April 2005
Recently collected my brand new car from dealership.
During the handover demo with the sales person I spotted a defect and said I wanted the part replaced. They agreed to order and replace the part. I have since been informed the part will be a re-conditioned part and not a brand new part. I'm not very happy about this.
Why should a fault that existed before I had taken delivery of a brand new car be rectified with a re-conditioned part?
My contracted order with the dealer was for a brand new car (made of brand new components), the fault clearly existed before I took delivery of the car and was pointed out to the dealer immediately on delivery when I first sat in the car before it had been driven anywhere. Can I not therefore insist that the replacement part is brand new? A like for like replacement.
Anyone any experience of this - is it normal?
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I just wondered what the feeling is about changing shock absorbers. My '94 Passat has done 103,000 miles and recently the handling has felt a bit 'different' - not quite as sure-footed as it used to be (although it's never been great). The shock absorbers seem OK (pass the 'bounce' test, and no leaks) but I wonder if they should be changed. I know the recommendation is to change them more frequently than people might but can't help thinking there's no point spending money unnecessarily. Read more
Thanks for that John F. Actually, on investigation I found one of the rear wheel bearings needed tightening. Once I'd done that it was much better - good for another 100,000!
catcher
Hello Folks
I am a new user so please be gentle!
I have a Astra 1.7 TD estate (98 S) which when driving is pulling to the offside (to the right).
I thought it was the tracking and so took it to a garage who tracked it and when I asked them if it was out they said oh yes by miles. (like they always do!) I thought well ok at least that should fix the problem.
However when I came to drive my car it was still pulling to the right. So I took it back to the garage they re-checked it and said the tracking was OK. But unfortunately it still has the problem.
I went to a different garage who recommend I change my tyres around. Swap front two with back two tyres ?I did but to no luck.
I am afraid if I take it to which ever garage they all seem to say the tracking is always out and therefore always want to track it even if its ok. Which does not seem to solve my problem.
Any ideas what it maybe anyone please. All comments gratefully received.
Delboy786
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I would always make the tyres the biggest suspect in pulling to one side.
Putting the tracking right will not stop this happening as they have already worn in to a particular way which can?t be eliminated until they have been replaced.
You have tried changing back to front but have you tried from one side to the other and see if you get a pull the other way.
I had exactly the same thing and it wasn?t cured until the tyres were changed. The rear tyres at one time had been on the front and they were the same.
While I wait with baited breath to see what p/x value I get on my beloved ZT, I face a dilemma. Do I buy a 54 reg Vectra sri 150bhp diesel for £12995, or a 54 reg 2.2 petrol with colour sat-nav for the same price. Any thoughts? (I do around 10,000m a year) Read more
Blimey, this reappearing is a surprise. I've had the Vectra 15 months now and haven't regreted it one bit. (It's a 2.2 SRi direct, leather and coour sat-nav (which is pretty rubbish actually))
The car has been faultless, comfortable (even with 19" alloys) and is a great family car! Nothing more to say really.
1995 VW Passat. petrol CL
My dials have gone haywire.
The other day while starting up, fuel and temperature dials made a weird clicking noise and the needles went all the way round and tangled together. Now they are stuck.
Any ideas what has happened and how to fix it?
Thanks for your help. Read more
vwvortex is the big one.
there is also one run by the vw owner mag people - cant remember the name but its hosted on ezboard
I am currently looking at a used Seat Toledo with the 170 bhp v5 2.3 engine in it.
Does anyone have any real life experience of this engine, either in a Seat or a vw? What should I be looking out for, and what MPG can I expect?
Does it have a camchain or a cambelt, and what is the best oil to run it on?
I have tested the car and was enormously impressed with the amount of kit, the smoothness and torque of the engine and the pricetag (2000 X reg, 59k on clock £5,495 for a Toledo SE). From what I can tell this is the same or less than I can get a TDI Toledo or Leon for. If the MPG and insurance is not too much of a killer, I would be very tempted.
Any comments? Read more
Scrub all of the above, I have just done a deal on a Bora TDI ! Having tested the diesel after the Seat V5 I was fully expecting to be disappointed, but not at all! What a great engine (the 115 version) The car is a 51 reg 2001 Bora tdi S with 44k on the clock. I got it for £6,800.
So it was diesel for me after all... and a VW as well rather than a cheaper Seat. Hope to pick it up tomorrow, I can't wait!
Or something similar - means let the buyer beware. Just got back from the special BMW sale at Brighouse, got a bit of time on my hands so went to look out of interest, mainly at the 3 series.
