January 2004
This is a query for a friend of mine. He drives a 1999 Megane 1.6 16v.
He has experienced an intermittent problem. Sometimes, shortly after starting the car and moving off, he experiences a short but dramatic loss of power, and it is almost as if the car is on the brink of stalling. It then immediately picks up again.
I suspect that this could be caused by 101 different fuel/ignition problems, but is this is in fact a common problem? I would be delighted to know. Thanks is advance! Read more
Finally getting my Pug back today from the repairers after my pre-Xmas rear-end shunt. Despite appearances there was a significant amount of damage (approx £3k). My ins co will recover their costs from the third party who hit me - and I am putting together a list of my own expenses (incurred as a direct result of the accident) which I want to recover.
My question is this - am I justified in seeking compensation for loss if value (if any) of my now crash-repaired Pug? If so, how can I quantify this loss. This car was bought as a short term fix to handle commute until we can relocate - I would have hoped to sell it on over the summer. When I come to sell, I will not advertise the car as crash-repaired but also I could not lie if I was specifically asked. Second hand cars is a buyers market, so personally I would walk away from a "damaged" car.
BTW - although pleased to get my Pug back, I am more than a little disappointed to have to hand back the new Mondeo TDCi hire car - it has impressed me tremendously. Read more
This weekend I took my car to a dealer seeking part exchange value against another car. He immediately saw that there was something amiss with car, (spotting that it had been resprayed) and so could only offer me approx £750 less than book price for trade-in (ie from £4250 to £3500)!!!
So how does that compute with "no loss of value"?
adrian:
the link you should read is
www.theiob.org.uk/digest/a/accident_depreciation.h...l
but remember that deals only with claims against your own insurance.
whereas your claim is against the third party, not your insurance company.
you are fully entitled to claim for your consequential loss from the third party.
write to him/her by recorded delivery and submit your claim.
SWMBO reported a failure of the heated rear screen over the weekend in her 97 Vectra 1.8. I've checked the switch and the relay and both are OK, . I suspect the multi timer module as she reported that the last time she tried it the ABS light flickered on and the gauges dropped to zero. I don't suspect the screen as the relay doesn't click over when the the switch is pressed, and the switch does not light up either. Does anybody know better before I splash out on a new module?
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Changed the alternator this morning, very nice in the cold wind! All sorted. Thanks for all the good advice.
I had to take replace a headlamp and cant get the remote adjusters to locate, does anyone know the trick for these.
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make ajuster as long as poss put smige of greese on ball then put hand in where bulb should go and squeeze
reflector in lamp should move look in hole where ajuster goes and you will see like a basket that moves with the reflector make this basket as large as poss then fit ajuster and push it home using hole that bulb goes in
then twist
ex vaux tech
fbillytom@ntlworld.com
Has anyone any info on if this can be done? I have a Honda CR-V with auto box and I was wondering if it's possible to interrupt the electrical signal of the auto changer to 'force' the box to change when I want it to - especially to change from 3rd to 4th. I'm not too bothered about making it change down the range when slowing down. Kickdown works fine for overtaking etc. If I could take control I'm sure the current 30mpg could be improved upon.
Many thanks
Andrew
PS. I'm also looking to add central arm rests - sadly I have the LS not the ES model and I can't find any seats in a breakers - any ideas?
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i have a 16 month old rover 75 18500 miles
and have very bad tyre wear on the edges anybody
else had this problem, other than that is a great car. Read more
Dizzy yes the firestone are noisy have had two checks on the tracking on all 4 wheels going to see the dealer again 2 morrow i check the tyre presures once a week so we will see
On my journey in to work this morning (at 7 a.m.) along the M56, I was followed by a Peugeo 307 with sidelights and foglights on. I switched my rear fog light on, hoping he/she would get the message. After about ten minutes, foglights go off, leaving said Peugeot with only sidelights. Then, a couple of minutes later, foglights come back on.
I think the driver of this car deserves the "Dipstick of the Day" award......unless you know better!
Andy Read more
I would like to award the Dipstick of the Day to the driver of a French Mercedes who thought to get to work 0.005 sec early he would undertake my car on the motorway and then cut in (without indicating) forcing me to brake heavily to avoid a collision with his car has he completed his manoeuvre.
He then tried this stunt again and did count for two 56mph lorries. Amazing how the remaining lane then bunched together leaving him behind.
Dipstick !!!
Hiya,
Another family member (Sadly not me, I'd never insure it) is considering an E39 5 Series, probably sourced from one of the BCA Top Car auctions.
Does anyone know how much one should expect to pay for early facelift (ie, post angel eyes - think it was 00 they changed that) 525i SE on a W plate or newer? Got a budget of about £11k and was wondering if it'd be enough - looking at whats available on Autotrader and reading HJ's auction reports it would seem that this indeed enough.
In an ideal world, a 530d would be the choice, but then we'd not get one for £11k or under - would we? Read more
On a similar note I've seen loads of 530D police cars here in London. As the Met now have a policy of buying their cars in silver to improve resale, these will make an attractice buy at auction (if you don't mind little things like holes in the bodywork, no radio or clock etc). I would rather pay extra for a silver than a white 530.
I was wondering what these may eventually go for when they are disposed of? It would allow me to sell the Alfa and buy something fun for the weekend but still have a relatively economical and comfortable motorway mile-eater for work.
Any ideas?
I need some help. My 1991 Audi 100 2.8V6 quattro has developed a problem when starting. Just today I find it fires up OK but then almost immediately cuts out. The problem has never occured before today. The one thing I did different today was to fill her up with Shell Optimax (I have always used premium unleaded). I then drove her a 2 miles home, went in for about 10-15 minutes, came out to start the car and this problem developed. I tried again in 20 minutes - no help. Called RAC - took about 1 1/2 hours - but when he came the car started no problem without any intervention! Late tonight I thought I might try to start it - guess what: the problem has recurred - fires up but cuts out immediately. RAC man told me at the time that a change in unleaded fuel type SHOULD NOT cause problems but he then went on to tell me a story about a friend who had this problem due to a change from super unleaded to premium unleaded.
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Thanks for the advice - I will try next time quoting the part number.
I noticed one on the forecourt of my local dealership this morning and had a quick look.
First impressions were that it is very similar to the outgoing one. I suppose that you could say this about every revised Golf from the 70s onwards!
The interior though, to me' looked like it had been downgraded to a Polo. No nice soft plastics.
Apparently the drive is a big improvement though as well as rear legroom etc.
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perhaps time to merge this topic and the one above ...?
Browse
Joe,
Here is an updated version of a reply I made last year about a similar problem.
Try the cheapest option first.....Remove and examine the rubber vacuum hose from the inlet manifold to the MAP sensor on the bulkhead. Check for splits that may only show up when you bend the hose.
I've had two of these to replace on Megane's. This pipe is quite stiff and short, at certain engine positions the split would open and ruin the MAP input/mixture.
It was happening the most when you were drifting through town at low revs and then tried to pull away, you know how that makes the engine rock on the mounts. Once you had reached a cruising speed the split stayed closed and all was well.
Another symptom was them sounding like they were missing on one cylinder at idle.
They drove so badly at times you could have told the customers they needed hundreds spending but in reality a few minutes and 200mm of small bore hose cured it.
Get a small screwdriver or knife and lever off at the ends, they are only a tight push fit.
On the two I dealt with the hoses looked perfect at rest...the cracks were on the insides of the 90 deg bends and only opened up as the engine rocked in running....so you have to get the hose right off before passing it as OK.
M.M