November 2005
I have just returned from a holiday touring France in my motorcaravan and have noticed some rather strange behaviour on the part of many motorcyclists.
After overtaking, they extend their right leg and shake it slightly. Does anyone know the significance of this gesture?
Michael
Read more
Hello all
I'm helping to set up a small independent car dealership and am working on our marketing plan amongst other things. We are wondering what are really good incentives for getting customers to come along to the dealership? Do any spring to mind to you? Especially with serious, savy drivers type customers in mind? Have you ever come across some really good incentives that have tempted you down to your local dealership?
Your thoughts would be really appreciated.
Many thanks Read more
Make time for everyone that comes through your door. The chap at Mumfords in Plymouth did exactly that when I needed a valuation for my late mother's Almera. He gave me 15 mins of his time to offer a dealer valuation and a private sale estimate on headed notepaper. He knew he was not going to get a sale then, so imagine his pleasure when he sold me a brand new van!
The same dealer offer very good after sales service, even to the point of lending me a van FOC when mine went in for accident repair for 10 days.
From one extreme to another, one salesman at another dealership in Leicester wouldn't allow me to even look at a car, let alone test drive it - unless I actually agreed to buy it!
The fact of the matter is your salespeople aren't going to close every enquiry with a sale, however they will market your dealership and its approach to customers. Today's window shopper may be today's telegraph and tomorrow's buyer.
In the same way I don't get evey job I quote for in my business (I'm in home improvements), if I did I couldn't cope with the workload! But I build a rapport with the client base, and that spreads. Indeed I often find myself doing other work for clients who've turned down quotes.
Most importantly, good luck!
Just been looking (for three seconds) at the Nissan ad above.
Surely the Note is a Renault Modus in disguise?
--
Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive? Read more
No, its not going to be called the tone in the UK.
It seems that for the UK market, it is going to be replaced with the David -- which won't even be called a Nissan. Instead it will revive an old brand name, possibly Datsun.
Desite the different label, the David will share the same basic design as the Tone, with similar qualities inclusing the cheesy grin and some vague platitudes spun carefully in all directions. Handling charcateristics are expected to be very similar, with a perception of great progress masking relatively low performance.
Insiders refuse to confirm whether the Datsun David will have a damaged air intake, or whether its ventilation system has been reinforced to cope with the needs of the Colombian market. They stress instead that this a NEW model ...
I won a Ford Mondeo and my heating system was working very well. Suddenly it just stopped working. I have check all fuses all fuses are ok. The Motor rotates.
Can some one help Please.
Rgds
Moto
Read more
Fairly common prob on older Mondeos is wiring loom/connector to motor burning out. Is there a buring smell? Upgraded part is available from dealer.
The hybrid vehicle world seems to be advancing at a gathering pace now.
On CNN's news website a report states that Ford intends to increase its production of hybrids ten-fold by 2010, to 250,000 units. By then it hopes to offer hybrid versions of half the models in its range.
Toyota has already announced that it plans to offer hybrid options throughout its range. Presumably that would render the Prius redundant.
Recently I overheard a Toyota Prius owner in a car park telling an interested passer by that it did 60 mpg.
I think hybrids will initially replace automatics, since they do the same thing - they provide a gearless, clutchess drive. Autos and hybrid transmissions are both costlier than manual gearboxes but whereas the conventional planetary + torque converter auto uses more fuel than a manual, the hybrid uses much less except in most conditions.
Cheers, Sofa Spud Read more
I've heard a possible 10 year battery life for hybrids mentioned. If this is the case, given an average car life of 15 years, maybe a cheaper, shorter-life reconditioned battery might see a hybrid through to its final journey.
Does making the electrical bits hurt the environment any more than making clutches and gearboxes, I wonder?
Ultra-capacitors are being investigated as energy storage devices to replace batteries for hybrids, as are hub motors which are more efficient 'regenerators'.
Also, I'd imagine, hybrid-specific engine designs might evolve.
Since the engines work at optimum, near constant speeds (except in Honda types), low speed torque and engine flexibility are less important. Also no drivetrain to transmit vibration, only engine mountings. So maybe 3-cylinder engines might be sufficient for Golf sized cars.
Cheers, Sofa Spud
Hot news...(BBC website)
A woman who took 33 years to pass her driving test and spent tens of thousands of pounds in the process has bought her first set of wheels.
