November 2003
It's feels like ages since I've been here. Anyway, I was wondering if one (or more) of you wonderful people could guide me here please. You might remember from previous posts of mine that I'm also looking to upgrade the Corolla but I'm not rushing to do that since disability means I have special requirements.
Ok, my problem. The RAC came out to my vehicle and have told me that the alternator has seized up which is why the fan belt melted! The car is basically very sound (touch wood!) with 11 months MOT left so it is my intention to repair it. Or rather it was, I've contacted two local garages and each say it will cost about £300 to replace the alternator (this includes labour and VAT). They tell me it's about one and half hours work to do this. I'm dubious because the alternator seems fairly easy to reach (I think anyway in my total mechanical ignorance!)
I'm in a very rural area and whilst the car has some power left, it obviously can't recharge the battery or cool the engine whilst driving, so my options of driving off somewhere else for economic repair aren't marvellous. Am I being ripped off or does this seem like fair estimates/quotes? Read more
Just out of interest is the auto box in a vectra/astra, the same/better than in an omega,only there always seems to be problems with the omega and hardly any with the other two. Read more
I once had to strip and rebuild a 3-speed Strasbourg box due to a radiator repairer getting swarf into it via the cooling system. I bought some bits via a friend who was an auto box specialist and he told me that the Strasbourg box was bad for business as they were virtually unbreakable.
I was very impressed with the design, very strong and reliable yet with several time-saving innovations. For instance, the entire epicyclic gear clusters are held between two plates with figure-of-eight fixing holes so that a quick twist of the plates holds everything in place, with only three small screws to do up to securely lock the whole assembly. Also, unlike the Borg Warner boxes, there are hardly any internal pipes because the oil channels are machined like canals into the surface of each half of the valve bodies so that bringing the bodies together also brings the canals together to form the multiplicity of oilways.
I expect these design aspects are commonplace now but I'd never seen them before. Apart from compressing the extremely strong solenoid springs, the box was a pleasure to work on and no special tools were needed, just common sense and patience. However I would be very reluctant to tackle a modern electronically-controlled box!
Woke this morning to find that most of our road appears to have been 'done' overnight by les number plate bandito's!
I've lost my front, neighbour his rear, other neighbour both, his neighbour both, repeat to fade...
Guess MK Plod will be receiving a number of calls this morning and MK Halfords quite a number of sales this evening?
Ho-hum! Read more
The stolen number plates will almost certainly be used to do "Drive Aways", i.e. a free tank of petrol, from petrol stations.
The thieves just use them once for this purpose and then throw them away!
There is a council owned car park in Ashton-under-Lyne that has been designated as The Macmillan Cancer Relief Car Park, and all revenue from it goes to Macmillan Cancer Relief. Given the size of it, and the fact that it is always full, and it costs £2.50 for a working day, I guess that the charity gets quite a bit of income.
Seems like a very good idea to me. It's nice to see a council not being greedy for a change.
Has anyone seen similar schemes elsewhere? Read more
Basildon Council used to open the Council offices car park up to the public for the three or four Saturdays before Xmas every year and allow various local charities to man it and take the proceeds. I always thought it was an excellent idea and in keeping with the season. Basildon town centre has changed a fair bit recently and I don't go there as much as I used to so not sure if they still do it but I think it's something that should be encouraged.
Cockle
Oh Dear!!!......it never rains.......
Just had my Insurance people phone me regarding the description of car, when i originally phoned & arranged cover i told them it was a Lexus Soarer, as thats how it was advertised...when i realised it said Toyota Soarer on the V5 i phoned them but had top leave a message on the answer phone.
The person who phoned back says is the car an import?? I said ofcourse its an import all soarers are , she said "Oh i'll have to see what the insurance Co says"
Now they gave me a quote for a Lexus Soarer .as they are all imports will this make a difference....i mean how did they give me a quoite in the first place and not know they are all imported???
Last thing is Toyota on all the V5 log books as mine , i would have thought so ?? Its just people calling & badgeing their cars "Lexus" which i can't be bothered with .
Cheers. :confused:
Quick Update as i write:
Today i had yet another call from my Insurance broker (PSP) most apologetic that the Insurance Co has in formed them that they can not cover the car as it is a "Grey"but will give me afew days "Grace" to find another Co that will cover me!
