July 2006
www.askmen.com/toys/cars_150/151c_car_review.html
This really amused me!:
"British cars are like puppies," a wise auto technician once told us, "they're cute and leave puddles everywhere." Read more
I bought vauxhall 1.7 dti envoy 03 reg with 66000 on clock i was told by main dealer it only needs servicing every 20000 miles and cam belt every 100000 but i was going to oil change it every 10000 inbetween but asking a local garage they told me i should get it serviced every 10000 and get cambelt chaned at 80000 i dont know what to do as i do a lot of miles (650 to1000 a week) and if i do the latter it will cost me a fortune. but if i service it as main dealer says will it be alright p.s 75% of my driving is motorway overnight Read more
Pete
this thread I posted a few days ago may be of interest:
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=4&t=43...2
Interestingly my Isuzu engines DTi Eco 4is on 20000 mile intervals with just 10w40 semi-synthetic oil being recommended, no mention of longlife oil. However I will be changing the oil/filter every 10K or maybe 7K.
Also, interestingly, I change the oi/filter 400 miles ago adn it still looks new, whereas I have previously changed a Golf TDi90 oil/filter and it was running black after 20 miles! So perhaps they do run cleaner/less sootier than other diesels
I've got a few stone chips where bear metal is showing. The paint colour is white and I intend to use white nail varnish as a temporary measure to protect the chip from rusting. Is this a good idea, i.e. will the nail varnish (and nail varnish remover) damage the paintwork in any way? Read more
You seem to be very clued up on nailvarnish?? IS there something you arent telling us??:)But will agree, from experience on a Cavalier I had, I tried red to match in with a lower body stonechip and it did 'melt' the surrounding area, made it more unsightly
I'm getting this third hand but SWMBO's boss had a bit of an incident yesterday. She'd filled her car up and left it in direct sun. Petrol was leaking out from the cap at a fair rate.
A bypasser told her to phone the fire brigade. After she'd done this, a friendly local coach driver told her to hang fire as he'd sort it out for her, him having seen this sort of thing many times before. He was true to his word, but nobody found out exactly what he did.
Any ideas as to what should be done in these situations? I wouldn't want to take the petrol cap off to release the pressure. This serves as a reminder to us all not to brim our tanks in this hot weather. Read more
Not the most likely scenario though. Time and time again
when I was a Yoof with my yoofy mates we would
overfill the tanks on our motorbikes (yes we were that stupid)
which is obviously directly above the engine / ignition and
we just got on with it.
I've done it recently. Dumps the excess out of the overflow pipe which emerges under the swingarm. Somewhat embarassing.
Audi A6 Avant first registered 2002, metallic silver.
There are small blisters in many areas of the bodywork below the wait.
The local dealer tells me that this may be caused by problems with the steel / zinc coating.
Yes, there are some stone chips but, I think, these are easily, reccognisable as such.
Inevitably the dealer also tells me the car is out of warranty and they want over 900 GBP to re-spray my bottom-half.......
Your comments on similar problems with Audi's and recommend course of action to spare by bank-balance will be gratefully read.
Thanks in advance.
JSR Read more
Thank you.
There is a hint from the dealer that this is a known problem, formerly recognised by Audi but they are trying to bury it.
I will visit the local accident repair chaps and ask for their quote to fix.
Have you hears / seen many instances of this (type of) problem?
Tomorrow morning I shall be driving from Bordeaux down to Dax (or somewhere in that area - will find a hotel when I get there).
Is it tomorrow (15th July) that loads of French go on hols and head south? I'm wondering about an alternative to the motorway if its really busy. I have plenty of time (6 hours) so no rush. Read more
Paris etc have already emptied but les flics are active on major routes according to French satellite TV last night. They were pulling anyone with a full car and/or loaded roof racks over and checking weights with neat little load pads under the wheels. Then tyre pressures and documents. Drivers were being told to lose weight (off the cars) or they could not continue. All part of the start of summer campaign.
They're gonna need pretty bomproof insurance driving that fast backwards!
(Now wait for others to watch the ad before replying) Read more
I got a quote from Sheila's Wheels - all my details
were genuine except I said I was female. The quote
was nearly £200 more than my current insurers!
Conversely, when I was fishing around for quotes earlier in the year I got a quote from Diamond - another "women only" insurers, on the basis that they can't refuse to insure you for your gender alone. After admitting to being one of these "dangerous" male drivers, the quote was the 2nd lowest I got - beaten only by the company I eventually went with. The quote was so good that for a few horrible minutes I thought I was going to have to take out a policy with them.
Hi all
I am driving to Germany today/tomorrow. My ferry from Dover to Dunkerque is at midnight; anyone know a 24 hour garage for when I get to Dunkerque? I aim to fill up abroad, as it's cheaper!
I am wary of the automated ones, as I had a bit of a Basil Fawlty moment at one in 2003.....
All advice greatefully received! Read more
Fuel prices are fixed in Luxembourg so motorway prices are the same as in town.
(ok a few places do 0,01 EUR per litre discounts but thats it)
I don't really find queues much of an issue either - filled up on the autoroute on my commute in this morning with no waiting at all.
Hello,
Re new computerised system, can any one clarify?
Is it true that if you have a test and the car fails and you take it away to fix it yourself then you then have to pay the full cost of a retest, where as if you leave it at the test centre to be fixed then the retest is discounted?
If so is this writtten in stone or is it as the discretion of the test centre?
Also if the car fails though still has a few weeks of current MOT can you take it away having booked it in for repair at the test centre at a later date and still get the retest discount?
Simply preparing myself for the wife's cars test next week.
Thanks. Read more
50% reduced retests www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=42...7 (he he 9th June).
Can confirm that an MOT failure will not invalidate an existing certificate. ISTR it says this on the failure slip.
Not every MOT failure will result in an unroadworthy vehicle.
I have the following syptoms with my car. A mechanic has said its probably in need of new front discs and pads (he diagnosed it without taking the wheels off), but im unsure. New ads and discs cost £140. For information, the discs and pads look fine, with plentey of life in them.
1. When braking I get a judder through the steering wheel. The steering wheel judders up and down. Its especially noticable when going from 40mph to 20 mph. Above 40 and below 20 it still judders, but not to the same degree.
2. The juddering is much worse if i am braking on an incline, e.g approaching a roundabout. Sometines feels like the steering wheel is about to come off in my hands.
3. Whilst driving on a smooth surface, going straight, my steering wheel constantly rotates left-right-left very slighlty.
4. When driving 'enthusiastically' on B roads, when going round a left hand curve, i get a strange feeling trough the steering wheel, I can only descibe it as 'scratchy'
Does all this point to something specific? Read more
Thank you for all your replies on this. I have the car booked in to have the pads and discs changed in a couple of weeks, hopefully this will cure the juddering.
Browse
Best off at the bottom of a canal?
Good analogy.