March 2006
I intend to change the pads on my niece's car at the weekend. Any special tools/hints required? Read more
It always intrigues me when an employee chooses a car that someone else is paying for. Some have a budget, where as others have a list. The trouble taken to choose the best car then involves so many considerations, some ask friends or pose the question on the web. Factors they consider include which is better to drive, which engine or level of equipment to get, the colour, the tax for benefit in kind and other things that affect them as an individual.
Rarely do they consider the running costs, servicing costs, or depreciation. These are very important factors that people who use their own money always consider.
I always love to ask if they would have bought the car with your own money? Also would you have bought it new or secondhand? Rarely is the car what they would have spent their own hard earned money on. This shows that it is a big benefit that they are in receipt of.
Many company car drivers should be brought back to reality once in a while. To me the company car has been used by business as an incentive for employees for far too long. Many companies think it helps their image and show them as being sucessful. My personal point of view is these companies should invest their capital in a more profitable way. The market for new cars is very distorted by the company market, perhaps this is why private buyers are treated so poorly by some franchised dealerships.
To me the biggest single reality check a company car driver can have is when they loose the company car. It always amazes me when suddenly put in this position, many go from a fairly new car to a low priced old car. I always feel sorry for their change in circumstances but it always makes me feel better as I always have to buy cars I can afford. I think for them it is the loss of status of not having a new car that is the most galling for them.
Do you agree with me?
--
Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
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>> - ironic
>> that Gordon Brown is trying to tax out of existence
(hasn't
>> he heard of the golden goose)
Tax out of existance? Not doing a very good job
is he? I think, if you are honest, the tax
situation is pretty favourable, especially for lower mileage drivers.
In my experience it is the low milage drivers who are opting out and buying their own cars - If you are paying 2k tax and doing 5k a year it is 40p a mile tax, with 30k a year it is only 6p a mile on the same car.
The high milage drivers around here see the greater depreciation, more service bills, more tyres, more potential breakdowns etc. and stay in the car scheme.
Hi
Hope someone can cast some light on this.
My son has a three year old Mondeo diesel estate which occasionally fails to fire - normally, but not always, when it a been run that day already. After two or three failed attempts it will start perfectly.
The firm he bought it from have checked the glowplug relay and changed the glowplugs, but this hasn't helped. They cannot find any fault on it and it behaves itself whilst in their hands.
Yesterday it cut out at low revs also whilst pulling across traffic, so this obviously needs sorting.
Anyone any ideas? It has me stumped completely - have looked for airleaks and loose/dirty connections with no success!
Regards
John Read more
Does the glow plug light flash on the occasions it wont start? If so it is an ECU issue, a reload/update should do it.
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4824088.stm
I wonder if Ford will follow... Read more
I really couldnt resist...
www.ford.com.vn/English/mondeo132cd/noithat.asp#
look at the last pic of the interior...
a tissue dispenser!!!
I can't work out if this is going to help or hinder.
Any opinions?
Electronic Service Delivery for Abnormal Loads
A new website to help haulage companies plan their journeys when moving abnormal loads has been launched by the Highways Agency. The ESDAL (Electronic Service Delivery for Abnormal Loads) website, aims to cut bureaucracy making it easier for companies to find out who to contact when they need to inform the police and highway authorities about moving large loads.
Currently some 400,000 abnormal indivisible loads (AIL) movement notifications are made to the Highways Agency and 1.5 million route assistance requests made to the police each year, resulting in a significant administrative burden for all parties. Difficulties also arise for hauliers in identifying exactly who to contact prior to moving a load due to changes to contact details, de-trunking orders and area boundaries.
The site offers an on-line mapping system for hauliers to plan their route, and will automatically generate an up-to-date list of the authorities they need to contact. These easily identifiable contacts will ensure more accurate notifications, safer movements and help to simplify the current system. A further three phases will be introduced to the website in due course. These will streamline the process for the police and relevant authorities who ensure that the proposed route is suitable, taking account of the impact on traffic and the bridges to be used, to manage notifications.
The website has been developed for the Highways Agency by Serco Integrated Transport and is designed for all parties involved in moving of abnormal loads.
The four phases of ESDAL delivery are:
Phase 1: Information Website
This is the phase that has just been launched. Hauliers will be provided with a route planning system showing contact details of all structure owning authorities and police forces who need to be notified of AIL movements. The haulier will be able to log in, sketch a route on the multi-scale maps, and the system will then identify who needs to be notified.
Phase 2: Special Orders Routing System
Will help to process special orders more efficiently for hauliers by providing the Highways Agency AIL Team with a system that has improved data and routing software.
