May 2003
Anyone of a website listing as many insurance companies and brokers as possible (i.e like the ones in the back of the car mags!).
Looking to get a new quote, using the old fashioned method of as many quotes as possble and selecting the cheapest!!
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How much carp do we gather in our cars and how much do we actually need? Cleaned mine out properly for the first time last w/e and I had:
Childs fishing rod
Childs seaside spade
Bucket
3 golf umbrellas
4 golf balls
petrol receipts
fag packets
3 pairs of sunglasses
childs rubber ring (deflated)
crushed coke can
14 pens
warning triangle (broken)
first aid kit (out of date)
two UK road atlas's
Belgium road map
Holland road map
French Atlas
Little chef vouchers (out of date)
4 cassettes (unplayable)
Spare bulb kit (three bulbs missing)
6 balls chewed by dog
Mobile phone charger (broken)
Frisbee (chewed - child or dog not sure)
10 franc piece (for the supermarket trollies - now redundant)
£2.50 in loose change
3 CD's
Game Boy Advance game (mario super Karts)
4 opened packets chewing gum
Mickey Mouse sun shade
35 pay and display tickets
Warwick Castle guide book
1 x Evening Standard 2002 (complete but yellow)
Leather mobile phone case (chewed)
1 Sock
1 baseball cap (peak on the back)
The Scenic is a great car, but it swallows more junk than the dustcart.... Its really quiet now as well - No rattles.
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Apart from filling up, do you like your new car? I'm growing to like mine even more every day, like the way the car wakes up when you unlock it; the suspension pump starts and the height adjusts a small amount.
Ben
Chaps,
Is there an equivalent to Redex for diesel engines? I'm keen to do anything that will look after and prolong my engine life. It's a 2.0Hdi Pug by the way. After advice from all you BR-ers, I'm going to change the oil every 6k to 'grease the wheels' of engine longevity... Read more
I use Wynns Diesel Injector Cleaner, it smells horrible so it must be good!! Seriously I shove a bottle in the tank when i can remember, about every six months. Seems to do the trick.
VD5D.
Oh joy of joys! I thought by getting rid of my trusty (Idling excepted) 2.0 16V Vectra and buying a 18-month old all-new 2.2 in February this year, I would save myself the joy of dismatling the idle control valve every six months of so in order to clean it out.
I was therefore thoroughly disappointed to start up this morning, set off down the road for 500yds, de-clutch to turn out of a junction and 'hey-presto' the engine cuts out. Re-start the engine and I continue my journey without a problem.
I have noticed from cold that the engine RPM dips down after de-clutching to about 500RPM, but recovers to normal idling speed quite quickly. The car has only covered 8900 miles, being privately owned before I bought it (I've put 3000 miles on in the 4 months I've owned it) and I was wondering if the low mileage has led to clogging up of the idling sections.
Trouble is, I don't have a clue where the relevent sections are on this engine (I could find my way around the 2.0 with my eyes shut).
Has anybody experienced this problem yet? If not, I'm sure you probably will do soon.
The car is still under warranty and is due a service next week, but I could do with some 'ammunition' with which to hammer the dealership. Read more
Has anybody experienced this problem yet? If not, I'm sure you
probably will do soon.
No not yet, but like you the idle valve occasionally needed cleaning on my previous 2.0 Cavalier.
I've owned my Vectra 2.2 Auto for some 19 months now (31,000 miles) and bought it second hand when it was 10 months old with 15,000 miles on the clock. The engine hasn't missed a beat. In fact nothing has gone wrong with it apart from a puncture.
Has anyone replaced the original H4s with better rated bulbs, eg Phillips Power Plus? I appreciate these bulbs have been reviewed and shown to be better than OE, but am reluctant to install them in case the car's reflectors don't actually help in throwing more light onto the road!
Any information appreciated.
Thanks Read more
After more than 20 years doing as much DIY as possible on my cars, I think it might be time to call it a day.......!
A few weeks ago, the cambelt failed on SWMBO's 1.8 20V Passat, resulting in 20 quite attractively-shaped bent valves. No fear - out with the spanners and get stuck in! Fortunately, we have a 'spare' car, so I was able to take my time a do a 'proper job'. I also took the opportunity of replacing the disintegrated aircon compressor pulley bearing while access was good!
Got it all back together - engine started first time and ran sweet as the proverbial nut. Job done - congratulate self on saving garage labour costs - buy bottle of Pomerol as reward. Oblivious to one bolt securing a small plastic section of belt cover not being tightened..........
Off on holiday to Norfolk en famille, said bolt finally vibrates its way out and drops onto cambelt. Exits through belt and timing cover - pistons once more have an intimate moment with valves. Buy two bottles of Pomerol and head for oblivion....
Still, I'm now well versed in whipping the head off a Passat, though I think this may well be the last time I bother. Family commitments and a less-supple back have finally won over any desire to do that 'proper job' (!) and save a bit of cash.
Well, until my son starts having problems with his first car in another 10 years time.......!!
