May 2006
I have just been reading the Top gear thread and agree with the comments that it seems to be more of the same - way out (but funny) acts on cars (Anne Hathaways car - the Toyboata etc) and a stream of super cars driven at pace round the track.
5th gear is trying to copy and making a complete hash of it - racing a GTI and Octavia backwards - how ridiculous ?
What do you think is the best car programme on the TV now or previously.
My vote goes to Automondial on Men & Motors and the 1st series of C4 driven where they compered 3 cars on the ROAD - (you know Top Gear that place we all actually drive our cars) and then scored them. The cars were all pretty normal as well.
Even that got daft though when the started sumo wrestling the micra. Read more
Im thinking of buying a Reliant SS1 next winter as I owned a Reliant Rialto before and for what it was, it was superb and my local reliant specialist is the type that has died out for the most part ( his prices and customer service is second to none and he will stand and have a chat to you about anything, plus he knows the cars so well its a little scary ).
My question is, has anyone owned or driven one and what are they like?
I dont fancy the Turbo one as the insurance is a little high, but the 1300/1600 ones have Ford engines so should be simple to service etc..
There are three on Ebay at the moment and nobody seems to be bidding very high for them - is it lack of knowledge on what they are etc or are they cheap cars for a reason? Read more
there are 2 for sale on autotrader (national) a white one and a green one have you considered these?
Previously listed problems with Renault diesel engines,3 required on 2 vehicles, within 3.5 years and less than 60,000 combined miles.
After speaking to the AA, they suggested contacting DEKRA, an independant motoring organisation who will do a report costing £195, on the current knackered engine, 2.2DCI, which I then hope to use against Renault for a total refund on the costs, if not take them to small claims court.
Have you had any dealings with Dekra and was it worthwhile. Read more
I can recommend CT Bratley.
Used them for a paintwork claim against Renault, which ended up in small claims court, and went to my favour.
Attracted by the finance offer (£99 down, £99 a month for 3 years) as a PCP on the Smart "Purestyle" base model. Went to Lincoln yesterday and they had one left : Black frame, white panels (Looks like it needs a low profile red roof light bar a crest on each door and "Protect and serve" below!)
Rang around locally, and salesman's story of "no others available in the country" seems to ring true so I've bought it.
Enjoyed the test drive... both son's need something to practice in when they're learning. I shall miss the 'K' plate Audi 80 Avant, if only because it was handy for taking rubbish to the tip! I think that, because they've ceased production, it might be more desirable when I eventually come to sell. I know it will have lost some of it's "fashion" value, but 3 years down the line, if you were offered a Mitsubishi Colt or a Forfour, which would you choose?
Tim{P} Read more
Hmmmm call today from finance director of the garage: would I like GAP insurance and extended warranty for a 3rd year for and extra £16 per month over the three years? No, I wouldn't, thank you. If I want GAP insurance, I'll buy it online for about £140.. but I was SURE I'd read in the advert that all cars registered after 01/04/06 would have a 4 year warranty. He poo poohed this; but, sure enough, on checking the ad tonight, there it is, in white on burgundy... Yet another example of main agents being ill informed; mind you, I think he usually deals with Mercs. What warranty do they give now?
Tim{P}
A friend has a 2 year old Jazz that he has not been able to use for 12 months, due to medical reasons.During this time it has been started occasionally and moved a few yards, so at least the tyres should still be round.
Does anyone have any idea what may have deteriorated over this time and what checks he should make.
Many thanks, Pete Read more
Don't forget to also change the brake fluid.
I had to do an emergency stop yesterday in the dry in my 2.2l petrol 2004 Vectra. The car is fitted with traction control and abs.
What surprised me is that the wheels locked and there was some screeching of tyres before the car came to a stop.
I did not think ABS allowed the wheels to actually stop turning. Is there a fault?
I took the car to an empty factory car park and tried a few manouvers with it.
I found that the front wheels span if too much power was put through them - I thought traction control was supposed to stop that happening.
I also found that it was surprisingly easy to lock the wheels.
BTW the carpark good condition tarmac.
Is this expected behaviour or is the system faulty?
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I would have thought that activating the ABS would have produced
a high frequency judder as the wheels went through a rapid
cycle of alternately locking and rotating, and that this judder would
have been noticeable. Was it?
--
L\'escargot.
Yes it did shudder.
Never felt deceleration like it.
Is it me or is this a cynical exercise to allow dealers the opportunity to charge the earth?
My 1987 Mazda 323 doesn't have a cambelt, the result of which means that even a full service ( oil/filter, coolant, plugs, brake fluid, air filter ) only comes to about £120 if that.
My question is, does having a cambelt really improve the car or is it a money making scheme by manufacturers that they build in when they dont have to?
On that note, I read somewhere that they are now reverting back to timing chains again on the newest cars... Read more
Early Porsche flat-four competition engines had spur gears I believe, and were noisy in this way as well as very expensive to repair.
One of my headlamps has a largish stone chip on it. It's been there for months and no moisture has got inside. The MOT is due soon. Does anyone know the rules?
Chris M Read more
Araldite make a very fast epoxy for glass/china repairs that is supposed to remain clear. BEWARE it's very quick set...30 seconds working time only (at room temp.)
Recently bought a number plate held on a DVLA Retention Certificate . I'm living in Northern Ireland and contacted DVLA NI and enquired about transfering to my car only to be told that the plate would have to go onto a car in Eng/Scot/Wales and then to my car - no direct transfer from the certificate. Has anyone had to deal with this nonsense before? Is it correct?
Bear in mind that NI is part of the UK - my taxes go London not Dublin!
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its been like this since a year last january /february,it is purely to help dvla save money and time in my opinion.
I?ve got a Nissan Primera (2002) ? and a week or so ago the battery warning light came on. The AA came round and found out that the alternator was pumping out 18Volts ? hence the regulator had gone.
Anyway, I took it to a local garage who tried to locate a replacement Alternator ? but couldn?t ? and Nissan wanted to charge £300 plus for a replacement plus fitting!
The garage called me and asked what I wanted to do ? I contacted a breakers yard (via the ?net) who dispatched a replacement Alternator (from 2005 plated wreck).
When fitted, the garage have told me that the Alternator is still pumping out 15Volts (over the 14.5V maximum it should be). They tell me that the only thing that could cause this is another faulty Alternator.
I just can?t believe that I could be so unlucky to get two Alternators with the same problem? Especially as I?m led to believe that Alternators go wrong so rarely on Nissans? To me this suggests another problem.
Any ideas what this could be? Or do I just have to bite the bullet and get another Alternator?
Cheers for any advise!
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who-harr
As oldman says: if there was originally a silver-calcium battery fitted, then "smart" alternators can initially charge at quite high voltages. [Though 18v is a bit too unusual?] Difficult I know, but did they happen to say where they were measuring this voltage; how long for - and is the battery warning light still on with the replacement unit?
If you've got the correct battery; 15+ volts after start-up is perfectly OK. It'll quickly destroy a conventional battery; so you have to be cautious when buying replacements - always safest getting the genuine part.
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I think a few people did: as i understand it, BBC pulled the plug on Top Gear, channel five offered the then presenters (Tiff, Quentin and VBH) a deal and off they went. It even has / had the same producer (Jon Plowman?).
Then depending on the story, either Clarkson and Wilman pitched the idea or BBC realised what they'd done, but either way a totally different programme with the same name got onto BBC2.