September 2003
I have just bought a 'K' Reg (93) Golf with 62,000 miles on the clock, 1.4, 4 speed for £1995 from an independant dealer specialising in VW's.
As I am 20 (21 in just over 6 weeks), my step father suggested that I fo fot TPFT, as it would work out cheaper. I got quotes over the net for Comp. and TPFT, ranging from £2000 to £1114 for Comp. And £1500 to £890 for TPFT.
I then tried www.elephant.co.uk and for a quote for.....£711.9 Comp!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It just goes to show the loading some insurance companies put on young drivers.
My advice, try www.elephant.co.uk, the money they saved on the tacky advert sure shows on the quotes!!!!
(Sorry if I sound like a elephant.co.uk employee, which I'm not. I thought I would spread the work).
The other two lowest quotes I recieved were from CIS, for £1114 and Tesco at £1250.
Cheers Read more
Hello, i'm putting my old radio into a friends fiat uno for him but i'm having a bit of trouble. When i took his original radio out it was clear the connections wouldn't fit into the new radio so i went off to halfords to a get an adaptor. When i tryed to put that in the connections wouldn't fit. So i took it back the bloke at halfords said that was the only one they did for the uno and when he looked connection at the back of the original uno radio he said it was very weird and not really seen one like it before. He suggested that i should cut them off and solder new ones on but as its not my car i'm doing it to i don't really want to do this. Has anyone any suggestions how to convert the original wiring to ISO? Read more
First step,
Connect a test light to earth, then try each wire in turn and see which wire lights up the test light, that will give you the 12v live wire.
Next, use a continuity meter with a live feed built in, connect one to earth, try each other wire in turn, when it lights up/buzzes, that will give you your earth wire.
Next step, get a 1.5v C or D sized battery, the wires you have left should be speaker wires, gently touch the pairs of wires to the battery poles, listen for a crackle, this will indicate which pair of wires are for which speakers.
Connecting a 1.5v battery on the speaker wires is not enough to damage it, as is such a low current.
As for chopping wires, if it means soldering a better connection, i wouldn't worry about cutting the wires.
Hope this helps,
Pastyman..
evening all,a couple of years back i had a 280zx with fuel consumption i was happy with,im currently doing up a 91 non turbo,auto 300zx,,which i recently bought (week),,god its heavy on the fuel,the suction on the fuel cap on release was big,so i left it loose to stop tank splitting etc,,,can anyone give any info on why or how to stop vacuum on it,,would this cause such excessive fuel consumption,,,i know they are heavy on fuel,but it was cheaper to drive my 6 berth motorhome,,,lee Read more
your probably right about 7/11,,i reckon im getting that around town,,,average 20 mpg im happyish with ,but getting down to half that is to heavy going for me,,it took me 3 and half hours from camden to swindon today in my girls calibra ,£18 round trip,,2+ hours of just idling in london would have done that in the z,,,i love this car,just cant see why so much differance between 280zx and the 300zx on consumption......i think im gonna let this one go and resell pretty quick (next week),,or would like to drop a differant lump in it,,,i think im looking at the car as object of beauty,and not to bothered about the bhp,especially when theres so much gridlock everywhere,and speed cameras and chicanes ,humps etc out even on the country roads,id be more than happy to potter along in it at average speeds without the guzzle,,got any ideas what would easily drop into it with a gearbox,,,a deisel from an ldv perhaps (joke),,will check the cap tomorow.
www.expressandstar.com/artman/publish/article_4221...l
Pity not more like it.
Happy Motoring Phil I Read more
Thank you Simon and Frostbite - I see I have been labouring under a misapprehension.
HF
As regulars will know, I am using HF's Astra 1.7D to return to my native North-West roughly once a month. I put around 600 miles on it each trip. It is a 1991, non-turbo with 137,000 miles on the clock.
HF is worried that I am steering her car towards an early grave, but I believe that as long as the cam-belt is changed soon, and the oil and filter are changed every 3,000 miles then everything in the garden is rosy.
Your views would be appreciated (as always).
