June 2006
I was wondering what size oil filter wrench I should buy for my CBF600 (based on hornet engine).
There are two adjustable options. There is an 65-68mm or 75-100mm. Which would be the right one for me?
Thanks Read more
My mondeo hatchback (w reg, no sunroof) is still letting water into the boot despite me having the rear lights re-sealed. Just found out because of the tropical storm we are having in the sunny south east...
Does anyone have any idea as to where else the water could be coming in from?
It appears that the water's still coming through the where the lights are.
I've only had the car a few months and seeing as I carry alot of expensive musical equipment in the boot this is a right nuisance.
Cheers for any help. Read more
Hi galaxy cheers for the info and advice.
I'm not too sure how they re-sealed the lights but when i take the car back to them on saturday i'll definately mention the technique you used. Having had a look at the back of the lights they seemed to have applied a very thin layer of sealent so that may be the problem.
The other problems I've had have been nothing but very minor irritations that really take the fun out of owning a car;
1 - Slow puncture on front drivers side tyre. A new valve (rubber) seems to have sorted this out.
2 - Minor clunking coming from front end when going over very light bumps. Replaced the link rod arms(??? I think that's what they are called but the garage didn't seem to sure) Whatever they have done has cured this problem.
3 - Remote fuel flap refusing to open which meant I had to drive home from petrol station to get a screw driver to remove carpet boot panel and use the emergency release. I fiddled withe spring in flap itself and it seems to be working again now.
4 - The leaky boot and resulting smell!!
5 - Remote locking only works when it feels like it despite the system being "thoroughly checked over and repaired" before I picked the car up. (It wasn't working at all when I first went to view the car)
On the plus side the car is great to drive especially on the motorway, got lovely aircon, good stereo and loads of space.
Wonder if anyone out there can help. I have a 55 reg Merc Vito van which my company bought new from a main dealer. It has air conditioning fitted but have noticed that none of the windows are tinted. I am certain they should be as this reduces the load on the a/c system. Have asked the dealer about this and they said they would check and get back to me... Would be handy if any other Vito owners with a/c could give me some feedback.
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Possibly not offered by dealer/maker due to illegality of most tints.
My 2000/X Xantia estate has an intermittent drumming noise from the front brakes. It's proportionate to wheel roatation (either once or twice per rotation, sounds and feels a bit like the ABS operating but is not related to any possible low traction situation. I'd suspect discs which have a significant lip on the edge and are worn to a depth of 1mm+ on the inboard and perhaps .5mm on the outboard edge. However after all day in the (usually excellent) repair only local franchise I've had a call to say no fault found. Techy suggests I monitor and report back but I've been doing that for three weeks. Might have the front wheels off my self at the weekend or take it to the Cit specialist in Northampton, though he's no cheaper and far less local than the franchisee.
Have the team any suggestions for a cause. Read more
Collected this evening, all OK. £386 including VAT for the lot.
I've just noticed rust bubbling up just inside the rear wheelarch of my 2002 Mazda 323. The handbook says:
"You get a six or 12-year anti-perforation warranty, plus a three year unlimited mileage, paint and surface corrosion warranty". Am I right is assuming that the rust I've identified falls under the 3 year warranty unless see-through holes appear before April 2008? This is disappointing - my 10 year old Astra with 131k is virtually rust-free.
In the 1970/80s Japanese cars used to succumb to the demon rust very quickly but I thought they would have sorted that out by now.
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I've had the car from new and otherwise it's in pristine condition, garaged at night. There's no damage but the rust is breaking out and is clear to see. I'm inclined to use my camera and send a pic to Mazda and take the car to my local dealer.
Is it more economical to drive with the window open, or keep the windows all closed and put the air con on?
Are there any stats on fuel consumption when the air con is on? Read more
What about the air deflectors that could be fitted to front windows in pre-aircon days; however I'm sure that I saw some advertised recently (possibly for a Ducato?)
I think they were advertised as improving fuel consumption.
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One mans junk is another mans treasure
Is it me or should the people upholding the law follow the highway code?
I was going down a dual carriageway just now and a police Ford Focus came hammering past.
Clearly not chasing anyone though as he stopped for the traffic lights not so far down the road. Then he swapped lanes without indicating, cutting up the driver in the lane he moved into, but who would dare honk their horn at him?
Still not after anyone though as he stopped at the next set of traffic lights chatting away to his mate.
Is it me or is this not the best way to gain any respect or set any kind of example to other drivers? I manage to indicate ok, maybe they need lessons on how the indicators work? Read more
If you CHOOSE to join the police, and you do choose,
there's no drafting... then you accept that you enforce the law.
The law is 70mph. Accept it, plod, and let's see a
bit less of this arrogance. If you don't agree with a
limit, tough tough tough. We all have to put up with
it, so do you.
And as for the Dulwich Estate story above.. words fail me.