Venida Crabtree, of Cowley, Oxford, qualified in July at the age of 50 after starting lessons in 1972 aged 17.
The former publican believes it took her at least 40 attempts, at a cost of £27,000 with seven instructors.
Mrs Crabtree took to her second-hand 980cc Suzuki on Wednesday, freeing her husband of a life as her "chauffeur".
"She's driving for the first time today and I'm no longer the chauffeur," said Ralph Crabtree, 53, who drives for a living as part of a delivery service.
Mrs Crabtree said: "It's fantastic. I'm very pleased."
My comment:
And another person, who patently cannot drive, joins us on the road.
Why does the system let people like this keep on trying?
Other countries such as Germany require a person who keeps failing to undergo psychological tests whereby this would preclude them from driving ever again. Whether they then do so illegally is another matter.
Read more
Going to pieces in a test environment is one thing, but if nothing else then it is a good indicator of type of reaction that will ensue if placed in a testing environment on the road.
If a child runs into the road or another road user suddenly does something dangerous then to have someone in a following car who goes to pieces can turn a dangerous situation into a fatal one.
On a more conciliatory note, if the difficulty lies in the test environment then that should be addressed. I think in Germany it is three fails and a shrink is wheeled in. This womans issues will have been adressed at the fourth attempt and not the fortieth.
In my quest to find my next car, I have hired a 55 reg Mondeo TDCi 130 Zetec with 6 speed box to try it out.
Blooming amazing is all I can say. Drove it on M25 last night, and the torque was unbelievable. Left it in 6th gear, and was cruising along at 70. Needed to overtake, forgot to change down (used to big autos), but the car still accelerated pretty rapidly. Just left it in 6th all the way home, whether I was overtaking or just cruising. The engine, gearbox and chassis are an amazing combination. Kept up with a TT on B road route to office today.
However, what puts me off is the wind noise at speed (new Toyota Avensis had the same problem), the tapered mirrors are not great and the fact that the foot rest is not that well positioned for my size 12 shoes. I had the same issue with the Peugeot 407 last week, where every time I place my foot on the footrest (or lift it up), it catches the edge of the clutch pedal.
I thought it was all hype about the Mondeo TDCi on these boards. I was wrong. Read more
Yeah, the Mondeo is a competent car, but so is a
few other cars on the market. I've been in one (but
not driven), my dads driven a couple, and although not entirely
unimpressed, failed to see why everyone wet themselves with excitement over
it.
My feelings exactly after I took one for a test drive, before we bought our C5. Nice car, certainly, but far superior to the C5, I don't think so.
Hi
'W' Vectra 2.0 TDI
A friend has a Vectra which doesn't like going above 75mph or 3500rpm (one or the other). When it does it goes into "limp home" mode which resets when the ignition is turned on/off.
Similar faults reported on here seem to point to MAF sensor (worth a gamble?). He's waiting to take it to a garage after the 3 months warranty "cooling off" period but I imagine this will cost more than the excess (£25) so I may persuade him that a cheap DIY fix is the better choice!
Engine management light is not working (!) btw. Car seems fine otherwise though it's less economical than the Cavalier 1.7TD it replaced and has more turbo lag.
Threads which seem to come close with similar symptoms:
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=4&t=17...5
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=5508&v...f
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=29957&...f (seems closest!)
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=34043&...f
Thanks
--------------
Mike Farrow Read more
Some of these AI warriors are getting desperate to revive an eighteen year old thread!
Yes - perhaps AI = American Imbecile ? Clearly from t'other side of pond, having 'traveled' ....
Looking to buy a s/h diesel astra estate.
I gather some have Isuzu engines while others have GM engines.
Is one preferable over the other, & if so why? Read more
I'll agree with spikeyhead, except that I would suggest the valve clearances are looked at every 18K, rather than leaving it to 80K - it really does need doing, and isn't a big job. Some garages make heavy weather of the job, but you will be able to tell by how long they estimate the job should take.
Number_Cruncher
The speakers on my w reg omega elite have stopped working. I think its the fuse to the rear amp - but where is it? Read more
From what I understand from reading another forum, the amp only feeds the parcle shelf speakers, hence why your other speakers are still working.
Browse
I live in France...and confirm that the majortiy of bikers use their right leg movement to say 'thankyou' for moving over. However, the 5.000 motorists with burnt out cars are moving both legs to get to work!