February 2005
**** Poll now closed. Results here:- **** www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=29441&...e This weeks poll, which is a combination of both Richy's & L'escargot's suggestion, is now available:-
Read moreMy neighbours have two cars which are kept taxed and insured - his car and hers. Nothing remarkable about that.
The odd thing is, they always go out together in one car, without fail, meaning that there is always one of the cars in their driveway, for days or weeks before they decide to swap.
Wouldn't it make more sense to have one rather more upmarket car, or have I missed something? Read more
For a minute there, I was thinking "Good grief - so frostbite is my neighbour. Wonder which one he is?" Then I checked the location of backroomers and discovered it wasn't so.
Actually, the description doesn't quite match us - but the answer in our case is that we like to have two, just in case something goes wrong with one. Belt and braces and all that!
Every time I have my mondeo serviced the MPG increases from 50 to around 54 for the same sort of motoring. I think the car has a ecu which adjusts the engine according to the way you drive, so i would like to know how to reset the ecu myself to save a few bob!! Any ideas?
Read more
I drove to cardiff from norwich and averaged almost 60 mpg there, on
the return at slightly higher speeds the average overall dropped to 50 overall
As you made the return journey at a slightly higher speed, it's more than likely this is the reason why the mpg was less than the initial journey there.
Evening all,
Before, I saw the front quarter profile of a Lexus IS200 in black. I'm a fan of these so I slowed down a bit. However, as I rounded the bend, I noticed it had no boot. That is to say, it was an estate. It looked nice...as far as estates can but I think this was because there was very little overhang on the back wheels. The back was really pretty small to the point whereby I think the saloon would be bigger.
My question is, as the title says, is there any point to getting an estate one of these. Why not the saloon* or indeed, why not a completely different car?
It looked nice but I just can't see the point of getting an uglier version of a car * for the sake of practicality yet trading down (possibly) in size. The very reason for an estate.
* RF? Don't.
:-)
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Adam Read more
I'll have a look if get chance tomorrow. There was something said about this at the annual conference type thing back in January - i'm fairly certain it said the 150bhp will be here later this year and the 180bhp will be next year.
Having a quick think next year does seem logical as there will be the new Rav and also the Avensis will probably get a minor facelift so it's the ideal time to introduce it.
I have a ford Focus 1.6 Zetec and my handbrake light has started to occasionally flash on when I am driving. The handbrake is off at the time. Any suggestions?
Many Thanks Read more
Possible switch come loose on handbrake mounting.Just a thought
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Steve
negative equity.
what happens if, say, someone bought a car at £20K
6 months later trade in value is £15K
but they still owe £16500 on finance.
can they ring the finance company up and say... look i cant afford it anymore. i cant sell it for less than trade in.
can i just hand the car back to you and forget about it?
just wondering.... Read more
this works if you've paid off 50% or more of the initial capital.
e.g. once you get to having paid off £10k of the £20k then even if the car's worth only £1k you just hand back the keys with a smile on your face and you're able to walk away - all square.
this assumes you're talking about a hire purchase arrangement and the car's been serviced on the intervals and has no obvious damage (torn seats, dents, bad scratches)
Just wondering about this because a pal of mine is downsizing due a change in job.
He has a car supposedly worth about 15k trade in (not sure what it is yet) and he is looking at a smaller more economical around the 10k mark with cheaper insurance etc.etc.
Do dealers take trade-in's like this where the value of the trade-in is more than the purchase ? If so, is it simply a case of the dealer giving the difference to the purchaser or is that far too simple ?
If it works the other round, and the value of the (higher) trade-in is accurate, the dealer is still in the same position ......... or have I missed something ?!?
Personally I've never heard of this, just wondered if anyone here or in the trade had a view on this.
jdc Read more
"is it a 5 series diesel?"
Definitely not a diesel as I know the amount of petrol it uses is killing him !
Don't really know any detail on his car ...
jdc
Should this be in technical? Hmmm.
Anyhow, My mother is getting rid of her Mini, a proper one on a "C" plate, I think it's the 1 litre. She's offered it to me for £0 so I'm going to have it as a toy.
Question is this:
The car has been driven probably 2/3 miles a day to and from her work and not much further. We live some 150miles away from where she does, so I'm a bit concerned about driving it all the way down here. Is there anything I can do to ensure it gets here OK as it will be a bit of a shock to its system to travel down the country?
-- Lee Having a Fabialous time. Read more
Best of luck with it, you'll enjoy it!
The great thing about these is that literally everything is replacable.
The rear subframes can be had for reasonable money. I think some outlets do them all ready made up with the rubbers etc in place so you just have to bolt them on. They did a few years ago.
For the record, I owned one of the very first Pimlico's (no 3 IIRC) mini based kit cars that were produced by Domino Cars in around 86 to 87.
The fibreglass bodyshell looked like a mini with a T bar and high door sills (like a beach buggy), had no boot lid (boot accessable via rear seat and was simply bolted onto the front and rear subframes.
Mine had the 1275GT cc engine and other items from the 1275GT as well.
I sold it to a US serviceman from Banbury, who ended up exporting it back to the states.
H
Got a bit of a problem with my fathers car,
Lost email and password to my other account (sei-boy) so using this new one instead.
As per the thread below, my dad has a Proton Impian from new in 2002 - www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=21225&...e
Just a recent update and we who like some advice please. On Monday my mother was using the Proton, and whist driving it, the car cut out on her (The same fault or similar problem as the pug's 207s) the total loss of engine power - so no brakes, etc...
RAC has said that the car is now unfit and unsafe to drive, so it has been towed to another Proton Dealer in Notts this time to find the fault. HQ has been informed and trying to locate the fault. Now since this has happened, could we request another that the car is replaced with another one with the same spec and mileage?
Thanks
Michael. Read more
>>Surely if the engine cuts out you should still have full braking assistance for a limited period,
Only for a few seconds after engine has stopped.Pressure to stop on pedal without servo is tremendous.Though as you say its still there.In an emergency situation it will be less than adequate.Difference between losing power braking,and losing braking altogether is different..Bear in mind when a person loses assistance ie servo stops working it feels like you lose all braking due to pressure needed to stop.
As for above post HQ now know about it let them sort it out.
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Steve
When sitting in a traffic jam, or waiting for someone (or whatever), when should one turn off the engine, and when should one just leave it running?
Or, to put it another way - how long does one have to sit before it becomes more sensible to turn off the engine instead of letting it run? Read more
IIRC a ticket hasn't been properly served if not attached to the car.
It was..On the roof above rear screen.I did not see anyone that looked like a T/warden.May have not been in uniform..Too late to worry now.
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Steve
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The results of this weeks poll are:-
Poll 29. Where do you normally park your car at home?
In the garage = 62
On the drive = 72
On the pavement/verge = 2
Partly on the pavement/verge and partly on the road = 8
On the road = 15
Under the carport = 4
Assigned space (like for flats) = 11
Other = 3