January 2004
...in this weekend's DT Motoring section.
tinyurl.com/2y4d4
I'm beginning to regret selling mine after 2.5 months in a jelly-mould cookie cutter sedan like everyone else's, and yesterday found me wandering round the local Ford showroom loking at the new ones. Quite by chance, natch.......
Once a gas guzzler, always a gas guzzler.
Growler out.
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I have a Rover 416 that hates going out in the rain.When it's been raining hard the car runs fine until it's hit a few puddles. The car will be running fine and then all of us sudden it will miss go back to normal and then miss again before cutting out. Once cut out it can take 15 mins before it will start again, once started it's great and runs well until a few more puddles later. It's been into Rover who said nothing was wrong, it's been in Panks Auto Electrical who said it was the ECU. Replaced ECU at a cost of £300 and it still breaks down (in the process of getting money back for that). I replaced the HT leads last week and thought that cured the problem until a heavy downfall this week and once again it packed up. Starting to get a bit fed up of looking at the weather forecast before driving.... any ideas, help would be a major breakthrough. Read more
Replace the ignition coil, together with the HT leads, dizzy cap and rotor arm (unless previously replaced!) and you'll be fine.
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groups.msn.com/honestjohn - Pictures say a thousand words.....
In march 2003 I asked my peugeot main dealer to look into a starting fault. The car could take from 1 to 7 attempts to start it,Once or twice a day but some days fine.Initally they could not find anything wrong.They took it in twice again replaced the imobiliser ariel unit and control unit.Before christmas they took it in again and replaced both units again. We went to collect it and it would not start at all.They then replaced the diesel tank lift(I think they mean fuel pump).Car started ok for two and a half weeks then same starting fault occured.engine turns over well but makes no attempt at starting.then can be fine, makes no diference hot or cold starts.Due to go back to main dealer for its usuall holiday.only two months warranty left does any one know what could be causing this problem,fault codes on peugeot computer inconclusive says clutch is being ridden this is rubbish,I have no confidence in this computer. Read more
Not by their first 2 letters. I am still trying!
A friend of my mum has been told her X reg out of warranty by a few months Punto 1.2 needs something doing to the CV joints and will cost £800 ish.
Sorry for the sketchy details, but does anyone know any common CV probs on the Punto? There isn't anything like that in the Car by Car Breakdown.
Thanks in advance
Ben Read more
Spoken to the driver. It has been making noises since November, just had the radio louder. D'oh!
The noise occurs when the steering wheel is turned, and not when straight, I thought something on the drivetrain, but then asked if it makes the noise at any other time.
The noise occurs when the steering wheel is turned whether moving or not. A quick look on the car by car shows that it is a fault with the wacky power steering on the Punto. A known fault that if she had taken to the dealer less than a month out of warranty when it started would probably have been sorted with a goodwill gesture.
I said to get some 2nd opinions from a main dealer and from a Fiat specialist as well as her friendly local mechanic. (Full Fiat service history as well), 20k 3 and a bit years old.
It makes the suspension on my Citroen seem sensible!
Ben
Evening all,
I have a question to put to you all, sorry if it's a bit wordy; I start a job on tuesday which will entail probably driving 15k or so a year on company business. The company are generously giving me 40p / mile towards the cost of my expenses, but I don't get a company car. I don't own a vehicle at present having been out of the country for a while, so need to buy a car without the benefit of a trade-in.
My obvious first choice was a nearly new Mk4 Golf TDi (I have a budget of about £11k), however not having kids or grannies to ferry about I didn't need the five doors and the 3 door 115bhp PD models are rare as hens teeth round here (well decent ones are anyway). A quick look for similar spec A3's reveals a lack of choice, and the ones I've seen have been a bit tatty.
However, I've just had a brainwave about the new Seat Ibiza. It's built on a VAG chassis with VAG running gear and best of all the TDi comes with the 130 PD engine. I can get a 6 month old one for the same price as a 18 month old golf with less miles, and it's loads quicker. I know it's smaller, but thats not so much of a problem. It all seems almost too good to be true, so what I want to know, is it ? Does anyone have any horror stories, or is it as good a buy as it seems ?
thanks...
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Joining this one just a little late - sorry...
I used to own one of these & agree entirely with what everyone says re. performance. Mini Cooper Ss just can't keep up and I once drove very ungently from my bit of the south coast to Durham (335 miles) on about £26 of diesel, which at the prices then in force was around 56 mpg. Absolutely unarguable from that point of view.
Size (or lack of) never an issue either - probably because of the performance, it felt a lot bigger than it is (and as superminis go it is one of the larger ones). I commuted 60 miles a day in it with no worries.
