October 2006
Just wondered why my 2.0 ltr. 8v petrol VW Passat, which I have had from new and is 4.5 years old, regularly needs topping up yet my wife's 1.2 ltr 8v petrol Fiat Punto, which is three years old, never uses a drop.
Both are used every day, usually to work and back (15 miles in total) and both clock 8 -9,000 each year.
Is this normal in both cases? Read more
Car has failed mot on os headlight producing insufficient beam pattern. Its definately not the bulb as the problem persists when I swapped bulbs and i get no joy when i unclip the bulb and fidlle with it in situ. Its a bit puzzling, the lens look ok to me with no discolouration or damage. any sugeestions or is it a trip to the breakers. Had the mot done at a council depot btw. Read more
its probably got an aftermarket headlamp on it and the mot man wasnt doing his job properly in previous years,
I find lots of headlights like this, especially bread/butter cars like fiestas corsas micras etc, sometimes just a change of bulb (again import rubbish previously fitted) will sort it, but ive certainly had to change headlamps before now because they dont have a cutoff pattern.
SWMBO's beloved 1993 Peugeot 106 1.4 diesel has a problem which has just started to show.
When starting off from rest - in either first or reverse - there is a momentary 2-3 second noise coming from the engine bay sounding like a light metallic tinkling as if a piece of sheet metal is gently hitting another very quickly.
I've had it over the pit and I cannot see any signs of metal to metal contact - the negine mounts appear not to have collapsed and the exhaust mountings appear ok.
I suspect the lower engine mounting -which appears to prevent fore and aft movement - has perished as it flexes easliy when a screwdriver is applied to it.
Would that account for it or has anyone any other ideas?
Many thanks in advance...
Edit: 44k miles, one owner and regularly serviced . Passed MOT in August with no problems....
madf Read more
It seems so....
taken from the aol news
''Drivers of 4x4s or people carriers are 50 times less likely to be killed in crashes with another car than those of small and medium-sized cars, according to the Department of Transport.
The safest cars for drivers are the Land Rover Defender, Mercedes ML class, Toyota Landcruiser and Isuzu Trooper.
The cars with the worst records for driver deaths and serious injuries are the old-style Mini, the Fiat Panda, pre-1993 Nissan Micra, Daewoo Matiz and Suzuki Swift.
The DoT looked at police reports of more than 138,000 crashes from 2000 to 2004. Drivers of small and medium-sized cars involved in collisions with another car had a one in 200 chance of being killed, compared with fewer than one in 10,000 for drivers of people-carriers and 4x4s.
Just three per cent of 4x4 drivers were killed or seriously injured in collisions, compared with seven per cent of small-car drivers.''
The full article is here tinyurl.co.uk/90ju
So, Discos all round?
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On the news recently, car makers in the USA aim to fit Electronic Stability Control into every SUV by the end of next year. I would imagine that the benefits would be even greater than for normal cars. If ever a vehicle needed ESC, it is the large SUV / off-road 4WD sector. The makers of these seem to have (perhaps until recently) just thrown away all the suspension and handling improvements made for cars over the last fifty years. When you have rigid axles and cart springs on both ends, you are probably going to get the handling that goes with them, unless you apply some electronic control to assist the driver. Does anyone remember how well crossply tyres handled in the wet? We've all forgotten what primitive suspension was like, until we decide to buy a new SUV / 4WD, then it's a leap back in time.
I'm all in favour of these, IF they are for some useful purpose. What irritates me is when people get them for fashion, status, 'safety' etc. When I'm driving my Mini, sometimes it is invisible below the side windows of these great lumps. Scary.
I am confused. I thought this car was being discontinued - yet the website seems to offer virtually all models. Can anyone elucidate on this? Read more
Thanks everyone - think I am going to return to my original idea of getting a mini. But not until I have had my drive re-engineered so it can get down the drive and into the garage without scraping its bottom!
I know. Sounds like it's going to be great fun.
In one of my less sober/sane/awake moments, I foolishly agreed (ages ago) to take my sister and her mate to see some play at the Apollo (she thinks) theatre in London. Given this was in July, October seemed to very long away but it turns out it's next weekend so all I'm after really is advice on roughly the best way to take avoiding whatever roadworks and bad spots that you know.
Ideally it's going to be a case of go down, me do something while they're watching the play (suggestions would be good) which is in the afternoon and then come back. (I'm thinking the later it is the better so the return journey will be a lot quicker.) However, depending on how things unfold, we might stay at a Travelodge or something and come back on the Sunday.
I don't mind any weird and wonderful routes but bear in mind once I go south of Birmingham, I won't have the foggiest idea where I am. Any advice or suggestions on any part of the magical mystical tour (such as parking, things to do etc) would be appreciated as always. And if I see you around, I'll buy you.....something cheap to say thanks.
