April 2007
My car broke down on motorway couple of days ago. The temperature guage shooted to red and when I stopped the car and opened up the bonnet, water had leaked from the water pump. So I've got the water pump (and the cam belt) changed (not from Volvo). Car is driving perfectly now, there isn't any coolant leakage or anything but the temperature needle is still in the red zone. When I switch off the car the needle drops down to bottom but as soon I switch it on it shoots up to the red zone. Could it be a fault sensor? Read more
Just got my 9/3 convertible serviced (the 18000 miler) I was expecting to shell out, but it still doesn't soften the blow of forking out £328. Good thing is, the next one is due probably after it has gone to someone else.
Maybe I can rent it out in the summer months as a smoking carriage to recoup. Read more
">SaaB is a company run by professors in sprts jackets with leather elbow patches, and this has to change"<"
I wish I had known that before GM arrived at Saab, I might have bought one. The early Saab turbos were and still are head turners, and who can forget the Saab "Scandinavian flick" rally cars? GM are an odd company, they create mogodon motoring par excellence with Astra/Vectra etc, yet the same company offer that tail sliding Holden thing and the Corvette. I am of the age when sports jackets with leather elbow patches are approaching. Will I look like Steve McQueen in Bullitt?
Because of a medical reason I need a automatic.
I only have £1000 to spend.
Anything up to a 1.8,
estate or a hatchback.
If you was to buy one with that sort of money what would you go for? What auto's are better/more reliable for a grand?
Cheers for the help. Read more
I don't use both feet when I drive. Although I agree it is probably better to do so if you can, I have the coordination that would put a sloath to shame, so - no, I don't think I will tr a second time.
The traction control lamp on my m-i-l's year-old Bora has been illuminated for the past week. She finally got it looked at today, and the dealer has now got her to book it in for two whole days to fix whatever the problem is.
Any idea what the problem could be that would take so long to fix? Read more
Isn't this what plug in diagnostics are supposed to identify in a matter of seconds?
That's what the techies did today, then got the service receptionist to say that the problem had been identified and would take two days to fix... no other info was offered.
My girlfriend has a 1998 Peugeot 306 1.6 Meridian. She has recently had problems with random warning lights on the dashboard coming on that shouldnt . This week the airbag light is flashing away even though the passenger airbag switch is active.
Is it likely to be a bad connection under the bonnet that could be cleaned or is this a main dealer only problem?
Any ideas about this?
With thanks.
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This week the airbag light is flashing away
Is it likely to be a bad connection under the bonnet ....
More likely a bad connection under the seats to the seat belt pretensioners. Common problem.
See here:-
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=50...2
The last time I saw my Seicento was yesterday at 3:30, pulling away on the back of a low loader.
I figured it would be atleast a week before I saw it again, it wasnt like it was booked in with the dealer when I rang up to ask for help with the leaking fuel tank.
To my suprise and I have to say utter delight, it just appeared on my driveway just 25 hours after it left! The fact that the guy who delivered it on the lowloader didnt ring doorbell and put keys thro letterbox is a minor annoyance as my dad thought he was seeing things when he went out the door and there it was! I didnt believe him when he called me down either! So funny at the time.
They have replaced the fuel tank and refilled the tank with fuel so hopefully all is good now with 'Mario'.
I rang them up on discovering the car there just to check it wasnt a mistake!
Turns out someone forgot to ring me to let me know and he couldnt understand why the delivery driver hadnt rung doorbell, but its back and thats the main thing.
I think that was a very impressive turnaround, esp when you consider it didnt arrive at their place until the end of the working day yesterday and its a 25 mile journey between my house and dealer.
All in all, Lutterworth Ford have got my vote and they certainly put my local Ford dealer in the shade.
Ford dealers can be very hit and miss - they are certainly a hit as far as Im concerned.
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>>there has been a recall on the tank ( long standing)>>
Surprisingly that the previous owner(s) didn't have it done.
Unless it was done more than once.......
I think it perhaps got missed as the previous owner ( who owned it from new ) moved around the time of the recall although since that recall, the car has been serviec by a Fiat dealer who youw ould have hoped would check for recalls having been done, but then, it is a Fiat dealer and my local one is not one of the best.
It was only rusty around certain parts of the seam, mainly where the mountings are and on the new tank, they have painted on some coating after it was mounted, specifically around the mountings, suggesting that this is to protect it from rust again?
