September 2005
Or where did the British motor industry go to? Answers on postcards only.:-((
Phil I
tinyurl.com/bkslu Read more
I am looking to fit a K&N airfilter to a 1992 Mercedes 190E 2litre. It has mechanical fuel injection and I have been told they don't make a K&N to fit. It looks like a bolt-on unit would fit but does anyone know if it can be done? Read more
I had an old Citron 2CV once that needed the sponge air filter to be washed in white spirit, and re-oiled. Seems a sensible idea, ecological etc. In practice its very messy, time consuming, and I had doubts about the efficiency of it compared to paper. If the 190 is like the W124, then there is a temperature sensor in the air filter body. If you loose this the engine mixture etc will be out.
Get a new one from a breakers = £10 + £13 filter at Euro Car Parts and all is well. Life is not about the complexities and seductiveness of air filters. Why bother about an expensive filter that will add nothing. If it did, Mercedes would grasp it willingly.
Hello
Not sure if this forum can help, I know it's not for getting quotes, etc(!), but I've been told I've been ripped off.
My car recently needed a new clutch and gearbox and the total job was £844 - clutch £123, gearbox (reconditioned) £464 + 7 hours labour & gear oil.
Can somebody tell me why the gearbox is reconditioned and what the difference is between that and a new one - is it price? I also have a guarantee from a company called MJS (www.mjs-services.com - does anybody know them?).
I also had the head gasket done last year for a total cost of approx £600 all in. Was this a rip off?
Also - this sounds v. dodgy to me - somebody said they could have done the job with parts from a scrap heap for £450 all in. But surely scrap heap parts aren't the same thing!? He's screamed blue murder that they are. That a reconditioned gearbox is exactly the same as going to the scrap heap and getting one out of a dead car there. I would have thought that you can't possibly know the quality of a scrap heap part other than to see if it's seized or buy it then take it apart to check the individual parts for wear. Even then, it's surely not the same as reconditioned? As for the clutch, same question - surely you couldn't trust a clutch off a scrap heap car the same as you would new? Confused!
I have to say that personally I trust my garage but not being a mechanic I wouldn't be able to say either way. I stick with the same garage for everything - is this a mistake? I thought it would be better to build up a good relationship with one garage rather than nameless mechanics at several garages? I'm a woman - not that that means anything, but it's been suggested to me that I've been ripped off as a woman who knows nowt about cars (true).
Cheers, RO?
p.s. I've had the car from new & have personal reasons for wanting to keep the car.
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Hi I can tell you about my experience of getting a recon gear box I didnt go to my local garage I found one in Glasgow that did the job for 400 pounds for the recon gear box and labour they fitted the clutch in exchange for the old one. They also changed the gearbox oil after 250 miles and its still going after 20 000.
I think its better to shop around a little. The reason you get a recon gear box instead of a new one is the cost I would think a new one if you could get it would cost you thousands, with a recon one they would rebuild it and replacing worn parts its as good as new.
For what it s worth I don t think you where ripped off because the price you paid would have been the price I paid if I had gone to my local garage. I was lucky to find the other garage that is a specialist in gearboxes.
P.S I am also keeping my m reg rover 214 SEi on the road for personal reasons.
A guess to how much a replacement clutch would be on a 1.8 petrol freelander ? (no it's not mine...) Read more
we can only guess ,why not ring some firm like Quick Fit they will give you a price in the middle there will always be some one cheaper and a lot dearer
Not too many around, just yet, from, Police, but Enfield BCA have 3 tomorrow...2002 registered, 5 doors, in white, & 153170 ,161929 or 108867 Miles,
So how much do you reckon???
I'm not going tomorrow, so anyone else who is can report, or price guestimates on a postcard please!!
VB
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Approx £300 would pay for the holes to be repaired.
My Mazda 626 diesel is due it's 108k service which includes the cambelt change. Talking to an independent garage today they suggested that it might need the tensioners changed even though they are not a service item. The tensioners will cost an extra £120 on top of the £430 they want for the service. So what sort of life should I get out of the tensioners before they need changing?
The local Mazda garage want £580 for the same service (price excludes tensioners). I'm tempted to go with them even though it does seem very expensive for an older car. The independent have a habit of finding something extra to charge me for bringing them close to the price of the main dealer anyway. Also it seems that the main dealer are better at fixing problems. They fixed my handbrake on their first attempt after the independent garage had failed twice to fix the same problem. I'm not sure I should trust the independent with the cambelt change either. Thoughts anyone? Read more
Does anyone out there know what the capacity is of the power steering fluid system in a 1.3 Ford Ka?
I have checked the owners manual but it doesn't tell you! :( Read more
Close relative of mine has asked me to source her a replacement car.
She does about 6k miles a year and wants a 5-door hatch bigger than a Polo, but no larger than a Focus. The car is mainly used for short suburban/rural trips and taking three kids about (eldest is 6' tall and the other two are pretty tall too). The car should be new or 'nearly new' (i.e. 6k miles or less) and around £8k.
I initially thought about the Toytoa Yaris' that are being sold at a good discount (new one due soon, I gather), or maybe a nearly new Mitsi Colt hatchback. But then I thought about the Kia Rio that HJ recently reviewed. The 1.5 Diesel sounds so good. Has anyone actually compared this car to a Yaris 'in the flesh'? Also, anyone seen this advertised through a broker as yet? Maybe its so new and likely to be in demand that it won't be 'brokered' for quite a while? Read more
dear aprilia does your relative enjoy her driving.what about an old shape ford focus zetec 1.6. the best drive for 8k bar none.
Hi there,I have a question regarding repairs carried out under a warranty.
I took a vehicle in for a repair to the engine when there was about 5 weeks to go on the warranty.Dealer agrees the work and proceeds to strip the engine.8 weeks later engine is still in bits,needing parts from the manufacturer and the vehicle is now out of warranty.
Of course,the repair is still ongoing,but when it comes back with the engine having been stripped and rebuilt,how long should the dealer warrant the repair.
If I take it away and the engine blows up a week or a month later,who pays.
What is a reasonable period and what should I expect.
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Under normal circumstances the warranty for the parts used and repairs which should have been undertaken five weeks before it expired should be extended for that same length of period because the work was not completed in reasonable time.
You should not be placed in a situation whereby you are worse off when it is not your fault. You have also been without the vehicle for a considerable time.
I would get the garage concerned to put a mutually agreed warranty extension in writing before you drive the vehicle away, then there is no cause for it to try and dodge any potential future problems.
If necessary contact the manufacturer as well pointing out the circumstances.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
Daughter has an Ibiza, X reg, which I helped her buy some months back at about 35k miles. When I test drove it, it was noticeable that the clutch was quite hard to depress, and the bite point was very high. The guy said the clutch had been replaced (receipted) at about 30k miles).
It's now over 50k and well overdue a service, (or at least an oil change). She's learnt to live with the clutch, which isn't any different. However, what's likely to be the cause, and cost of rectification (non dealer..!) Read more
Thx all. When it goes in I'll have the cable swapped. I don't imagine that's a big job...
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I find that it's usually people that get paid considerably more than those that they are belittling that say things like that!
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L\'escargot.