Thanks,
Adam
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I'm too late, but if you're aiming for Tower Bridge/Elephant & Castle as everybody suggests ( my patch) then I suggest a COMPLETELY different route into town. It'll be a fraction more miles, but provided you don't pass Huntingdon/Cambridge at rush hour it'll probably be quicker and it will certainly be much easier driving as you avoid all of the centre of town.
M6 until Stoke, A50, M1, A14, [or you can go M1, M25 until you reach the M11] M11, A12 as far south as Blackwall, turn onto the A13 & through Rotherhithe tunnel. Turn right towards Tower Bridge and left just after Bermondsey station, by the Gregorian pub. Cross Southwark Park road and there's loads of free on-street free parking 24/7 in Lynton road or somewhere similar where the car will be safe as houses (mine lives there) provided it's not an elderly Merc... Wander up to the Old Kent Road, and catch a bus heading towards town.
There is a story in this month's (November issue) BIKE magazine about the danger that screen mounted sat navs pose in respect of restricting a driver's vision. BIKE's point clearly relates to car drivers not seeing bikes however it is surely a more general problem that also applies to radar detectors. The latter are usually smaller in profile and are normally mounted centrally however many drivers are mounting Tom Toms etc to the right had side of the steering wheel (being right handed this makes sence re the touch screen) however this just serves to make the A-pillar blind spot even worse. Not sure what the law says in this regard.
Any thoughts? Read more
Regulation 30 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 provides for the driver of a motor vehicle to have a full view of the road and traffic ahead and that all glass or transparent material on the vehicle should be maintained free from obstruction of the driver's vision.
30(1) Every motor vehicle shall be so designed and constructed that the driver thereof while controlling the vehicle can at all times have a full view of the road and traffic ahead of the motor vehicle.
30(2) Instead of complying with the requirement of paragraph (1) a vehicle may comply with Community Directive 77/649, 81/643, 88/366, 90/630 or, in the case of an agricultural motor vehicle, 79/1073.
30(3) All glass or other transparent material fitted to a motor vehicle shall be maintained in such condition that it does not obscure the vision of the driver while the vehicle is being driven on a road .
SOURCE(S) Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986
RELATED MATERIAL 30 View to the front
NATIONAL REGION Great Britain
OK, I know it looks odd but mechanically etc what are they like to own/drive?
Parents have seen one and have really taken to it. It is the 4wd auto version.
Only concern I have is its low mileage. Only 26000 in nearly 10 years - bad sign or just a local town car?
Up at £3000 too which I think is a bit pricey but suspect dealer will quote 'low mileage' as the reason.
Thanks.
Andrew Read more
One other thought. If, despite the excessive asking price, you still like this car check under the bonnet for a sticker indicating where it was built. I'd feel happier for long-term reliability in one that said Made in Japan rather than Made in Spain like the majority of Vitaras sold in the UK. If it says anything about Made in USA then keep the chequebook in your pocket. If no stickers, take a look at the side window glass for a makers name, language or even country. It looks like a Citroen Ami 6 saloon too, I've just remembered.
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Really sorry to hear about that Andy. I would be totally lost if one of my dogs went AWOL. All have been trained to the gun so fireworks don't mean much to them, we have a cocker as a family pet who had all the hallmarks of a superb gun dog when we had her but the guns scared her. I personally believe that the more intelligent a dog iis the more likely they are to be scared (which seems rational enough), the Springers are markedly less bright than the Cocker and quite honestly don't give a tinker's cuss about bangs. I honestly think that the Cocker can smell gunpowder in the air.......
Hi everyone, could somebody please help me. I have a 1993 Fiat fiorino 1.7D van, and its hard to get it started. I turn the key, wait for the glowplug light to go off then i try and start the engine. It turns over and starts for a split second but then stops, and i have to try about 6 more times to start it (only turns over these times). When it finally starts i have to keep the gas pedal down (doesnt rev at all whilst doing this) and then it suddenly revs away. After its started it will start perfectly for the rest of the day, but the following day it will be hard to start again. I need to fix the van soon as i am helping a mate move house next week.
Another problem i seem to have is the van will only go up to 55mph, even downhill on the motorway :(
Many thanks in advance for any help :) Read more
Number_Cruncher came up with a good tip on a previous thread:-
"Although this is cheating, one way to quickly check the system is to take the fuel cap off, and, using a rag to make a bit of a seal, blow a little air into the tank - you aren't looking to build much pressure at all*. While you do this, get an assistant to check for fuel spurting out of the low pressure pipework, filter, and leak off pipes. I have used this method a few times, when the leak wasn't obvious.
As you are only using a rag, there isn't much chance of building any serious pressure - you just need enough to encourage fuel to flow out of the leak, rather than for air to be sucked in, which doesn't leave any trace!"
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15 miles a day - 7 1/2 miles a journey, - the car probably spends half the journey warming up, and if it is a stop/start journey, that causes the VW 8v four pot to drink oil.
I know, my journey to work was 18 miles (ish) and i soon learned to check the oil every week, but noticed that long journeys never casued the level to drop
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Go on, get out of the car...
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