However noticed an 02 525D auto estate, 42,000 miles - seemed to get no interest then at 13k someone in a suit next to me and under the rostrum started bidding, it went ding dong between him and a guy on the other side of the car all the way to £17k when the suit said no more. Car drives away and the buyer (private I guessed) wanders up to pay his £17,100 etc. Meanwhile some trader pals of the guy in the suit point out the pool of engine oil left behind - just as a a worker from BCA arrives with gravel to mop up the oil - almost as though they knew.
Feel sorry for the private man because the cars are sold as seen i.e no warranty. You get the impression from the hype and marketing that these are quality cars because it is an open BMW sale, but many of the cars had not been serviced for over two years, many three year old low/average mileage cars had three/four owners.
I know that walls have ears, but at this auction they must have had voices as well, and been bidding to the auctioneer, because quite a few of the cars were re-run around again!! Read more
I thought I might share my experience with my sadly departed 99 2.0i VTEC Accord.
She did 146,000 miles for me from new - only time she ever missed a beat was when near the seaside and damp got into the alternator.
I have driven her hard (never abused) and when she went she was running like the proverbial Swiss Watch.
When the car tax rules changed etc I bought her from the leasing company at 78,000 for £5k and transferred her into my name. Carried on the main dealer service till 92k then just did my own after that. Pleasure to drive, comfortable, quick, great handling and roomy for the many week-ends away we have had.
I reckon that she has made me good money in the interim. Over the last 3 years I have received payments from the company (net of tax) of aprox £8k. Plus tax allowances of £6,400 (with a further £3k to come this year) and estimated savings in P11D payments of £8-9k.
Costs of running = new alternator £300, tyres £145, rear discs and pads £250, servicing including parts £350.
At the close of play I took £1,750 for her - sold quickly to a local trader!
So why sell - well when they start to go wrong Honda's can be expensive - the rear discs took me by surprise recently, routine parts needed soon include cambelts (£200), roll bar link arms * 4 (£422) and anything else for the MOT would mean spending almost as much as the car is worth - so get out while ahead was my theory - plus I think (know) that I need a diesel because of my high miles.
But for anyone wanting a reliable family car - they are great value and as Jeremy Clarkson keeps saying - that engine has yet to fail. (Except if you don't put oil in regularly - aprox 1 litre per 1,000 miles)
Anyone else got one? Read more
The discs were about £45 each I think, did get a quote from a local garage but very little difference at the end of the day. They were on the metal and squealing and were completely shot (the Honda gge did suggest skimming) - so had to do something quick.
You are right about the alternator. The failure cost me £300, which is the same price as Honda quote - the actual story is: it went 2 miles from home, dropped it off at local garage - no problem ready 2mo, £120. He couldn't get one and it ended up with the regulator being replaced - cost to me £190 + 4 days car hire £110!! Sods law - same difference.
Early in my previous year's insurance policy I had a bump. Basically I was reversing out of a slot in the supermarket and another driver clipped my towbar as they were passing. No damage to mine and bumper damage to theirs. As she was going very quickly towards the exit and I was stationary at the time I interpreted this as her fault. (Now I know this is not the case) I reported to my insurer straight away on the phone, gave them my views and then heard nothing whatsoever. At renewal I noticed my no-claims was affected - queried it with them and they explained the other parties claim. Strange I thought as I had not had anything from them about this until renewal. Despite my protests they said 'done deal' you are guilty 'cause you were reversing.
I had forgotten all about this until yesterday - and here is where the question is - I have had a quote from a different insurer for my new car, declared no accidents in the last 3 years but declared the correct NCD.
They knew all about my new car because they have the DVLA database, however I thought insurance companies shared information - but they said nothing about my claim - so maybe they don't.
Should I call and tell them about my memory loss? Read more
Thanks, have done both;
1 Claim cost £1,150
2 Increase in quotation £45
Just a quick note to say that the long suffering Mrs V. passed her driving test at her first attempt this afternoon!
Despite being extremely nervous and having many sleepless nights recently she did it when it mattered so, to all of those Back Roomers who've offered us support, advice and good wishes along the way - thanks very much!
To those still learning and going through a process which isn't easy at the best of times and is becoming harder with time - take heart, try to relax and just do your best.
Signing off one great big happy volvoman and an elated Mrs V! Read more
Hello SjB iba skoda, ze to iste sa neda povedat pre vsetkych ang. muzov ;) Mrs V.
Just to keep this motoring related, well we safely negotiated Croydon last night but found we had to pay to park until midnight! I've never come across this sort of thing outside maybe central London so no wonder many people stay away from that area.
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AS has been expressed here, you have been warned.
You dont want mechanics taking your dash apart.