February 2005

Question my Rover 200 won't start

howmuch!?! on 25 February 2005

my 10 year old Rover 25 is agitating for early tretirement. Intermittently, but increasingly, when I try and turn the key in the ignition it just won't turn. No amount of wiggling the steering wheel makes any difference. If I persist with the key for up to 10 minutes it will suddenly turn and fire up fine. What's going on? If I turn the steering wheel hard and break the lock will that free up the key? Read more

Dynamic Dave on 26 February 2005

ps,

Sorry if that sounded a tad blunt, it wasn't meant to be.

DD.

Question corsa door mirror glass

hondajazz on 25 February 2005

this may sound a trivial matter but anybody got any tips on fitting a door mirror glass to a 2001 y reg corsa,how are you supposed to clip in the two cables +locate the centre pivot and clips once you have offered the mirror to the mirror housing, its my daughters car who having bought the glass for £25 from a local garage realising it wasnt simple to fit asked the mechanic there to fit it he said he thought it might break and suggested she took it to a vauxhall garage,she doesnt have a lot of money so i have said i would have ago,any tips please? Read more

steveo30 on 25 February 2005

it should just click on..spray it with wd40 first on the contact points

we often have people at our garage asking to fit mirror glasses...maybe try a vx dealer , if your polite and freindly they may well slip it for free or a drink

Forum Order timescales for Audi

rp on 25 February 2005

I have ordered one of the new Audi A6 Avant and been told that the dealer couldn't confirm a delivery timescale before ordering. Instead they would be advised of a "build week" once the car went on their system.

Well that was four weeks ago and the build week is still not visible to the dealer. They tell me that the other 4 cars ordered in the same allocation as mine are in the same position, but I never had any problem like this with the BMWs I have previously bought. I find this a bit frustrating, not least as I want the car before I go for a tour around France in the middle of May!

So my questions are these - does anyone know an approximate build time for the new A6 Avant and has anyone had experience of this situation before or could it be becuase the car is not released in the UK yet? Read more

rp on 28 February 2005

Yeah, I agree ... perhaps Winnie isn't so bad after all!

Seriously though, if you were a car designer, you must be gutted everytime you see one of these. You've spent years on a creation that you have lovingly created, agonising over every last detail down to the shape of the door handle and made the side profile symbolise speed and fluidity .... then the owner sticks a great Winnie the Pooh thing on the side windows and suddenly the effect is ruined!

Then again, could be worse - it could be those day-glo bits that you used to be able to get to go over the windscreen wipers (and only seemed to be fitted to Ford Escort/Orions for some reason!)

Forum Monthly Pay Breakdown Cover?

gav425 on 25 February 2005

Does anybody know of a breakdown service that i can pay monthly for?
It needs to be good cover with European cover to Norway as i am driving there in the summer.

Thanks for your help.
Gav425
1997 Citroen Xantia 1.9TD A/C
129,000 miles www.bio-power.co.uk
Using 100% Bio-Fuel V100 Read more

Robbie on 25 February 2005

I have the same although I've never had to use it.

Forum Inheriting a car

cabsmanuk on 25 February 2005

I have recently inherited a car from my mothers estate of which I am joint executor with my sister and we are the only two beneficiaries. The car is currently SORN and has a current MOT certificate. There is no dispute as to who should have the car. Any ideas as to how do I go about registering it and taxing it in my name?

Have any backroomers done this?
Read more

Cliff Pope on 28 February 2005

Just a point if you inherit a SORNed vehicle and do not intend taxing it immediately. Whereas tax automatically follows the car ownership (as when you buy a secondhand car) SORN does not. SORN is specific to the car and the keeper and to the address where kept.
So someone acquiring a SORNed car by any means needs to renew the SORN. Whether a non-personal "estate" can SORN a car I don't know.

Question Citroen Saxo stalls & won't restart

Robin the Technician on 25 February 2005

Further to my earlier enquiry, it now transpires that my nieces Citroen Saxo 1.2? 51 plate sometimes stalls and won't restart. Also it seems the choke does not want to come on when cold. I have checked all the connectors and given the leads etc the WD40 treatment. All plugs, Air filter etc are fairly new.
Anyone any ideas as to what the problem is??

