Hi all...

Does anyone know a rough price to get your Crank oil seals replaced at a garage?

I wouldnt mind all the oil seals changing, is this possible and does anyone have a rough cost for this too?

Thanks guys !

Mike Read more

In the past few weeks every car in the Epsom, Surrey, area seems to be collecting vast quantities of a very fine dust quite quickly.

Where is this coming from?

It is similar to the sort of dust we get when the news carries stories of sandstorms from the Sahara blowing our way, but the previaling weather recently has been more from the north, the east and west - never from the south. There has been no mention of anything untoward in the media either.

Until about two months ago this had not been a problem. Since then it is almost non stop. It isn't particularly local either - my parents are having the same problem three miles away, so I assume the local building sites can be ruled out as a source.

Any ideas? Read more

Just heard on the news that someone is going to make a legal challenge on the practice of meters not giving change. I did not hear all the facts, maybe someone can elaborate. Could be an interesting outcome. Read more

I brought a Saxo 1.6 VTR P reg 65,000 miles 2 weeks ago. Today The indicators stopped working and the battery light has come on. The electirc windows work intermittantly. The steering is heavy for a short distance then it returns to normal, at this point the radio and heaters also start to work.

I took it to a garage and they said the electic ignition switch needs replacing (at first the said the alternator), at a cost of around £250. Does this sound right or could anyone help? Has anyone else had this problem, if so any idea how this can be fixed without costing this much money?

Read more

Well it arrived today, after some negotiation, the delaer's met us physically half way.

First Impressions.

Well it glitters and gleams in it's Diamond Black (the "protection" given it was a bargaining chip) and almost squatting on it's 18" alloys - which are very pretty. It has few options, the wheels being one and reverse sensors being the other.

Once inside, I was struck by the lightness of everything, the 6 speed (manual) box is a delight and the pedals and steering are perfectly weighted, easy to get comfy in the very attractive GTi seats - they are an echo to a happier past when the checked seats first appeared in the original Gti. As previously stated the plastics are not up to BMW standards and even "my" venerable old 3 series. The wheel is slightly strange, being flat (probably to accomodate middle aged stomachs) at the bottom, but the soft feel leather is nice. Strereo is good with MFD type display and channel selection. The interior "mood" is less sombre than Beemers of old.

Difficult to believe that it has 200bhp under the bonnet, certainly no inkling of this is communicated to the driver, in fact it feels almost rwd certainly miles ahead of the low end Focii I've driven as hire cars. Road noise is high but not as jiggly as I expected in these wheels - not my idea, but now I've seen them they are OK.

The dual climate is more difficult to set up than the BMWs I've owned, not quite happy with that. The car's computer is rather confusing, again compared to the set up on the old shape 3 series and I honestly prefer the iDrive. Not come anywhere near thrashing it yet but there is a nice gruffy exhaust, otherwise runs silently.

SWMBO will have to force the keys from me, I do like it though. Read more