March 2006
hi all i need 4 new tyres on my car and dont want to spend a lot of money ,i dont really do a lot of motorway driving and just wanted to know if these tyres are any good.
cheers dave Read more
My friends car is a bmw 525touring 1996 e34(i think) apart from buying new alloys so he is`nt tied to £175 a corner michelin tyres,do you know which other models(non bmw)wheels fit?? not sure of the size as he 4got to txt me.
cheers
Ray
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There are other makes that fit but quite often require concentric alignment rings to be inserted to centre the alloy on the centre boss. Made sure these are agood fit or you will be back on here complaining of vibration at speed. Regards Peter
ive got a vento vr6 m reg,im looking for a cat bypass kit,does anyone know where i can one? Read more
Quite common in Germany back in the nineties;most people who bought them,fitted them,but for the TUV test(mot)which is every two years,refitted the cat.
Hi all, hope someone can help here.
My wifes Fiat Punto (2001 ELX Speedgear) has developed a really bad idling and timing problem, which is severly affecting her using it. It starts fine,although it rattles a bit and is a little noisy, but this is a common Punto problem apparently...however after a little while, maybe a mile or so, the engine starts hesitating and juddering quite badly...like a misfire or something...when idling in neutral its not too bad but certainly not right, but as soon as you pull away it almost stalls and just about keeps going, but very hesitantly and juddery...if you try and accelerate more its worse. Its only actually properly stalled once, but seems like its always going to. Hope someone can maybe shed a little light on what the problem might be. Thanks v.much in advance.
Regards, Graeme. Read more
Hi All,
Advice on the following appreciated:
A few days ago I had the rear tyres changed on my 306. Since then, there has been a fair bit of vibration whilst braking. Can anyone confirm that this would be a symptom of poorly balanced wheels please?
Thanks in advance. Read more
A possible is two of the four nuts/bolts are not tight maybe causing either disc or drum (if not secured to hub)to go out of straight untill either pads or shoes are applied to straighten,which would cause it.Just a thought
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Steve
I recently bought a new Mazda3 1.6 TS2 4dr, and bar this one 'fault', am very pleased with the car.
The rear number plate light assembly (mounting plate [?] for the lights [which work OK]) is missing - there is a large hole between the lights in the middle, with several smaller ones dotted around. This indicated to me that they were holes for mounting 'something'.
I contacted my local dealer, who passed the query on to the Mazda technical people (not in Japan). Both indicated this was normal, and that Mazda did not pay much attention to the finish of that area in general. This seemed strange to me, considering their reputation for quality.
Mazda UK has only put the ball back in the dealer's court (not the seller - which was a car supermarket). I have contacted HJ, who reassured me that any problems associated with this (corrosion due to water ingress [also the wiring is visible]) would have shown up by now.
Please would any Mazda3 owners let me know if you have the same 'problem', and any ideas on what to do next.
Best Regards,
Andy. Read more
Aprilia,
When I phoned the dealership, they checked another model in the showroom and it was the same. When I'm next in the area I'll drop in and check with the parts people.
From the shape/configuration of the holes, it looks as though they are for clips to mount the cover plate. Water has got in there (spray from the road) - I just hope it doesn't sit there at the bottom (difficult to see given the location), particularly as there is so much salt/grit on the roads at the moment, which could corrode the metal parts.
Interesting article in today's Sunday Telegraph Business section on the developments in ethanol as a fuel to rival petrol.
www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/20...l
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Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
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Apparently it burns to hot and cooks the valves and seals or the quality control is poor and product can vary so people leave it alone.Even the cars specially built (they have an ALCOOL logo on the boot)for this fuel have the same problem.
We are planning a short trip down to the Toulouse area in mid August, probably going out on a monday and back on thursday/friday to avoid major traffic/people congestion and perhaps get a better deal as well. I know it is peak holiday time and that enquiries like this crop up from time to time but opportunities change, so any advice as to best deals/operators would be most welcome. We will be travelling from the Milton Keynes area and overnighting on the ferry is not advised(ie completely forbidden)by SWMBO.
Many thanks MGs Read more
Try:
www.ferrysavers.com/ for fare deals on cross channel ferries.
Michael
I'd be interested in views on the subject of a minor collision that I've been involved in.