--
These are the views of Robin the Technician with 35 years in the trade. I fix, therefore I am... Read more

Forum Iconic car wash

greenhey on 25 February 2005

Can ahyone advise?
A few months ago I saw a press article re a device to attach to a hose , which when used on the final rinse would leave your car spot and scale free. I was interested, as the water around here ( near Oxford) is vile.
This is ionicsystems.com/cars/index
Trouble is it looks as though it could cost £1-2 per wash , so I haven't bought one .
However a couple of weeks ago in a Sainsburys filling station shop they were doing a promo on what seems to be a similar thing ( as a gun to click on to the hose) made by Flash ( as in the floor cleaner advertised bu that smug git who used to be in Brushstrokes [Karl Howman according to Helicopter. M.]).It was £14.99 but it gave no idea as to how many washes you might get .
Any experience? Read more

Stuartli on 3 March 2005

Re: Flash car clean

You'll soon be able to use Flash on your car (but not the floor, kitchen or bath cleaner)..:-)

www.freshliving.com/flashcarwash/home.htm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What's for you won't pass you by

Question Help needed re: fitting alloy wheels

Daz on 25 February 2005

Hi, have just purchased a set of alloys for my Tourer and was wondering whether or not they require different wheel nuts that those which are currently holding the steel wheels on.

If so, any idea how much and best place to get them from please

Cheers

Also would it be ok to go from 175/65/14 to 195/50/15, checked on tiresize website and is within 3% so ok but worried about width as guy at National said I could probably only go up to 185?

Thanks
Read more

martint123 on 2 March 2005

I think all wheel nuts/bolts are steel. Many alloys have steel inserts in the wheel to give strength. The only thing that can vary from standard wheels to aftermarket ones are the angle of the 'countersink' (can't think of a better word). This is why nuts/bolts are often supplied with the wheels.

Martin

Forum Your favourite 4x4

Garethj on 25 February 2005

Favourite? Surely everyone hates them?

Personally I've never seen the advantage of one, but in your "dream garage" would you have one?

I think the Land Rover 110 Defender has a certain integrity, and a Haflinger would be a hoot.

Obviously if your journey involved driving more than 5 minutes at higher than 50mph you'd take another car from the dream garage, but does anyone else have a favourite?

These are some of the few cars that look better when they're dirty, so less work to wash the dream garage! Read more

doctorchris on 2 March 2005

Always wanted the old model Panda 4x4 but never in a position to buy one. Now no longer need a big 4x4 (Nissan Terrano LWB) so just ordered a new style Panda 4x4, which is currently my fave 4x4.

Forum Retro fitting original sat nav to golf

shoei on 25 February 2005

I am thinking of getting sat nav for my Golf MK4 I have looked at fixed version and the PDA based ones. You can pick up a genuine VW one for £400, used of course.What would this be like to fit and would it be difficult. Read more

ExNHS on 25 February 2005

I recently got a PDA based system off ebay.
I would suggest that would be cheaper and easier then trying to retrofit a VW system.
My system cost £293 inc P&P.
It is based on a Dell Axim X5 which has had good reviews if you Google.
The only real criticism is that it is chunky, which to me is an advantage.It has nice soft rubber inserts at the sides which makes it easy to hold in the hand and these grip the vent holder which was included.
The Dell comes with a leather cover so it is easy to take out of the car and put it in your pocket.I leave the holder and gps receiver on the dashboard.There are 2 wires, but I have wrapped them up and tucked the excess into a gap below the steering wheel.The unit plugs into the cigarette lighter.
Installing the maps was a bit fiddly, but no more difficult than putting them in a Tom Tom Go ( I bought Tom Tom maps of Europe off ebay and the seller reported probs putting maps on to her Tom Tom GO.
It takes a bit of learning to use the set up ,but it is fantastic in the car.You can see exactly where you are all the time.It will give you the quickest route. If you think you know better and ignore a direction it recalculates a route after about 100 yards!Sometimes it tells you to do a U turn-ignore it again and it recalculates a route.
You don't even need to look at road signs, the route is highlighted on the display and exact directions are given eg Cross the roundabout,2nd exit.At junctions the display automatically gives an enlarged view.
Its a case of Garbage in Garbage out, the more accurately you set the destination the closer it will take you-to an accuracy of a few yards.
I could let you know the ebay seller I got mine from-no probs with them.
You are welcome to e-mail me on saltroger@hotmail.com
I wish I'd had sat nav when I was working-highly recommended.
Go for it.