October 2003
To cut a long story short..
Ordered a Smart Roadster Nov 2002 for delivery Sept 2003.
Aug 2003 told car had been crashed - its a write off will not arrive.Week later told don't worry there was a mix up it wasn't your car. Still on for Sept delivery take the day off work.
Friday before delivery 1930hrs - Sir your car hasn't been delivered for us to prepare it will call you first thing tomorrow. Sat 1345hrs No sign of your car not likely to turn up. Very sorry looks like it may have been damaged after all. Call us Monday. Monday You can have a Courtesy car (Normal Smart) but cannot have it until 1530hrs.
Now I want a brand new car - it turns out it was Minor damage - 6 parts - just a bumper and minor panels.
We will offer you £300 compensation. I want £3100 compensation as that was much cars were going for on ebay just for the position to have a car on sept 1st.
They say a new car will get delivered end of Nov (extra 2 months) but I will have to pay for a courtesy car as they are not willing to loan me this car for that long or I can have the original today which has been repaired but it hasn't been registered so is still defined as new. I cannot see how a car involved in what they describe as a minor accident can be defined or sold as NEW!!
The other option is to get a car in two weeks similar spec but with Air Con but they are not willing to cover the cost of the air con £1000.
Help, who can I take this to - Top Gear? How much compensation am I entitled to? What is the definition of a NEW car? I'm 23 are they taking advantage of me by offering £300 comp?
What are my options?
You assistance as appreciated.
Phil
BTW I have put down a £500 deposit in Nov (Pre production) that is all. Read more
Arghhhhhh - Accident in the Laguna. Did the old trick of rear ending somone at a roundabout, you know the one, theres a gap, hes gone, theres a gap I go OH NO he is still there.
Anyway, Knocked the the rear bumper off a x reg nissan almera or sunny thingy. The laguna just has some dirty scuff marks on the front bumper (must have been about 10mph speed) so it survived really well. EXCEPT THE BRAKES
They didnt feel right while standing on them during accident and now seem distinctly odd to me. I can sit in the car with the engine running, and press the brake pedal hard, and it will slowly sink till the pedal touches the floor. Pump them up and they go hard, only to sink to the floor slowly again if you keep pressing. Does not happen if the car is turned off.
They seem alright in use while going along but they now worry me
No warning lights, no loss of brake fluid, no sign of fluid leaking from calipers/hoses
Thoughts please
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The dealer involved is one of a multi chain. Funny enough I normaly go to one further away (also part of a another multichain) where the service and attention is much better.
Just taken no.1 plug out my \'94 2l mondeo. last plugs were placed at about 70k, 30 months ago.based on the pictures in the back of my heynes manual i would say the nose of thegsplug is between \'normal\' and overheating. the thread is quite oily and the upper part has quite a bit of crap ringed into the grooves. i am changing the plugs and leads as there is a bit of hesitation when accelerating in 3rd from about 2500 rpm. as this problem was previously cured lasttime by my garage by the prvious plug change i thought i would do the same. should i be alarmed by the plug appearance???
cheers Read more
Hello Adam. I'm not the Ford elekie but I do subscribe to Ukautotalk.This website is a great comfort because it confirms that all the absurd & complex probs that we encounter are now realised & acknowledged by the public at large!
Volvo V70R
The 'engine management light' came on earlier in the week, had it investigated and the code came up as "Long term fuel trim limit". The light was extinguished by garage (two days ago).
Anyway, today the light has come on again, so I'll need to take it back.
Does anyone know what "Long term fuel trim limit" may mean in normal speak?
Do I need to start worrying?
Stu.
(just to add to the fun, the loan car they lent me broke down, ho hum). Read more
Probably a harness fault, normally is 9 times out of 10. It's always easier to blame sensors though, as there easy to change.
Any good advice on choosing a new battery for my Peugeot 306 TD (1993)?
The past two batteries I have had last me about 2-3 years, before they need replacing.
I'm after any recommendations people have had with a particular brand, and what Amp rating battery I should lookout for.
So far I've been offered the following as replacements:
Motoquip 57 Amp for £33
Fulmen 64 Amp for £45
Thanks in Advance
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Terminal connections were fine. Battery level was ok as I had just topeed it up a couple of months ago. However, I know the battery was on its last legs as whenever I charged it, it would charge from nearly empty to full in an hour or so. This normally takes 6-12 hours on previous good batteries. Plus another tell tale sign was that the alarm would go off spuriously in the middle of the night (usually in the cold).Possibly caused by plates touching one another and causing a drop in voltage. Start up would also take several churning rotations (even after changing glow plugs).
