bit fishy was going as you mentioned.
I'll be keeping a close eye on the car for a while but it will be so nice to have some power back in my driving.
Thanks for all the concern lads
Marcos
I have had a Vauxhall Corsa on loan fitted with this gearbox,would like to know how it works,I know the clutch is operated by a window winder motor but am amazed to find that in auto it still creeps like a normal auto for close manouvering how it does this without a torque converter is beyond me.Anyone out there who knows the answer.
ndbw Read more
smarts have a similar system. The clutch is actuated in response to the throttle being applied. As for the time they last it varies. I know someone who is on his third clutch after 30,000 miles (his engine blew up so that gives you an indication of how he drives it!), others have done in excess of 80,000 miles with no new clutch required - don't know the cost, a few hundred quid I would imagine. The clutch biting point is reset via the diagnostic port to prevent slipping. The main trick to longevity is not to ride the clutch on hills by applying throttle as this does burn the clutch out just as it does on manual cars - use the handbrake!
Hi. Can anyone point me towards the thread about an air leak into the pump of the Vectra/Astra diesel?
A friend's has just failed to start, and an air leak into the pump diagnosed. So far the garage has changed the fuel filter and all the leak-off pipes. It will start, and run, but not well.
They have suggested a non-return valve in the pipe to the pump. I seem to recall a thread about this, and the use of transparent pipe to confirm the diagnosis.
Of course, I could just be having a senior moment
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It was cheap at the starting price though. If he wants the space that badly, why not just auction it? It wouldn't get much less than £6k and to judge by the prevalence of private buyers at auction mentioned on some posts, might even make more.
I reckon it's got to be out with the history, spec, mileage or colour - if not all of them - and he's hoping that he can make money on finance, a low p/x offer, or just that the punter won't notice in the rush to get a cheap Multipla.