May 2004
Do trade.sales.co.uk do part exchange? If so, what do they base their buying price for your car (glass\'s guide for instance), and is it generally a fair price or rock bottom?
I\'ve just had a browse around their site and cannot find any info at all.
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Since the 'sportscar - which one' thread has wandered into linguistic territory, I'll leave you to work this one out and wax lyrical about it.
Might become a subject of conversation if one car manufacturer has its way. Read more
They tried to mean
lead by technology
My wife has a short journey (about a mile) to and from work, and the car battery doesn't really have time to get charged enough even to replace what it uses to start the engine.
Has anyone used a solar powered trickle charger? Are they any good?
I know that "walk" or "get the bus" are alternative solutions, but as the car is all paid for I don't think I would win that argument!
Thanks in advance.
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For the record its a Daewoo Matiz, just over 5 years old, and the battery looks tiny compared to others I have seen.
It tends to start first time. I just checked the coloured dot on the battery and it shows black, which is about half charged according to the label.
It looks like there is a consensus of opinion here in favour of using the car regularly for longer runs. Also good practise, like switching lights off before the ignition should help.
Thank you, everyone.
One for the horticulturalists out there. I park my car under a large tree at home and at this time of year it quickly gets coated with millions of spots of sticky sap. It\'s easily washed off - just a nuisance. Can I expect the tree to stop dropping its mess soon when the leaves are fully out - or will it continue until the autumn? Read more
And keeps vampires away from the flowers, of course.
Keeping a good coat of wax on your car keeps vampires away from flowers?
See, this is why I like this forum, you're always learning something new.
Can oil filled shocks fail; even if they dont show signs of leaking......your views plese Steve. Read more
Thanks for the replies got a new pair of rear shocks this morning from PartCo 48.00 quid inc VAT will fit them over the weekend and let you know the results . regards Steve
Help!!!! sometime back, somebody posted an url to this excellent site about a lady motorbiker's description riding thru Chernobyl.
Can anybody remember the link as I can't find it in the forum search
Thanks in anticipation
Xam Read more
Apologies for my awful spelling error. Obviously it should be Independent on Sunday.
Not sure if this should go in technical or not - anyhow I'm sure it will end up there if necessary.....
Question for Mondeo derv drivers out there - I'm contemplating a job without company car and looking at possibilities, of which the Mondeo is one.
In the real world is there any significant difference between the 115 and 130 TDCi engines in the Mondeo, and is there any way of identifying which is which? - hopefully it may say "115" or "130" in big letters somewhere? Read more
The 115PS version in the Focus has a cam belt, the 130 PS in the Mondeo has a cam chain. Re the 115PS in the Mondeo belt/chain situation have to pass on that one.
Anyone know for certain?
Does anyone know if the ts2 136BHP model is going to be euro IV soon? I am looking to order one as a company car but want to wait until it is euro 4.
Anyone got any suggestions for similar models which compare well against the mazda. I like the vectra but it is a bit ugly!! Read more
I rejected the mazda from my list because it wasn't Euro IV.
I don't know if Mondeos are on your list, but there is a new 155 horsepower 2.2 TDCi coming out in August, I understand.
"A pub landlord was booked for not being in control of his car when police spotted him eating an ice cream at the wheel."
"Mr Maltby said he had no idea he was breaking the law and was stumped when the officer pulled him over on Sunday and asked him if he knew what he had done wrong."
"I stopped, thinking he was trying to get past, and I was surprised when he pulled up behind me."
DOH!!!!!!!!
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/375340...m
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I still remember cringing in the back as my dad drove off when I was a teenager. He used to be able to reverse off the drive onto a main road and thence onto a side road opposite the house, and drive up the side road, steeply uphill, with the sun directly ahead, negotiating a tight left/right bend, all whilst putting his seatbelt on and filling & lighting his pipe.
The relevance of the sun's position is that the pipe smoke left a layer of muck on every surface including the inside of the windscreen. Visibility in those conditions was roughly the distance from eyeball to windscreen.
It has struck me from experience and tales on the back room that Dealerships reflect the perceived national characteristics of the marque of car:
For example
Renault dealers: chic colours, strong coffee, happy to have children running about the place (and I dont mean the mechanics - or maybe I do), smoking permitted anywhere despite any rules, happy and charming to sell you, bare minimum of servicing done, long lunch hours, try and complain and they shrug and pretend not to speak english, The receptionists are always pretty and flirty.
Alfa Dealers
Stylish places, cars always well displayed, salesman always happy to show you how fast they can drive, chaotic service bay, no parts, dont care if the car is serviced or not as long as it leaves clean and looking pretty.
VAG
Cold, clean, ruthless places. Cold standoffish well suited salesman, no humour, efficient service bays, unable to diagnose anything thats not in the manual unless they have orders from Wolfsburg signed in triplicate.
MB
Arogant, superior, well dressed, understated with a duelling scar, unable to deal with the lower classes, efficient, expensive, ugly women on the desk.
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Beautiful, RF. Thank you!
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Thanks folks.