November 2004
I think just about every TV car insurance ad. says that - how do they get insurance? Or don't they bother?
I can understand the insurance co's reluctance re N.I. but I am sure I have also seen some which say 'and Channel Islands' - what's the issue there? Read more
My Mondeo estate (`94 2 litre petrol) failed its M.O.T because the rear passenger side brake pulls up twice as hard as the other 3. Shoes and flexi-pipes changed, drums swapped, cylinders in good working order and of same bore, everything stripped, cleaned, greased where appropriate, entire system blead out and new fluid put in, but the result`s from 2 different test centres show no change.......does anyone know anything about the compensator valves on the master cylinder? and which one-if either-might be responsible? Read more
Kith.....when you say "the front one" which do you mean? Also,
does "rear left" mean passenger rear? as this is relative to
where you are looking from......thanks.
Seeing as how you were talking about the passenger side rear brake being faulty in your post, it would be prudent to assume that I was referring to that one as being the left rear. When I said the "front one" I meant the valve nearest to the front of the car or nearest to you, when you are looking at it, under the bonnet, from the front of the car, .
Hi,
I've just taken a '96 (N Reg) (96k miles) 1.6 Ford Escort for a test drive and discovered that the speedometer bounces around by about 5-10mph. I've heard that this can be due to worn differential bearings and that the only way to solve it is by replacing the whole gearbox. Is this true? And if so, does £400 for the car seem like a fair deal considering the potential work involved in replacing the gearbox?
I also discovered the car makes slightly unsettling creaking/knocking noises as it pulls away in first/second. These aren't repeated as it goes over bumps so i presume that it has something to do with the drive train rather than the body shell/chassis?
Any opinions would be much appreciated!
Cheers,
Damian Read more
I had a similar problem on a nearly new escort 1.6LX I bought back in 1990.
The sppedo stated to give erratic readings and then stopped working completely uless I went around a sharp ben in the road.
This was indeed due to the diff-bearing assembly which was apparently a known problem causing damage to the speedo drive gearing which on those was next to the diff bearings on one side.
The dealer repaired this under warranty but as far as I can remember it did involve a rebuild of the gearbox/diff assembly.
I have just been told that my P (97)Petrol, 5 speed manual 2.0 GLS Omega needs a new engine.
Is it worth it? the car a FSH and has only done 86,000 miles. I have been quoted by the garage £470.00 for the engine (2nd hand 41K with a 6 month guarantee) + fitting, which will be £300.00
Can anyone suggest where I can get an engine from?
Thanks in advance
Ian Read more
I recognise that style, it's Dr Omega from the Yahoo group.
That guy certainly knows what he is talking about so you would do well to do as he suggests.
In fact the group has a number of very knowledgable Omega people and is worth subscribing to if you are an Omega owner. I think it's here:
groups.yahoo.com/group/omega_owners/
Hi, can someone save my sanity?
I have a 92 Carlton Diplomat 2.0I and the air con is not working. It was like that when I bought the car. I have searched high and low for information including this forum.
What I do know is that 2 years ago the system was changed to R134a and the previous owner had a problem with the clutch not cutting in.
During Sept 02 he had the air con serviced and the fault was a bad earth on the compressor that was rectified by bypassing it. At the time the garage noted that the compressor was slightly noisy.
When I press the air con switch no light shows but there is a small change in engine revs.
The extra fan does not come on.
I have checked the fuse and am going to find and check the relays.
I dont want to pay £70 to have it re-gassed if there are other things it could be, also are these diy cans on eBay to be avoided or not.
Help Please!
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Thanks for all the help, what I think I will do is as suggested, test the pressure at the service point, if none then I will chance one of the kits from eBay for 20 quid, if there is some pressure I will check the electrics more thoroughly and see what happens. I will post the outcome either way.
ive got a 1999 kangoo van with the standard blaupunkt radio in it,and ive just bought a phillips cd player out of another kangoo,but the wiring is different. my local renault dealership says there is nothing renault do and sends me to the local motor factors who cant help either, is there a adapter available? halfords maybe?thanks Read more
Ok thats a VDO one. (VDO bought out philips car audio)
You will need the harness plug for a post 2000 clio, scenic, laguna2, etc. Check out that site I gave you,
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - European sedans may have many wonderful attributes. Reliability, however, is not among them, according to the latest Consumer Reports reliability survey.
Small cars
These models earned ratings Most and Least reliable in Consumer Reports' 2004 reliability survey.
Most reliable Least reliable
Toyota Corolla Volkswagen Golf (turbo)
Scion xB Volkswagen Jetta (turbo)
Honda Civic Volkswagen New Beetle
Mazda3
Subaru Impreza
Toyota Echo
Mitsubishi Lancer (except Evo)
Source: Consumer Reports
Of the 11 sedans with the lowest predicted reliability, according to the survey, 10 were from European brands including Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and BMW. Most Volkswagen models were rated far below average for reliability. The all-wheel drive Volkswagen Passat received the lowest reliability rating of any vehicle in the survey.
