March 2007

cabsmanuk

My 18 year old son has just passed his test (yesterday) and is desperate to start driving an elderly Citroen AX valued at about £350. I am of the opinion that he should insure it himself and he has had a best quote of about £1600.

What I don't want to do is have him as a named driver on my policy and risk my NCB

What have other backroomers done?
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Jemima Can

They won't tell you it's irrelevant. You, as policyholder, will have made a claim - that's relevant.

You will have to answer the question: Any accidents or claims in the last 5 years?

Your answer will have to be yes.

I think we're playing with semantics.

"That's the bit that I think you're mis-understanding (or perhaps you're doing it on purpose?) - they only affect the risk on the policy they're on. They don't affect the risk on my other policies that they're not included on."

I'm not mis-understanding you deliberately. You - as a policyholder - have a history of claiming. It doesn't matter whether you claimed on a different policy or whether you were driving - you still claimed on a policy where you were policyholder. If that seems unjust, you really only have the option to make your named drivers go and insure themselves - but - you - still have a claims history on your policyholding record.

To put it in the bluntest terms, you have had claims, and to an insurance company, the whys and wherefores don't really affect the issue to much: you are a 'known claimer': that's a valid reason to charge you more.

One could say that you as a policyholder are not a very good judge of risk because you took on the named driver and, because you are not a good judge of risk: there may be an argument for charging you more.

I'm not saying that is their reasoning; but it wouldn't be unreasonable if it was.

Hoby

I have a 1999 Renault Clio 1.4. The car starts fine but when I push in the clutch to change gear with the engine hot or cold the revs drop to about 100 then quickly recovers to 5-600. The engine does not cut out. Any bright ideas
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sine

During normal driving the engine speed should not drop to idle speed during gear changes (unless you change gear at very low rpm)
Renault engines seem to have very little inertia which means you have to change gear quickly to achieve a smooth rev-matched change (or prod the accelerator during the gear change), i guess this helps make them 'nippy' for town driving.

Dynamic Dave


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local yokel

www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2006/20061332.htm details current fees.

Value, standard charge, reduced rate for voluntary registration

0?50,000 40 30
50,001?80,000 60 45
80,001?100,000 100 75
100,001?200,000 150 110
200,001?500,000 220 165
500,001?1,000,000 420 315

Dynamic Dave


***** This thread is now closed, please CLICK HERE to go to Volume 123 *****


In this thread you may ask any computer related question for which you need help, advice, suggestions or whatever.

Usual rules apply,

No motoring related discussion,
No politics,
No Speeding, speed cameras, traffic calming
No arguments or slanging matches
Nothing which we think is not following the spirit of the thread
Nothing that risks the future of this site (please see the small print for details www.honestjohn.co.uk/credits/index.htm )

Any of the above will be deleted. If the thread becomes difficult to maintain it will simply be removed.

There is a wealth of knowledge in here, much of which is not motoring related, but most of which is useful.

This is Volume 122. Previous Volumes will not be deleted.

A list of previous volumes can be found here:-
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PLEASE NOTE:

When posting a NEW question, please "Reply to" the first message in this thread, i.e. this one. This keeps each question in it's own separate segment and stops each new question from getting mixed up in amongst existing questions. Also please remember to change the subject header.

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Dalglish

Warning noted

the security is quite easy to set up, so do give it a go.

>>but do please tell me how to file share... the good lady wanted that facility and I didn't know you could.

on both computers, assuming they are running xp:
1. go to start>control-panel>set-up-network and follow the instructions.
2. to share files from the 1st computer, open "windows-explorer" ( i.e. the file manager, if you do not already know, it is from start>all-programs>accessories ), and right click on any folder or file you want to share. From the menu that pops up, select "sharing and security" and take it from there.
3. on the 2nd computer, you should now see the file visible in your "my network places" folder.

step 2 can be repeated from the 2nd computer to enable sharing of files/folders on the 2nd pc.

note - for personal reasons, i prefer to set windows-explorer to:
tools>view>
1. untick the option to "automatically search for network folders and printers"
2. tick the option to "use simple file sharing"


movilogo

I often hear people say that short journeys are bad for car.

What is the reason behind it? What distance is considered short?

Thanx Read more

LeePower

That 306 XSI has the bullet proof XU10J2 lump, I had this same lump in my 405 & stuck 70K miles on it over 5 years, apart from servicing, the odd oil leak plus needing a starter & alternator replacing around the 100K miles mark the lump was fine & I managed to get around 27mpg out of it too.

