September 2006
Hi,
I am planning to replace my X Reg Pug 306 2.0 HDi in the near future.
I have looked at various Diesel powered hatchbacks and am most attracted by the Golf.
Question is which version.
The 1.9 TDi SE has an excellent spec, but I have read that the 2.0 140 TDi is a more modern and inherently better engine, the greater power is not necessarily a plus.
Is it worth the extra?
Also what is the opinion on the DSG autobox. I have always been a manual driver, but I hear that modern autos are much better?
Thanks Read more
I suspect that this has come up before - but I have had no luck with the forum search.
When first started, my '97 2L Mondeo makes a high pitched whistle from under the bonnet but once warm, the noise disappears. It's not nearly so audible from within the car, but it came to my attention again this morning when SWMBO borrowed the car for the day and I heard it from the outside.The sound has a rhythm to it (but no tune!) and I wonder if it could be a belt of some sort - though I've a feeling that I had read somewhere about a split pipe.
Has anyone any ideas? It'll have to go in for its 130,000 mile service next month so I can bring it to my man's attention. Read more
Many thanks for the replies. I'll check them out - and if I can't sort it, I'll be getting the car serviced in about a months time.
I'll let you know the outcome.
Waino
I've got a question about insurance/car ownership...
I own a Focus and my wife has an MX-5. We're trading the MX-5 in for a Mazda6 on Thursday and I will be the registered keeper/owner of the new car and will switch my policy from my Focus to the Mazda6, as I'll be the main driver.
Now, we'll obviously have to switch my wife's policy from the MX-5 to the Focus, as this will become her main car BUT...will I have to make her the registered owner or keeper of the Focus, officially and if so, which one and which one would we have to do through the DVLA ?
ie. can she take out a fully comp policy on a car which doesn't technically belong to her, or is the fact that we're married enough ? We'll both be named drivers on eachother's policies, if that makes any difference.
I don't mind switching ownership to her, but I only want to bother with the hassle if it's absolutely necessary.
Any comments appreciated, especially from anyone in the same boat. Read more
Thanks for all your comments.
I phoned my wife's insurance company (AA) and they are happy to insure her as the main driver of my Focus, provided that the registered keeper (ie. me) is a named driver on the policy.
By the sounds of it, it's up to the insurance company as to the line they take with this - there's no right or wrong answer to my question as it varies from insurer to insurer.
have recently received my copy of WHICH? CAR report so turned straight to my car and under ''troublespots'' heading was ''aircon''. now my car's a/c packed in shortly after purchase, took it back and was sorted. now out of warranty and has packed up again, so any honda experts know what the common cause is??
thanks in advance
Read more
hi stevenage,usual thing with this generation civic is the condenser,fit loads of these at work,quite a few now im seeing have just rotted and fall apart,the good news is that if yours has rotted then honda have extended the warranty to six years or 90k witchever comes first,obviously if it has a hole made by a stone impact or other foreign body then this isnt covered......
Being an environmentally aware kind of motorist, I have been keen try running the old Passat TDI on biodiesel. I live in east Somerset and there is nowhere locally that I can find that even sells low-percentage blend of the stuff. All the websites about biodiesel outlets seem never to be updated. It seems I live in a desert as far as renewablesare concerned.
Yet now there are two major biodiesel plants on teeside - Biofuels PLC and D1 Oils PLC - (I've got shares in both!).
Read more
Use Tesco finest vege oil if you want to save the
planet with a tdi.
I would love to be able to pour 41p/litre Makro veg. oil into my car, but I was advised (by someone on a SVO/WVO forum) not to risk it with the injection pump on my car. So my only option is biodiesel, and I can't even get hold of that... :o(
Ladies and Gents,
Can you please recommend me where I can purchase a timing belt kit ( VW Part No. 038198119) for my diesel Passat ( local VW Dealer has quoted me £148-56 for the kit, which seems a bit excessive ) and where I can get my hands on the locking tools required for the belt change ?
My Haynes manual specifies VW locking tools T10050 and T10008. I have tried my local VW Dealer and they will not sell me the tools.
Any advice would be gratefully appreciated.
SL
Read more
Dear 659FBE,
Thanks for the information, it was spot on.
Rgds.
SL
Hi,
Anybody used the above ? They seem competative. Any views ?
(for a relative) Read more
or 9 even.
Exiting the M25 at junction 9 and going north, the A243 towards Chessington is closed.
So anyone taking kiddies to the Zoo be aware of the queues on the alternative A244 to Esher Read more
came up there yesterday, traffic was a bit slow from Oxshot station to the A3, more than I'd expect on a sunday afternoon, but not too bad. For those not local to the area, route around it is to go up A244 through Oxshot and turn right at the lights just before Oxshot station.
I am replacing the front discs and pads on my hyundai coupe.
Some maybe aware that when replacing the discs you have to remove the hub - which could make the front wheel bearings collapse (so i have been told) meaning that a relitivly simple job could potentialy cost me quite a lot.
The local mobile mechanic came round to do the rears for me, then got onto the front and told me what i have just written above. he didnt want to carry out the job until he done some of his own research regarding the matter (he is a genuine guy and not a rip off merchant)
Ifhe does the job and the bearings do collapse then i will have to pay him for parts and labour to replace them, as he warned me prior. He has not yet given me a price to replace front pads and discs yet until research is done.
Rang another local mechanic and he said same thing about the bearings.
So i rang hyundai just for a labour cost to replace front discs and pads. quote came out at £127 inc VAT
If i got hyundai to do this, and bearings colapsed then could i push for them to do the bearings for free, as i was not warned of this from them etc etc?
i amjust trying to way up the options.
hope all this makes sense
Read more
Dont know this car specifically....
but cant understand why bearings should collapse when changing discs/pads as long as sensible work practice is followed.
Ever since I was a young lad, I've changed the oil in my cars roughly every 6,000 miles, which has always worked out at every 6 months or so, with the cars doing a mixture of long & short trips.
Due to a change in circumstances, I now find myself driving 600 miles a week, which means I'm now doing my 6,000 miles every 10 weeks.
The 600 miles are made up of:-
1 continuous 300 mile trip from Cumbria to London on a Monday morning.
1 continuous 300 mile trip from London to Cumbria on a Friday afternoon.
Apart from these 2 journeys, the car isn't used, ie no short journeys.
So, my question is this - should I still be changing my oil every 6,000 miles (which is going to work out at 5 changes a year), or, given the nature of the journeys I make, can I extend these intervals?
Many thanks in advance
Daltonman Read more
I'm one of those people who changes the oil every 5,000 miles - mainly because I only do 10k a year. If I did 40 or 50k of motorway miles a year I would extend the oil-changes to the recommended 10k.
Sitting on 3,000rpm in top gear doesn't put any strain on the engine at all compared to stop-start driving where you accelerate through the gears. If I were you I'd be very tempted to use a good semi-synthetic oil, and change it every 12-15k, as the manufacturer recommends (or did recommend, before they went bust...)
Thanks, I agree but she is very keen on the car.
>>Does the seat design change depending
>>
I think the Sport and VRs have "Sports seats" presumably even tighter fitting ?
The rest of the range look the same, just different type of cloth for upholstery.
The seats in the Golf were fine, would a Golf seat fit an Octavia??