May 2004
Hi All,
Just thought I would give some feed back on the 'Meridian' Sat Nav that Aldi are flogging from last Thursday.
My Father has just bought it (£269) which comes with a PDA, cradle, GPS ariel and uk sat nav software.
It was very easy to install and works great. It caters for points of interest which include hospitals, stations etc. It diplays a map and speaks you through the directions. We just put the pda in the cradle, plug in to the cigerette lighter and place the GPS ariel on the dashboard. You can enter in street names or post codes.
I have a Nissan Primeral SVE with built in sat nav but gave this a good testing today and it worked just as well. For £269 its the cheapest system that I have seen unless you already own a PDA. So impressed spoke to the Father in law today and bought him one as well.
The offer started last thursday but some Aldi branches still have them but once they have sold them thats it. they carry a 3 year warrantee to.
Just my 2 pence worth. Interested if anyone else has had exeriance with these.
Cheers
Jlo Read more
What do we do when an organ delivery driver breaks the speed limit? Take him to court.
What do the Italians do? Buy them a Lamborghini Gallardo to help make the delivery even more quickly!
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3717471.stm
Of course it's a PR stunt, but a nice one none the less! Read more
You'd never get a Wurlitzer in a Lamborchini.
Help - can anyone explain the problem i have. I have not long bought an Astra 1.6 16v SXi 2003 5 door and it has done 3500 miles to date (I bought it at 2300 miles). It doesn't get hammerred and i have looked after it since i bought it at the end of March this year, 2004. I have done 1200 miles in it since i have bought it and i have had to top the oil up 3 times during this time. When i say top it up i mean top it up from the min level on the dip stick to the max(approx) level on the dip stick. I have never had a car that i need to do this to. Vauxhall are saying that this is normal for a car with low mileage and will settle down at around 9000 miles (I have asked them twice with the same response on both occasions). The AA have given me the same response. I dont think this is right - is there anyone out there who has the same car please let me know if they have had the same problem and if it does settle down eventually??
Thanks Read more
Check out www.astra-sport.co.uk this seems to be a bit of a problem on the 16v 1.6 engines. Apparently the 8v is ok, and the 1.8 16v doesn't suffer either. It is a known problem to Vauxhall. Just a side note my 1.8 vectra has 97,000 miles on it and doesn't use any oil between 8-10,000 mile changes.(dont you just love to hear that)
Is there any way of using this without having to change my IR central locking to the 'radio' type to facilitate the newer key FOB needed? At present I have IR locking and my key only has the 2 buttons (lock/unlock). I have read on a few sites that you can upgrade from the 2 to the 3 button keys without too much hassle but aren't all 3-button keys radio and not IR?? I have the auto boot-opener installed in my car but its not wired to anything and I want to make use of the dang thing.
Any ideas?? Read more
I was afraid you'd say that. It must be '97 build. Is there anyway of wiring it to a switch on the dash??
Some kind soul has evidently bumped my car in a car park or when it has been parked somewhere and, as a result, the boot lock has gone wrong and can no longer be opened or closed. I have had a look at the MOT website and it is a little unclear - doors have to be checked for opening and closing, but is the boot on a hatchback considered to be a door? If it is, I am snookered!
There is no other significant damage to the car, but I imagine that I would be charged megabucks to put the boot right and the car is only worth about £12 - 1500, so I'm not to keen to spend on that. The engine is sweet and I have only recently had a new exhaust and clutch, so I am not overly keen to get rid of the car.
Can anyone advise me on this one? Any ideas of what to do if it would fail? Read more
If you look at the striker bar it has two screws that secure it in possition.undo them and move the striker according to direction needed to make it lock.from what you said pull it back toward you slightly untill either the lock works without a prob or reaches its max adjustment.if it reaches max adj and still wont lock panel will need straightning.you wont know untill you try it.worth a go I think.
I've just acquired a second-hand Peugeot 306 Meridian HDi. The dealer who sold me the car did not have the tool to remove the locking nuts on the alloys, though he's offered to get me a new set. Apparently there are ways of getting the wheels off even with the locking nuts in place. He suggests tightening up the non-locking nuts really hard to release the pressure on the locking nut and then working it loose.
Questions that come to mind: does this method work? If so, how tight is "really hard"? Don't you have to beware of overtightening wheel nuts on alloys? I have a torque wrench, so can someone suggest figures? How do you then work the locking nuts loose?
Thanks for any suggestions. Read more
Chris - glad that my thought wasn't so foolish after all.
I read in the Telegraph this morning that as from today VW, Audi and a number of other marques are no longer stipulating that you must have full dealer service histories to be able to claim under manufacturers warranties.
