August 2006
I need to get the engine bay of my Accord diesel steam cleaned.
I know that this could mess up various electricals within the bay, so what do I need to look out for and what do I need to ask for in terms of process and warranties before I have someone do this? Any advice would be gratefully received! Read more
I am opting out of my company car scheme and looking at ways of buying - contract hire looks very tempting. Being aware of the tie in for three years, are there any other things I need to take into consideration? Some of the prices I have been quoted seem too good to be true. Read more
Trouble is with all those covers, can add *massively* to the cost of the contract. Might be better just to bear in mind that you need sufficient resuorces to keep paying over any foreseeable gap in income - has worked for me, even if it's been a little painful.
Hiya.
Well we're on the move & I need a new vehicle in addition to the 406 estate, so research time.
And to complicte matters we're keeping on 3 of the basset puppies so now I have 5 adult dogs + 3 soon to be adults. We show all over the country & with 3 entire males that need to be kept separate the 406 ain't big enough. So, I thought initially good old Ford tanny. Everyone knows how to fix them, plenty about & reasoable resale value. And then 0.2 sec later I thought, my dogs, in airless noisy bumpy truck-no way. So it looks like a people carrier or mpv thing.
VW T4 seems to come out well in car by car breakdown.
What does the backroom consensus reccomend?
Diesel preferred for economy. Speed/ acceleration not vital ( but must be able to get to motorway speed before end of slip road) but ride is. I'm not exactly going to be accerlerating or cornering enthusiastiaclly with all the hounds in the back. Aircon to rear important. Removable seats & carpet so I can put in the cages is vital. More likely to exist with seats more or less permanently removed. Good residual would be nice. Not new-say £4-£7k.
Thank you everyone.
BTW I know what the other dog show lot use, & it all comes down to what was the cheapest at that time. Not necc the best for the job, which is why I'm asking on here.
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www.bayingbasset.com
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I have to say, my Touran is an excelent dog carrier.
With the Rear seats up and the two spare seats down and my dog guard inplace I have has a Malinois, and A labrador retriever in there no problem at all, loads of space to settle down. 2 cages would go in there treat as the back dorr is flat shaped.
All the 3 rear seats individualy fold or come out, giving a whole load of options for cages.
For cages and dog packing options check out Lintran - expensive but very well tailor made foreach vehicle
www.lintran.co.uk/
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
Looking to spend <£7k (<£5k, if possible) on a used motorway cruiser. Priorities are economy, comfort, refinement and safety. I'll be doing ~25k miles p.a. on the M4 (only!).
Volvo S80 D5, Volvo S60 D5, Vectra DTi are on my short-list.
What is the best value motorway barge?
Thanks,
Paul
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i also commute long distances and hence rely heavily on my car. I normally go for a mondeo and use it till it falls apart. Reason why i go for a common car is because the parts are readily available and there is no need to wait as may be the case on uncommon cars like 607. Last thing you need is the car to be off road while waitong for parts. Then again cars are generally more reliable nowadays and from motorway driving there will be less wear on your drivetrain and brakes compared to driving around town.
what abut omega with 2.2litre oil burner. I believe the 2.5litre has a bmw powertrain which requires oil change every 5k miles?
We have IHAQ and IHA computer Q. Coudl we have a "Websites that you shoudl read" thread ? Not so much motoring related, but usually attractive to petrol heads ?
e.g. [Adam, look away now] www.iwantoneofthose.com/outdoor-travel/on-the-move...l Read more
Listen you lot, DD is hardly going to let us have an "Interesting Website" thread
You know me too well, oh wise one.
Thread locked.
DD.
ps, IIRC, there was already a thread for this sort of thing. Your challenge, should you wish to accept it, is to try and find it; and if and when any of you do, the next challenge is not to let the inner child in you anywhere near the keyboard.
www.channel4.com/4car/news/news-story.jsp?news_id=...4
I'd love to see this happen. Everything I read in the article seems to be exactly what I think should be done with Jaguar (ie smaller coupe, remove the X-type, redesign the XJ) and he seems serious...of course won't happen if Ford decide not to sell it, but still...
