May 2006
I'm about a week away from part-exchanging my car at the main dealers for a new car, apart from removing all my tat from the car should I go to to trouble of washing it and cleaning it inside? It's an 8 year old car and definately won't be sold at the main dealers. Read more
Hi all,
Is anyone planning on visiting the motorshow in the docklands this year? Was going to try and get tickets in advance, but does anyone know of any offers on this? Last time in the NEC I saved a few quid through the "Driving" in the ST.
Lee -- You don\'t sell the steak, you sell the sizzle Read more
Went to the excel two weekends ago. Not sure how they are going to squeeze it all in, its not gogint o be as big as the last one I went to at the NEC
Travel to the venue on the DLR folks, traveling by car will be a no no
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
Dear all,
GF's mother has 2000 X Accord 2.0 vtec. Great car in all respects, save that the blower is really pathetic. On full (setting 4), very little air actually comes through the vents. Doesn't seem to make much difference where the air is directed. Is this a general issue with this age of Accord (ie live with it), or is there something wrong that we need to have checked?
Thanks in advance,
Alex.
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Dr Alex Mears
MG BGT 1971
If you are in a hole stop digging...unless
you are a miner. Read more
Thanks. May have another go when i have time.
Hi all
A friend of mine is telling me my W Reg Astra 1.7DTI is pinking, but I'm not so sure.
I hope this isn't a daft question, but would the sound of a diesel engine pinking sound just like a petrol engine pinking?
Would it be fair to say if a diesel suffered from incorrect ignition timing then it would have a more of an audible knock, than your usually pink.
Am I correct, or am I talking nonsense and listen to my mate?
Mobile office Read more
Thanks for all the replies.
This is the 16v Isuzu engine which I think was replaced by the GM one sometime in 2001(ish). Under normal driving it sounds like your usual diesel. But if I labour the engine and try to accelerate at low speeds in to high a gear before the turbo kicks in, then I get this 'noise' at exactly the point where a petrol counterpart would start pinking.
I know this is bad practice, but i've noticed this when I have gone to accelerate in the incorrect gear and it's not been there previously in the last 3 years of ownership.
I'm probably making this too complicated to diagnose now, but the 'noise' sounds to me like a slight squeaking or squealing. Not like a fan belt however, a lot quieter than than that(although I have checked the tension).
I was even thinking about the clutch(??). It's not slipping but it has done 100k and it's the original clutch.
The plot thickens
Mobile Office
So, at the weekend I went on one of my regular runs. Left the house and ran up the pavement with the road on my left. Good line of sight to an approaching bend. A Mercedes CLK soft top (roof up) overtakes me and pulls over to 'my side' of the road.
Driver gets out and leaves door open, and stands talking to (presumably) the owner of the house he had just stopped at.
Now, I can see there is no way through for me, which is fair enough. So I think, ok, take to the road, run around the car and re-join the pavement. Because I'm approaching the bend, I thought I had better hug fairly close to the Merc, although the road is wide, and not a risky manouvere.
I stick close to the Merc, and with perfect timing, the unseen passenger flings her door open right into me. I end up crumpled over the door glass in a heap, passenger yelps and squeals as if an escaped lion had just attacked her. Then, driver and friends stood on pavement launch into a verbal assault etc.
You try to do the right thing, and what do you get?
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let me be the last to let you down.... Read more
>>Some people just treat others with complete contempt, thinking that they can get away with it - its amusing sometimes to show people they can't...
Now that I completely agree with. People should, within reason, be forced to deal with the consequences of their own actions. If you let them get away with it, they'll just keep on doing it.
Just been under my car having a quick look round as the MOT is due in a couple of weeks, and I've noticed one of the rear shocks is leaking oil, is this an automatic MOT fail point? I don't want to have to pay a retest fee, but I'm not in a position to buy some more shocks for a month or so. Read more
Maybe: www.motuk.co.uk/manual_270.htm
3. A fluid leakage serious enough to indicate that the fluid
seal of a shock absorber has failed.
Yes, this is a very pedantic point in the rules, because you may get a very small, but acceptable, leakage past a piston rod type seal, but, typically, no more than a few drops of oil over the lifetime of the damper. You need to be looking very closely to see it!
If, however, you can see oil running down the side of the damper tube, or a damp patch in the dust around the top of damper tube, then it's clear that the seal has failed.
I would be very surprised indeed if the OP has detected an acceptable leak - it's safe to say that the dampers should be changed.
Number_Cruncher
Is this just a cynical ploy to sell more cars?
www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/67138/pound200_a_day_to...l
Building a car causes far more pollution than it ever outputs in its lifetime.
If the SMMT lend money to New Labour's next election campaign they'll probably get the legislation through. Read more
Spare parts - well all cars need spare parts new or old. Owners of older cars tend to make more use of second hand parts rather than new. Both of my cars use the same amount of parts, you shouldn't make the assumption that an old car needs a constant supply of spare parts!
I only say that because in London, there appears to be a general shift to jumping red lights. There has always been "it was on orange" approach, but now you see a lot more of blatant jumping red lights. Is it just a London thing?
Read more
"Why would I be wrong to jump the red light in
"Jump" & "Redlight" means something totaly different to me!
Can any backroomers recommend a tow bar fitter in the South Manchester/ Stockport/ North Cheshire Area??
Thanks in advance. Read more
If you can go a little further afield I'd recommend Towsure at Malin Bridge, nr Hillsborough, Sheffield.
On the tram terminus so you can have a shopping trip into the city while work is done.
A satisfied customer on several occasions.
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I wasna fu but just had plenty.
Hi. I have a strange problem with my Clio 1.4 P reg car. It is automatic car and i think the problem is with the immobiliser. I can open the doors as normal but when i turn the key for the enginer to start nothing happens. - That is not the strange bit - ....... the strange think is, it works in the mornings but not in the evenings. 3 days in a row now first think it works but when i go to pick my husband up from work at 5pm, its not working again!! Any ideas. I called renault who said i need a diagnostics test, £90.00 - really can't afford it now. Maybe its just a morning car!!! Read more
Thank you very much!!
Personally I would do nothing and in the past have done nothing when trading cars px.
I believe that any work the dealer needs to do to move it on has already been considered in the px price he has offered you.
I once asked a dealer if he had found my sunglasses in the car a day after I traded it in. He checked but did tell me it was standard practice to give the car immediately to the valeters and they would just empty the car and throw anything in the bin. Although I bet there is a valeter out there with my oakleys on.