Wonderfull , even more so when i point out that it is a "Cherised poilicy Ltd mileage "set at 5000 per annum they offer me an alternative policy with Norwich union that is not limited miles 3 years bonus at £1465 which is about £1167.83p more than i had paid! SOo quite a difference..Ok i know i can be covered for around £697 but this would mean i would have to take the NCB from my other insurance which then make that rise a £175 Great!!
Insurance Companys are not my favourite flavour this year, they took 2 years bonus from me in september when a cretin set fire to a car in a public car park that spread to my & 2 other cars and because i made a claim i mam now a risk as the car that was originally set alight was a stolen car...so this has affeected all my vehicles as regards Insurance.
Legalised robbery 2nd only to speed camera's..anyway what i'm peeved at is that they quoted me for a LExus Soarer & now that i've pointed out that its a "Toyota" they wont entertain it, i've pointed out that there is no such car as a Lexus Soarer in RHD & that they are all "Toyota's" therfore "all" Soarers are Grey imports but No No in fact the cover note they sent me said it was a Lexus Sourer & the insurance broker was telling me thats what they had quoted me on not a Soarer!!!! Arrghhh! help i'm shrinking.
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The Mondewoe will be going soon, I am going to pay the man in the scrap yard extra so that I can press the button on the crusher.
The replacement may be an L reg GS300 Lexus with 131,000 miles on the clock. It belongs to one of my supervisors who got it about 3 years ago for about 6.5K. He is looking for about 4K, I know it has only had minimal work done on it and has never let him down at all. Everything still works in it and it looks to be in fine condition. He is one of the best practical engineers I have ever worked with and know that he has looked after it well, oil changes at 5000 miles etc.
Question is; what is it worth and what problems can I expect.
All the best folks
Bill Read more
"17-19mpg is usual on the new GS, so seems perfectly acceptable for the old one. Obviously you can get this to 25+ at constant speeds above 40."
Sorry, but that just ain't so. You'd be hard pushed to get less than 25 even around town on the new GS, and I regularly get over 30 on my 98 model (first year of the newer shape).
Utterly fantastic car.
I cannot get rid of the foul odour of milk in the boot-carpet of my car.Have tried conventional products,eg washing-up liquid/soda-bicarb., but the smell lingers in the car. Any suggestions? Thanks
{No need to post the same message to both forums. I have deleted the other one in Tech Matters. DD.}
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sorry had to have a chuckle at this one!!
i would of given anything for the smell of sour milk a couple of years ago!! went fishing...got to beach only to find our bait had escaped (live crabs ) out of about sixty-ish'we recovered about forty, the others had dissapeared into the various nooks and crannies,between panels etc...where the blighters decided to die. only way to cure that smell was change the car!!
billy
My new car hasnt got one and I miss it, anyone know if these are possible to buy? or will I have to go to the breakers and get one.
The thing is I am not happy about riveting or screwing into my floor panel and would prefer to get one fitted.
Any thoughts/ideas welcome
Steve Read more
Tony its the 1.4 sport
Wondering if you have any suggestions over this 'perhaps' trivial matter..
I run a pug 206 (2001) 1.9 Diesel with 23,000 on the clock. A nice little runner so far but when I am in third/fourth gear crusing a 2000 RPM the car jolts back/hesitates for a split second until I accelarate..any ideas..?
The car has recently been serviced and does most of it's miles on the motorway between 60-75 mph. with no hesitations present..
If anything any suggestions would put my mind at rest..as I am due to have a long trip up to Scotland?
Cheers folks...
Craig Read more
Quick qestion,..what is the EGR Valve and how would it help if I disconnected it? (re; hesitation)
hi lads
i have a 306 xsi and im getting some vibrations....when im stand still and i put my foot on the accelerator and i could feel a slight vibration.ive got someone to check the exaust its fine....enigine mounts fine.......when i showed it to my uncle he said the acclerator cables strenghed abit....he goes its to the max.........so he said get that checked.......anyone got any ideas what it could be?
thanks
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no the engine does not jump about on tick over. when engine is reved you can feel it when it decreases the revs......you can feel a slight vibrations.....
Browse
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I'm in North Yorkshire within the Vale of Mowbray area.
I never thought of a mobile mechanic, (a very good idea - thank you) I'll dig that out and see what's in the area since the online version didn't like the description I gave it!