Phase 3: On-line Notification
Hauliers will be able to use a "virtual postal service" to notify all AIL movements to the relevant infrastructure owners and Police by web, e-mail or fax. The system will store each notification and proposed route, and enable the appropriate agencies and authorities to assess the route through their ESDAL interfaces.
Phase 4: AIL Movements Portal
Extending the functionality available in phase 3 by providing an assisted route-planning tool encouraging hauliers to use standard or pre-qualified routes.
To use the site, hauliers need to complete an ESDAL registration form which can be downloaded from the website, or obtained by sending their company name and address via email.
Read more
Electronic Service Delivery for Abnormal Loads
A new website to help haulage companies plan their journeys when moving abnormal loads has been launched by the Highways Agency.
>>
A search on the Highways Agency site fails. Wonderful!!!
www.esdal.com/ gets the info
And the Home button takes you to, guess what, The Highways Agency.
P-reg Nissan Almeira. What's the correct technique for starting these "new-fangled" fuel injection cars? (I have previously driven carburettor cars).
When I start up in the morning, I first turn the ignition half on for a couple of seconds. You can physically hear the fuel pump start up and send fuel to the front to "prime" the injectors. Then I fire up as normal, keeping my foot off the accelerator.
But a mate at work reckons I should just fire up straight away -- the injectors don't need "priming", there is enough residual fuel.
Thanks,
Mike Read more
Looks like you recommend a short wait for the pump to prime.
Mike
Hi all,
The windscreen is beginning to smear. Need new wipers.
I'd usually just go to the Skoda dealer and get the Skoda ones, but would I be better off just going to Halfords and picking some up? If so, which ones?
I just want quality, even the dealer ones are only £25 a set.
Any advice, as ever, much appreciated
Lee -- Without bills, magazines and junk mail, there is no mail Read more
C4.....Noticed the blades on that
are about six foot long each
Wow!
--
L\'escargot.
I have a Pug 205 Cabrio and the boot strut has lost all its power so the boot won't stay open. None of our local breakers has one and the local Pug dealers want an arm and most of my leg for a new one. Does anyone out there know if the strut was used in another model Pug or any other car? Read more
As I don't anticipate keeping the car all that much longer I am a little reluctant to splash out on a brand new strut. The idea of having the old one "recharged" had not occured to me-nice one.
It has also been suggested to me that the strut from a 306 sedan is the same. Anyone throw some light on this?
I'm looking for a replacement for my old trusty Subaru Justy.
It is got to be about a R/S/T reg up to £1800
My choices are :
1.3 Justy (my other one has been brill - if a little agricultural)
1.3 Micra
1.3/1.4 Polo
1.4 Golf (maybe a bit big)
1.1/1.3/1.6 106
or
1.1/1.4 Saxo
I think that is my list to consider.
Does anyone have any views? or alternatives I should be looking at. The only prerequisites are that it must have 5 doors and be relatively cheap to insure. The Justy is useful for one main reason and that is that we live on the edge of Dartmoor and the 4wd mode has been very good when it has been icy.
I think the Justy/Polo and 106 are my main considerations. I also like the 206 but it's a bit new for my budget.
Many thanks
Phil
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Oooh. Another notable thought! Rover 200's. You should be able to get one of the last 200's with any engine and good spec for this price.
Dear backroomers
I am trying to sell a 1997 Volvo S40. Its priced at £600 and advertised privately with 11months MOT/2 months Tax. The thing is, I have had about 5 calls and the first question every time is 'whats the mileage'. I tell them 105k. Most have just basically said 'thanks but no thanks'.
If we do get to subsequent questions, we get questions like 'How many owners has it had ?' 'Is there an FSH ? What do you guys think ? Its all frills and no substance.
If its an older car the questions should be 'whats the bodywork like ? How does it run ? Any starting problems ? condition of tyres ? ...Or is that too sensible ?
Your thoughts would be appreciated. Cheers.
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People are a little too obsessed by mileage, probably due to being brought up with it as the sole yardstick of a cars value. This obsession belongs to the bygone age of the 1960's when a car that had done 55000 was past its best and probably in need of a re-bore etc.
The only thing I can say is given the engine/drivetrain reliability of cars now, emphasize that the car runs and drives well according to any standards, and that the buyer should buy what they see, not a mileage readout !
I think what you are asking is fair, but I would put the mileage on the add to filter out the time-wasters looking for a Ferrari for pocket change !
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Its her fast driving in the suberbs of London, I believe!