November 2003
I'm off to Rochdale at some ungodly hour tommorow morning and will be travelling most of the way there on the A1 followed by the M62 and then the A627.
Just wondering if anyone knows of any Specs systems or other nasty scamera systems on this route?
I've already taken care of the other essentials, fuel, tyres all inflated to fully laden pressures, car cleaned out, and I'll be getting some Red Bulls, some Werthers and a bag of Haribo from the 24 hour Asda at about 5am this morning :-)
Advice appreciated!
Blue Read more
My Dad is 80, has owned a Peugeot 309, J reg, from new, now 80,000 miles, no rust, never failed MoT, used mainly for trips to Tesco (to buy wine in bulk for the discount!) and church on Sundays. Car has been making horrible grinding noises after it starts (starter not disengaging?) He went to his trusted garage who advised him that even if it was not the starter (flywheel?)and was a worst case scenario it would cost him a maximum of £400 - engine or gearbox out, new flywheel or whatever. He wondered whether he should get it done or think about a new car. I've advised him to get it done and (since his trusted mechanic/garage is retiring in January) to also get them to check everything else - cambelt, boots on drive shafts, discs/pads etc. Clutch was done last year (he tends to ride the clutch). I thought that buying a new car, especially since his licence runs out next year and he's not sure he will renew it, would be a waste of money, and for the price he was thinking about (£2000) he would end up putting profit in someone's pocket for something not as good as his old 309.
Am I right? Read more
Better stick with what you know. Your Dad seems sensible enough to realise that a £2000 car can still be a bundle of trouble. Also, he would not have to start learning a new set of controls.
Anyone had any dealings with HMC&E regards illegal fuel? Would be interested to hear about your experiences.
Was "done" this time last year for having red diesel in the running tank of my car. I paid 70p per litre for what I believed should have been clear diesel. This was bought from a reputable supplier (well I thought they were reputable up to that point)who provided a receipt which I offered as evidence to customs.
The initial fine of £500 was reduced to £250 because the car was filled at an attended pump and becasue I co-operated with the "investigation" such as it was.
I feel I have been "done" twice, robbed by a rogue fuel trader and mugged by HMC&E - is there any other crime where the victim is deemed to be guilty and punished.
Still bitter 12 months on......
Leon
"Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly..." Read more
The trouble is that LoD went there and I am sympathetic to his cause. I can understand the fear of retribution if an individual complains back to the source of supply but not the reasons why Customs or Police have taken no action against all garages selling the red stuff, especially if the problem in NI is as widespread as is suggested above.
Does anybody our there know of any garage prosecutions in NI for this offence?
Just looking at the prices listed to our right, here, now who on earth would by a used MINI for more £$£$ than a 147??
I don't believe the high residuals will be around forever on MINI, so why not have a better spec NEW car & save the cash!!??
I WOULD!!!!!
VB Read more
"MINIs keep daughters, girlfriends and mistresses happy"
It's kind of ironic, isn't it. Surely the best time to have an Alfa is when someone else is paying the repair bills!!
Hi,
Does anyone know where the alarm output wire would be on a 1995 peugeot 306 which has a factory fitted alarm.
I have brought a Knight Rider Light and would like it to work with my alarm but I don\'t know which wire is the alarm output one.
Thanks
Pug306xldt
Try and avoid posting in Caps. It comes across as shouting. I\'ve edited the post so you may get some replies instead of being ignored. Ta. ND Read more
Keep it on the lowest frequency setting to minimize power requirements. It might say on the box what the current drain is.
Out of interest where are you going to stick the LED panel?
just come back from town,in my mates car, and he had the heater in "meltdown" mode. i noticed that he also had the air-con on as well, and asked him why? (i always thought air-con was to chill the car interior in summer). he said that its on all the time in winter,cos it dries the air,and helps stop the (damp)carpets and seats from going mouldy. can this be right?,or is he just wasting power by trying to heat and chill the car at the same time?.
billy Read more
Story of my life, Mark :o)
Terry
My Honda Civic turns three years old next week and the local dealer is offering one years extended warranty for just under £300.
The only problem I had in the warranty period was an electric window motor replacement.
Its just had service, MoT and two new Bridgestones, incidentally supplied and fitted by the dealer cheaper than than any of the local tyre specialists.
