December 2006
First Skoda, bought 2 weeks ago. I now realise the drivers side rear speaker doesn't work, the warning buzzer for the lights,door light and the inside light doesn't work because the door switch is faulty, and the rear hazard warning light on the switch doesn't work. I really hope this doesn't mean that the thing has had a swipe on that side and not assembled correctly.
Most of faults point to a faulty switch to the driver's door, which according to the Haynes manual comes with the door lock mechanism itself and is not obtainable separately. Surely this cannot be correct. To have to remove door trim, door lock and buy a complete door lock looks to be £100 plus by Skoda instead of a fe£s by me. I assume the mechanism is the same as the similar year Golfs?
Anyone done this job (replacement of door lock due to faulty switch), or the removal of the rear bass speakers, and any idea of costs of parts etc
I have tried the Briskoda website, but so far without luck. Failing door locks do appear pretty frequent though.
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Mini-review on the Suzuki Swift 1.5GLX I bought for my sister back in May 2006. The car has now done 5000 miles. I drove it recently and also drove it for its first 500 miles back in May.
Sister has been highly delighted with the car. It is used daily for short runs in suburban/rural driving. Not usually more than about 6 miles, but occassional runs of 50+ miles.
I drove the car recently and the engine has loosened up remarkably - very punchy in 2nd gear which will carry you from 5mph-40mph very swiftly. The engine sounds much smoother than when new and has lost the 'throbbing' note that it had. Engine likes to be revved, VVT cuts in about 3500rpm. Gearbox is excellent in all respects. Brakes and steering also very good.
The chassis is quite sporting and the car is fun to drive on our local country lanes and feels 'light and nimble' - good levels of grip (Conti tyres) and good handling.
MPG not as good as expect. Short runs and she leaves the a/c on all the time. Ranges from 32-38mpg. Don't think its ever been better than 38.
I have read reports on the Internet of Swifts suffering trim rattles and squealing brakes - this one is fine in these respects and there have not been any problems with it so far. No rattles/squeaks or anything broken as yet!
Upsides:
Good chassis/steering/brakes/gears - fun to drive.
Bodyshell feels solid, even on rough roads.
Comfotable seats, roomy even for me (18st and 6'4")
All safety/comfort features you need (6 airbags, CD, A/C, very good keyless entry system).
Downsides:
Useless MPG meter.
Sunvisor doesn't seem to be in quite the right place for me.
Clutch bite point set too high.
Indicators too quiet - I forget to cancel.
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Machika
There has to be something wrong with your tank or filler
pipe.
I have filled my sister's car on two ocassions (from empty
to full) and the fuel goes in dead easy until it
is full to the brim. Have a look at the
filler pipe to see if it is kinked or if the
tank is dented from a jack.
>>
The dealer said there was no problem with the tank. They were no help at all really and I decided it was a waste of time trying to get any further.
Would anyone know if the 2.0 litre petrol engine to be fitted in the Volvo C30 is a chain cam unit and is it sourced from Ford or Mazda.??
Any advice would be much appreciated. Read more
I assume it is the 145 bhp Duratec (though Volvo badged) unit fitted to the Focus (on which chassis the C30, S40 and V50 are based) and the Mondeo.
A friends Kenwood KDC-7080R in car CD/tuner has lost it's illumination on the front panel so there is no backlit or LED display.
Does anyone know a decent reputable repairer? or indeed is it worth repairing?
Would cost of sending it to the menders be cost effective?
It's a fairly decent model and worth keeping.
TIA. Read more
Its worth getting a repair quote on it, really good stereo.
I have had good results from
Northolt Car Radio Repairs 6 Station Pde/Ealing Rd Northolt, UB5 5HR, 020 8845 1525.
They are also listed in
www.pioneer.co.uk/uk/content/support/support/servi...l
It might be worth giving one of the the list a call as some are multi brand repaireds.
I have a 52 plate Corsa 1.2
The front windscreen wipers stop in different positions, not as they should at the bottom of the screen when the wipers are used and turned off.
Do I need to fit a new windscreen wiper relay?
If so, is it a main dealer purchase or can one be obtained from an accessory shop?
Any advice appreciated. Read more
I can only comment about a Mk 3 Cavalier that displayed the same problem & was fixed with new relay as you suggest. Relay was in the fusebox under dash but where it is on your Corsa I wouldn't know. Simple pull out (more like wiggle out) & push back job & relay was about £10 ..... but that was in 1989!
Hi,
I have a X reg Peugeot 406 2.0 HDi Est which has suddenly started making some funny knocking noises. The noises originate from the side of the engine with the belts on (offside?) and are intermitant in such that can drive for 5 miles with no problem, but will then suddenly start knocking quite loudly. When it starts, it won't stop until car has been left for a couple of hours. It's quite hard determining exactly where the knock is coming from by sticking head under the bonnet, but could possibly be the power steering pump. It sounds like a metalic knock /rattle and follows engine speed. Power steering is currently fine however. How do I go about determining where this ominous sound is really coming from. Any way of checking the pump / alternator etc individually? Any help and / or advice would be greatfuly received.
