Doing a long (80 mile each way) drive every day, I tried a new route.
On the M3, the Pug 406 in the inside land started to oscillate in the grooves left by truck tyres.
I could avoid by driving out of them (to the right, but VERY close to the middle lane).

By leaving the car in the "trench" and deliberately NOT compensating by making lots of little adjustments, (The road was v. quiet, speed about 70), it started to sway left-right. Getting worse. Quite disconcerting.

My question: The tyres are 195 x 65 x 15. All new. Pug 406 2.1Td.
Mileage is c.180,000m. Would new shocks / springs reduce this effect as I could see it becoming quite drastic and possibly contributary to an accident? I think the car is on the original shocks - certainly not done in the last 80,000 miles.apologies if this is classed as technical, but is safety related for novice drivers.. I have searched the archives but not found similar threads.

Thanks for any feedback - anyone else noticed this?

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As my previous VW, a Golf, the first dipped headlight bulb has failed within 2 years and 34000 miles on my 2002 model Passat.
As the handbook gives no bulb specifications and warns that ALL bulbs must be replaced by a dealer, I let them do it.
From watching the technician at work,I've established it is an H7 bulb and reckon I could do a future replacement myself after removing some air intake ducting.
A spare bulb was bought for £9 locally, a bit cheaper than the £20 charged by VW, although their bulb was £6 + vat.
I expect the second one to fail shortly if the Golf was anything to go by.
Any other brands have this coyness with bulbs? Read more

have just read in the press that the next generation small rover may well be designed and built in india, i have nothing at all against india or its people and this is verygood news for them, but it seems a real tragedy that the once mighty british motor industry ends up in this way and i suppose bodes badly for the future of britains manufacturing industry generally (or whats left of it) i just wonder what people like lyons,healey,morris,turner etc etc would have made of it all! Read more

I've just changed jobs. I used to have a 50 mile round trip every day so needed something big and comfy (so chose a Volvo S40 2.0CD).

I now work a 10 minute walk from where I live so I'm looking to change cars to something cheaper to insure, tax and run and I quite like the Fiat Punto ('99 - '03 range).

I've been looking on AutoTrader and for a two year old 1.2litre with about 20 - 30,000 miles in a nice metallic colour you're looking at about £4,000.

Just wondered if anyone had any opinions on the car, good or bad.

Cheers in advance :-) Read more

Every once in a while I get a warning in the central display which says "Anti Pollution Unit" and it goes out when I start the engine, which seems to run UK; it is a diesel by the way. Neither the handbook nor Haynes has anything to say on the subject and I have grave doubts that my local dealer will, if his past efforts are anything to go by. Does any Backroomer have an idea what this means - catalyst on the way out maybe? The car is still under warranty so it isn't a major problem but I would like to know what it means! Thank you. Read more