July 2004
Visiting Germany in September, two days in Berlin and one in Frankfurt - plan to hire a car and drive to Frankfurt, stay overnight and back to Berlin (got carried away on Ebay with bidding for the Frankfurt bit-didn't realise it is 350 miles from Berlin). Anyone got any driving tips - do's and don'ts etc? Read more
Don't know if any of you chaps remember the recent fun I had with a '96 BMW 528iSE (it was rubbish).
Well, with a baby on the way and the nearest and dearest stopping work soon, economy has become a key word, and money pits like the 528 just had to go.
Having spent £655 on an Inspection 2 and a couple of belt changes, I was then presented with a quote of just short of £1000 for a new clutch, new rear handbrake shoes, rear brake discs and pads, and something else I've forgotten. (Oh, yes the rocker cover gasket.)
(HANDY HINT TO EVERYONE - BMW main dealer Inspection 2 services are beyond a joke, NEVER PAY FOR ONE.)
At this point I decided I'd had enough, the Beemer had to go.
Deciding to go from one end of the spectrum to the other (and the car I had before the 528 was a Jap import 220bhp Prelude Type-S) - I traded the 528 in against a '99 Peugeot 106 1.5 diesel, well, I say traded in, it was a straight swap.
The 106 was up at £3795, included in the swap was a full service (which I got a new power steering pump out of) and 6 months warranty (music to my ears).
The dealer took the 528, warts and all, I got a lovely, tidy little 106 with 42K on it and a full service history.
It's the Zest3 model so is about as high spec as they ever came, and it's had some nice alloys put on it by a previous owner.
Group 5 insurance (Direct Line gave me a nice chunk of cash back on the remainder of the year's policy), sounds like a tractor, goes about as fast, but my word, this is what economical motoring is all about.
I brimmed the tank when I got it, reset the milometer, and filled it again for the first time today.
I'd done 589 miles, it took 8.8308 gallons to fill it, that's a quite remarkable 66.7mpg.
You really can't argue with that.
And the thing is, with traffic being as it is these days (even here on the Isle of Man at busy times), it's not like it actually takes me any longer to get to places than it did in the BMW or the Type-S, it just costs an awful lot less. I set off at the same times I used to, I arrive at the same times I used to, I allow the same times for journies that I used to.
I've opted out of "cars for fun" or "cars as status symbols" side of things, I just want cheap, reliable, practical motoring.
A 106 diesel has all the kudos of a double decker bus, and that suits me just fine.
I can't ever see myself going back to a petrol car again, my next car will be a nice turbo diesel of some description, but if it's less than 50mpg, I ain't interested. Read more
"joys of diesel"
Still one for Growler's Big Book of Oxymorons, as far as I'm concerned... :-)
My brother has a slight oil leak on his Golf; it's coming from the plastic allen key-headed plug that has a plastic locknut below the pinion in the rack (hope that makes sense). Can this be sealed or does it need a new rack?
Any help appreciated. Read more
Obviously you'd be best doing the dismantling and re-sealing necessary to stop this properly.
However, I saw in Motaman (local Bristol motor parts place) yesterday a bottle of "Power Steering Leak Stopper" or similarly named. It might have been made by Comma, but I'm not sure. Someone reputable, in any case. Motaman's phone nr is 0117 966 6142 if you want to check with them - sounds like this might be the cheap fix you're after! No idea on any adverse side effects of this product...
Hiya,
I am looking at changing my car.
I have a 96 N reg Saab convertible, 2.5V6 manual.
Its a lovely car, had it for nearly 6 years now, but its racked up 124k, and is looking the worse for wear....
The roof is sagging cos the hood has come unstuck from the glass rear screen, and it has several minor dents and one not so minor scrape on a rear wheel arch.
Also, it hasnt had a dealer service for 30k... just DIY oil change, sparks, filters etc... so no stamp in the book since 95K or so.
The question is what to do with it... do you think any dealer would want to take it in PX... I have my doubts.
