October 2006
I have been looking at the spec for the above car but can't work out how this car, which is turbocharged, only produces 165 whereas the naturally aspirated Clio produces 197. Pourquoi? Read more
God how I hate speed bumps ---all sorts. But are they worse than potholes?
(And god how I hate potholes especially in the rain when they cannot be seen.)
Do all bumps damage your car? Are some types worse than others? How do they damage your car ?
Do they damage your car even if you go over them at walking pace or less?
Are there ways of reducing the damage--like going over at an angle ? I've heard of a sharp stab on the brakes and release just before the bump.
Are cars really not designed to cope--bumps have been around for years.
I'm assuming that the cars I see hammering over them are hire or lease cars ? I'm amazed at the gouges in the road surface by some bumps.
Any tips ? Are we all worrying too much?
Thanks Read more
You need an off-roader to tackle these obstacles :)
Hi All
I have heard a "knocking" sound on turning left for the last couple of days and booked into local garage to have a look next week (I suspect the problem is a cv joint).....however, on 35 mile journey home tonight a loud squeaking sound has started to develop - it seemed to get louder under loaded suspension. I've just tried steering when the car is stationary and the loud squeak is heard (before anyone asks I don't think it's the tyres on the tarmac!)
Is the car safe to drive until next week or should I get it to the garage sooner?
Any ideas/help appreciated, eg would a cv joint on the way out make such a squeak?
Cheers Read more
Cant comment on whether safe to drive without inspection, but this may be of interest. My 2001MY Golf suffered a split CV boot after 100,000 very gentle mainly motorway miles. The split was picked up by the MoT inspection just as the split was starting to develop, so only a new boot was required.
Clearly an undetected split could have occurred on this 99 vehicle, causing loss of grease and ingress of water bearing grit.
I would get it to a garage ASAP
Hi peeps,
I'm having a problem with an L reg escort turbo diesel. It has started idling erraticaly and producing a fair bit of white smoke (especially bad when I start it up in the morning!) I have tried a diesel additive wich has had no noticeable effect. Any ideas what the problem is or any checks I can make to try and find out what the cause is?
I don't mind a bit of smoke, but if its a sign the engine is about to kaput I need to sort it out ASAP!
Thanks
Chris Read more
I may or may not be right;what I would suggest is that you talk to a local diesl specialist not a dealer and tell him your concerns;I would expect him to suggest an injector service or an exchange set of injectors.Simple job to change them on a Ford(15 mins.)but a special socket is required.
I have a 1993 Orion which I need a replacement boot lock barrel for. My son in his wisdom locked the keys in the boot and i had to drill out the barrel. I've been quoted £28 for a new kit plu £14 labour to match the barrel to my existing key which sounds ok but as I am selling (possibly sold) the car for only £350 I wondered if I can do it cheaper. I've tried ebay but nothing on there at the mo.
I've thought about blanking off the barrel and trying to get the internal remote boot release working again which would sort of solve the problem.
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Hi stuartl
I have always found gbm cheaper than anywhere else - I got a petrol cap lock for £25 inc build and P&P where Ford wanted similar if not more just for a lock built to a random code. I know I said I've had problems with them with my door locks from them but I'm hoping that was an exception (I bodged it in the end anyway) and their customer support was very good. Make sure you're quoted for built price and not just a kit if you decide to give them a try.
To say Ford had teething problems with Tibbe locks in an understatement - mine needed 2 drivers and 1 passenger door locks all out of warranty - must have been in about 1991-2ish. Every time a lock was replaced a new key was added to the key ring - hurrah! That's why I took the plunge and rebuilt them this summer to the other door codes.
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Mike Farrow
Walking out of the supermarket 5 minutes ago saw a car reverse into mine. Small bump. I walked in front of the car and asked to exchange details. Young man got out and by the light of his mobile phone decided there was no damage to the front of my car so declined to give any details. His girlfriend was the driver. I pointed out you can't decide these things in the dark. He said no details. I took their number anyway.
Now what to do?
Leaving the scene of an accident?
Ring the police?
Trace the driver?
Get my car examined by a specialist?
I have an awful suspicion that I know what the answers will be from you lot and it looks like I'm not going to get anything out of this?
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Talking about throwaway cameras,besides the wiperblades at Lidl this week,they have such a camera together with a few other bits and pieces relevent for information gathering in the event of an accident,all contained in a sort of wallet to keep in the car ready.It even has a flash for nightime.
£2.99
I am looking at a 52 plate 530d sport auto. The price is £12k with 72k, sunroof, and xenons.
Now, the car has 1 previous owner (I would be the third) it all looks excellent until I ring bmw, who say the car is an import.
I investigate further and it turns out a dealer in Germany had sold the car to a UK induvidual based in scotland, this car then found its way to a private dealer in scotland and the car was sold to an induvidual in London.
Now this car is a full UK spec car, with all the UK trimmings, serviced by uk dealers etc. HPI shows it isn't an import. Is there anything I should be wary about regarding this car? The price seems average, considering its a nice colour and decent interior. The only giveaway is that BMW uk dont recognise the car (they have to check their international system which shows all the options on the car) and the pdi was done by some germans.
I have never come accross this before, is it worth going for? Read more
Do it. In terms of feel my 140k mile 51 plate 530i Sport is indistinguishable from my fathers 40k mile 51 plate 530d SE, other than the expected differences between Sport and SE. Condition is also identical.
These cars do proper mileages without many issues if they are looked after...
And 52 plate and private sale isn't neccesarily too old for warranty - my 51 plate was bought privately and has BMW warranty and MOT insurance until the end of the year.
Those of you of a certain age will remember the pop-up arms usually situated at the top of the 'B' post instead of conventional indicators on some old cars. Will a car fitted with these still pass an MOT today or do flashing indicators need to be fitted?
Thanks in advance.
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I think the point was someone was trying to be very clever and make the light on the trafficator flash, like a side repeater. He didn't appreciate that the light, and the solenoid, are wired in parallel, so that connection has to be undone and a separate wire taken to the unit to distinguish the two feeds, one flashing, the other not.
That's my guess as to what went wrong. I toyed with the idea myself about 40 years ago, but instead opted for simplicity. The car I had then didn't have a B post, being open, so the trafficator was low down just in front of the wheel arch. Even less visible than one at window height, but it had the advantage I could stick my arm out and give the (RH) trafficator a bit of help if it was reluctant to rise.
A couple of threads recently have made me wonder whether anybody would ever choose Blackwall tunnel over whizzing (at 0mph) around the M25 and through Dartford. Can't be many miles in it. Read more
Thanks, DE. I thought you might have hit the c-zone that way and was going to ask how you blocked off your numberplates...
Post Feb 18 next year, I'll either be paying my £8, converting to LPG, or using M11 then M25 or A14.
As a matter of interest, I have just bought an older car and the reg is K68 and 3 alpha letters. All of the 'K' reg cars that I see around have 3 digits after the K - why have I only got 2 ????
{subject header amended - DD} Read more
Minoots wrote: I come from South Africa where each of the 11 provinces has its own slyle of number numberplates and you just get get the next highest number!!
...but it is always three digits as in ABC 001 GP. GP? - Gauteng Province or Gangsters Paradise, home of the lead-assisted vehicle ownership transfer system!
Ek het vir twintig jaare in Johannesburg gebly!
--
e Prof
Browse
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Compared to the 225 the 165 is a low pressure turbo boosting torque at low to mid range and will be much more gutsy than the N/A 197 at anything less than IRO 5500 rpm.