November 2004
One for the route planners
I have to go from Bath, Somerset to Bow, East London for a funeral on Friday week. I'm not sure what time i have to get there yet.
Please can anyone advise the best way from west of London (M3 or M4, i haven't decided yet) to Bow. The AA route planner takes me straight through central London (past Madame Tussauds), which i really want to avoid.
As i see it, my options are:
1 - around the M25 clockwise and in
2 - around the north circular
3 - around the M25 anti clockwise, up to Greenwich and through the Blackwall Tunnel.
4 - Train, tube etc.
Of the driving options, 3 seems the least worst to me as i used to drive to Greenwich fairly regularly and it favours towards A303 / M3, a route that i prefer (i find the M4 sooo boring).
I am after ease of route, and am prepared to spend slightly longer behind the wheel in return for ease and certainty of time.
Also, can anyone tell me what parking is like in Bow?
Thanks in anticipation Read more
Anyone know the service intervals & costs for the 2.2dCi Primera (2005)please? Read more
**** Poll closed. See the Poll Forum for this weeks Poll. ****
This weeks poll, as suggested by Kith is now available. (I added the off road one to Kith's suggestion)
"Which are your favourite roads to drive on?"
1. Motorway
2. Rural A roads
3. City A roads
4. Rural B roads
5. Estate roads (city B roads)
6. Off Road
Read more
ps,
Mark saw a preview of this poll earlier in the week, and voted before it went live. As I've reset the votes to zero, you'll have to vote again.
Hi all!
Wonder if anyone knows if I am getting an ok deal with my renewal on my insurance.
Im with Elephant. Passed my test Jan 04 (took me long time to get round to learning to drive!)
I rewarded myself with 2002 BMW Z3. I thought being new, and a model that holds its price, I would save myself money in the long run. After buying the car I realised my insurance was going to be massive! First year £1500 - Bought a 10 month bonus excellorater policy. Renewal has just come through at £994. I have to renew by 29th November and dont have this kind of money. I need to drive to get to work, but know having a convertable I wont find it easy to sell for the actual money its worth at this time of year.
Does anyone know of any insurance company that is likely to quote cheaper? I had so, so many quotes the first time round and Elephant was the cheapest, Im reluctant to go through this all again as all the searches show up on your credit history, and im in the process of trying to buy and sell a house. Also its very timeconsuming!
Can anyone let me know if this is good deal, or if I could get a better quote elsewhere? Or even a montly policy that does not penalise with interest for paying monthly.
Many thanks
Sophie
p.s anyone wanna buy a Z3? ;) Read more
PS never heard another word from Admiral after first explaining what happened in an accident,. Can't fault them.
I have just replaced the waterpump / thermostat on my 96 Golf. Replaced the coolant with Mobil 'Advanced' coolant (pink in colour). I've noticed that after a journey, there is a trace of evapourated pink coolant on the water pump which disappears after a couple of hours with no visible loss of coolant. I am thinking along the lines of replacing the water pump seal ? but am also concerned that I might have used the wrong spec coolant. Am I OK to have used the new 'pink' coolant or should I replace with the old G11 'blue' coolant. Any thoughts gratefully received. Read more
If I turn on the ignition BEFORE fastening my seatbelt, I get a series of six annoying beeps. The dealer says this is a safety feature and cannot be disabled. Does anyone know better?
OK, I KNOW I could get rid of it by fastening the seat belt first. But I prefer to do things the other way about...
Thanks!
Read more
Buy a Volvo! ;-)
I also believe that the audible chime is a requirement of the final NCAP star, and several manufacturers (including BMW) have resubmitted cars for a second time, but with the chime then fitted, just to get it.
My 2003 V70 chimes only twice on start up before belt up (I guess this is the NCAP bit), and then shuts up. If you drive forwards above walking pace, the warning then starts to chime again. If you continue to ignore it, which I did once out of interest, it eventually shuts up and displays a red warning triangle in the instrument cluster and at the side of the rear view mirror. Driving in reverse does not ellicit a chime. So, I can shunt the car around the driveway without an annoying chime beyond the first two.