Must admit you can see the point of the manufacturers and I would imagine that there are going to plenty of disputes in the future where customers have had work done by a non franchised garage and VW etc. refuse to honour a claim because it is deemed to be sub standard.
Don't know what others think. Read more
I had a spat with Mercedes-Benz about this a few weeks back..I asked about this chnage after reading the OFT report and they told me it was not true: only main dealer servicing will validate the warranty.
So I sent their letter to the OFT..and all hell broke loose: DaimlerChrysler (DC) got spanked by the OFT for telling me porkies. I then got a letter from DaimlerChrysler saying that I can get my merc serviced ANYWHERE as long as the maintenance standards and parts were correct.
So I contacted my local independant (non-franchised) MB dealer; they wrote a letter to me confirming they would service the car in accordance to DC's requirements. I then got DC to confirm the letter and that the warranty would be intact if I used this dealer.
I will save around 50% on the over-inflated main dealer service costs. And the independant offers a better service and quality of care: franchised dealers are not trying hard enough.
My brother's Peugeot 106 XS has recently started to emit a lot of white smoke now and again and then clears itself again. At no time does power diminish or any other faults. No oil in water or water in oil. A sensor? All thoughts appreciated. Read more
Assuming this does not happen at startup then remove the emmison control vent unit form the rocker vover to the air filter and disconnect the vacuum pipe at the manifold end as well as at the trap. you may need to use a screw driver to unclip the clips, ( carefully ) and depress the release buton on the vacuumpipe. Now really clean this unit out with white spirit, shaking well and many times until is is spotless. Clean the vacuum pipe out and dry then refit all parts. Check filler cap for sludge, clenn as appropriate and give that ago. A blockage of emusion in this unit causes the sytem to pressurise and blows oil up past the rings thus the white smoke. Been there, done that, got the Tee Shirt, Regards Peter
Yes, we have it. Visit sunny Cape Town, hire a cra, come and see the belting motorways, and then re-book for 2010. *Gloat*
Now at least they\'ll upgrade the (already superb) highways!
Sorry Ian. Can\'t see this one getting even close to being motoring related (although nice try with the motorway reference).
No Dosh. Read more
A colleague is upset that he's been scheduled to go to work in the USA during June whilst some footie championship is on.
On the other hand, I've never been to the US, and would happily do so to escape from footie on TV.
Some things never go to the right people! ;-)
There's a thought: If enough people went to Cape Town to watch the 2010 World Cup, there'd be no need to show it on TV in the UK, and all the roads would be nice and empty for some top biking fun.
My 1995 2.0 SRi Primera ran faultlessly for 150,000 miles until 2 months ago when the ignition failed. My local auto electrician bypassed the immobiliser, which got it running again. However, ever since the engine has hesitated very badly when cold (the car is barely driveable) and also less so when warm and under load (i.e. accelerating or above 85 mph, or driving up-hill). Local mechanics/autolelectricians have been unable to trace the
problem. In despair, I eventually took it to my local Nissan dealer. Their diagnostics indicated a faulty knock sensor, for which they wanted £150 +VAT + labour to fit. I got one for £17 from a breakers. However(not surprisingly) this did not cure the problem. Nor did replacing the lambda sensor. I assume the problem is related to the initial ignition failure, though it has been suggested to me that the problem may be the 'pressure isolation valve' in the fuel injection.
The laatest thing my local mechanic has done is to fit some sheilding to prevent the ingnition causing interference with the ECU. This gas imprived things considerably, but not completely and I can't help thinking it's curing the symptoms rather than the root cause of the problem.
One final diagnostic clue. When driving at nightI've noticed the headlights flicker intermittently and their is initially (i.e when engine is cold again ?) a ticking noise (like a sticking relay ?) from behind the dashboard.
Sorry about the long post, but it's been a drawn out saga.It's coming to the point where I feel like scrapping the car, but it runs like new at the times when it's not playing up.
Read more
Andrew,
Thanks for the response. I agree it a problem with the power supply to the ECU would give the symptoms I've described. However I believe the garage have checked the earthing (though I'll check back with them). Actually, the guy who fitted the knock sensor said he found a loose earth to the alternator which he tightened up.
If it turns out the earthing is OK, anyone got any ideas what else could cause voltage fluctuations in the ECU feed and lighting citcuit. I tried just putting a voltmeter across the battery (with engine cold i.e. when hesitation is at worst) - this showed a steady 14.5 volts. I wouldn't know where else to check.
Alan
3 year warranty, if I remember correctly.
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OK, shameless plug over now! ;)