January 2006
Looks like Yes Car Credit stock is being sold at BCA Walsall on Saturday 14th Jan. Posted it here because its a Saturday sale and so 'private punters' should be able to get there. Apparently there will be 300+ cars. Not all their stock was rubbish, there might be a few bargains. Read more
A small question to put to the combined Supercomputer-esque might of the Backroom.
A wiper blade on the Barchie has, unbeknownst to me, come adrift from its metal frame. Whilst in use the frame has been in contact with the windscreen at the top of its ´sweep´, rather than just the rubber blade. This has resulted in a nasty scuff on the windscreen - annoyingly in the driver´s line of vision. It looks a bit like a mucky smear but is in fact a surface scuff on the glass. It´s about 2" by 2" so enough to annoy.
Following me?
So the question is - what can I use to remove aforementioned scuff? If it were a paintwork blemish I´d get the T-Cut out, obviously, but I doubt this´d work on the glass. What stuff should I use to ´polish out´ this kind of superficial glass blemish?
Cheers in advance.
Barchettaman Read more
Even if it has, I doubt you'll ever look through that part of the screen if it's at the very end of the wiper sweep.
Well, passenger one, a small one - can it be fixed ? Read more
Looks like a cigarette then a te4ar, BTW - the back seats have dog scratches !
My daughter's 1997/8 1.4 306's electrics are playing up again. The erractic idle was the coil pack as Screwloose suggested. The garage also replaced the fuel pump relay and idle control valve as that was apparently jammed.
Last night the radio kept on cutting out, then the headlights flickered, instruments went from 0 to full scale but the engine kept on running fine. Then it cut out and eventually restarted. This morning it would not start. Now it will. I am going to see it tomorrow. Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I should start looking. My first thought was the dash earth, does this make sense and where is it?
Many thanks in advance.
John Read more
I checked all earths with a voltmeter, no problem. The car ran fine until we switched on current loads when it played up. I then pulled all conections and found that the body to earth connection on the gearbox had broken but appeared OK and made contact until the engine moved or the current increased. A cheap fix for once!!
A few years ago I wrecked the engine of a Rover diesel, driving it thru stupidly deep water; now I read into todays's DT, of a driver who has ruined the engine of a Picasso in 2 inches of water. Why is this? All cars need air and one doesn't read about petrol engines sucking air thru their intakes so why do diesels have to have low set intakes and what is the alleged advantage? Read more
Had this problem with an `84 Escort Diesel van. Wife drove thru flood, and big beastly 4x4 coming other way swamped engine which seized. Luckily she had stopped with prudence, and engine only ticking over when locked.
Towed home by VW T2 van (lots clearance), and took out injectors with suitable spanner. Turned over engine by starter - massive spray of water ex injector holes. Changed oil, replaced injectors, Escort ran another 100,000 miles no problems.
BUT! Asked postman (same van) if they knew answer?
Advice: remove pipe to air intake by LS headlight. Bend back, and fix to bulkhead top of engine compartment, where water would not get in. Easy Mod.
Postman quite right. Same mod for all diesels a good thing.
It`s only the petrol engines which benefit from air in from low front of car. Diesels don`t mind - they don`t get that hot anyway.
Any local garage would do this for you. As I said, that Escort diesel did another 100,000 miles. It got knicked, however in the end (inside job?) it was thought to get the engine for another van like that; without mod, another flood?
AS
The car has developed a wobble which is most noticeable at slow speeds. Appears to be in sync with wheel rotation, but alloy wheels are not damaged. Where do I start looking?
Tyler
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>>Wheel wobble is at low speed from walking pace upwards
sounds like tread out of line with tyre over small area,this forces the car to wobble.
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Steve
I have a 1998 SEAT Alhambra 1.9tdi with 60K miles and a sad looking interior from 5 years of family (ab)use. I bought the car for £11K with 10K miles in 2000 and would like to replace with a tough diesel family vehicle (car or alternative)with low miles for 10-15 grand. My kids are now a little older (9,8,5). Any ideas?
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Have a look at the Kia Carens too. Drives nicely and surprisingly good in comparison wirh Grand Scenic, etc etc
Hello again, my indicators have stopped working and I have been told that the relay for these is part of the hazard light switch and so I'll have to buy a new switch. Can anyone confirm this or give me some other way of testing to find the fault?
Thanks in advance
Ritz-dog Read more
Sorted! The relay is built into the Hazardlight switch (cost cutting I guess). Replaced entire switch for just shy of £16 and evrything is hunky dorry again. Thank you Haynes Manual
I am sure this has been covered before but can't find it searching.
Son was sick in car yesterday (typically after 5 hours driving he was sick a mile from the house).
As soon as I got back I cleaned seat with baby wipes, then used car upholstery foamer cleaner but today seat still has sick smell on it. I have put shake n vac on it but that hasn't made much of a difference. Can I get rid of the sick smell or do I need to just make the seat smell of something else?
Anyone any ideas? Being a Scenic, I have removed the seat and it is now in my living room so not restricted to only being able to work on it in the car. Read more
>>once the Neutradol etc have worn off!>>
It won't "wear off" - it kills the bacteria that causes the smell...:-)
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
Why do some car makers use cam belts and other chains, why is it that certian German marques use plastic on such critical components such as cam belt pulleys and belts? then when they switch to chians the design them so the oil feed is poor - is it basically to make more cash in service and repairs? any replies welcome, thanks. Read more
I've learned how to change the Renault's bulbs now, since another went last week. You need to be prepared for a few scratches on your arms and generally you need the dexterity of a chimp to do it but it's a nice feeling saving the money.
Browse
I thought that about Saturday auctions also until I went to one. Crowds were down compared to Wednesdays auction from the same company. There seemed to be the same number of ordinary private persons but very many fewer dealers. Some of the cars were ones that had been passed in on the previous Wednesday. What really surprised me was that prices were actually down. I had never expected that. OK there were ordinary punters there, me included, but most of them were not going mad with money. I ended up buying on a Saturday and I think that I actually got a better deal. I had been doing my homework and had gone to about 10 auctions before that so I had a reasonable idea of the prices. I think that I got a good deal. I paid about seven hundred less than I would have paid for the same vehicle, age and mileage on the previous Wednesday.
When you think about it, if the prices were higher on Saturdays then the auctions would be held then and not during the week. The fact that most auctions are held during the week would look like evidence that you can't sell for more on weekends. I agree that there are special cases such as heavily advertised auctions obviously aimed at the clueless but I am talking about routine regular auctions.
The moral of this is check out the prices before you buy, keep your head, and don't take anything for granted. The auctions I went to were in Perth, Australia but it may well be the same in the UK. If you don't go you won't know.