And, in case you're wondering why I don't use my own car, look at the "Horrible Cars" thread over in discussion, or click on my profile.
Cheers
Rob Read more
Thanks, all, for your informative replies.
I guess that the Orpington branch of Kwik Fit will be doing a few oil changes on a certain Astra in the not too distant future.
Cheers
Rob
My battery/alternator red warning stays on when driving, and also has the effect of randomly causing other engine abs airbag warning lights to flick on and off.
I tested voltage at battery and was around 12 volts dropping to approximately 10 under load. Reving engine had no apparent effect. I assume alternator needs replaced Any advice/ confirmation welcome. Could it be anything else.
Omega is 2.5 V petrol.
Ps at the moment battery is well charged and seems to run everything ok including starting.
Kind Regards
Ian Read more
Andrew
Thanks for the help. It was the alternator - getting at the bolts to get it off was a bit awkward.
Ps it ended up draining my battery presumably because there was an internal circuit fault draining the battery to earth.
Kind Regards
Ian
A well aired subject I know, but I have just had an update from Saab for my 9-5 M2002, saying that for the 3.0TiD the cam belt change has been moved out from 48,000 miles to 125,000 miles. This seems like an enormous jump. Is there a reason for it?
Read more
It could be that they
1. have improved the design strength of the belts,
2. or have realised from experience that the previous intervals were too conservative,
3. or that there were far more incidents of ruined engines after botched belt-changes
4. or that fleet sales were going to chain engines to save on belt change costs.
I personally subscribe to theory 3. The only cases (about 6 from memory, on all on Vectra or AudiA4 ) that I personally know of, where engines have been damaged, is after botched cam-belt changes.
So...
Drive a Fiat Punto down a set of steps to try and wake your boyfriend up - he certainly would wake up when the low-grade Fiat glue gave up!
Drive a Ford Fiesta on the moon, pretending it's a skateboard? Hmmm. Can't it cope with UK roads?
Heh heh heh Read more
Obviously having fallen alseep by the remarkably dull look front end they have accidentally grafted on.
If you don't know what car you want, buy a BMW
Kev
Never used it, but have been recommended it as the best way to get from Margate to Torquay. Rather than M4, then M5.
I am looking to do a healthy motorway speed, probably leaving the M25 at 5pm (I know, but it cannot be helped).
Are there roadworks, natural bottlenecks or speed cameras to be aware of?
Any info would be of use to me.
Thanks
Simon Read more
How do you find radio reception in Winterbourne Stoke? Especially if you have an Audi.
There is no believing the absolute stupidity of some folk ...
What more does this idiot want????
After suffering a hijack ordeal and nearly losing his life, a Bellville man is now faced with a huge bill for repairs after police riddled his vehicle with bullets in a shootout with gunmen.
Jaco Swart's car was hijacked by three men while he was driving with girlfriend, Marlize Viviers, in Bellville in May.
The car was recovered by police about two-and-a half hours later in Kuils River but only after a shootout that put 36 bullet holes in it.
Now Swart wants the police to foot the bill "as they are responsible for the damage to the car".
Swart said he did not have insurance to pay for the bills.
Police Inspector Elliott Sinyangana also said the police were not responsible for the damage as they were acting on behalf of the owner.
"The police were acting on his behalf and the car was damaged during the process of fighting for him," said Sinyangana.
He said Swart should be grateful that the police managed to return his car to him and added that Swart did not have proof that it was the police who damaged the car.
"If the shooting was between the owner and the police, and the police were found to be wrong, then they would be responsible for damages," said Sinyangana.
Read more
In this case, the thieves had guns... so do our police, and are probably better shots.
By the way, you HAVE tried it 'over there'. I believe his name was Clegg, and he was with 3 Para...
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Thanks Epic, your info was invaluable.
I used your link and my insurance went down from £302 to £173 with directline with my 4 years no claim protected (Norwich Union had no protection!) Which is about 1/2 what the cars worth...honestly I resent paying the same premium as the value of my car when full of petrol!
Elephant by the way wanted the same as my renewal with Norwich Union. Also best I could get on www.confused.com was £270.
Cheers