June 2006
I've been stopped driving a company van. It was over weight.
I don't generally drive this vehicle, i have a company car.
I'm now due up in court over this.
What i'd like to know is how much of the blame should my employer be taking..
I've never been given any training on the correct loading or use of this vehicle, i didn't even know it had a weight limit.
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I think this may have been touched on before.
My wife has a Polo 1.4 16v X reg (39,000 miles), on Friday the car started making a noise from the under the engine cover at the left side of the engine. Managed to get it to a garage and they have said that the plastic pre-tensioner has broken.
I know that this seems to be a known problem with this engine type but has anyone claimed any of the repair bill from VW as this seems to have happened before I would have expected (if at all!), the belt is changed every 60,000 miles. Read more
Try sending an e-mail to INA, the bearing company. They make the metal guide and tensioner rollers that PSA fit to their diesel engines. I changed both on a TUD5 engine fairly recently at 100k miles, but the ones which came off were absolutely perfect. They are solid metal wheels with double row ball bearings and seals rather that shields to keep the grease in and the muck out. A very convincing job, which partly accounts for a low incidence of timing belt failure on these engines. (The water pump was a mess, however).
659.
The trip computer on my 2001 carisma constantly tells me that i have 100 miles more on my tank range than i actually do,regardless of whether i fill it up or not.
The manual gives simple instructions for resetting the mpg and the avg speed but none for recalibrating the tank range (If it can actually be done). Also the battery has already been disconnected for another problem and that didnt help either.
Any ideas.
thanks!
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.... what the significance of the coloured lettering on the TDI badge means?
I am looking to aquire a Mk4 GT TDI and have noticed that on some the 'I' of TDI is coloured red and on others the 'DI' of TDI is coloured red. Does this indicate a different trim level or PS level?
I haven't noticed if GTI models have the same anomoly.
Also.... I have decided that I'll probably take the plunge and purchase (for the first time) through auction. Any comments about purchasing this particular car from auction would be read with interest... Read more
Also euro imports from Denmark particularly all had just a silver TDI badge.
The same goes for the GTI, some had a red i and some didn't, no matter which engine it had.
Having read postings on this site and many other car related sites I have come to the conclusion that since the first car rolled out over 100 years ago, there hasn't been any real advances in automotive technology since 1887.
Okay, so the 'modern' car has become infinately more complex and produces lower emissions, are safer to drive etc but when you read about all the expensive faults and failures, recall notices and outright design flaws etc you have to ask the question have we really advanced that far?
In my view, technology advancement should make products cheaper, simpler and more reliable - yet the opposite seems to be true. A modern car needs the diagnostic computing power of NASA or the brains of Stephen Hawking when it goes wrong yet garages and main dealers still mis-diagnose, replace major components 'in the hope' that a problem can be fixed or simply 'don't know'
The internal combustion engine hasn't fundamentally changed in over 100 years and in real world conditions, even average fuel consumption figures are only marginally improved over cars from a mere 20 - 30 years ago.
Car manufacturers are in danger of disappearing up their own tail pipes as they collectively pat each other on the backs as they comment on how complex they can make the next new model...
Before I go, I would just like to say that I do NOT hate cars - quite opposite in fact. I am a 37 year old petrol head but am just frustrated at the lack of 'real progress' in car design.
Any comments on this thread greatfully received.
Spanner
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"Thats why all the electrics and silly other issues crop up"
They tend not to on well designed and built cars: eg Japanese. And their home market ensures cars last at best 5-7 years before they are scrapped iirc.
Just because the French , GM and other manufacturers can't design and /or build reliable electrics does not mean all cars are the same.
And we could have had the same argument 20 years ago with virtually the same comments.. all these complex ABS systems and power steering . Air conditioning? Too complex.. French cars are unreliable..etc.
Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose..
madf
Has anybody else suffered a fault in the Antilock Braking System on their Renault Scenic? And if so, were you able to obtain redress from Renault ?
- 45,000 miles
- 52 Reg. but just out of warranty
- Paid £1,009 to have ABS Control Unit replaced.
Started car on my drive and the brake warning lights stayed on. Renault garage advised towing the car to them. They diagnosed a failure in the ABS control unit and charged £1009 to replace it. They admitted this part should last a great deal longer and offered 20% discount on the labour cost of replacement. The unit however cost £608 plus VAT. I think this reflects poorly on Renault's quality and customer care.
Please respond to this forum if you have suffered a similar fate !
Thanks in advance
M Read more
Thanks its been back numerous times to the Independant that i bought it from they replaced varous bits, and it would be fine for a couple of weeks and then it came back on again, so of they packed it to Renault, who again replaced varous bits and its ok for a week or so and then comes back on again - but now its out of warranty i cant afford at this moment to pay for it only for it to happen again - i would love to be able to fix it though
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1983 (A) Vauxhall Astra 1.3L
1993 (K) Vauxhall Cavalier 2.0i GLS
1999 (T) Renault Laguna 1.6
What are BR's current recommendations for affordable SatNav for use in the UK? Is it worth going for more than the basic model in each case?
Thanks in advance for your help. Read more
Oh and the TT 510 should give around 6 hours of use, whereas the TT One only gives about 2 hours. May mean the difference between having to charge the battery (and associated leads)or not during a journey!
A friend's just bought a top-of-the-range Volvo in which a little LCD pop-up screen on the dashboard top carries not only Sat Nav but also off-air television. This appears to be a piece of original equipment. As it is in full view of the driver, is it legal to use? Read more
Does need a license if you do not have a TV at home (i.e. it is your only set.
ABS warning light came on this morning, engine warm, just after i drove off. Followed the instructions to stop engine, switch on again. After a couple of hundred yards it came on again. I've checked the connections as best I can, fluid levels are ok and the brakes seem to be working normally (as expected). The car had been standing for a couple of weeks unused beforehand.
Is there anything else I can check before handing it over? I'm hoping it's a failed wheel sensor rather than the pump or brain because although it has 113k on the clock it is in excellent nick and is a useful runabout that would be sad to give up on because of a giant bill. Read more
You can flash the fault codes on these with a paper clip. But... they do suffer from ABS pump unit failure, where it loses pressure after a cartain time, causing the pump to run too long and throw a code.
I'm looking for a temporary car for my father-in-law and have been offered a 1995M Volvo 460 1.8 with 50K miles and full history for 700 UKP. It is in very good condition in a nice silver colour. Is this good value? I'll have to sell the car again in about 6 months, so that is an important factor.
Thanks Read more
The idle speed isnt the ECU, its the constant idle valve and is a common fault on all 400-series cars.
Browse
Speak to a good lawyer.
We had a driver stopped a couple of years ago in a van that was 10% overweight.
Load had been calculated for a LWB sprinter and because the delivery location had restricted space he switched the load to a shorter van (lower weight limit).
The company told him he was on his own - large fine and points.
Company's defence was that driver had not done as instructed! The view was that the other drivers would learn from his mistake. Bear in mind that if your employer needs an O-License it has to be very careful how it handles prosecutions for overweight vehicles.