May 2004
SWMBO is due to change her Pug 206 Motability car in September. We've had fun and games deciding what to go for next. She really wanted something with a boot and the options were rather limited. In the end it came down to a Ford Focus saloon or a Nissan Almera saloon.
The Almera turned out to be a better bet than the Focus, but why have I, SWMBO or anyone else I know, not seen a single Almera saloon on the road?
The Almera saloon to my mind looks far more elegant than the hatchback. No doubt as soon as her's arrives, we'll notice millions of them, but where are they all hiding at the moment?
Curiously yours,
CM
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Have just changed the oil and filter on my 2001 new shape Mondeo. The filter is the one which you unscrew and replace the inner paper mesh bit. I had no end of trouble in getting it off the car as it was on so tight. Am I missing a special tool for doing this? Want to make it a bit easier next time!
Also, when oil is unplugged and filter is off should you start the engine for 10 secs or so to pump the remainder out? I have seen this done and am not sure whether it is a good idea or not.
Thanks Y Read more
Aprilia said what I was going to.
A friend of mine is moving to France next year & he wants to buy a Citroen Berlingo later this year.
Does anybody know how he goes about buying one in France, registering & insuring it there whilst still a resident in England? He wants to use it here before he moves over there.
Quite complicated I know...
Is this possible?
Any help is much appreciated. Read more
Sorry, I should have said before, he has a French address.
I should imagine the biggest problem will be insurance...
Any ideas?
while im fully aware nothing will stop rust spot completetly...i try to keep my cars as good as i can
im looking for suggestions on paint/primer for small scabs like on the floor pans/chassis rails etc
i dont have acces to lots of equipment...i usually scraper the loose under seal away with a wood chisel and dremel the rust to clean as possible metal
so far ive had poor results with..hammerite(chips/peels easy) finegans rust primer(doesnt seem to help) and waxoil(doesnt do much on less than perfect surfaces)
ive been told to try jenolite re-paint
any comments/suggestions
steve Read more
where do i buy this bonda stuff??
ive tried por15...seems a tad picky on preperation
hi hope some one can help, my husbands been changing the gearbox on his 93 gti, but now its back together 1st gear is where reverse should be, we cant find reverse all other gears ok, is this major ! ant help gratefully received, Read more
thanks for the hint, all working fine now, ta
Glad to be back, been away for 2 months. got a problem with a mates BMW 316i compact, M plate. The air bag warning light has come on and stayed on, any ideas how to reset it pls? Thanks. Read more
You could remove the bulb and wear your seatbelt. Cheapest option.
I have a golf driver (1991 - EZ) which has developed a knock whenever I come off the accelerator pedal e.g. when changing gear. It also happens when I go over bumps.
Could it be a mount?
Which one is it likely to be? I had the front engine mount replaced recently.
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Ok the car is a ford fiesta 1.8LX diesel 1993 L reg.
It\'s done about 150k miles and is in ok condition.
Well its making thumping noises from the engine especially when i give it a bit of throttle, this is when idling.
Also the coolant is disappearing fast and fairly thick white smoke from the exhuast.
I reackon a blown head gasket but there doesnt seem to be to much liquid around the seal. Another option could be overheating.
Any suggestions would be great. Read more
thumping noises sounds like big ends coolant loss and white smoke points to head gasket but it could be more serious and the thumping noise makes me suspicious that it is more serious .
L reg with 150 k if its serious could cost more than the car is worth and it certainly sounds that way (i hope its not).
Are they accurate ? - I mean reasonably so, rather than absolutely spot on. And can the be incosnistent ?
I\'ve got a very slow puncture in one tyre. However, since that really means changing all four tyres (4x4) I\'ve been living with it to get a bit more wear out of all the tyres.
I\'ve been using the Shell garage near me and been putting about 5lbs in every two or three weeks as welll as occasionally checking the others - so I\'d expect them to be reasonably accurate.
By chance I went into a different garage yesterday and checked the tyre pressures and they were all over the place. Two lower than they should be and two very very much higher.
The car is in for new tyres this week anyway, but its a bit concerning - especially since I don\'t know which garage is wrong.
I know I could buy a tyre pressure gauge - but lets assume that I\'m not likely to do so, since I\'d only lose it anyway and I am unlikely to have the patience to use it before I did. Read more
*groan*
I understand that this may be better suited to technical matters but it's not really technical although it may sound it.
The long and short of it is that I found out how to enter the Ford Alarm Diagnostic Mode today (open and close a door quickly 8 times or the bonnet alarm catch button can be pressed 8 times) at which point the car alarm will make a short beep and the indicators will flash. This is to let you open each door, turn locks etc.. to make sure all areas of the car which are designed to be alarmed are actually working. Handy feature I thougt. Then I tried it on my Dad's.
As I am sure you are all aware, I have a '96 Fiesta Ghia so as far as Fiestas go, it's alright. My dad has a 2000 Focus Ghia but has no alarm. Can someone enlighten me as to why a '96 Fiesta has an alarm yet the 2000 Focus doesn't???
It seems shocking to me that on a Ghia, there is no alarm. I know it sounds like car snobbery and maybe it is although it should be noted that when we bought it, we didn't really want a Ghia - we were intent on buying a saloon only to discover that at that point, saloons were made in Ghia versions only.
Many thanks
Adam.
--
"Ah...beer - my only weakness - my achilles heel if you will" Read more
The Fiesta alarm is just a simple perimeter one (and not fitted on all models). The Focus alarm is an option on most models [standard on the ST170), and is perimeter only on the 3-door, but perimeter and interior scan on the 5-door.
However, all current Fiesta and Focus models have an immobiliser. Given that most people ignore car alarms, I assume that Ford only fit them where they think it will add to sales.
So, I assume they are targetting their customer base, and what those customers want. If more elderly people buy Fiestas Ghias, and those elderly people want an alarm, for example.
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I had an Almera Saloon as a hire car whilst in Ireland. Decent car, but for a 1.5 it felt underpowered and the interior didn't seem much different to the Nissans of the 80s. I had a Focus at the time (hatchback) and the Focus was a much better car to drive, but the saloon Focus does appear to have a very high boot.