A couple of nights ago, I was following a vehicle towing a large trailer at a fairly slow speed on a fairly busy single carriageway. The trailer (similar to a horse box) was so large that I couldn't see what type of vehcle it was.
The vehicle stopped without apparent warning and I had to brake sharply to avoid hitting the back of it. I was able to stop a few feet short but the car behind didn't manage to do the same. I heard a loud thud but I don't recall feeling any impact.
The driver of the car behind and I both got out to see the vehicle in front driving off. In fact the first thing I said to her was the registration number on the trailer so that we would have an opportunity to remember it and write it down.
A quick glance revealed that the damage to both our cars didn't look too serious so the first thing we did was pull onto the grass verge to avoid any further accidents.
As it was dark and not a suitable place to have stopped,we agreed that we needed to survey the damage in daylight and then get in touch. The other car (a current shape Fiesta) had a damaged number plate and a dislodged radiator grille but I couldn't see any damage to the any metal parts The best case scenario is that the grille can be put back in place and it'll need a new number plate. I'm hoping that the only damage to my own car is more or less cosmetic: I have a couple of impressions in my plastic rear bumper, I think where the number plate edges or screws hit, and a row of much finer scratches, in an area the width of a number plate. I've pressed down on the bumper and pulled up from below it and it seems as solid as ever. I'd still like to have it checked by a garage before travelling any distance though.
I've been led to believe that pretty much any rear collision is considered to be the fault of the driver behind, the assumption being that everyone should be driving with a sufficient gap to be able to react to the vehicle ahead doing something unexpected.
Although I didn't hit the back of anything myself, I can't help feeling that blame for this incident is shared: the driver of the vehicle in front for stopping unexpectedly by the side of a busy road (but he may have had a valid reason), me for having to brake sharply because I didn't react quickly enough, and the driver of the car behind for the same reason and for not allowing a sufficient safety margin to allow for such possibilities. To have done so little damge, the car must have been almost at a halt when it hit me and within inches of being able to stop safely.
The driver in front certainly shouldn't have driven off without our having the opportunity to speak to him. There's an outside chance that he wasn't fully aware of what was going on behind, but whether he heard the impact or not, it's hard to believe he didn't see us get out of our cars.
The other driver, who can't have been much more than 20, was apologetic, reasonable and possibly a little shaken by the incident. Perhaps I was more shocked than I realised at the time but I continued my journey as I only had a few more miles to go. I'm still very relieved that the incident wasn't a lot worse and that I didn't hit the trailer, especially if it had livestock inside.
My feeling is that, unless the damage is signficantly more serious or expensive to fix than it looks, the fairest and simplest outcome would be for each of us to pay for the damage to our own vehicles and forget about the incident. If we were to do this, are we under any obligation to involve our insurance companies? How would I answer the question of whether I'd been an accident that was my fault now?
I have the other driver's details but haven't heard from her or contacted her myself, so I'm wondering what to do now, and what to say when I speak to her.
Any thoughts? I'm sure there must be issues that I've missed here. Read more
Dual carriageway. I'm overtaking a stream of cars. JUST before I
reach one of them - as in about ten feet -
he pulls out in front of me, into the overtaking lane.
His speed is significantly lower than mine, brake skid bang. I
wasn't speeding.
Yes he signalled, at which point I hit the brakes, so
was already slowing as he pulled out - but the closing
speed was too great. Nobody hurt, fortunately, but my car written
off.
Was that my fault?
Yes. Court case, four points and due care on my licence
now. It's ALWAYS the fault of the driver behind even in
face of the laws of physics.
I've read this thread a couple of times and I can't seem to get my head around this message. Did the driver who pulled out get prosecuted as well ? Surely if a driver indicates and then immediately pulls out, (evidently without looking), they must be at fault here?
2003 Vauxhall Astra Estate..Can anyone please oblige me on the easiest way to change the brake fluid..
Can it be pumped out of one bleed nipple or does it have to be done on each nipple..Thankyou Read more
Dave Ahhh I see what you mean. However I would still not blow compressed air through a braking system, but everyone to his own. Regards Peter
Browse
I've never used Nankang so can't comment on them. I can add my recommendation for Kumho Ecsta though.
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=28...4
Kevin...