December 2006
I am about to exchange my 1995 Audi A6 Estate for a newer car.
Having never had 4WD or traction /stability controls I am after some advice.
Basically I am after a reliable hatchback or estate which is occupant safe, economical and comfortable to drive. Ideally automatic but not necessarily. Budget up to say £12000 or so. New/2nd hand fine.
Fiesta/Polo too small.
I do not drive fast or aggressively, but most of my driving (15000miles / year) is on B roads and country roads.
Mostly only me in the car, but has to cope with kids,dog,bikes etc on occasions.
Badge of no interest, but have an excellent independant VAG service garage locally so that would be ideal.
Currently I struggle sometimes in winter with roads, especially in snow, and I'd really like to improve on this. Having said that I use budget tyres and have no traction control etc on current vehicle.
Whilst a 4WD (eg Subaru Legacy, Mazda M6 Sport AWD, A4 Avant Quattro, Passat 4motion, Golf 4motion) appeals, very few are diesel and fewer still automatic, hence poor economy and I'd imagine higher servicing due to 4WD.
I don't need the clearance of a 4*4 but wouldn't rule out say CRV or Rav4, just probably I think not as good to drive on road as the above cars.
So I was wondering (here comes the question at last) whether a car with Traction/Stability control plus decent tyres would be markedly less effective than 4WD for my type of driving/roads, given that I'd have more choice and better economy.
Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.
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I have an'R' Mitsubishi Carisma. It seems almost impossible to demist.
The car has air conditioning etc Done 62K miles, appears to run normally.
Can anyone help with my dilemma please? Read more
I'd change the pollen filter first if it's got one. Water leaks into the car will make it very heavily misted inside - are all the carpets dry? Failed matrix will also steam it up - but that's usually greasy, and smells!
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RichardW
Is it illogical? It must be Citroen....
2000 Turbo Diesel
After my wife reported that ominous grinding sound, I bought a set of pads and tried to fit them last night - a half-hour job I thought.
The problem was when I tried to push the pistons back into the calipers. On any other car I've tried, pressure from both thumbs has been enough, sometimes with a bit of help from tyre lever/large screwdriver. It proved impossible to move the pistons back and I suspected that something in the ABS could be acting as a non-return valve so I opened the bleed screw on the caliper. They still wouldn't move. Both sides of the car were the same. Question: am I missing something or do I force (try to force?) the pistons back using a large G-cramp between the piston face and the back of the caliper? Read more
If the handbrake works directly on the main calipers, then it's possible you need to screw the calipers back in rather than just pushing them. The give away for this is usually slots in the face of the piston to allow you get a tool in to turn them. Trouble is, some cars are handed (eg the C5) so you need to make sure you turn the right way!
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RichardW
Is it illogical? It must be Citroen....
I have a 53-reg Mondeo Ghia X TDCI 130 (E3) with 113,000 miles. Since I got it at 96k in March, it has been quite smoky when accelerating through the mid-range and it has not been particularly economical either. Is it time to get the engine calibration re-mapped? Does the fuel injection mapping need regular updating?
Ford has not been able to find any fault with it and it passed its first MoT emission fine in September. My fuel consumption is 39.48 mpg (brim-to-brim but the trip computer states 46mpg) with the lowest at 28mpg (driving 2 miles to and from work within the congestion zone in London) and highest at 46mpg (driving up to and touring around Scotland).
I felt the excess smoke and poor economy is due to over-fuelling of the injection system.
Secondly, how would you know you are accessing the over-boost function?
Lastly, as the car is outside the warranty period, I am thinking of getting the engine remapped so the torque curve doesn't tail off quickly after 3,800rpm. With so many companies out there, which ones get your recommendation?
Thanks, Gazza Read more
just responding to the remapping question --I have a 2002 130 tdci GHIA x and had countless problems with injectors being thrown out of ---ford will recode a injector once and the second time if it throws out the same injector will tell you to change it--- I took mine to a good diesel engineer who informed me that the car has the same injectors as renault and many other cars who dont have a problem--- if one gets thrpwn out of code you should move it to another cylinder and see if it follows it to that cylinder first not just change it at £250 ---my engineer charged me a hr labour and recodes all the injectors at the same time as he has all the codes ---yes all had been thrown out at some point---I TOOK IT TO A SPORTS PERFORMANCE GARAGE WHO REMAPPED IT TO 156 BHP AND I HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM SINCE IN OVER TWO YEARS IT COST £300 BUT WAS WELL WORTH IT----AND BOY WILL IT GO NOW!!!!!!!
Please advise how to fit factory replacement front fog light unit on my 53 mondeo ghia estate 2.0 tdci
its not the round type , many thanks in advance. Read more
For those who missed it or would like to see it again..
tinyurl.com/yjkvsy
P.
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Both.
any one have any infomation on this company or how good they our in dealing with problems,
they make great claims on there web sight but would like any feedback any one has
thanks in advance Read more
Why do cars have subframes - I ask this as I've found out the subframe on my BX under the engine had become detached from the fixing bolts at the front due to corrosion. This wasn't obvious as metal plates had been welded over the recessed bolt heads to counteract rusting. Neither suspension legs and arms nor steering were affected - hence my query. There was nasty rattling but new parts have been fabricated to replace the rusted subframe ends and all is now quiet. Read more
A while back there was a thread about the proposed raising of the tolls for the Dartford crossing. The proposals are now out for consultation until 9th of March 2007 with an opportunity for you to have your say. I'm not going to go through all the arguments again right now as I think we all know the pros and cons, but just to say if you have an opinion then go and voice it!
The link to the consultation is:- tinyurl.com/ykfapt
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Being a natural cynic I agree with you. I just thought that people ought to be aware that they can go and have their say if they feel so inclined
BTW there is also a little bit tucked away in the proposal that the toll will be reviewed each year in December and increased in line with inflation each April by either 5p or to the nearest 10p so this won't just be a one off increase it's going to be annual.
Tried to fit a new set of glowplugs on my dads 1998 Scenic 1.9 DTi today. 3 Of them went in fine but the one behind the fuel pump of the cambelt end is proving to be a bit of a pig to get at. Is there a special tool available anywhere or should I have to take any other parts off to get better access to it? Read more
I hope you didn't use Wellman or some other cheap make or you may be doing it again sooner than you hope!
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Isn't another advantage of 4WD the fact that you have a four-way diff, at least on some systems?
Or am I out of my depth (again)?