December 2006
the multifunction display is intermittently failing on my daughter's X reg Ibiza. She's booked it in a Seat dealer, but I've warned her that a replacement is likely to be expensive, and labour won't be cheap either.
Does anyone know 1) how easily accessible it is this in the car 2) a soruce of cheap replacements (breakers presumably) 3) if there is likely to be a fault that I, a rank amateur, could diagnose/fix?
TIA Read more
My 1998 Primera SLX auto needs a new cylnder head gasket for the second time. I reckon its best to sell it since the cost of repair ( it was over £700 last time) doesn't seem to be justified, given the age and value of the car. Any suggestions as to how I might value it , to place an ad in say Autotrader? Its got 4 new Continental tyres, and a relatively new battery.
Many thanks
William James Read more
i personally would scrap it,much less bother than having loads of tyre kickers sniffing the coolent and asking inane worthless questions
as said 1 headgasket is surprising
2 means something deeper
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6180617.stm
So in a few years our UK Licences will be obsolete...
I'm confused. Where will this leave us?
Could this be the early stages of a compulsory retest every five or ten years?
Opinions? views?
Read more
Whole thing looks like a re-branding exercise.
Photolicences have be renewed every 10 years anyway. I reckon they'll keep national registries and just link them, As pointed out the V5 has been rebranded - but its basically the same document...
Hi - i've been offered a Peugeot that is French registered (but RHD). How difficult and expensive is it to register it here? I guess it would need to be given a new registration number (age related), and MOT'd.
Is it worth it if I get it cheap?
Thanks Read more
If it was originally registered in the UK it will be no problem.
Hi folks - first post, so please be gentle...
I have been having problems with my 2001 Ford Fiesta 1.25LX, so I am hoping I can find some answers here.
Here is a summary of the problems :
1. When starting from cold it now likes to try and stall by dropping the revs. A bit of deft footwork stops this usually and it settles down to a relatively steady idle after about 45 seconds.
2. When changing gear I sometimes experience what can only be described as a block on acceleration when the revs are low. This is sometimes preceeded by an increase of revs when I apply the clutch before gear change.
3. I also sometimes hear a rattling noise on acceleration in the lower end of the rev scale.
Help is greatly appreciated in helping to solve the mystery. I tried Columbo. but he couldn't help - he said he doesn't understand fuel injection... ;-)
Matt. Read more
For a second until I saw the year of the car I thought you were this guy www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=43101&...f also called Matt. Was going to say 'Serves you right ;o)'
But as it's not the same person, glad you got it sorted.
Reading the thread on Tesco parking restrictions reminded me of a run-in with a mean council.
We were on a trip out to a place in Northumberland with my disabled mother and could not find a space in one of the few blue badge bays close to the entrance to a supermaket. We drove around to find an ordinary space close to the entrance but there were non at all due to an antiques fair being held at another premises. In the end I parked in an area which was not a designated space which I thought was ok as I was not causing an obstruction. Imagine my surprise to return to find a ticket on my screen despite having a blue badge. It was then I realised it was being policed by the borough council.
I made my way to the council offices confident I would be able to explain ths away on arrival I was given the impression the £30 would be waived once my appeals form had been seen by the official responsible.
A week later I recieved notification by the borough council that the fine stood!!.
My mistake was assuming the same rules on blue badge parking on the highways applied in council owned car parks.
I have never returned to this place since that day 2 years ago.
{Actual place name removed, and generalised - DD} Read more
>but I am airing on the side of safety
"erring" - i.e. in case there is an error, I am making sure I am well on the side of safety.
Ford Focus Mk I 98/2001, I have got a blank key cut that fits fine, and opens the doors ok, I have been trying to programme the key using the info' from the miraz site, I think I am right in saying my key uses the radio frequency method. What happens is that I can programme my new key to open and close the doors ok, but it won't start the car. The other problem is that when I have programmed the new key the existing key isn't programmed any more, its as if a new programme is used on the new key, which the original key doesn't recognise, can any body help me with this please, I would like to have both keys working at the same time, I do'nt have a red key, the car was only supplied with one key. Any suggestions welcome,
Thanks,
December. Read more
Focus wont have a red key, that was phased out in the middle of 1998 R reg.