No point flogging a dead battery.
Very happy with new battery.
6 months ago i had an oil and filter change done by kwik fit thay charged me £18, today i went back for the same only to be told it is £28, it seems that they want to give me the more expensive oil yet 6 months ago they saw fit to give me the cheap stuff..i have a 1.8 diesil fiesta 4 door 1989..also how often should i change my oil....? Read more
Just as a matter of interest my local National use Coopers filters, as do Kwik-fit
Hi
What does everyone think of this motor? A friend of mine just wrote off his HDI Xsara and is now looking at something a bit more powerful.
Does anyone own one, and how good do they compare to say a Seat Ibiza 130 Sport.
Any comments would be appreciated,
Cheers,
Mike Farrow Read more
Hi
OK, thanks for the replies everyone. He did test drive the ?koda and was very impressed. However, a gem in the form of an S-reg Golf TDi was spotted by him on a dealer website so he bought that for £7000. Do you think this was a good deal? It's got Aircon, ABS, and is an Automatic, with 46k on the clock.
He's now thinking about getting it chipped, now he's replaced the dodgy Air Mass Flow Sensor. He's also had the kick-down retuned so the engine doesn't rev to the red line before changing gear, as this isn't where peak power is.
Cheers
Mike Farrow
Anyone familiar with Richard Scarry's books for children?
Every time I see the front of Daewoo Tacuma, I get this flashback to - an upright vacuum cleaner, I think!
(And nothing to do with Scarry, but the Ford Scorpio: - Arnold Ridley in the closing credits of Dad's Army)
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Yes- I think the Japanese had something of a love affair with these ugly ducklings! Must put an ad in the Nagasaki Evening Post......
Please see thread www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=15487 for previous details. DD.
yes this thread rears it\'s ugly head again...
An update:
2nd October: Went to collect car after giving them the chance to put right all the faults. Boot had been unlocked overnight. Wheels now the right way around (although they were unable to confirm whether or not they\'d been rebalanced) and the door can now be opened from the inside! Still a scratch on the side of the bonnet, inside still dirty, Overspray still in boot, still scratches on boot. Weld on door frame still looks dodgy and window frame is still bent, but service manager informs me \"that\'s how it comes from VW\". Rejected car straight away and was told to sit in reception for a while while he tried to sort it all out. Came back 15 minutes later - paint on scratches still wet and looks bodged. Reject car, get back in courtesy car and go home.
7th Oct: tell them they can deliver car back to me as I\'m sick of driving to Walsall. Car arrives. Overspray sorted and I can see that they\'ve made an effort to clean the inside, although it\'s still not 100%. Scratch on side of bonnet is still bodged and paint peels straight off. Scratch on boot not even touched. Reject car again and the driver takes it back. Phoned insurance company to complain, who put me onto the approved repairers network who fill in a complaint form over the phone. Later get a message to say that someone from the bodyshop is calling to discuss the complaint with me. Phonecall never comes.
8th October: receive a call to say the car is ready. Double check with them to ensure that i\'m not going to have to reject it for a fourth time. They assure me everything is ok.
Today: I\'ve done something to my neck and can\'t move it or drive, so the car is being delivered back to me as they\'re desperate for the micra back. If it\'s still not done, should I reject it again, or keep it and insist that the repair network send it to someone else? I\'m really not in the mood for this today!
This is one of those occasions when I wish I could name and shame!!
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Are not Garages/Repairers members of certain Trade Associations?
If it can be found out which one then a letter of complaint to them????
DVD
The scenario:
Busy traffic light controlled crossroads in London. As no right turn permissible many cars turn left and then U turn thus achieving their objective of, effectively, turning right.
The more considerate of these motorists execute their U turn at the back of the queue waiting their turn at the traffic lights. However many attempt to U turn immediately and try to muscle their way into the queue. To achieve this they have to cross double white lines and a slight hump down the centre of the road(put there to prevent such a manoeuvre.) Not unnaturally most in queue resist the barging in and chaos results with junction grid locked by cars backing up behind offender.
I spoke to police about these offenders. Apparently they had prosecuted motorists for driving without due care and attention. However a motorist was found not guilty as he successfully argued that he carried out the manoeuvre deliberately i.e. WITH due care, and it was not dangerous, merely selfish. The police apparently now take no action.
With what offence could they be charged?
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......I'll draw a line at that Fif
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Is the Smart a bubblecar? I was quite perplexed once by a clerk who asked me where he should park his Messerschmidt. I assumed he was barking mad until a kind colleague explained!