Regards,
wally. Read more
I changed the lower crank-shaft pulley last night, this is the second one my car (xsara hdi 106k miles) has needed the first under warranty. When the pulley starts to go it can deteriorate quite quickly. Apparently there are lot of very low quality replacement parts around so it is best to get a quality part if possible (specialist told me he bough a batch for £30 and ended up replacing them all a few thousand miles later).Its quite an easy job for a mechanic, it takes nearly as long to take the splash guard on and off.
my 306 has an intemittent starting problem, from cold it starts no probs it seems to be when the engine has warmed up and left for 5mins to sometimes a couple of hours, when trying to start it will not fire and takes anything up to 6 tries to start. a few months ago i had a new "universal " relay fitted as the car failed to start at all and the fault was traced to no power feed to the fuel pump.the fault has only recently come about, i took it to my local sparks and he found nothing, plugged into test, road tested, nothing. brought it home and left in drive for 5 mins, NO start!!. could it be the fuel filter? or someone has suggested there is a butterfly valve in the filter housing? anyone got any ideas pleeeeze?
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jayvee
Could be a wiring, relay, connexion, inertia-switch or earthpoint fault; but the in-tank pump sticking is quite likely. You can feel the filter swell-up when the pump starts; if it cranks and that doesn't happen - suspect pump or circuit.
My sisters selling her MGF privately and has no idea what to advertise it for - shes not after a quick sale, but the best attainable price.
Its a 2001 51 plate MGF VVC with 23k and full MG SH in a good metallic colour and dark leather, plus some of the cosmetic option packs.
Its a two owner car and is in excellent condition plus having had the cambelt done, its not got any big services looming - I know its the wrong time of year to sell it, but sister knows best!
Its going to be taken off the road and cleaned throughly and then sold with a fresh MOT and service.
The values seem to vary quite alot and as one MG owners club member said to me, there arent many 51 plate MGFs about as that was the crossover with the TF, which makes it even harder to gauge.
What is the top price that she can hope for given its about as good as an MGF gets condition and saleability wise, for someone who has the time to wait rather than rush it out cheap for a quick sale?
The guides are putting it at around 5 grand with the below average mileage, but thats only the guides and they are often wrong! Read more
I work in the trade and we have found pretty much the same as you. You can get a fortune sometimes for an old shed which our normal traders think are only worth scraping, but the normal focus's at 7999 etc, we dont get a sniff on. Only exception to that is rarer stuff. Put a Fiesta Zetec-s tdci on there and sold it withn 3 days. I always think a car is salable if there is someone looking for it.
Hi,
If you have a Toyota diesel Avensis or Verso, could you please let me know how many MPH it pulls at 1000rpm in top gear?
I am interested in both 2.0 and 2.2 Avensis's and the 2.2 Verso's.
Thanks Read more
Your shortlist plus the Octavia 2.0 TDI and Mazda 6, as MLJ suggests, should find you something you like. Also have a look at an Audi A4 Avant - the boot may not be big enough although it's a bit bigger than a 320d (deeper because it has FWD).
Don't have a B-class diesel unless you can put up with the noise. I got a good finance deal on mine but it's absurdly unrefined for a £21,000 car.
Please could someone give me some advice on how to insure my husband's car. It is leased by his (small, two man) company through a major bank. Iniially, the idea was to obtain fleet insurance for this car and the one (leased through a different company) driven by my husband's business partner. However, owing to lack of time it was first temporarily added to the existing policy for my husband's previous (privately owned) vehicle - another well-known company. On an attempt to renewal temporarily for the third time (which I knew was the final time allowed) I was told that we should never have been given the insurance as it is a leased car. On ringing the lease company this afternoon their own insurance arm would not insure it either and I was told it should be insured by a commercial insurer. So I am totally perplexed. Does this mean that the company (i.e. my husband's business partner who usually deals with admin) will have to arrange insurance? and with whom - I looked up an online commercial insurer and I would have had to confirm that we were the registered keeper of the vehicle to get a quote. Will anyone insure this car???!! Insurance runs out on Monday so we are getting a bit desperate. Read more
Always insured my leased cars with a bog std. insurance company.


Thanks guys, just what I was after. Looks a pig of a job compared with a £2 switch and a few seconds work like my Pugs
I have booked the vehicle in for rectification work, but the garage used is closed until 2 Jan. Whilst parking there today I noticed that the rear wiper doesn't wipe all the screen, and the mellow sound from the exhaust is now turning into a definite exhaust leak. Lets hope the 30 day "return if not happy" is OK.