January 2005
My Golf III VR6 has a Sony radio and for some time reception has been very poor. I've had the car since new and I honestly can't recall whether it was OK originally or whether the deterioration has been nil, gradual or sudden; I think I would have noticed had it been sudden.
Anyway, I've just had a new antenna with a signal booster fitted. It appears to have made no difference whatsoever. The fitter is mystified and so am I. Before he did the job, he switched the removable head/fascia to another brand, but that made no difference either. I asked him whether he thought it was the radio box itself, but he suspects it is something else in the car.
Does anyone have a clue as to what might be the cause? Stereo reception is pathetic; mono is much better but far from perfect. My locality is generally pretty good for radio and television reception. All suggestions welcome. Read more
Can anyone tell me if a bonnet from a normal megane will fit a megane coupe. Its a phase 1 megane 98. Read more
I'm almost certain that the 5 door and the 3 door (coupe) have different bonnets.
As we all know, the system changed in March 2001. It's now calculated by emissions. Which is fine, but the way they have done it is rather odd. So I have some questions.
a) Why is the highest rate of tax for newer cars £160, yet for older cars, £165? This means the owner of a Feb 2001 Ford Focus 1.6 Zetec pays MORE road tax than the owner of an April 2001 Ferrari 360 Spider. I defy anyone to tell me the Focus is more polluting than the Ferrari.
b) Why is it fair for the owner of a Feb 2001 Ford Focus 1.6 Zetec to have to pay £165 a year tax, yet the owner of a March 2001 Ford Focus 1.6 Zetec - identical cars, probably built at the same time - has to pay £145?
c) Why do I pay more to tax my V reg Mondeo than somebody pays to tax their new SL55 AMG?
I can think of no logical reason why they didn't keep the same price for the max tax band. Read more
And if they abolished road tax, that's one less tax that
can be evaded, saving money for the rest of us.
They can replace the disc with a new MOT disc.
And why not an insurance disc too? About time that
mess was sorted out.
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If they abolished road tax, I believe you would not avoid some form of registration fee / SORN charge. I would guess the cost of administration to each of us would not be less than £50 per year. The £50 would then be promoted by the spin doctors as a cost to each motorist of less than a pound a week.
Overall that would not be a lot of saving on a small car.
I am looking for a trusty independant to do an MOT for my Daughter in either Bouneville ( Birmingham ) or Birmingham B12 ( fairly central ). Regards Peter Read more
Sorry B16 is more like it
There is a comment on a posting on the "Citroen C2 Diesel" thread to the effect that if you want to tumble fold the back seats, you have to put the front seat right forward - such that a 6+ footer would struggle to drive.
The same comment has been made by a journalist about the Renault Modus, and I remember discovering exactly the same thing when looking at Renaults (a Megane & a Clio) in the showroom a few years ago. (This came as a bit of a surprise, because I had no problem with a Fiesta Mk III).
Anyone else noticed this phenomenon? Is it peculiar to cars from French manufacturers? Read more
carnt u take the headrestraints off the back seat first? doesnt this help? or are u talking about after that has been done?
The brake is due a change on my 1996 1.25 fiesta. How much new fluid do I need to purchase?, I can't find this on my Ford TIS CD or in the haynes manual. Read more
Yes, Wilkos is good for brake fluid, top spec, cheap, fresh as it's fast off the shelf. so cheap you may as well buy too much and use the rest to light bonfires or something.
I'm just woundering has anyone heard of the timing belts failing on this type of car. I was told on Friday by a Ford dealer that they last upto 100,000 miles or 10 years my reply was 'what, on a diesel'. I've booked my car in for the belt to be changed on Thursday by Ford in Sutton Coldfield for £216. I think at 63,500 and 4 years old the original belt is doing very well. Read more
The Backroom consensus of opinion does seem to point to changing it every 4/5 years or 40-50K miles depending on the manufacturer.
What Ford says is pretty irelevant - the bill for a snapped cambelt will land on your doorstep!
Has anyone seen any figures for timing belt failure for cars in general (not just Fords)? Not the sort of thing the manufacturers would produce but independents might.
Hi All.
I am currently an associate of the West Midlands ROSPA and I am really enjoying my driving since having regular drives with a Gold/Silver member and reading and applying Roadcraft. I now acknowledge and adhere to all speed limits (although still wander off by 2-3 mph here and there) where as before, I would probably have no major thoughts of doing well over the speed limit (e.g. 55 in a 40) if I thought it was 'safe' to do so. My stress levels have decreased massively as I now feel more in control of what happens to my car and am able to anticipate the driving of others a lot more.
Similarly, I used to see speed trap devices as a really bad thing and considered investing in a Road Angel device or similar. However, now I have no worries of looking out for these as I know I am in control of my car's speed and will not get caught as long as I maintain my increased awareness.
I feel like a reformed smoker (although I've never smoked!) so just wondered if any other BRs have had a similar change in philosophy? I'd also like to hear about anyone else going through the ROSPA process.
Cheers.
TT Read more
Spud,
Are you suggesting that the State (albeit democratic) is the final & absolute arbiter of what is 'wrong'?
How do Backroomers feel about this new Government proposal that fines will be based on "ability to pay". I read that if, say, you are reasonably off you will receive a higher fine for your speeding/parking offence than someone who is "poorer".
Does it work the other way round. If you live in a big mansion in the country not served by buses, are you less likely to be banned on totting up procedure than someone who lives on a good bus route? If you have a bike will you receive a longer ban? If you are a single chap with no dependants are you more likely to be imprisoned for DD than someone who has dependants? Will those who say "I am vastly overdrawn, have a huge mortgage and my credit cards are up to the limit because I have just had a long holiday in the Caribbean get off free from parking fines? Or will it be as at present, that the middle classes pay up whereas the low-life, uninsured/untaxed just ignore parking/speeding fines?
I hope my question is phrased in such a neutral way that there is no hint of bias!
Read more
gulf between rich and poor in US is much bigger than in UK, I lived there I know
yea commerce has a lot of influence, but usually via the senior levels, someone at a moderate middle grade has relatively little influence on the world around them, unlike even fairly junior council officers
and its the ways the "groups of junior council officers" and their like orgnise themselves and think of the world that is so driven by prevailing trends and fashionable ideas
i have no probs paying tax, although i would like some of the injustices in the tax system to be resolved
i sympathise with some of the people in the pub sector jobs u mention, i would rather see a fair market in their services, so that they can get paid a better wage, central control of their sector is the problem
Hi All,
I have a Mazda 323 (year 2001 model).
A few times recently when pulling away from cold there's a noticable judder - it only happens in 1st gear. Once the car is thoroughly warmed through the problem abates.
It's the same kind of judder you experience when the ABS kicks in.
Any thoughts? Read more
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"woring"? Don't get too excited: "wiring".