December 2004
(Probably one for Aprilia)
As you probably know, I run a 95N Nissam QX 3.0 SE with 140k miles. I know mine has emission problem so will need fixing for MoT next May, plus I am seeing surface rust appearing on the underside. My major worry is reliability and safety, but I also want great performance. I have come across a 01Y Nissan Maxima QX 3.0 SE+ in dark blue with 85k miles on the clock for £6k but I am going to haggle like mad.
The question is
1) Should I change it or better the devil I know? Is the new car more of a problem sourcing parts?
2) How much should I pay? (Is it listed in the CAP? I am seeing very different prices from all sources)
3) I am thinking of around £1000 for my car. Is that realistic?
Many thanks,
Gazza Read more
I recently bought a 98 Ford Ka for my daughter to learn in. There is an occasional high pitched squeak when releasing the clutch. Friends have suggested it could be caused by movement of the engine causing something to rub - probably not expensive, an engine mount on the way out - agin probably not too expensive or the clutch thrust bearing on the way out - probably expensive. The car has some warranty from the dealer so if it is the clutch I need to get it back to him pretty soon.
Any suggestions as to what the problem is?
Thanks
Mark Read more
Thanks for the ideas everyone. As th clutch does not slip or judder I will monitor and see if it gets any worse. With a learner driving it the clutch may get some use so any problems should show up pretty quickly.
Mark
Last Monday I drove down the A338 into Bournemouth - 50mph limit with repeaters all the way down. There was a temporary 30mph speed limit over a bridge, which was badly signed: there were just a few 30 signs scattered along the road, and 50mph repeaters between them. No warning of the 30, no cancellation of it, signs not terribly visible, bit of a mess.
I called the council and told them. They explained why the limit was there, but I wasn't questioning that. I was saying it was badly signed.
Drove the same road yesterday, 10 days later. They've added pre-warning and some slightly better signing, but there are still several unobscured 50mph repeaters in the 30 zone and, in fact, one right next to the first 30 sign.
There are cameras on this road, but no in the new 30 zone, so that's not my concern.
What bothers me is that the signing is a mess, no one knows what to do there, you have traffic joining from the left at 50 when you're (supposed to be doing) 30, and they don't seem to really care. My personal decision, normally, is to stick to speed limits (and I don't want this to get into a discussion on speeding) and I do have a bit of an issue with such a badly signed one as it makes it very hard for me to do the right thing. (Why is it a 30? Are there roadworks and people working in the carriageway? Don't know until it's too late, possibly.)
Any suggestions on whose butt I can kick to get it looked at?
Ta,
Mark Read more
For background, the reason for this temporary limit is to effect barrier repairs on the flyover at the Cooperdean junction on the Eastern side of Bournemouth. A couple of weeks back a chap had to pay an unexpected visit to his dry cleaners after losing the back end of his beemer on a patch of black ice (this flyover is notorious for this problem) and putting the nose of his car through the barrier, overhanging the road some 45 feet below. Took two hours to secure the car and remove the driver. Fortunately only a minor ankle injury and dry cleaning/valeting bill required.
So the limit needs to be there, but is being handle appallingly. I agree the signage is a mess. Ironically this is a favourite location for temporary speed cameras, so a chat with local camera partnership would seem in order.
No Do$h - Alfa-driving Backroom Moderator
mailto:moderators@honestjohn.co.uk
Cleaned the oil separator with parafin a few months ago as it was clogging up the air filter. Does the separator need a gasket? I couldnt see one when I removed it so i refitted with some gasket seal, only now its leaking oil where it goes into the block? Read more
I am the new owner of an X plate 23k mile Rover 25 TD. Previous cars have been Peugeot 306 non-turbo diesel's.
Is it me or are 25 TD's slow on acceleration?
On pressing the accelerator, not a lot happens until the revs eventually pick up.
Very slow on take-away for 2-3 seconds then quicker.
Flat spot? Turbo lag?
First turbo so maybe not used to having to build the revs up to accelerate!
Also brakes feel as if nothing is happening as pedal is depressed then car does slow down.
Not much "feel" to them.
I would appreciate any comment on the above.
Merry xmas and a Happy New Year to all.
Den.
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Faulty air sensor replaced under warranty.
Car is now a "pocket rocket"
Thanks to all who replied.
Den
Seeing as it is Christmas how about some motoring related carols?
A dismal few I have thought of so far:
Away in a Mazda
Skyline Night
Hark the Triumph Herald Angel
Imaginary prizes for anyone that can think of a whole verse :-)
Oooh, I think I hear carol singers. Now where did I put my trebuchet....
teabelly Read more
Reminds me of the instruction in Austrian buses, many years ago, which had a notice in German which was helpfully translated into English as:
'Do Not Interfere with the Driver while he is Driving'
A friend has a 3.1 year old Scenic RX4 just out of warranty and just out of a service with the main dealer. It has just over 50k on the clock and the gearbox won't stay/select 5th.
