March 2006
Am about to change the oil & filter on my c220cdi - is it done hot or cold or doesn't it matter?
{subject header changed from "Quick question?" to make less vague. DD} Read more
I just topped up the oil in my new car (done less than 5000 miles). The first service isn't due until 12500 miles, but I notice the oil looks very black. It's a diesel (my first) - should I expect 'blacker' oil than with a petrol, or is it best to get an oil change done before the manufacturers recommendation? Read more
Which error?
I received a reply from Cheshire Police (reproduced below) regarding LHD blind spots which provoked quite a few interesting comments (see LHD side swipe). What I would like to know is: just when is it safe to overtake a LHD? From what I have heard from various contributors to this column the answer to that question is probably 'hardly ever' as these vehicles seem to be totally unpredictable in many cases.
So; what do we do? Well, I would advise overtaking in the third lane in ALL instances. Never mind if you cause a brief interruption in the traffic flow, you may be saving your own life and also the possibility of a major motorway pile-up.
I am responding to your e-mail to our force web site in relation to your sons unfortunate collision. Thankfully he escaped serious injury.
We now have many foreign registered goods vehicles using our motorway system, which have their drivers positioned to the nearside. This restricts the view of the driver to the front offside corner of their vehicle.
I do not know what action we as a service can take to prevent this type of collision occurring as some responsibility has to lie with, usually, the driver of a saloon car overtaking the goods vehicle in lane two. The driver of the car should anticipate that the goods vehicle will soon need to change lanes from lane one to two as it approaches a slower moving vehicle ahead. Many drivers do not anticipate this manoeuvre and hence they become involved in a collision.
Better education of all drivers who use our motorways is needed to prevent this type of collision, which is far less common than other collisions, such as 'nose to tail' shunts caused by people driving too close.
Yours Sincerely,
R.J.Barnes
Inspector Road Policing Unit
russell.barnes'at'cheshire.pnn.police.uk
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you said it bill payer.
i have been on motorway for 10 years, doing around 70K miles p.a.
and have driven like that all the time, obviously very away of traffic up ahead, left 10-20 cars length between me and car in front. or used the 3 second rule.
but it wasnt in a beema, it was in mondeo or vectras or lagunas
Its the way forward!
A friend has just bought a low mileage X reg Astra automatic. It stalls at irregular intervals. Most common event is stopping at traffic lights where the engine dies. I know stalling isn't the correct phrase as you can't stall an automatic. The Vauxhall dealer he bought it from can't find anything wrong but he's got 30 days to get his money back. However, he quite likes the car and would be grateful for any ideas to confront the dealer with. Read more
Most common fault is a dirty idle speed control valve.
Hi
A few days ago i took my VW golf into a tyre place and had the two front tyres replaced and the wheels were supposedly balanced as part of the price, however now when i go over 70 ish miles an hour i get vibration through the steering wheel, which to me indicates the two front wheels are out of balance.
Before i go back and complain and they try to charge me to get them balanced because of ( Fill in excuse here )any ideas of what to tell them? And am i mad or have they not done their job properly.
Cheers guys Read more
they havnt done the job properly
but it could simply be that the weight has fallen off
or that the tyres have slipped on the rim where they haven't been allowed time to bed down properly.
Hi, wonder if anyone can shed any light on this.
My car is a 1995 1.8LX Mondeo. Its old, its done 180,000 miles and going strong enginewise. HOWEVER.
Over the past week, Ive noticed a very annoying squeaking noise which comes from my back drivers side wheel. So.. I thought perhaps the drum mechanisms needed some attention, so I took both rear drums off, and greased up the return springs etc. I replaced the drums, everything was fine, but the squeaking was still there. I sat down and thought about it, and remembered that 6 months ago I had one of rear drum cylinders replaced, and thought that perhaps the other one was on its way out and wasnt "returning" properly.
This does sound plausable.
This however, isnt the main problem. Today, I had 2 new rear tyres fitted. And noticed, that if I drive round a roundabout quite hard and fast ( not dangerously fast!) I get a kind of rubbing/grinding noise from the BACK LEFT passenger side wheel.
Ive taken everything out the boot, and confirmed there is nothing rolling around in the car. Its def coming from the wheel. Both rear wheels have had new drum shoes in the last 6 months.
.*********
Anyone got any ideas?!! I think I need a new cylinder for the other wheel, but what is that grinding noise?
Wheel bearings? I dont know... I dont understand how when the vehicle leans hard to that side that it causes rubbing.
Its not the physical tyre rubbing, Ive checked they are the same size as the ones I had before, Ive never had this noise before.