1992 W124 230E salon.
About every 2 years the sunroof plays up and will not open or tilt. Sometimes it is associated with the windows playing up.
Strangely it often occurs in warm weather. Then after about 2 weeks it often fixes itself.
This time there is sometimes a clicking/soft clunking noise from somewhere near the rear left passenger bodywork, maybe even from the rear roof area. The noise is also a cycling sound as if a motor is slowly moving over a 20-30 second time period.
Any ideas?
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I remember the five or so sunroof equipped Merc 190's that were part of the fleet I worked on in the 1990's. They all suffered from sunroof problems due to the sound deadening material softening and dropping onto the roof mechanism. The problem always started during hot weather, and all were fixed under warranty.
I have just been reading the HM Government literature for the New Smokefree Law that comes into force on 1 July 2007. Talk about a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Everybody knows this is going to start and no doubt there will be a massive advertising campaign at the end of June.
In my shop I have always had a no smoking policy and yet have never had to display a sign. Come 1 July I must, like every other premises, display an A5 size no smoking sign by the entrance door. If I do not display this sign I can be fined £150 if I pay the fixed penalty within 15 days, £200 if paid within 29 days or a court awarded fine of up to £1000. Remember no one has even tried to smoke a cigarette.
If someone does light up (and gets caught) the fines are £30, £50 and £200 for payment as above. However if I do not stop someone smoking I can be fined up to £2500 by a court - there are no fixed penalty notices.
Did you know that all vehicles (motoring link), including company cars and vans, must be smokefree if they transport members of the public. This even applies if 2 workmen are in a van and both want to smoke. Every smokefree vehicle must also display a 70mm diameter no smoking sign. The same penalties apply for vehicles as listed for premises. Only vehicles that are used primarily for private purposes do not have to be smokefree.
Anyone who controls a smokefree premises or vehicle will have to demonstrate reasonable steps have been taken to meet the requirements of the new law. These include introducing a smokefree policy, training staff and removing ashtrays!
If you do not believe what I have written then look at www.smokefreeengland.co.uk. (Mods OK for this to be a link, because is 'official' information. HJ)
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Roger
A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well.
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: )
Oh I can imagine the NS brigade not being able to cope with that one.... "He's only joking... but you can't joke about it... but what if he is doing it... but it's his car... and it's not harming anyone else.... damn I can't think of a reason to disapprove..... what else can I think of to be sanctimonious about....CANNOT COMPUTE"
: )
Tongue firmly in cheek.
Dead simple for me, as I've no doubt said before. Don't partic care about smoking ban. Not partic pro-smoking, pretty ambivalent. But the more people get STUPID about it; "Smokers cause global warming, avian flu, cat flu, TB, diptheria, ME and Weil's disease are caused by Lambert and Butler smoke... and that's true 'cos I read a government report that quoted something entirely out of context" the more likely I am to smoke like a chimney just because it annoys Tarquin and Cressida types who come out with such bulldust. I bought a car once that had previously been owned by a smoker, no doubt I have had secondary tertiary seat-related smoke damage.... utter piffle.
I've been trying to find an online list of each car and their VED pricing-does such a list exist?
I've found reference to the bands and mention of individual cars in their own reviews, but no alphabetical car list and their respective tax bands.
Can you help? Read more
Thanks Paul
I have just had an interesting conversation over several pastis' and a bottle of vin rouge (that will do to excuse the spelling and grammar!). An owner of a French registered Prius visited London recently and tried to register his Prius as qualifying for 100% discount on the congestion charge by using his French regn. The system will not accept his regn details. However ithe system will accept French Regn details if you wish to register to pay the cahrge.
He pursued the the issue and discovered that apparently the 'system' needs to check (without manual intervention) against the DVLA records that the vehicle genuinely qualifies for a zero charge. It obviuosly cannot do this for foregn vehicles. He was told that he would not be pursued for use of a foreign vehicle anyway so that he need not bother to register any foreign vehicle in the future. He also got the impression that foreign plates would not be automatically read so computer records of continued access (abuse?) are not available.
Any comments?
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pmh (was peter)
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What is a station wagon?
A shooting brake :D
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[Nissan 2.2 dCi are NOT Renault engines. Grrr...]
Browse
If its a head gasket problem then shouldn't the temp gauge be at bottom when I start up the car in the morning and work its way up to the top?
Is it worth me changing the temp sensors? According to Volvos there're 2 censors for this particular problem!!!