Only problem is the handling - it really doesn't match the acceleration at all, and mine understeered expensively into the side of a dual-carriageway roundabout at a speed (<40 mph) with which the repair company's boggo Corsa had no trouble. Am prepared to believe it had something to do with the USELESS supplying dealer messing up the wheel alignment but overall they don't feel as surefooted as (say) a Leon - or as well built.
I miss the poke, but not the ill-behaviour the red paint and huge wheels seemed to induce in others, nor the difficult-to-find tyres at £130 a wheel.
HI
I bought a pre Reg UK car with 10 miles on it from deleted. The car was registered in September 03 and had a PDI from the main dealer late Sept 03..all stamped up !
I then had a recall on the car and when I took it into my local main dealer for the repair work they informed that the car was a 2002 model and in the build date was December 2001!
The 3 year warranty starts from last September so that is OK but to my way of thinking the car is over 2 years old!!
Does this happen often or do we as consumers need to check the build date on each new car that we buy?
Any thoughts on this
alan Read more
The swines....it was COMPLETELY free last time I checked!!!
You used to get the full details.
Will have to find another website...there must be one somewhere
Does anyone know to to disconnect the quick fittings used to connect the vacuum pipe from the inlet manifold to the PCV valve that is mounted to the rear of the cam cover breather. I\'ve tried all sort of trick put I just fail to disconnect the joint. There are two slots that may use a special tool but trying a couple of blades into these does not release the connector. Any help appreciated here. Regards Peter Read more
Quick fit Pug connectors To remove the connectors used on vacuum and fuel pipes on Pug 106 Look 2’s, you need to spray them with WD40 then squeeze the single black button which is part of the more rounded end of the connector and where used it is the side away from the 90 degree elbow. Later models and 206 series on use two coloured buttons are much clearer to see.
Have a friend who is offering his "X" plated Omega . Its a 2.0i ecotec but has the added bonus of being gas powered . The actual conversion was done when the car was new by Vauxhall , apparently the car is called a Vauxhall Omega dualfuel . The car is allways serviced when needed , and is in very good condition . I would like to know are these good cars , what sort of mpg can I get out of this . Hope to hear your comments soon please ? Read more
Oh, I have a late pre facelift Elite with the same tyres, but the smaller/older 225/55 ZR16 that they had before the new shape.
Maybe the later ones are just too wide and the weight is spread too 'thinly' on the road?? Thanks, for the info.
Only look after a few Mondeos and they are mostly free of niggles. However one is throwing up a puzzle at the moment.
It has a strange "resistance" when being steered right just away from a straight line. This is most noticeable at 50mph plus and not when going left. It isn't a pull associated with tyres or tracking, more like some mechanical part needs to get over a hump or detent a few degrees right of straight ahead.
At a standstill you can twist the steering wheel from side to side for ages and then it just does it once in a while.
I've replaced both front wishbones and know the track rod ends are good. The struts seem to swivel freely. I'm thinking towards a new steering rack but it is a fairly large job to do on a whim.
Anyone experienced this before?
M.M Read more
Are you completely sure that there isn't something wrong with the brakes? I had an ABS problem that threw the steering - one of the front brakes was dragging on one wheel.
Ananova:
Man faces jail for driving tests fraud
A serial driving test candidate who sat almost 150 tests on behalf of others was facing jail today.
Adolphus Sorhaindo, 63, from Maida Vale, north London, ran a proxy driving test service on behalf of customers who knew they could not pass on their own.
Using a variety of guises, including changing his moustache, Sorhaindo, who is a grandfather, impersonated candidates of all ages over a three-year period.
The ex-bus driver pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to obtain property by deception at Kingston Crown Court on the basis of seven theory tests and 15 practical tests.
But police believe he sat at least 99 practical tests and as many as 143 theory tests on behalf of his customers, all of which he paid for on his credit card.
Clients could opt for a so-called "total package" with both theory and practical tests for a fixed price of £550 all-in.
Sorhaindo paid £5,995 to the Driving Standards Agency with his own credit card before his activities were finally uncovered by a suspicious driving examiner - by which time he is believed to have netted upwards of £50,000.
Sorhaindo is expected to be sentenced at Kingston Crown Court this afternoon. Read more
As this thread seems to have strayed from the topic of motoring, I'm write locking it.
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Dynamic Dave
Back Room Moderator
mailto:dave_moderator@honestjohn.co.uk
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What about the interior on the Lincoln? Is that or is that not a real knicker-dropper?