April 2004
Sorry to use the forum like this - I checked with the moderator first and it will be deleted after a couple of days.
Neil,
I was just wondering if you were looking to sell the LHD Arosa yet?
Paul Read more
Incredibly for the first time today i actually drove a hire car (Toyota Avensis) with sat-nav, apart from being like a child with a new toy i found it extremly usefull although it seemed to get confused when it didnt seem to register the new(ish) A130 between Rettendon and the A127 in Essex.
Now excuse my ignorance but how do these systems update themselves? do you have to pay a subcription? how does the toyota system compare with other car makes? What really are the in's and out's of the sat-nav world.
Apologies if this type of thread has been covered before. Read more
I just brought a Kirrio system from dabs.com, it cost around £350 and works superbly.
On Radio Two business news this pm disc jockey Johnny Walker puffed HJ's column in the Telegraph. The subject was that Skoda is right at the top of the favoured second hand cars, along with Jaguar and Lexus. Then JW praised HJ's column very highly.
I didn't think that he would read the Telegraph, but there was I listening to Radio2. Read more
One of my young friends once told me that middle age is when your narrow waist and broad mind change places. I've been there for a considerable time. RadioTwo music irritates me so much that I only tune in for the business news and then get back to Classic FM of RadioFour.
RDS is a pain because it cuts in at the wrong times e.g., when Pavirotti is singing.
I'm considering replacing my wife's Clio with a slightly bigger car. We've had the Clio for twelve months and it's been %100 reliable.(Have a look on the classifieds) I've just seen a 'W' 2000 1.4 16v Megane, in nice condition (going by the photo)at £2495. It's described as having FSH and 'average' miles. Now if it is as described, this is well under 'book' price. It's just the right size but HJ's car by car breakdown has scared me a bit. Could current owners give me their opinions, good and bad.
Much appreciated.
MLC
Read more
I had a 1.6e 1998 Megane and have never regretted buying a car more. Forgetting the fact that the exhaust snapped in half after a few hundred miles, problems with electrics and a host of other bits and pieces meant that I spent around £1000 on it within 3 months.
I got rid of it and got a 2000 x reg Nissan Almera Diesel and haven`t looked back, it has great economy (I do 1000 miles every 2 weeks) the services have each cost approx £150 all-in, the road-holding is great and its now up to 67,000 miles on the clock and feels like new.
Couldn`t recommend one more.
A friend has a Dec 1999 Peugeot 406 2.0 HDi. The display on the climate control panel indicates that the A/C is on and functioning, but it doesn't actually work. Thermostat has already been replaced to no effect. Suggestions he's had so far were to replace the control panel or plug some kind of additional "control box" (apparently specifically for the aircon) onto the ECU.
1) Does anyone know is there a proper name or part number for this "control box"?
2) Would replacing the control panel work? From what he's said, I don't think the term "control panel" means the facia on the dash, but some hidden control unit under the bonnet or behind the dash - maybe this is the same as the control unit mentioned above?
3) The compressor works when connected directly to the battery.
Apparently there is sufficient gas that the system doesn't need recharged.
Sorr I can't give any more details - not my car!
andymc Read more
Sorry, TPS is Throttle position sensor.
The control unit is the bit with the display that goes in the dash. I don't think there's another ecu hidden away. But I doubt it's faulty, as it relies on inputs from various other sources, and only switches very low current, all the major switching is done with relays. Not sure what they mean by 'thermostat', as this car has a variable compressor that maintins evaporator temp, so doesn't need a thermostat as such. They could be talking abbout the engine temp sensor or ambient temp sensor. But having changed what they did, and it not fixing it, what did they then think the problem could be? I know I seen faulty refrigerant pressure switches, and I always keep one handy. If you get a wiring diagram they're easy to check.
Unfortunatly, these days you see more and more electrical problem, I guess that's progress for you! Most manufacturers don't list the specs for sensors, or indeed even tell you where they're located. Hardly any make wiring diagrams available, and none stock any of the parts to give a try. Not to mention the £10K computer that will show any fault codes or allow you to check sensor outputs.
I usually spend a short while checking the basics, then send them to a dealer. Simply because the customer won't pay for all the time it takes to go through everything, that's if I even have the correct info available. It just ends up in a bun-fight when you tell the customer you found a busted wire, and it's cost them 4 hours of labour to find it. Let the main dealer have the grief and bad mouthing that usually happens!
During my many internet searches whilst considering which MPV to buy I came across several posts from disgruntled owners commenting on rust and poor paint quality on the Hyundai Trajet. I beileve Hyundai own Kia and, if so, similar problems with the Sedona make sense. Can't recall which sites the comments were posted on however - sorry HJ :( Read more
Magentis is selling very well in the US and Canada (where its known as the Optima). It think its made in a different factory to the other Kias, though.
