June 2005
I'm just wondering when you get a quote online does the insurer ask for proof of your details before issuing the certificate. I'm not talking about no claims bonus. I'm thinking more of proof of your area of employment?? Read more
My air conditioning isn't...
Going into work this morning it was icy cold, but while driving about it seems to have given up the ghost. I use it most days for ten minutes or so, just to keep it working but now there's no difference in air temp between aircon on/off - the light tells me that the aircon is on though.
Spoke to the dealer and they recommend a re-gas at about £30+VAT (local Skoda dealer wanted £90 (!) ). Anything else should be under warranty.
Is a regas likely to fix it?
Sorry about the rambling question, too used to waffling over in Discussion!
thanks in advance,
Lee.
-- Lee Having a Fabialous time. Read more
Air con condensors are often vulnerable to road debris. I've just bought the wife a car with aircon and intend to get down my local "boy racer" store and purchase some of that black mesh they like to mod grilles with. I'm going to fit it infront of the condensor where it looks to be most vulnerable.
you might like to consider doing the same - condensors are very very expensive. If you can't get black mesh get silver and spray it with black hammerite.
Use the mesh with the diamond shape holes, rather than square, so it'll stop smaller stones.
Today while driving my company Transit I was severely cut up by a red Ford Fusion belonging to East Sussex fire and Rescue. He caused me to brake hard. I gave him the benefit of the doubt as we all make mistakes. However, as I followed him up to a set of lights in the straight ahead lane which were red he then executed a lane switch into the right filter which was green and proceeded to turn right. Had there been anything coming up in that lane there would have been a collision.
These vehicles are normally driven very well. However the best bit is that written in large white letters on the rear bumper were the words "Driving down risk in the community"! Pity he doesn't adopt the same approach to his driving.
--
\"Nothing less than 8 cylinders will do\" Read more
You could have wound down the window and asked him "Where's the fire, mate?"
It's like the traffic policeman stopping Stirling Moss and asking him "Who do you think you are, Stirling Moss?"
My Rover 800 has just failed its mot on the natural idle emmissions test.
The mot test station have also informed me that the cat (new one fitted over a year ago has been fitted the wrong way round(direction arrow points to front).
Could this have been the cause , and would fitting it incorrectly have damaged the cat itself??
Any advice appreciated Read more
Hi,
I have been looking an August '97 2.0 LX Auto Mondeo with a mileage of 50k.
I was told that the owner had bought the car in Sep 2000, but took ill just after the purchase. The dealer delivered the car to his house and it has been sitting there ever since.
Obviously I could not get it going as the battery was dead, however the interior is not too bad considering. Exterior is really covered in moss etc but appears to just need a good clean.
I reckon I'm going to need new tyres, belts,suspension bushes, oil, filter, plugs, battery brakes, gearbox oil, maybe a new cat and whatever else!!! Probably about £300 - £500 on parts before any labour. Even at that I don't know if the engine is knackered let alone the gearbox!
Anyone know what it's worth. In reasonable running condition without mot i reckon it would only be worth about £600. What is a fair price??? or should it be going to the scrap yard??
Any thoughts appreciated.
Thanks.
MMussen.
Read more
It's bound to have rusty sills, rear arches and that bit behind the rear door if I know mk2 mondeos. I'd have a good look underneath if I were you.
I had a big argument with someone at work today about pricing cars for sale in private ads. I've always worked on the basis that you ought to think of the very lowest price your willing to take and advertise it at that then either knock nothing off or at the most a measly £50 if that. The other guys argument was people like to think they have a bargain so price it high, give the buyer a big reduction and he walks away thinking he's got one over on the seller.
I think private buyers buy on price first and foremost, scanning the ads for the cheapest then contnuing from there - I know I do! Anything that looks overpriced I tend to ignore.
Who's right? Read more
I would but lots of other people wouldn't - to most people work equals money and if your going to have to pay to get work done you may as well buy the more expensive car that doesn't need work.
Also if you price high you can always come down but one you've advertised a low price you can't put it up again.
