May 2003
My 1.1 1993 L-reg Fiesta seems to be guzzling oil! I have to refill the oil approx every 2-4 wks. I haven't got an oil leak and it doesn't seem to be burning oil.
Ive had a test done on the head gasket and it was all ok. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what the problem could be? Read more
My wife's A3 rear wash doesn't work. When it had a service they found that that the a feed tube to the rear was disconnected. They reconnected but it had happened again and for the life of me I can't find where the tube is disconnected (if that is what it is). I have removed the interior rear cover to the tailgate and all seems OK. Does anyone know where the tube runs and where this connection may be?
I didn't get a positive response when I asked the garage to tell me where it was routed and where the connection(s) are. Read more
Does it make a "pump" noise when you operate the washer? does it use the same bottle as the front screen? If you cant find the water anywhere else, check its actually pumping out of the washer bottle.
Can anyone tell me a bit more about the "V-car register"? I know it's a register of cars which have been written off at some point, but what do the different classes mean?
I was just wondering since i've seen a few Elises "category D on the V-car" for sale with reasonable discounts as a result. Now if that means that someone's managed to repair some fibreglass crash damage considerable cheaper than a Lotus garage, then I personally would have no problem in purchasing it. If, however, the crash had knocked the suspension out with the result that the car didn't drive as it should, then that obviously defeats the object of buying an Elise, and so I wouldn't bother.
So what exactly is a "class C" and "class D"? And why do I never see classes A and B??
Cheers,
Owen Read more
One of my mates swears by it. He's only ever bought and sold cars on the register. He buys a car cheap, and sells it cheap 12 months later. From memory, his last few cars have been:
Clio 16v
Golf Convertible
Golf VR6
He gets the cars checked over before he buys, and enjoys cheaper motoring...
The advice from a Ford Master Techician is that the tappets on my KA engine should not be adjusted when cold. I have always adjusted the tappets when cold as stated in my manual. At his chain of dealerships it is common practice to run the engines through an engine flushing procedure using Forte engine flush, then adjust the tappets. I thought that the sole reason for adjusting the tappets was to allow for the expansion when hot so I can not understand the logic behind this practice. Had this advice come from anyone else I would have totally discounted it. I hope someone out there can either agree with me or explain why I am wrong.
{header made less vague - DD} Read more
There was Guzzi racing m/cycle where the valves had to be set hot;when the engine cooled the valves were held off their seats and had to be slackened to start a cold engine and then re-adjusted.
During the hellish process of moving house, My Partner has inadvertantly lost / discarded all her documents relating to an insurance policy on a car which she has just sold, but the policy was paid in advance until November 2003.
Thing Is she really can't remember who the insurance was with. We've tried ringing round dozens, but to no avail.
Problem Is now we need to provide proof of full NCB before she can insure a new car properly, or indeed transfer this policy to the future vehicle.
Is there any database we could consult, the registration number was L 54 RUA - if this helps.
Really struggling to think of more ideas. . .
HELP !
Marc Read more
Have applied to Experian for Data File, Not entirely convinced that
it will have car insurance details though, seems more concerned with
Credit cards etc, now I expect that if you paid the
insurance in instalments, this would show up as an entry because
it is a credit agreement.
Surely the answer to all this is your bank?
After much deliberation I?ve decided on the car I want ? a Honda Prelude 2.2.VTEC (that?s the ?old? shape, i.e. ?92 ??96), but I?m struggling to find the car I want.
I?m wondering about the cars that are Japanese imports, and whether or not they?re too good to be true. You certainly seem to get low mileage and lots of goodies for you money, but I assume there?s the problem of no history?
My local dealer has at least told me that they would service an import (I hear some Mazda dealers won?t touch imported MX5s?), and that the only real problem might be a wait on certain parts?
I have read that the Prelude?s engines are ?highly stressed? (quote from Parker?s Car Chooser) and that therefore servicing is important ? so a 10 year old Jap import might be somewhat of a gamble, with no history??
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The chances of the car having been stolen in Japan and shipped to the UK are virtually nil,contrary to popular myth.There is of course a chance of buying a stolen car in the UK,that can be a Pajero,Focus,Passat or anything else.
The story about Police stopping imports and checking their ID agaist a list of cars stolen in Japan is again another myth.
If you are thinking of the story involving Hampshire Plod finding '50%'of imported Japanese cars are stolen,the last i saw was that the Plod involved in the story were suspended from duty pending further investigations into their actions.
Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.
Hi, I was wondering if someone could enlighten me.
