February 2004
I recently purchased a 2000 Daewoo Matiz (out of warranty)but only 11000 genuine miles, gears are crunchy and I am told there was a modification for the "baulk rings" not sure of spelling, but only done if earlier problem, now its over 3 years old it seems I will have to pay for this to be fixed despite low mileage any advice would be welcome. Read more
Does anyone know makers spec for tyres;speed rating etc recommended makes
Tufted
Also can anyone confirm when alloys became standard on this model? Read more
I need to hire a car, one way for a week, from Munich to northern Italy in October. I thought I would be clever by booking it early but Hertz are quoting 1200 Euros (£800) for a Focus sized car which seems stupidly high.
Does anyone know of a relaible and cheap hire firm or discount site using Hertz? Read more
Just had four new tyres fitted from national chain advertising in the national press. Tyres are tigar a bulgarian make. very impressed with them low noise and smooth ride with them. better than my 5 yr old michelins, any replacement would be better i suppose. Total cost £112 for 4 new tyres ,valves ,balancing and disposal of old ones took approx 15min. Worth a try if you are looking for replacements Read more
>At around 65-75mph they self oscillated to an extent that the >noise drowned out the radio or conversation - a terrible >drumming noise like an old motorboat.
Hmm, my Xantia has got Tigars on the back, and has started exhibiting exactly these symptoms. Not sure if a weight has maybe fallen off, or if I have just reached the resonant frequency of these tyres - will get them balanced and see what happens. They were not new when I got the car and I have done 25k since then, and they don't seem to have worn much - car is a bit skittery at the rear in the wet - will be fitting Goodyear Eagle Venturas the match the fronts if I can get some when replacement time comes.
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RichardW
Is it illogical? It must be Citroen....
I came across an old copy of Autocar a while back,which had an article about a system on a Honda model that had type of rear wheel steering.As far as I remember this involved very slight alighment of the rear wheels as lock was applied.
Can any BR members throw any light on this?
I have never heard of it since, so perhaps it's value in practice was of limited use? Read more
I drive a 96 Accord and I wish they'd fitted 4WS to this car. The turning circle is huge and is one of the (few) downsides of the car. I was exiting a multi storey car park in Glasgow recently and had to stop reverse slightly as I dropped each floor as the turn was too tight, luckily no-one was behind me or I don't know what I would have done!
Anybody read Clarkson's scathing review of the Kia Rio in today's Sunday Times Driving supplement?
I was furious to read it. Clarkson's assessment was totally ill judged. He doesn't seem to appreciate the point of the Rio at all. It is not designed to deliver driver appeal by the bucket load. It is designed to provide reliable, decent transport for people on a budget. This it does do very effectively. Furthermore, his comments about the interior quality were totally unfounded. I have sat in a Rio and I found them to be totally acceptable, given the price.
Clarkson makes the point that for a few quid more you could get a new Fiesta or Micra, but again he is missing the point. The Rio is a Focus-sized car, and people buy it because it provides Focus-sized space for much less money. People considering a Rio do not consider a Fiesta or Micra because it is too small for their needs! They buy the Rio because it is considerably bigger than similarly priced superminis.
This may sound like a diatribe, but it is not intended to be. I simply felt the need to defend Kia from Clarkson's ill-judged review. I think this is yet another classic case of Clarkson having totally lost touch with the expectations of people on a sub-10K budget. He needs to realise that we are not all fortunate enough to drive around in cars worth over 50K, and nor can he expect this level of quality and refinement in the Rio range which kicks off at a snip under 6K.
Any other views on this?
Regards,
Rob E
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the new face lift rio seems to be alot better, especially handling.
gear box is still poor - spoils what is a decent motor.
Hi all,
Is it just me, or has anybody else noticed the growing tendency for some drivers (especially buses and taxis) to anticipate the change in traffic light sequence and start edging forwards before the amber light has illuminated, sometimes to the extent of proceeding forwards as if the lights are on green (when they're still on red).
It is of course illegal to move forwards until the green light illuminates (let alone amber too!). It seems as though people who are familiar with the sequences just think it's ok to start moving forwards as soon as the lights of the other traffic have changed to red.
I think that this trend is worrying and extremely dangerous. There is a delay between sequence changes, deliberately so as to let people through who could not stop in time. By edging forwards in this way, impatient drivers at lights are setting themselves up for potentially very dangerous situations. I have been in taxis where the drivers have anticipated the sequences, and believe you me it can be quite scary.
Is it just me who has noticed this, or is it a growing trend outside of Oxford's dreaming spires?!
Regards,
Rob E
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Of all the places I've driven a car just about the only place I haven't seen it is the States.
Cheers,
Bill
I have a 92 polo and have just had to change the alternator brushes.
One brush has about 10mm left on it but the other only 3/4mm any ideas why they might be wearing unevenly??
Cheers Read more
Thanks for your replies
At least I now know all about commutators!!
The brushes were on the original alternator and I would think they were the orignal brushes.
The car has done 133k.
The battery light came on on the way home from work one night, messed about with the battery connections thought I had sorted it out but the next day it just died!
Had a look in the Haynes manual for reasons that this may happen, nothing, did the next best thing asked my dad. He suggested looking at the brushes, and so I got a new set at the local garage for £15. Took ten mintues to fit and everthing has been alrite since (touch wood!!)
My 406 HPi has been to dealer twice to resolve apparent fault with emission device. Engine symbol lights up continually. No loss of performance though. Dealer says diagnostics cannot trace fault and spent several days cleanning multiplex wiring loom! Does this model have special needs re fuel? Does it have two oxygen sensors? What other "device" is being referred to by the warning panel? Catalyst itself ? I am at a loss to understand the problem Read more
Thanks DL
I do mean HPi - direct injection gasoline. Visit to another dealer today has (temporarily?) cured fault which he says relates to upstream oxygen sensor. Questions still remain re sensitivity of this engine.
Rob
Seabelts fraying on a low mileage Terrano anyone else had this happen? Read more
Browse
Never accept the first price from Holidayautos. They usually have a better price and if you say that you have a better quote, they will usually match it.
Good company - never had any problems save for when they booked the car 90 minutes later than I wanted and the airport would not be nice and let it go!