Your remote opening: You need the second key there when you are programming, Once you have done the first key by pressing any button on the fob in remote programming mode, within 10 seconds press a button on your OTHER keyfob & that should then mean both are programmed to the car.
You can programme up to 4 remote fobs for use per car.
Immobiliser: If you only had one original key for the PATS system then its auto locksmith or Ford dealer time im afraid, Only someone with the correct software / kit can code the PATS keys if you only have one coded one to atart with.
Whenever you buy a Ford with PATS, Either make sure it comes with the red master key if its the early system, or if its the later system make sure it comes with BOTH keys & then get a standard key cut & programme it yourself & keep it safe in the house, saves money in the future should you need to programme any more keys after theft or loss.
Other than just getting used to it, is there a best way of getting the hang of driving a bigger car?
I'm getting better at the side distance, but reversing around things (E.g. parallel parking) and up against things still gives me the heebie-jeebies!
I always seem to manage a fairly good parallel park but normally through luck.
Any tips?! Read more
I dion't understand the question. Why should big cars be more
difficult to drive than small ones? I've always noticed the opposite
- they have big lazy engines that don't need reving and
delicate clutch control, and have a higher driving position for better
visibility.
Obviously with PAS and servo brakes - or are you driving
a 3 1/2 litre classic Bentley for the first time?
Parking and maneuvering in tight spaces, not driving. It's a great car to drive on the motorway.
How do you cure the boredom factor which creeps in within 12 months of ownership? - if it's a humble hatchback then you can understand it being below average or do you think if you own a top of the range BMW or Mercedes the boredom factor can also creep in?
Obviously some are stuck - for example company cars for 3 years etc, and it may be a perfectly reasonable car but for some reason you feel the urge to swap. Perhaps it is a sign of an over developed interest in cars and mentality that the 'grass is always greener', then you commit to a wad of cash and part exchange only to end up in the same position again. (This is the fundamental basis of how the car trade exists I imagine).
Even if you had the ultimate dream car would it guarantee curing the urge, or perhaps it may never go away if those six numbers come up on the lottery (probably make it worse).
For those not interested in cars and who view them as tin boxes to get from A to B it must never be a concern. Perhaps it is a natural urge to improve your circumstances.
Does anyone else feel that way, are you always dissatisfied (even if the car basically meets your needs)?
For myself I am always looking and finding something else but it can cost a fortune - others just drive something and get their kicks elsewhere.
Secretly I envy those who drive somthing for 10-15 years and reap the benefits of nil-depreciation etc. Read more
I think it is the thrill of the chase. I am a car-o-holic and I cannot begin to tell you how much I have spent on cars over the past 12 yrs or so (both in money and time spent on research)
I bet that others, like me, who change their cars frequently agonise for weeks, devouring magazine articles and car reviews from all sorts of sources. You may even run an excel spreadsheet of choices with columns for the vices and virtues for each car of interest.
Once the chase is over and the prize attained, it is hard to maintain the status quo. The thrill monster needs to be fed again. Shallow? Probably, but hey, some people spend huge amounts of money playing golf and buying gaudy trousers.
Hi,
just driving the kids home from school half an hour ago and the car stalled as I pulled in to the drive. Now it won't drive at all, forward or back.
The car is a P reg 1.8 RT by the way....
The engine runs ok, but there's now a rattle/grind when the clutch is not depressed (even in neutral). If I depress the clutch, the noise stops after a second or two. If I put it into gear and try to drive all I get is very loud crunching/grinding noise...... I can change gears fine, which puzzles me.
Does it sound like the clutch has failed totally, or, hopefully, something cheaper?
Here's hoping it's not £300 :(
Marc Read more
Well it's the gearbox that is shot....most likely final drive....
Been quoted £450 to repair form one place, and £355 another (with me supplying a gearbox).....guess what's going on ebay tomorrow for spares/repair!
Just my luck as ever.
Browse
.jpg)
Oh Right!! Is the screen actually the radio?
I haven't even been out to take a look - will do so tomorrow!
It's a 1.4 Cool btw.