Last November I part exchanged a Mk IV Golf for a brand new Passat at my local VW dealership. The Golf had blown a head gasket, and as I had done 139,000 miles in it in just 4 years I decided to get rid.
The Golf has a private index plate on it, one that has been in the family for 42 years, so I wanted it transferring to the new car. This was not an easy process as the DVLA lost some of the paperwork, but it was all sorted out just before Christmas.
That's where my involvement should have ended. However ...
I just received a call from the apparant new owner. He has called because on the V5 I am the only person named. Once as the first owner, and then there is an entry for Dec 2001 when the personal plate was transferred to the Golf. I don't know how he got my number; I assume he just looked me up in the phone book. He was calling because he was concerned that the car may not be legit as he had purchased it from a dealer, who was not named on the V5.
We chatted a while and he then told me that he thought he had got a bargain at £4500 for a Golf with 72k miles on the clock.
Now I know that it had 139000 on the clock when I sold it, and I told him so.
Now I know that there was some damage done to the engine when the head gasket blew, so my question is this; if the engine was not repairable and was instead replaced with a 'second hand' engine, would the clock be set to the replacement engine, or should it still reflect the mileage that the chassis has covered?
The guy didn't seem to be too bothered, but I did give him the name and number of the dealership I sold the car to.
TIA
Will Read more
As my old grannie used to say:
- When all else fails, try telling the truth.
Surely the simple answer, for anyone selling a car with a new speedo is to say - but, there is xxx thousand to add to the mileage shown, because it has had a new speedo?
OR - if it has had a new engine is not to wind the speedo back, but to say, it had a new engine at xx thousand and here is the invoice to prove it. QED. Mais oui?
Regards to all Don drbe
I've seen a nubmer of orbital car polishers advertised and have always thought they look very gimmicky. Has anyone out there got any experience of using one of these and, if so, are they any good ? What should you expect to pay for a good unit and what features should you look out for ? Thanks folks! Read more
Just to be clear, the chances of burning through the paint on a panel with an electric polisher are very remote. You literally have to be very aggressive to do this. That means the polisher is on full chat, you have all your weight pushing through the polisher and remain one one spot for a good 3 or 4 minutes.
Rumour says you can easily cut through the paint on swathe body lines as the paint tends to be thinner here. Ive seen no evidence of this though....
Can anyone assure me that I don't need to draw the pistons on my H reg. Proton 1.5 GLS, 80,000 miles? Cam belt snapped. Head off, slight dinges in pistons seemed o.k. replaced bent valves, new gaskets all round. Engine ran quieter and sweeter than for a long time. Then began to notice puff of smoke on starting and engine latterly occasionally idled rough. Then about 1500 miles after repair, started it one morning and it appeared to be running on one cylinder if that. Head off, all cylinders oily and very much more black soft coke than had accumulated during the previous 80,000 miles, no 4 ex. port very oily. Assumed valve guides causing problem and suspected valve seals but all seemed to be in order. Never thought to check the compression before dismantling. Did pop the head back on and with a plug in each cylinder in turn turned the engine by hand, could hear the compression leaking past the rings, should it?
I marked the position of the distributer before taking it off but do not think I did a further ig. timing check at the time, but whether that has any bearing I don't know.
Am waiting the arrival of a new head gasket when I shall do a proper compression check but in the meanwhile any advice, ideas even sympathy would be highly appreciated.
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Couple of thousand miles later, used no oil, no water, runs better than ever. Except idle trifle splashy (where trifle is very small) but cold slow running is a mess. Didn't alter the carb settings,honest. Ignition timing is spot on according to Haynes and timing lamp. I will start another thread asking for advice on this.
Is it possible to replace or repair the following rusty bit of metal on my 10-year-old Peugeot 306...
The bonnet lock's striker bar is fixed (or screwed) to a piece of metal which appears to be completely enclosed by the bonnet's metalwork. This piece of metal is rusting away with the obvious danger that the bonnet lock will give way one day. I can't see how to do anything about it.
Is a replacement bonnet the only answer?
Ian Read more
I think it's past anti-rust treatment - it's perforated about an inch from the lock striker and cracked right up to the striker. But the striker itself still seems to be solidly fixed at the moment.
This makes me wonder if this piece of metal is only a decorative piece covering the real mounting for the striker. After all, Peugeot obviously wouldn't use a thin rust-prone non-repairable mounting for a safety related item like a bonnet lock striker - or would they?
Ian
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Look at the date of the OP!
Looks like PZR's trying to flog snake oil, his post's repeated twice more.