Is the extended warranty worth the investment or should I keep the money?
Read more
I had a Peugeot 306 that i bought with a standard one year warranty and extended it at purchase for a further 1 year. Didnt claim anything in the first year, but the 2nd year service (2 months before extended warranty expiry) highlighted problems that required £1200 worth of work - all covered under warranty. Glad i extended it, but that was a peugeot. On a Civic i would probably chance it.
After a string of company 4x4's (Discovery's, Landcruiser's and M-Class), my Dad has decided to opt out of the company car scheme due to escalating taxation costs. He is looking to spend around 15K and will cover around 20K miles per year. All fuel will be paid for by the company.
He is currently considering a Landcruiser or a Range Rover and is also looking into Japanese Imports
Any advice on the above or any others which we may have missed?
Geoff
Read more
If he had £17k, he could get probably get hold of a new or nearly new Kia Sorento, which HJ rates very highly. It also has a three year unlimited mileage warranty and is less agricultural than the Hyundai Terracan, which has a better warranty but is a real farm workhorse.
How heavy is the horsebox that he needs to tow?
Btw I'd be nervous about any Land Rover, because of reliability, and a Mitsubishi Shogun Sport which, though cheap, is absolutely godawful.
From cold it turns over but will not fire, but will bump start easily? ok hot though. 1988. Have already tried: new plugs and leads, battery, points.
Help Read more
>>can anyone tell me where the ballast resistor is located.
Before you go and try a ballast resistor, why not test to see if that's the problem first.
A multimeter, costing only a few pounds from somewhere like Maplin is good enough for this.
Test the voltage on the positive side of the coil low tension, both with the ignition on, and while cranking, and report back both values.
I collected my wife?s C-Class Avantgarde SE estate last Friday, and we have spent a few days with the car. It is our first M-B, and here are our first impressions:
DEALER
-Very professional vehicle handover-no rushing. 10/10
-Vehicle preparation very good-but see below. 8/10
-Dealer workshop very grubby; worse than Ford dealers. 3/10
CAR-FIRST DRIVE
-That new car smell!! 11/10
-Car is the quietest I have ever driven. But see below. 9/10
-Gearshift smoothness is untouchable 10/10
-Orion grey interior not as good as VW/Audi, but definitely not low-rent 9/10.
-Amethyst Violet looks amazing in direct sunlight. 10/10.
-Overall: The Dogs pink fluffy dice.
THINGS I LIKE
-Bi-Xenon headlights ?sparking up? and the beam moving to its home position. I know it is sad but I just can?t stop playing with the headlight switch?.!!10/10
-It is sooooo quiet!! But see below. 9/10
THINGS I DO NOT LIKE
-Body panel stamping not 100%; area around door handles is very slightly ?creased?; shows up as small dent when looking along side of car from front. Whilst this may not be a big deal to some people it is really not acceptable in this premium brand. I noticed it when I got home; no doubt M-B would argue that it is ?within spec? but even a black Citroen Saxo has no such fault. 5/10.
-Body panel alignment on bonnet not 100%; body panels (?fangs?)either side of radiator grille are not level. RHS panel protrudes 0.5 inch more than left. This sounds petty, but my wife noticed this obvious misalignment and was furious. Needs to be adjusted by the dealer; should never have left the factory like this. 2/10.
-Wind noise. Although the car is very very quiet there is an annoying buzz of wind from around the driver?s door, at around eye-level, at 60MPH. Passenger side is OK. This sort of thing really gets on my nerves so it is going to be a trip to the dealer to fix.9/10.
OVERALL
-Mechanically very good, very refined and smooth, but really should have been better in the bodywork department.
Read more
re Lexus, I have a 200 (auto) which does 25-26mpg locally, 30ish on m'way run, but get into any rush-hour traffic and the consummption drops dramatically to 20-21. Bear in mind the rather sluggish, disappointing mid-range performance ... yes, I'm getting rid of mine after 2 years to go back to front wheel drive with a 2 litre hatchback that has some decent acceleration under the bonnet.
Browse
They\'re advisory, but, if for example you had an accident and were found to have been travelling above the advised limit, then this would go against you in court - so i\'m lead to believe anyway.
The only matrix signs that show an enforceable limit are those that show a speed inside a red circle, similar to a normal road speed limit sign.
PP