A spokesman for Volkswagen of America did not deny that the company's products have had problems.
"We are obviously aware of some of these issues," he said.
The company has been working to track and correct reliability problems, he said, adding that customers should see results in upcoming redesigned 2005 versions of several of its cars.
Of the 32 car models with the highest reliability ratings, 29 were from Japan-based manufacturers. Toyota, with 16, and Honda, with 7, had the most vehicles with top reliability ratings. South Korean automaker Hyundai's Sonata earned a top spot in the ratings this year, a first for that manufacturer.
The Toyota Prius and Honda Civic gas/electric hybrid cars both were both listed among the most reliable vehicles.
The only cars from an American manufacturer to earn top scores were the Buick Regal, which has been discontinued for 2005, and non-supercharged versions of the Pontiac Grand Prix.
Among SUVs, Japanese brands monopolized the top spots. The Toyota Land Cruiser and Mitsubishi Endeavor were among the most reliable, according to the survey
Sedans
These models earned ratings Most and Least reliable in Consumer Reports' 2004 reliability survey.
Most reliable Least reliable
Lexus IS300 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Acura RL (previous version) Jaguar S-Type
Toyota Camry (4-cyl.) BMW 7 Series
Toyota Avalon Jaguar X-Type
Lexus LS430 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Lexus GS300/GS430 (previous versions) Mercedes-Benz C-Class (V6)
Buick Regal (discontinued) Volvo S60 (AWD)
Pontiac Grand Prix Saab 9-3
Hyundai Sonata Pontiac Grand Prix (supercharged)
Infiniti G35 (AWD) Volkswagen Passat (AWD)
BMW 5 Series
Source: Consumer Reports
The Toyota Tundra was the only pick-up truck to earn a top rating in the survey. The new Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon trucks both scored above-average. The redesigned Ford F-150, which had been among that company's most reliable products, slipped in the ratings this year.
The survey included responses from the owners of 810,000 vehicles. The survey was conducted in the spring of 2004 and covered 1997 to 2004 models. The ratings are based on the number of problems per 100 vehicles in the survey.
The reliability ratings form part of the data used to determine which models are recommended by Consumer Reports. Other factors include government crash and rollover tests and performance in Consumer Reports' own auto tests.
madf
Read more
WRC and road cars are as related to each other as Formula One is to racing cars and passing:-)
madf
SWMBO is after a car now that she's started having lessons. I've just found a potential little car for her which I'm tempted to snap up. As she's away for a few weeks, and not around to deal with it herself, what is the situation in terms of V5 forms? Can I sign it on her behalf so she becomes the registered owner, or do I just sign it for myself and I become the registered owner, and effectively give her use of 'my' car? I suppose I could get her to sign a new form herself in a few weeks, but that seems like a bit of a faff to 'own' a car for a few weeks without really using it.
Also on the insurance front, as she is still obviously on a provisional license while she learns; is it best to have her as the primary driver with me as a second driver, or the other way round?
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Can't help with the V5 question but, on the insurance front, my wife and I were in the same position as you 18 months ago and found it better to have her insured with me as the named driver. As to what you have to pay I suppose much will depend on the car, how old she is and where you live but my wife was only 27 at the time and we found that Tesco were very good indeed. Despite her being a new learner and me NOT being insured with them they gave her a substantial discount on her premium that first year and renewed on the same basis this year. When I queried this they said it was just a form of discretionary discount which wasn't guaranteed but done as goodwill gesture. As a result her premium in an outer London borough was IIRC £200-£400 cheaper than any other quote we had! Of course the big benefit of her being the policyholder is that she's accruing her own no claims discount which will make life a whole lot more bearable when she passes her test and demands I buy her that nice little Toyota Celica I promised her during a rush of blood to my head :)
wondering whether anyone can tell me whether it is necessary or useful to disconnect any of the fuel lines or fuel injectors when changing the ignition coils on a C5 V6 engine? I believe the V6 has separate coils for each cylinder.
Thanks Read more
I have owned my 52 plate Megane 2 1.6 16v Dynamique for 3 weeks and I love it. Having only 5000 on the clock it is the closest thing I will get to a new car.
I do however want to clarify if certain thing are making noises that are ok. I have owned many bad cars in the past and my brain is now paranoid.
The rumble pulling away from engine. i am almost certain that this is ok as its a VVT and thats what they do.
the water noise behind the dashboard when cold. It goes away after warming up.
The noisy squeely brakes. I think Ive heard nearly every new megane do it!
Any opinions would be great, plus any advice on this car, owning it and what to expect would be great. thanks in advance. Read more
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At a guess I would say it is the differences in the legal system that put them off, they probably do not consider it worth their while to have people at 'head office' clued up on the finer points for the sake of 1.5million ish people the percentage of whom own cars I do not know.
Would be nice to hear the definitive answer from an insurance bod.