I currently own a 05 plate Ford Ka base model, I intend to keep this car for 3 years or thereabouts, and my ideal next car would be a Mondeo TDCI 130 bhp in Ghia x spec, I thought does this make me sad/uncool? aspiring to a mondeo diesel? But ghia x spec has all the toys and I will still get 50mpg!! what more could anybody want?
Any comments would be appreciated
Rich Read more
Leaving aside the usual unaffordable supercars, two (almost) unaffordable classics that would be on my shopping list following the lottery win:
Mercedes 280SE Cabrio W111 (late 60's S Class)
Citroën ID/ DS Cabrio from the same period
I have a 2002 406 HDI 110 which is loosing coolant pretty fast while driving. It seems to loose it out the expansion bottle and the needle sits at 90 all the time on the temp gauge on the dash. This is with a new thermostat fitted too.
I can loose about a litre of water in about 15 miles or so now. It has got progressively worse as the last week has gone on.
Is it common for water pumps to go wrong on these engines, meaning that the water isn't pumped around properly and therfore is getting too hot, causing the pressure to build and it blow the water out the cap?
Any thoughts would be gratefully appreciated.
Thanks in advance
Andy Read more
IF the head gasket has gone, you should have the head skimmed as well to ensure it is perfectly flat. If not, all you will get is another HGF in a few 000 miles.
You can tell a HGF even more simply (and safely).
Feel the top hose with the engine switched off. It should be flexible.
Now start the engine and let it idle. If the HG is gone the hose will feel stiff due to the pressurising effect of the exhaust gasses on the water system.
(best done when engine is throuughly warmed to operating temperature)
madf
My wife and I live in London. I am Welsh, she is French. Her mother has given my wife her 1992 Citroen AX and we have processed the correct forms from the prefecture in Lyon, France for exporting the vehicle. It has temporary plates that we have been told can be on the car for a period of one month before we register the vehicle in the UK.
Problem 1
The car needs to be insured for me to get it from France, but no insurance company will insure the vehicle until it is on UK soil. The French will not insure the vehicle as it is in my wife's name and she lives in London! How do other people do this?
Problem 2
With every car sale (although in this case it was a gift) immediately prior to the car (owner)being exchanged their must be an MOT (or French equivalent - which we have valid documentation of). Do we need to have another MOT when we register the car here? And is there a form I need for customs and excise? (this is not a brand new car)
Problem 3
Is there a way of registering the car as UK plated now? This would make the car British and registered to us here in London, thus allowing us to insure the car for the journey home and afterwards?
If you could help with any os these issues and indeed, if you need to raise any others that I am not aware of, please let me know as soon as possible.
cheers JK Read more
This info is too late to be of use to JK as the car is already registered in his wife's name, but it may help someone else.
Watching a quiz show on French satellite TV last night when a section on motoring and French law came up with the question:
"Whose insurance pays out if you have an accident on the way home with a newly-bought secondhand car you haven't insured?"
Much to my surprise, the answer from the studio experts was that the insurance of the vendor is valid until midnight of the day of purchase.
So anyone buying a car in France can legally drive it home (presumably to anywhere in the EU as insurances are cross-border) rapidly.
If the journey gets hot they might also benefit from a couple of other answers: it is legal to drive in France displaying a naked torso but not wearing thong sandals. And, again to my surprise, no offence is committed if you flash other motorists to warn of gendarme speed traps.
Driving to work this morning on Motorway, an idiot in an Impreza was driving very badly, switching between lanes making people literally swerve to avoid him. This wasn't the usual rush hour driver, this was really bad!
I phoned the police and explained his driving, gave reg number and they said they would see if they had anyone in the area.
I get to the sliproad at end of Motorway (50mph slip) and lo and behold, there is the Impreza crawling along with a Police Discovery behind him. Once they get to the end of the slip road, the blues and twos go on and he is pulled in.
Don't know what was done or said but I must admit I felt quite chuffed that he had been pulled. Don't know if mine was the only call they received, or he had actually been driving badly when he passed the Police but he might drive a bit more carefully tomorrow!
Better that than a death on his hands. Read more
I have to agree. Opinions on how bad the driving is may vary, so I would hate to see people using 999 every time they see something.
Browse
And when making a claim follow the 3 letters rule. As in the 4th letter if it needs to be written, comes from your solicitor.