April 2006
I was looking at a Alfa 166 on E bay and says it is CatD due to a machanical problem ,can this be correct? Read more
Hi, my Saxo has an electrical clicking sound coming from behind the glovebox area. Its like the sound I get when the wipers first come on, not sure if this is the sound a relay makes?
However, everything in the car is working fine. Sometimes the clicking can be very intermittant (minutes in between clicks) other times its constant.
I have checked the fusebox and no sign of scorching or any indication that anything is amiss. If this is a relay, is there any one in particular it is likely to be, bearing in mind everything is working ok and it doesn't just appear when I press a certain button or do a certain thing.
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I had the same thing on my Xantia, I peeled back the rubber flap which covers the aperture in the steering column around the switch and gave it a good blast with WD40 with the long tube fitted. It has lasted about 18 months so far without random ticking.
I assumed that the contacts had collected some copper dust from wear and the WD40 had washed them away, for now anyway!
I have already posted this question in another thread on underbonnet knowledge but it has produced no comment so far. The question is, who is responsible for ensuring that a car is serviced correctly, once it has been handed over to a garage for servicing. Is it the garage or the owner of the car?
I ask this question because our C5 has just been for it's annual service and the garage concerned didn't change the brake fluid, which is required to be changed every two years, and this was last done, by them, in January 2004.
Now, my wife would never have noticed this and I forgot about it until we got the car back. I did mean to mention it to them, so one could say I am as much to blame as the garage is. But am I? Should the owner of the car be completely savvy with what needs to be done, or is it the responsibility of the garage that services the car to make sure that everything is done that needs to be done? Should a garage keep a record of what was done during past services on indivdual cars, much the same way that doctors and vets will do with their patients?
I have to say, in addition, that the service schedule that comes with the C5 is a pig's ear of job, covering a multitude of different vehicles. It's like reading the small print on an insurance policy and most people would not bother to read it and would expect that the dealer, or garage servicing the car, knew what they were doing.
As far as our car is concerned, it means I have to take it back to the garage again next week. Read more
I looking into buying a new Ford Mustang GT and I am pleasantly surprised to find that Ford make these cars with the intention of easy servicing. The vehicle just needs filters and fluids chaged regulary and there is no major service work for 100,000 miles. I am informed that oil needs to be changed every 5000 miles (Filter £10 + Mobil1 at £40) Ford have quoted me £200 + VAT for just an oil change!
I was also informed that providing I use Ford approved parts and carry out the servicing based on their schedule it will not invalidate the warranty either.
We all know why the European manufacturers make servicing and repairs so difficult. (We Europeans do not complain enough about being ripped off) I read somewhere on the forum that one vehicle has to have its front bumper removed to replace a blown light bulb!
I've got a 2000/W Golf 1.6 SE (60k) that I'm looking to replace with the New(or nearly) equivalent.
For private sale I'd try to make it look as new as possible, but for Dealer Trade-In is it worth fixing;
- 10mm bullseye out of direct vision on windscreen (fixed by Autoglass)
- Nackerred original drivers mat, dirty other mats.
- Stone chips.
I've no problem sending £15 to get it thoroughly cleaned inside and out and it's got full dealer service and MOT certificates. Will they look to sell 'as is' or be happy to fix it up themselves at cost (rather than what it would cost me to get the same work done)? Read more
A full set of quite presentable car mats can be purchased from discount stores for around £4.99.
I have a full set of genuine VW rubber mats that I acquired in 1995 and I've kept them when changing cars because they are of such good quality.
One great advantage is that in bad weather such as snow they prevent water from shoes, boots etc reaching the carpets and it's simple to lift them out and get rid of the water afterwards.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
This gen from out of the mist far away....
tinyurl.com/zvget
dvd Read more
IIRC insurance for alcohol related disqualification was outlawed in the eighties. This cover seems to be limited to totting up, particularly for speeding offences.
It's reported this morning that Goodyear are closing one of their Dunlop factories(Tyne & Wear). Read more
The old East German factories??
No Fulda and Continental
Hi, have to service a friends 2003 Ford Transit Torneo 1998cc Turbo Diesel mini-bus today. That's all fine but can anyone tell me how to turn out the service light pls? I want to turn it out NOT blow the bulb, but don't have FORD tool to do this......and as it's not a digital odometer the holding in the trip button, turning on ignition, is no good!!! Thanks all. Read more
yes that is how you reset the i must have done this about a million times and you have to hold your feet on the pedals for about 20 to 30 seconds i always hold the pedals down then turn the ignition on wait for the light to flash then turn it all off.
I own a Vectra Sri 04 2.2 Direct.Is there a noticeable difference when filling up with the Super Unleaded? if there is,what is regarded as the best brand? Shell Optimax? Read more
I know there have been tests which say only high performance engines benefit from super unleaded but I not sure. I had a Civic 1.4 and I agree that there was no performance difference but the engine did run far smother especially at lower revs. I did get more miles with Optimax when compared with regular unleaded and was happy to pay more for the more relaxing drive. I know others who think exactly the same who have never went back to the normal stuff.
I have a toyota yaris 1.4D year 04. I have just had it serviced and i need two new tyres. I didnt get the toyota garage to fit them as I know it will cost me. The tyres it has on at the moment are
175 65 R14 82T. As i am a girlie i dont really understand what all this means. I dont want to get ripped off from a garage. I could get a friend to help me change them or is it better to go have them fitted somewhere properly
Any helpful sugestions
p.s I live in the nottingham/leicester area so any local fitters reccommended.
thank you
Louise Read more
My favourite in Nottingham is ETS (Eden Tyre Sales)
There are a few branches about, and one in Derbyshire. They are always cheapest for mine (for same tyre)
Just been told by official Suzuki dealer that I need new brake discs -covered by warranty- on my Ignis sport (car bought from new, 2 yrs old, 11000 miles).
How is that possible (aren't discs supposed to last a lot longer ?) Read more
Once steel (and some other metals) has been hot, especially in air, it can take on a colour. Scroll down the web page below, and look at the swarf for example.
Sometimes, you see discolouration like that on brake discs, especially if there has been either a caliper sticking, or a thickness variation of the disc.
members.optushome.com.au/terrybrown/HeatTemperChar...l
The discolouration has its uses, it can be used after an event to diagnose how effective heat transfer paths work. I have used it in the past to help set up cooling fluid supplies for a difficult grinding process. The discolouration pattern on the parts effectively showed me that the cooling solutions used by the client company concerned weren't really working.
Number_Cruncher
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Thanks for the replies