Just wondering how many other backroomers are still active DIYers. Read more
I've done most jobs on all my cars, as well as those of family members over the years, but haven't done much to the C5. For one thing, it's got the 3 year warranty so dealer servicing through that period is a must, but of course I don't want to touch anything without a workshop manual - and Mr Haynes hasn't got round to the C5 yet. (Looking forward to the outcome if he does!)
The most fun, though was on my sister's old Riley Elf. First major job was to renew the back subframe and hydrolastic pipes (yes, they were hydrolastic!)
The old subframe came off with a bit of controlled brutality, then we supported the car and went off to the dealers for hydrolastic pipe. Now, this pipe doesn't come off a roll, instead, it is pre-formed and amounts to about 10 feet of rigid pipework - not unlike a one-piece exhaust.
That wouldn't have been a difficulty if the pipe hadn't been assembled in the factory before the front subframe - so the pipe is actually trapped between subframe and body.
We thought we could drop the front subframe complete with engine, transmission etc and ease the new pipe in between. Well, yes - but to poke it up through the gap the (rigid) back end had to be angled down - hitting the floor (car was on axle stands) It couldn't be bent for fear of snapping. What a hassle!
Got there eventually, and car ran for a year or so.Then the nut securing one of the selectors in the gearbox dropped off, leaving no gears and I had to strip the box just to screw it back on again!
My sister eventually wrote off the car, but persuaded me to rebuild the whole front end - new subframe, wings, front panel etc. That's when I (nearly) learned how to weld....
Happy days!
Graeme
Am i right in thinking that shell optimax is the best petrol followed by texaco? How about esso where do they come?
Aso how do i work out my m.p.g do i fill up from empty take note of litres set dial to 0 miles and repeat on next fill up and compare or is there more to it than that? Read more
Only ever used supermarket petrol once and it was as if someone had suffociated the engine by blocking the air filter. It wasn't immediately noticable and more a culmulative effect.
Once realising my mistake, I ran it to empty and then brimmed it with Esso petrol and some injector cleaner (STP, I think). It took almost a thousand miles but the difference (if you have a long memory for such trivial things) was noticable.
I think the extra 60p a tank is worth it.
I use Optimax + Millers to octane boost the 3500S (originally needed 5*, 100 Oct) and whilst it hard to tell without the additive it is better than SUL.
The 2000TC gets bog-standard LRP which is only UL with added potassium.
This does seem a little too good to be true so I thought I'd run this by you guys.
To keep a long story short, I rang the dealership I had trouble with after the dealer that gave me short shift never called back yesterday as promised. I spoke to the showroom manager and he put me in touch with a more friendly salesman who wants 'to do a deal', they've pretty much exhonorated themselves and even apologised. All square then.
They're doing a number of Rover 75 2.0CDT at a high spec (Connoisseur) for £16K, they're all pre-registered and only have delivery miles. They're all 52 reg with a couple of options on like a CD changer or a diesel pre-heater taking the new retail price to £21K unregistered. So that's 5K or 25% off, pretty much the first year's depreciation. All have the comprehensive three year, 60,000 warranty.
I've done my sums and figured that after 4 years and 40,000 miles, it should be worth about £12K. They are pretty rare and sought after, there's not many about without interstellar mileage. I've never bought pre-reg so I'm wondering what the angle is for them? It looks like a bargain to me, I'll lose only 4K in four years of motoring?
Is my assumption right to start with? And is there a catch? Read more
My collegue and myself both bought pre registered, the downside remains when you have had the car for 3 years youv'e been out of warranty for 6 months, and you have a 3 1/2 year old car. The dealer I bought mine from said after the sale that all cars loose 17% in the 1st 6 months, and although I had parted with £17000 for a £21000 car he would only give me £11500 PX. I tried this out at another dealer/manufacturer saying i bought my car on impulse 6 months ago and didn't particularily like it so wanted to change, guess what £11000.
I'm sorry you can't win!
May I draw your attention to Mark\'s post in discussion.
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=12...4
Swearing doesn\'t happen that often in Technical matters, but I have noticed an increase just lately.
As Mark states in his post, \"It takes effort to edit one word out of a note, it takes little or no effort to delete a note/thread. So if we could up the language quality just a little it will make life easier for everybody.\"
Thanks,
--
Dynamic Dave
Back Room Moderator
mailto:dave_moderator@honestjohn.co.uk Read more
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No. Most of them are not insurance companies. They are intermediaries (some may be insurance brokers) who deal with a selected 'panel' of insurance cos and are paid commission which is, of course, built into the premium. A lot of these have been set up in the last few years specifically to take advantage of the internet and, with the exception of those which advertise in the press/TV, are largely unknown. Their 'panel' of insurance cos. will not include insurance cos. which do not pay commission i.e. most of the direct insurers.
Be wary of excessive charges for payment by instalments and fees for e.g. changing your car, cancelling a policy etc.
I prefer to deal directly with the insurance co. but an intermediary can be useful if the risk is unusual.