The local main dealer has her car in pieces and quoted £1,500 for the repairs. They say there is no goodwill as the car is out of warranty.
Now her negotiating skills are not too hot with dealers and as she bought the car from a famous supermarket, Renault UK aren't too interested in helping.
Any advice or independants local to Worcester I can suggest to her?
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Thanks for the tip, will get friend to call them today. Oh, and thanks for edit Dave.
My girlfriend got a big MOT bill today, I think there's something fishy afoot. Here's the background:
She used to have her 1999 1.3 Fiesta serviced and MOT'd all at once by a small one-man garage. Now I service her car, so she just goes to him for the MOT. He doesn't do MOTs himself, he takes it to a garage up the road. So I can see that there's not a lot in it for him just doing her MOT - she pays him the fee and he passes it on to the place up the road, wasting some of his time in the process.
The bill is over £180, and here's the breakdown:
Brake shoes £31.09
Brake cylinder £27.40
P???e gas £12.00
Brake fluid £6.00
MOT £35.00
Labour 75.00
TOTAL: £186.49
Could anyone identify what this 'gas' might be? His handwriting is terrible! He's also included headlamp alignment in his labour rundown.
The MOT sheet shows failure on parking brake performance. Had shoe and cylinder renewal been necessary, then surely it would have failed on service brake performance also? Is my logic correct that if it passes on service brake but fails on parking brake, then the problem lies in the parking brake actuation mechanism and not in the brake itself?
He didn?t call her before doing the work on the brakes, and she didn?t say ?Do whatever it needs to pass the test?. Does this mean that legally we could remove the parts he fitted, return them to him, and refuse to pay for this part of the job? Incidentally, the bill hasn?t been paid yet but the car has been collected and and MOT certificate issued.
Secondly, the MOT failure sheet has been doctored. There is tip-ex in the pass column next to 'headlamp aim' and a tick has been made in the fail column. This tick, and the comment 'HEADLIGHT AIM NTRS' are in a slightly different hand to the other ticks and comments on the sheet. Can anyone enlighten me as to what NTRS means? My understanding of headlamp adjustment is that it is done on stiff-threads, and it would take some sort of impact or disturbing of the headlamp mount to affect the beam alignment? The car hasn?t suffered anything like this in the last year, so I?ve no reason to suspect the headlamps would be out of alignment.
I already plan to call the garage who did the MOT and ask what their copy of the failure sheet says next to 'headlamp aim'. I'm assuming these are carbon copies from a pad, with the customer copy being the top one?
I think he's yanking her crankshaft? What do you people reckon? All advice gratefully received...
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I used to work at a small garage in Birmingham, amongst the usual mechanicing, I was doing all the MOTs. Before I started the boss used to look at the day's work and if it was low would tell me to fail a few cars.
Nuff said
Today I have been looking round a few motor dealers with regard to buying a nearly new run-about car. I've had a look at the whole range of makes and models but do have a new style Ford Fiesta in mind. Anyway the car the caught my eye out of all of the dealers I visited was a shiny looking 54 plate Fiesta, and just making a casual enquiry with the salesman (because there was no spec sheet in the window) it turned out that it was a 'brand new' car but pre-registered. Now I'm not bothered about whether it is brand new or not, but what are the pro's and con's of buying a pre-registered car such as this? The price and spec of the car seemed like a pretty good deal (it is at a main dealer/official UK car) and I also understand that it is at the time of year where car sales dealers are at one of their slowest times of the year. So if I decide to buy a car in the next few weeks whether it be this or something else, what are the recommended 'tricks' to get the best deal/lowest price that I can? It will be a straight cash deal, no finance or part exchange. Read more
ABS became mandatory on volume small cars recently, some of the pre reg cars around were registered just before this law came into being
Warranty lost is biggest negative
Also if you take delivery towards the end of the month u cannot have tax disc start in next month like i think u can on brand new motors
my turbo diesel is making a whistling noice after a hour motorway journey .....also loss of power and black smoke at high revs.....turbo is not kicking in atall ,,no turbo light(the bulb is ok )
should kick in around 25oo revs but doesnt atall........been told only a vacuum leak is there a easy way to find a leak or is it search and strip job....toyota estima 2.2td ,sleeping engine Read more
found the oil filler cap was missing from engine........
Browse
Cefiro is the Pacific-market name for the Maxima (AKA QX in UK) and the name has been used for many years. I know at least one has been privately imported into the UK. In fact the Cefiro was more like the UK QX than than the US-market Maxima (being RHD etc. and having the same climate control system). Current one is on the A34 platform - by all accounts a very good car apart from some complaints that it suffers from excessive bump-steer. It seems to sell very well in the US (badged as Nissan Maxima and Infiniti I30 - the latter with 'luxury trim' and so forth).