Seriously thining about buying a Volvo S80 D5 auto. It is 10 months old and has 30,000miles. The history is that it was a chauffeur driven car ferrying hotel guests between Central London and the airports.
I know the S80 model well (I have just sold a 2.9), but what should I look for when buying it and what should I do once I do buy it, assuming that I do?
Thanks
--
Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive? Read more
> Tendency to develop front suspension problems.
To be specific, replacing track rod ends and suspension bushes is quite common at this mileage from what I've read at www.volvospy.com and forums.swedespeed.com
This design issue affects S60, S80, and unfortunately, V70 models like my 2003 2.4T SE. Much however depends on the life that the car has lead, and my father's very early RHD S80, owned from new, had a Volvo track rod recall when new, and over five years later is still on the otherwise original setup. Not a hint of a problem.
BTW my brother has a 2003 V70 D5 auto.
What a corker.
If ever there is a perfect engine and gearbox marriage, this is it. I dislike the power delivery of most modern diesels, and never want an auto box (I derive pleasure from seamless manual changes and rarely drive in heavy commuter traffic), but have been seriously impressed by his car. He has had absolutely no problems at all with anything (beyond aquaplaning in deep standing water when on cruise control (bad boy - this is a no no) and hitting a French autoroute central reservation quite hard, er hum)
Finally, as I posted in another thread a few days ago: Late last year whilst working in Stockholm, I took a ride in a nine month old Volvo V70 D5 auto taxi with 187,500 km (Just over 116,000 miles) on the clock.
This equates to some 13,000 miles per month! I asked the cabbie "How come?", to which he replied that the car is driven in shifts by a number of drivers, and utilisation exceeds 20 hours per day. No technical work had been needed beyond monthly 'annual'(!) services.
Have decided to get rid of the Clio, a friend who knows more about these things will put it through auction for me.
Question is, what happens to the V5? Do I fill it in with transfer to dealer, or wait until someone buys its and then fill in their details. Or do the auction people do that?
Any advice much appreciated
--
Lee
Having a Fabialous time. Read more
Just having received my brand new UK Registration Certificate (4 page document) seems quite clear completion of Section 9 (the declaration) must be completed by the seller and sent to DVLA.
What I cannot see is the position which would arise if the vehicle were not sold at auction and subsequently taken back by the seller.
Enlightment anyone? Phil I
Hi - I've noticed over the last couple of weeks that I've been reading these fora that there's a lot of suspicion re. over optimistic fuel consumption read outs.
Why is this? How big is the margin of error? Am I missing something very simple ie. the computer doesn't log fuel used on tick over when stationary? Read more
The laguna "miles to go" is obviously worked out using the fuel tank level sender. If oyu top it up " the miles to go " suddenly becomes more.
Usually the low level warning light comes on with about "70 miles to go" and when the wafrning light comes on the "miles to go" goes blank. So the last 70 miles is guesswork.
IIRC there is a known problem with water getting into the no plate lamps on the Focus Hatch.
When it was purchased S/H two years ago I replaced both units and attempted to ensure the chrome surround was tight.
Just noticed that water is sloshing around in them again and the unit is corroded again.
Has anyone got a fix for this? Read more
Henry,
I've got the saloon and whilst water has never sloshed around when I've seen them, it's getting in as the contacts are rusted. I've changed the bulb once but left it at that.
What year Focus do you have? There is a fault with the Ghia in as much that the chrome strip vibrates against the car, chips the paint and then rusts. (ALl of the above happened to me). When I got my boot resprayed, they fitted a piece of foam on the underside of the strip which is fixed but isn't tight against the rest of the car.
Just a warning in case you do fiddle any more with the strip. I think Ford fitted modified ones after 2000.
Sorry though - don't know about the number plate lights but would be very interested if you fix it.
Cheers
--
Adam
Browse
roads were closed, divertions were in place, and the effect ripples out from central london like shaking a wobbly jelly.
you should have been on the m25 on Friday evening.
Now *that* was a jam.
(and I ran out of fags)