Similarly, the Hyudai Sonata sells well in the US. I know someone in this country who bought one four years ago - covered a big mileage and only fault was that the idle air valve needed replacing.
Does this situation remind you of other experiences?
Waiting to turn right into main road yesterday, roads a bit slick from shower, traffic to my right backed up as far as I could see, my intended lane free running.
Just beyond the traffic lights at the junction some 50yds to my left, traffic was also at a standstill but would anyone let me out!
Lights changed to green, all sprint forward up to the stationary traffic which appeared to be invisible to the sprinters as there was a lot of sharp braking going on. I thought, any second now...
Sure enough, on the less than grippy surface, bang, nice little nose-to-tail job. Now if he'd only stopped to let me out....... Read more
You mean his famous 'find a car that looks like it
knows where it's going, and follow it' navigation technique?.. :)
I have actually done this a few times when I have been stuck in traffic in unfamiliar towns. When I spot a car darting of down a side street, I gamble that he knows a short cut and stick to his bumper. Usually works, but on occassion.......
Hi,
I have a 96 N reg car with 117K on the clock which has dojne great service, but is feeling a bit ill these days. I estimate it needs about 2k spent on it to fix everything.
I just got a new job which gives me a car allowance, so now might be a good time to change.
However, my problem is that my mileage will be high ~30k/pa, and the trade-in on my existing car will be virtually nil, and with no deposit the finance/PCP/whatever will be very expensive (mainly cos of the mileage).
So I'm not sure what to do.... shouldI keep my existing car, do the work and keep it running.
Or should I take the plunge and replace with
1. a new(ish) car on PCP or loan and stomach the high payments due to depreciation or
2. buy an older (2-3yr) but solid car (bmw/merc?) that has had the depreciation hit but could handle for example 120k in the next 3 years?
I keep go round in circles...can't make sense of it.
Can anyone else????!?
Thanks! Read more
Assuming that the average taxation on the BIK is equivalent to paying for fuel over 13k per annum (and it will vary from car to car as CO2 figures aren't precisely related to MPG, plus there's banding as well) then, at 35mpg or 10p per mile, you get an annual cost in fuel of £1,300.
Of course, if the employee were then given that £1,300 to pay for his own fuel, he would get £800ish after tax, as well as a reduction in the tax bill of £1,300, which would itself pay for the fuel.
The actual break even point for the employee is when the tax on salary is equivalent to £1,300 - and that would be at 32,500 miles per year. Up until then, simply from the employee's point of view, he's better off accepting the salary and the reduced tax bill.
This does of course assume that the employer is willing to pay the cash over to the employee, and of course they may not be willing to if it would involve an across the board salary increase, but if the above numbers are fairly typical then there is no reason for them not to.
Our Volvo 760 Turbo (B230ET engine) needs 'SuperGreen' 98 Octane unleaded. This is not easily available so have been using LRP. Been told by the Volvo owners club not to use LRP in a turbo engine:
1. Why?
2. Can I use Millers VSP and fill up with unleaded 95?
The car can run happily on unleaded, it just needs the 98 stuff. Read more
depends on date.the last 2.740`s I worked on was ok to use unleaded
they where 2.3litre turbo intercoolers.it did not have any problems in the time I serviced the cars.as I remember where around F reg.IIRC any car could run on unleaded after around 1987 poss earlier.any correction would be welcome?
Hi,
My partner had trouble starting her Renault Clio 1.4 Auto a few weeks ago So I popped to the local halfords and bought a new set of plugs and leads, which i fitted in and it then started absolutly fine till yesterday when it left her stranded in a tesco car park.
She called out the RAC who said there was no spark but managed to get it it going and suggested that the 'crank angle sensor' (which I must confess ive never heard of) may be on its way out and it would probably be a Renault dealer job to fix it.
Knowing the cost this would incur I am reluctant to give it to the dealers for this at the moment so I am trying to see about some of the cheaper things that might cause the problem.
My first thoughts are to replace the coil and run an injector cleaner incase its a blockage forming in the fuel lines.
Has anyone got any more suggestions I can try before I have to pay out?
Any tips would be appreciated
Mark Read more
Hi Mark,
This is a fairly common problem with this vehicle. My niece has the same car and her's gave trouble just like yours. Turned out to be the crank sensor. A simple job to replace and shouldn't cost the earth through a dealer.
Hope this helps
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These are the views of Robin the Technician with 35 years in the trade. I fix, therefore I am...
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Thanks for replying NeilT.
Do you know if the person who was selling it has sold it yet?
Thanks,
Paul
Paul