June 1995 onwards XU10J2's are even better with the ECU & cylinder head modifications.

Question Oil changes
Morpheus

Just noticed that National Tyres are doing oil and filter changes "from £20" with 10% off online = £18....

I normally do my own because I worry that a) they will use cheapo oil, b) they will bodge it or c) they will sport 101 other jobs that need doing while they are doing it...

That said, I rarely get time to do my own which is obviously bad for the car.... add to that the fact that a filter is £5, a big tub of magnatec is £20+ means i'm £7 down before I start the job.....

Do HJ users usually do their own or get people to do it... If you do your own, is it cheaper than £18???

Related subject, their website gives me the options

Oil & Filter change - 10w-40 QXR (up to 2300cc) £20.00
Oil & Filter change - Hypergrade 15w-40 (up to 2300cc) £15.00
Oil & Filter change - Visco 7000 0w-40 (up to 2300cc) £25.00

I normally use Magnatec 15W-40 in my 99T Saxo 1.1i (70k miles and normally does 10k a year ish)

Should I stick with the 15W-40 option for £15 (not sure why it previously said "from £20" if its actually £15..) or should I upgrade to one of the more expensive options?!?!

GK Read more

Rover25

I've used National tyres for Oil changes in the past and found the Manchester, Chester Road branch to be good, but my local branch which I won't name or shame is totally useless and staffed by dimwits.

I find the theses oil change deals quite useful in winter, as I tend to need an oil change about this time of the year, and its frankly cold wet and unpleasant working on a car outside at this time of year.
However, my car normally needs it main service in summer, when I always do the work myself, including the oil change.Might cost me a little bit more, but I know its been done correctly.

Dave N

I got pulled up in Tottenham the other day for no insurance. Before you all get out of your prams, I have got insurance, but the police computer say no.

Anyway, they asked if I had my licence on me, which I didn't. According to the coppers it should always be carried, and it's a popular misconception to think otherwise. Is this true?

They also reckoned the car is registered to an address in Wales, but then decided they'd go that part wrong (suspect they got the bit about insurance details wrong as well, as they didn't want to take things further.) Lets hope things get sorted out before the introduction of ID cards. Read more

aaflyer

Due to the paramilitary involvement and rise of 'Tiger Kidnapping' here in N.I., some truckers and / or those carrying other high-value goods are advised not to carry their licence with them.

If they're grabbed, then it's an easy way of exercising leverage on them (presuming the criminals haven't already done their homework...)

AA

Moe

hey, this is my first post here but id just like to ask your opinions
Im buying my first car and want it to be a ford focus and my budget is a max of £3000, Ive been looking online at sites like autotrader and loot, but havent really found anything.. where should I be looking? I guess Im also just asking your opinions on what you think I could get for my money? I would need the car to be a 1.6 or 1.4 for insurance reasons but I mean.. what kind of year and mileage should I expect to be getting? Im kind of specific as id like dark blue, silver or black as they are the colours I think look best on a focus.
Also what are the main differences between the different focus's for example the LX, Zetec or Giah? and so which one should I go for? I know its a lot of questions but its my first car and as a student £3000 is a loooot of money so Id like to get it right first time with minimal hassle,
Thanks.
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L'escargot

I happen to think that
a lack of plastic sills ...........


You don't get any problem of visible rust on the sills if they're plastic. Give me plastic sills any day. I'm not bothered about the looks. My main priority (in all features) is functionality.

--
L\'escargot.
ajsdoc

Embarrasing call to the breakdown company this evening. Got a flat, duly jacked up the car, undid the nuts, then couldn't get the wheel off. Felt a real numpty. Thankfully(?) the breakdown guy also really struggled (in fact kicked my wheel harder than I felt reasonable!). Anyway it came off, told me not unusual with alloys but I've never had this before. What should I do to stop this happening again? If it does happen again are there any tricks rather than kicking the whhel very hard (I think if I'd kicked so hard with the car jacked on the scissor jack the car would have toppled!) Read more

bhoy wonder

Happened to my golf about 3 years ago. AA man came and it took him about 20 minutes to remove the tyre. Not an uncommon problem he advised.

karlthelord

i am having a problem with the wire loom on the drivers side door

the wires are perrished and after several attemtps to repair the Wires (crimping them) the locking system is still intermittent. i read on this site that a replacement loom cost £50
where can you get these and how difficult is it to replace? are there any instructions Read more

Dulwich Estate

In the end I didn't follow chindu's method.

I just removed the central locking fuse and now have a manual locking car.