:S
err help!
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*bump :/
I have been looking to change my car, either for a new or nearly new one, over the last few weeks. I cannot believe the indifference and complacency around - if I was a manufacturer finding sales below par, I'd be fuming to know the quality of representation that is out there.
One main Seat agent who gave me a test drive last Saturday has not phoned me to confirm my p/ex price; the salesperson did not know her product or how to demonstrate/sell it and obviously can't be bothered. An internet seller I have applied to over the web is not prepared to honour its advertised price; it claimed a listed price to be for a new unregistered car, but up to tonight they are still quoting these as dealer supplied cars but in reality they would only do as pre-registered vehicles, and collected from 200+ miles away. Each time I've had to phone them, as they've not return calls they promised to make.
I've now sold my car privately and the Seat dealer has lost my business - they wouldn't have made a much easier sale. It's put me off the brand somewhat.
Are there still good garages about, competitive but professional with a respect for a customer?
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most salespeople who are good at their job can tell a
buyer from a messer
--
\"a little man in a big world/\"
Totally agree.
Many of those who couldn't attract a salesman's interest probably weren't ready to buy. A good salesman can smell the money in your pocket. They are not interested in blokes wandering around asking how many litres the petrol tank holds etc etc. Buyers strolling around in a VW, Merc or BMW showroom and expecting to be treated with 'reverance' and forelock-tugging are going to be sorely disappointed. It'll be a case of 'give us an order or get out' - they have enough customers without having to worry about chasing after you.
If you really want a particular make/model of vehicle then you are hardly likely to be put off by the attitude of a single salesman (more fool you if you are!).
I know that if I wanted a particular vehicle I would telephone around the regional dealer network, check out the car brokers and bargain for the best deal.
Most car salesmen these days don't have very good product knowledge (they don't recruit them from Oxford and Cambridge you know!) - if you want to know the spec and technical details then look in a brochure or on the website.
Need to find the headbolt order and torque settings for a fiat cinquecento, its a 1995 899cc model. Anyone with these they will be greatly appreciated. Read more
Apologies for the confusion.
No need. Who's to say that my info is entirely accurate?
Chaps,
My colleague at work came up with a dead good idea for our corporate event (jolly). Going endurance racing!
I know very little about endurance racing. What he means is racing in a normal everyday car round and round a grass track, i.e. how they destroyed the under £1500 coupes on Top Gear.
Does anyone know where this goes on in within a hour of Bristol? I'll do a google myself, i just wondered if anyone knew.
Now the main question for discussion: what is the optimum car for driving around a grass track for a large number of laps with, er, contact. Petrol or Diesel? FWD or RWD? Mondeo or Sierra?
My favourite would be a MkII Granada, but I doubt i'll find one. I have a contender, but i'll keep it under wraps until i get some response.
Budget - as cheap as possible!
TIA Read more
Mare, your proposed race sounds like it will be the best fun you can have on 4 wheels, I am most jealous, keep us posted how it goes!
The Saab sounds like a good bet too - with the solid bumpers in the old Volvo style!...
My first car after Uni was an old Audi 80 quattro, when it finally died (wheel came off when driving home from work), I got it bodge-fixed and ended up selling it spares/repair. I was wanting to take it banger racing, but they wouldnt allow it because it was 4 wheel drive. The traction could have been an unfair advantage on the muddy track, but I dont think it would have taken a lot of crash damage in the condition it was in!
Hi guys, don't know if anyone is still around tonight but...
My old golf has just failed it's MOT today on a worn suspension arm thing. 92pounds plus VAT to replace it, and some more to realign the steering afterwards, apparently. 142 total including VAT. I took the car in for a service and MOT.
Now, do i just say yes? i.e. does that price sound about right? Or am i possibly getting sucked into paying for work that doesn't need to be done. If it was just a service, then i'd be right to be careful, but an MOT is completely above board....right??????
Get 2nd opinion or just trust and go ahead? I told the bloke to give me an evening to think about it!!!
many thanks
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I know the chain you are on about - I used them once to fit a complete exhaust and 2 tyres, price was the best in the area for the work but then they tried to tell me i needed 2 rear cylinders and a wheel bearing - none of which needed doing, So they may get more business on things like tyres if they are the cheapest, but other then that I will steer clear - It could of course be the individual branch rather then the chain, but my feeling is they are all on bonuses so all look to get as much work as possible.
Browse
I can't imagine why you would do this rather than just unscrewing the filter and launching it into the bin, as you need to put the new filter on anyway.
Some people.