There is no way on earth I could have bitten my
tongue. I would have taken them to the cleaners. That is
exactly what I mean.. sheer blinding arrogance. GET OUT OF THE
WAY IF YOU WANT TO CHAT. Idiots.
If there's any police on here, then PLEASE give me some
heartwarming stories about you and your great colleagues. At the moment,
I would quite happily abolish our pathetic Keystone Cops and start
again if I had the power.
No heartwarming storiesat this time. But you've cheered me up no end. It's great winding up reasoned persons such as yourself!!
So, GF has sold her BMW, and really likes the MX5 or poss MR2 (will spend about £2500). No space in those, or in my MG.
Hit upon cunning plan. Will need third car (!) to have room for people & stuff. So, leave purchase of sports car until autumn, prices will be cheaper, and buy banger now.
Does this make sense?
She does, however, totally want air con in both cars.
So, question 1:
Shortlist for £1k bangers: volvo 850, v40, 940, toyota carina E, honda accord, nissan almera, primera, QX, mazda 626, MB old E class. Sound ok? Other suggestions? Chances of the AC working in cars this age?
Question 2: will sporty japs be much cheaper in oct/nov? Will there be any about?
Question 3: is there a downside at this price (£2500) to a Eunos v UK MX5- I think it will have to be a Eunos, as she wants AC. Cheaper too, but not alot!
Ta in advance,
Alex.
--
Dr Alex Mears
MG BGT 1971
If you are in a hole stop digging...unless
you are a miner. Read more
Alex
Ok; a little less briefly.
Running a banger means never having to say "it cost a lot to fix; but it's worth it." If it's going to cost a lot to fix - bin it. That rules out anything with stellar parts prices or keen dealers. Exeunt Volvo and Merc. Are you going to pay £500 to fix a faulty driver's window?
Your budget will just about get you into N16 Almeras - and right into one of the nastiest faults that occur on modern cars. The timing chains go - twice by then. Goodbye £800-1300 [or the car.] Other Nissans are bad news in many other ways - they just don't make good bangers like Fords [or Rovers used to.]
While I'm sure there will always be people who insist that they have had absolutely no problems; my experience fixing imports [I double my already extortionate diagnostics rate; but they still won't go away!] is that it's a running nightmare. You seem to spend hours doing even the simplest thing; like just sourcing a normal part.
Normally; ring dealer's trade parts-line: give reg no; describe reqd. part; ogle delivery girl's impossibly tight shorts. With imports; ring... who? Shaftum and Legget? Computerized parts referencing... dream on. Then pay [up front] and sit and hope that the parts turn up, [sometimes weeks - often never - usually wrong] while a half finished job takes root in an expensively rented workshop parking space and the customer constantly whinges at YOU!
Hi,
Is there a website which if you enter a car registration it will give you the name and address of the registered car owner?
Thank you. Read more
There's a consultation document about it
www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_roads/documents...p
18. In recent times, the following have been viewed as falling within the scope of reasonable cause:
- pursuit of a driver or keeper of a vehicle in order to permit a civil action to be brought, for example for uninsured driving, minor hit and run incidents, personal injury, damage to property.
- safety recall exercises;
- identification of abandoned vehicles;
- verification of a vehicle's status for the purposes of any finance arrangement relating to the vehicle;
- confirmation of mileage, for example as part of an investigation of suspected 'clocking';
- enforcement of traffic related offences outside the UK to UK enforcement companies acting as Agents for EU authorities;
- investigation and enforcement of non-payment of a toll or charge;
- investigation of vehicles parked illegally;
- investigation and enforcement of charges arising from parking on private land;
- vehicle driven off without paying for goods or services;
- tracing company assets;
- investigation of cheque payments made to DVLA or its agents.
20. The groups or individuals who can seek access to data are not defined in the law, other than they have to show 'reasonable cause'.
21. In recent times, the following groups have been granted access to vehicle keeper data (for the reasons cited above):
- insurance companies
- solicitors
- parking companies
- garages and car dealerships
- housing associations
- finance companies
- loss adjustors
- mileage check companies
- clamping companies
- private investigators
- motor manufacturers
- British Embassies and consulates
- private individual inquirers (e.g. following hit and run incidents, parking on private land)
- other UK registration authorities (e.g. Jersey and Isle of Man)
- Motor Insurance Bureau
- banks
- Legal Aid agencies - such as The Citizens' Advice Bureau
"
Acorn cycle exchange as used to be in Ash seems to have disappeared.
If anyone has any information about its new location if any I would be grateful. Read more
Acorn cycle exchange isOpening a New shop in Portsmouth in the next week or so,in queens street portsmouth, He is the same person David giddings from ash on the worplesdon road, Hope this helps
Browse
If you can get to the filter from the side, the "plier" type oil filter tools work well. The set I have adjust like water pump pliers so they fit any filter and the teeth on the ends grip well.
Used them on the bike and car so far with great success.
Cheers
DP