April 2007
I found the article on the right interesting.
An employee of Glass's Guide suggests that for more expensive cars, black paint commands a premium over silver, with silver as the standard price, black is worth £500 more, white is worth £2,500 less.
As someone just in the process of speccing a new car, I have been debating this very thing with myself!
Does this apply to all body styles? I am probably going to buy an estate, will it all look a bit like a hearse if painted black? Read more
The following may be of interest to owners of other makes not just Ford.
I have just been through the process of replacing the rear wiper blade on a 2000 Focus
I did not get a Ford replacement but a Bosch. It fitted OK but would only track the windscreen for half of its length for the whole of the arc of its range.
It is fine for front screens ( also fitted it to a Yaris) but probably not designed for rear screens.
I have now fitted a Champion and it works correctly.
I measured the approx amount of bend for each brand. Ford 2.4cm, Champion 3.1cm and Bosch 1.5mm Read more
I had a similar problem with Bosch Super Plus on the rear of my Focus, and in addition the inner ends of the front blades touched one another in the parked position. When it came to renewal time I bought genuine Ford blades ( price within a few pence of the Bosch) ~ and now I can't think why I ever bought Bosch at all. Never again.
--
L\'escargot.
Thought I would finally write something with a 'local flavour'
Just enjoying a post lunchtime cigarette, on the office balcony and lo and behold 5 tow away trucks pulled up across the road - ensueing flurry of car owners saw all but one remonstrate succesfully (exchange of folding noticed) and one taken away. The local rate is $100 to get your car back - the local authority recieves $120k per month from this per month.
In truth, with the growth in car ownership the city centre is becoming very jammed up however, the local cure has been to allow parking on the broad pavements which seems to have provided a short term solution.
In principal, parking costs around 50 pence an hour during the working day for supervised areas falling to 10 pence outside the centre.
BTW I got my car back from the garage last week after having one side repainted due to vandalism (got compensation paid promptly, too) the cost of the bodywork was $150 - mind you, its a white American convertible of 17 years and only the size of a 3 series BMW so it was a bit of a blow over.
I am gathering energy to write about the flourishing Chinese imported car market which has seen some grandly (funnily) named models hit the market if anyone is interested.
Spring is definately in the air here and the aged part of the population are wheeling out their Zaparozets from hibernation - think NZU Prinz without the reliability so break downs will shortly abound. In fact, whilst walking the dog on sunday morning I watched one old boy servicing his 25+year old Lada estate after its winter sajourn under a balcony - never knew a hammer had so many uses! Read more
There are some more Modern Lada's about. Have a look at the 15 April entry in Keith Adams blog on www.austin-rover.co.uk/
On saturday I recieved a 'notice to owner' to say that my car had been ticketed on 27/2/07 and that the charge had not been paid. As a result I have a bill for £80.
I never got a ticket on my car. where do I stand? Can I argue that I should be allowed to pay the 50% discounted rate on the grounds that I did not have a PCN? I agree that I was parked on a yellow line, 5 mins before I was allowed to.
The back of the letter has 'grounds for representations to the council' of which the only one vaguely descriptive of my position is:
'you disagree that the Parking Attendant was prevented from issuing the PCN'.
Is this the correct description of my complaint?
thanks Read more
Just a thought, but is it possible that some idiotic joker removed the ticket from the windscreen before you returned to the car?
Google maps does route planning. Try this one.
1. go to maps.google.com/
2. click on "get directions" (third line at top)
In the second line boxes:
3. type "New York" in the first box (the "from" box)
4. type "London" in the second box (the "to" box)
5. click on "get directions" button (right of From and To boxes)
6. in left column scroll down to step 23
Martin Read more
Just take a Sat NAG with you. At least she can cook as well and I love 'er, but as for map reading.........well.."£***&^%
VBR..............MD
hi there my pug 205 stdt has an electrical problem . the digital clock works but you can hardly see it i changed the bulb as blown but the clock doesnt light up even when lights on checked all the fuses in the board are there any more fuses under the bonnet that relate to this also could this bulb be in line with the ash tray light as this doesnt work as well ?? failing this does any one know a good auto electrician in essex southend way ??? ta Read more
cool thanks much apperciated il
will try tmrw thanks again andy
Hi All
I am looking for some advice on which car I should get for me mum(bless her)
She is getting on and now needs an auto but seems addicted to diesel.
What is the best small diesel auto / semi auto or is there a decent petrol one? Not my area so I don't have a clue.
I like the Honda Jazz 7 speed thing but as it's petrol, it's being sniffed at :-) LOL
Her budget is around £8500 plus P reg diesel Fiesta
Any help would be really great :-)
Thanks a million.
Ruth Read more
Well, it's the torque. In order to get performance from a petrol auto you generally have to rev it more than a diesel. Higher revs , like for like, means burning more fuel. The torque of a diesel gives you a quicker shove at lower revs, without the need for reving. On the crowded roads of the south-east this has more relevance to everyday driving. It's not just because of company car tax rules that sales of diesels have increased the way they have over the past decade. Yes, if we all lived in the sticks and only ever drove on empty country roads, I dare say we would drive more high-reving petrol-engined cars.
I think local yokel was saying that the difference between a petrol auto and a diesel auto would be 5-10 mpg max, if at all. My medium-sized diesel auto does 44mpg in town. I know that if it had a petrol engine, it would give less than 30mpg, judging on previous manual petrol cars I have driven in the same conditions.
My mondy is having a bit of a problem keeping it's cool!
Called the AA out last night and we have no coolant circulation. With the thermonstat removed it still got too hot so it seems to point to the water pump not doing it's job.
Can anybody reccommend a garage in Southampton? I'm hoping that it can be done for around £200ish else it's starting to become uneconomical.
TIA,
Lou
Read more
The water pump on V6 is easy to do as it's right on top of engine on right hand side looking from front - it is under the black plastic cover with duratec on it - once done give car a good run to get it hot and then check expansion tank - there should be no froth on top of water and no sign of any bubbles rising up the clear pipe going into bottom of tank - if there is your head gasket could have gone - these are a weak point on V6 - you would then be looking at £1500 for head gaskets give or take. - - One thing you could do is try and source a metal impeller pump from a motor factors - they are about but take some finding.
For more info on H/G's failing go to forums on this site and look for V6 engines www.fordmondeo.org/forum/index.php?
now that summers here can anyone recommend the best way ( and easiest) way to remove squashed flys from the windscreen and paint work ????regular washing doesnt seem to remove the stuborn marks Read more
Windowlene?
It's what i usually use on all the windows, inside and out, when I clean mine. Works like a dream. :-)
A friend of mine have said that the Dealer told them to book-in for Air-Bag replacement, even so there is nothing wrong with their old one, is this right ?
I mean they are going to spend a lot of money for that and I have two Fords which are 13 years old with Air-Bag of each and Ford said they still will work, unlet the Air-Bag light start to flash or lits up.
Please reply.
Thank you! Read more
GC
Strange? Either the ECU was faulty, or the bag itself. Can't see why it needed both; nor how it affected the engine.
Was there more to this than meets the eye? Has it hit something like a speed-hump or a kerb?
Browse
You will probably find that you have fewer arguments too.