Should I try and flog it privately,
should I have the bodywork done (perhaps 4-500quid) before I try and do anything with it...
Any advice?!? Read more
Mike Brewer does indeed do such a series - called Wheeler Dealers i think with Ed China (the guy who made the motorised sofa and grass covered ice cream vans) doing the repairs. It's on Discovery H&L sometimes.
The other day I became concious of the fact that I declutch when I go over a speed bump (there are some quite harsh ones at our local ASDA). It got me thinking whether or not this practice is beneficial/detrimental to the car (gearbox etc.) or whether it doesn't really matter either way... I have also noticed that I fully declutch even when I begin to brake.....maybe I am just weird?
Read more
My instructor taught me to declutch for cattle grids and level
crossings back in the darke olde dayes of 1987.
Ditto, so did mine.
IIRC, there were no speed bumps around back then to bother worrying about whether to declutch or not.
I heard on the radio this morning that the gov were intending to make caravans use a single lane on multiple lane carriageways.
Putting aside the merits or otherwise of this loony idea.
Hasn\'t this gov got better things to do with it\'s time than think up looney motoring related laws?
jab Read more
the
other half is caused by the inability of the following driver
on a generally straight road to see that the vehicle ahead
of the caravan is dawdling, thus creating the impression that it's
all the fault of the caravan tower!
However, if you really want to get stuck behind something, try
a horse-box!
Even better, try a motorhome.
Most, not all, are grossly under-powered, and when they are in convoys it's most frustrating.
The other bone of contention is the driver of a small car who doesn't like to be overtaken by a caravan, and persistently drives at 40mph. Once overtaken he will get past you and then drop back to 40mph.
I have been offered a 92J Celica GT manual with 80k history, air-con, and electric sunroof, in red. Looks good, but i don't know what its worth, can anyone help? Read more
Thats good, ride doesnt bother me, as long as it isnt too noisy i should be happy.
Right,
where is the best place to get new (or nearly new) vans cheap? Looking at transit connect type size.
How much discount should you be aiming for from a dealer?
Prefer Ford Transit connect, but could slip down to Kango, berlingo, partner type vans.
Anyone got any *radicle ideas for carting dogs around in comfort, talking 5 lab sized and one BIG (or will be - its still a pup) Mallanois/Shepard cross.
* (allready thought of a Bushi L200 double cab with truckman top type thing) Read more
Thank you for that sir, I shall be in touch. As my friend runs very large dog training groups all round the country there could be a lot of business coming your way!
i borrowed my dads 406 1.9td for work on the way home it started to slow down and not pick up, next min theres smoke pouring out everywhere, i pulled over took the keys out but it was still running smoke everywhere, i popped the bonnet it wasnt on fire ripped the battery wires off still running tried loads of things to stop it but it wouldnt by this time you couldnt see the car for smoke it was running at 3-4k revs on its own, then i thought i will stall it which i did. we started it this morning its running at normal speed, turning off but as soon as its started smoke comes out the exhaust and from the back of the engine really bad. any ideas what could have gone. cheers Read more
the turbo is off and the turbine is loose and all mangled up. looks like its a new turbo job
Anyone have any specific knowledge or experience of the East Coast racing power box on a Laguna 1.9Dci 120?
www.dieselchiptuning.com/catalog/product_info.php?...1 Read more
"uses the modern Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) processing architecture"
Thats valid - modern microcontrollers use the RISC architecture, technobabble and irrelevant to the average bloke, but its correct terminology.
Browse
Thanks all- after spending 45 minutes today travelling 200 yards to junction 10 - M42 at Tamworth it looks like Germany is worth visting JUST for the driving experience. Registered with the 'pick up a passenger' web site to see if we get a response, but if not will hire a car anyway (Easy Jet have, marginally the best rates and we are flying with them anyway-£15 per person each way: Luton-Berlin return) At those prices and a weekend at the Berlin Marriott (£103, two days for two) and day at the Frankfurt Meridien (£60 for two), no reason not to go!