October 2004
Only MG Rover could make their face-lifted models even more undesirable than the previous versions. Judging by the September sales figures - NOBODY likes them. Well done lads!
If I were BMW I would be asking for my money back.
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The wife has set her heart on a Freelander TD4, brand new. Now I know Freelanders have had a variable reputation but is that in the past? The car-by-car Breakdown paints a rather bleak picture but I was wondering if a new one would be OK.
Has anyone had experience of the new facelifted Freelander, especially the TD4 BMW engine? Read more
wife - logic
never heard those two mentioned in the same line, no sentence, no in fact paragraph!
We have a Vauxhall vectra in good condition which has done 120,000 miles. Having had the above mentioned problems, saw Hj\'s comments regarding supermarket petrol and took his advice to add an additive to the tank followed by Shell Optimax/Texaco Clean system and problem appears to have eased.
However, it still does appear at the most inoportune times, but not as often and although HJ sugested fitting new HT leads, this had already been done. Apart from this car runs very well indeed.
Has anyone any suggestions ?
Regards Derek
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Have a go at cleaning the Idle Control Valve - I did it in about half an hour last weekend and it has made a considerable difference. Instructions on this discussion are the ones I used, and are dead easy to follow.
Also, have started using Redex which appears to have had a noticeable impact on economy....
Jono
Does anyone know the best way to cut a circular hole to accomodate small door speakers. The wiring is apparently all there but you have to cut into the carpet type material at the bottom of the door.The car is a Honda Prelude. Thanks. Mikey Read more
I don't know the car, but usually you'd want to remove the door card (i.e. the trim) and mount the speaker _behind_ it (where there might even be a nice mounting place for you), not cut a hole in the trim. Don't want the speaker sticking out through the trim...
-Mark
I notice that the Corsa was the best-selling new car in Britain in September, knocking the Focus into second place. The Corsa is also consistently the best selling supermini, despite the fact that the motoring press seem to regard it as pretty mediocre compared to the competition. For example, if one looks at the number of blobs What Car gives the different mainstream superminis, they seem to reckon that the Corsa come 12th out of . . . well, about 12.
My question is - why does the Corsa sell so well? The motoring writers have no difficulty explaining the success of the Focus, but don't have much to say about the success of the Corsa. Are they out of touch with the car buying public? Or if it is all down to fleet sales, why do the fleets buy Corsas rather than some other supermini? What do backroomers think? Read more
I think even the most ardent Vauxhall fan will admit the 93-00 Corsa was a total dog to drive - notchy gearchnge, poor brakes, very heavy steering if not PAS, wallowed round corners, hopeless performance (even the 1.4 16V was poor and had a habit of snapping its cambelt), poverty spec equipment levels...
Never driven the current model but has to be a lot better than the previous one.
Hi, I own a 1988 Honda Accord, which has just survived a snapped cambelt. (I might add that it was last changed within it?s alloted mileage limit of 72k, so I was a little surprised it failed prematurely)
The car has always had a ?surging? problem during it?s warmup phase, during which time the revs have gone up and down between 1200-2000, but since the cambelt change, it is now happening during normal hot running.
I?ve checked all the hoses (I found one loose tiny hose), and the earth connection. I would be grateful if anyone has any ideas as to what may be causing the surging, especially following a cambelt change.
Thanks,
Paul
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Thanks everyone for your advice. As the fault has only developed since the belt change, I must assume that the belt is indeed one or two teeth out. I will revert to the garage on this basis.
Thanks again.
Paul
Hi, can anyone tell me if they have the same problem (if it is indeed a problem)
If I open all doors using the keyfob, but don't open the tailgate immediately, I am on occasion, forced to either use the middle button to open the boot or the button in the car as the tailgate appears locked.Is this normal.It can be annoying when its pouring of rain (nearly all the time in Scotland) Read more
As has been said, the key slot direction governs how the boot locking behaves.
I think the manual is quite explicit.
--
I wasna fu but just had plenty.
WANTED (but not much)
Dead, Alive or preferably Moderating
Last seen chasing a recovery vehicle down the road crying \"bring that back, I\'ve got ploughing to do\" carrying a pie in one hand and a half empty bottle of apple by-products in the other.
(picture some years old)
Alan aka No Dosh aka Tractor Driver aka Poll Finangler Known to enjoy agrictultural motoring and Sitcoms based in Sluff. Reported sighting: begging for work north of Watford.
Height and Weight changeable depending on the proximity of the nearest pie or cider festival.
Caution should be adopted. Do not approach this man unless carrying further supplies of pastry and apple products and wearing an \"I love Alfers\" T-Shirt.
If you have seen him, then please report his last known whereabouts to www.lostourmoderator.com
REWARD OFFERED (probably not enough for a pint)
Only 4.5 hours to get home tonight (sigh)
Wouldn't it have been faster in a car? ;-)
Sorry if this issue has been raised before, but does anybody know how many weeks early one can get an MOT prior to the actual expiry date.?? - Just wanted to combine a routine service which is now due with an MOT, which actually does not fall due until 31st December.
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Tip - make sure you give the tester the old MOT certificate first. If he goes off and writes out a new one without seeing it, it is too late to produce it when you collect the car or emerge from the "viewing area".
I'm not sure if this counts as a technical query, but it's certainly giving me grief...
I live in France and I am trying to buy a classic car in the UK to bring over here. Importing it doesn't appear to be a problem but I want to insure it the way I insured my old cars in the UK, ie a straightforward classic car policy.
Problem is, over here classic insurance seems to be dirt cheap but all you get is the equivalent of third party cover and no agreed valuation. Presumably the old car fraternity over here only take their little Simcas and Renault 8s to village fetes on Sundays. If you ask for comprehensive (own damage) cover the price is immediately comparable with an ordinary policy, which gets pricey if it's for something like a Jaguar. One guy in a broker's office asked me the price of the car in 1975 and what I was paying for it now. He said (in French of course...) 'but that's more than it cost when it was new'!
Faced with that sort of thing, what I need is a British-based Lloyds underwriter or company that will provide classic insurance for a car based in France. Does anybody know of one? Read more
yes, it is a jaguar - XJ6 coupe. I thought it would be good to have because there are very few over here. I do intend to re-register it (if it ever happens) and I know the score because I have already imported my Honda Accord. A 4.2 XJ6 is classed as 24 horsepower over here for taxation purposes, which makes the woman at the Prefecture throw up her hands and shout oooh-la-la, but at least you only have to pay once. In fact, if you register it as a collector's car you only have to Controle Technique (MOT) it once as well - but that seems rather foolish to me. A neighbour, who used to be in insurance, thinks he knows someone in Paris who has a contact at Lloyds who might insure it if I submit it to a locally-based 'expert' to confirm my valuation. That may be the answer, perhaps. I'm not holding my breath - around here (Limousin) 'demain' (tomorrow) is said by the French themselves to be like 'Manana' but without the urgency!
Meanwhile, Big Bad Dave - buy the Wartburg! I actually owned one about 35 years ago and it was a great bit of kit. I still drive automatics for preference because I got so used to the freewheel transmission! It was a bit of a pain to put 10 gallons of 2-stroke mixture in it though, when you had to work the pump with a handle because it was only used otherwise for scooters!
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By the standard of past news for Rover, I'd say that was good news!