And Britain would finally have a properly British car company. Read more
I know the subject's been done to death before and that I've said this before, but.....
Platform sharing is all very well but in my opinion Jaguar's X-type has less grace and poise than the Ford Mondeo it's based on.
Back in April this year we moved into a 4 year old house (on an estate) which backs onto a single carriageway A road. There's an embankment and trees in the way and the negative of some road noise was offset by the positive of not being overlooked.
Early in the purchase process we discovered that the road was scheduled to be widened into a dual carriageway (further from the house not nearer) but we decided that this wouldn't necesaarily mean double the noise etc and stilll wanted the place.
Anyway, we've moved in...very happy etc etc....but have recently received letters from two different surveying firms offering to get us compensation for the future dual carriageway on a no win no fee basis. So I guess my question is a moral one - on the basis we already knew about the plans - isn't claiming for compensation a bit like moving next to Heathrow and then moaning about aircraft noise?
Or is it a case that the Highways Agency will have put money by for this and we're entitled to it? Read more
Out of interest, you've all said avoid the no win no fee brigade.....any particular reason for that?
Ambulance chasing leeches.
You can try for compensation from the council or highways authority and it makes no difference if you knew of the construction or not.
If you didn't know because your solicitor didn't find out during their searches, then that could have been another avenue to pursue compensation from.
Martin
This is a friend's car so all of this is a bit third-hand at the moment....
The car is a 1998 Renault Scenic 1.6 Auto (I know, the work of the devil) which yesterday broke down and had to be trailered home. The symptoms were, whilst in Drive (or 1, 2 3) the engine would rev but the car wouldn't move. If left for say 30 mins it would drive for a couple of minutes and then cease moving again.
Breakdown man apparently said to try changing the transmission fluid otherwise it's a new gearbox job.
So changing the fluid seems a sensible first step - is this relatively easy to do (or even possible - assuming it's not a sealed unit)?
If that doesn't sort it (which I am doubtful) any thoughts on the way forward? Is this an auto specialist job and megabucks?
Thanks! Read more
Run away, run away ...
Just taken delivery of a new A3 Sport 2.0TDi DSG. I've read a few comments of late on here that would suggest it is overrated, overpriced, a "secretary's car" etc. etc.
Yet, I love it. I've driven Golfs, Octavias and all of those, and just changed a Fabia vRS for the A3: the A3 just feels "right". The DSG is great on twisty roads (I did a Chesire/Shropshire/West Mids thrash last night, the worst part being torrential rain on the M54) and the auto is great in traffic. Reverse is a bit jerky, and I am still not used to the lag when you press the throttle in "D", but the whole car just makes me smile.
Is there something wrong with me? Am I getting old, or am I just a pretentious "secretary wannabe"? : )
Discuss! Read more
I'm about 4'2". My rear passengers are fine!
I have received confusing information form DVLA and other sources regarding the use of an EU driving licence whilst resident, i.e. not visiting, in the UK Some say you have to excange it for a UK licence within 3 years and some sources suggest you can drive on it until you are 70. The DVLA site is confusing and speaking with them at some length both face to face ( Visit ) and agin today by telephone give different results. Any ideas or pointers. Regards Peter Read more
Don't think so. The 3 yeras is to do with residency. If you are not resident in the UK you can not drive in the uk if you are 70 or older without obtaining a UK licence and medical. If you you are resident in the UK then your EU licence falls invalid on your 70th birthday or when you have been resident for 3 years. The wording of the legislation and the DVLA web site is very poor. Regards Peter
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It's okay, since my rant Honda have responded and removed the need for me to do this. I hope. Cheers for the thoughts tho, I share your worries about steam, hence my question.