April 2007
My brother's partner was driving her 5 series (not sure which model but only 1 or 2 years old) when she felt the rear of the car handling funny so pulled over and stopped.
When she got out she discovered that the rear alloy wheel had split in two, around the full circumference!
A friend got the wheel off the car and spare on. Her local dealer are saying that there is a slight dent on the rim where it looks like she may have hit a pothole and the resultant puncture (run flat tyres) has weakened the alloy and then its "weakest point" has broken as a result. She has phoned BMW direct and they are sticking to the same story. On closer inspection of the tyre at Kwik Fit, the tyre is not punctured anywhere.!
She has asked them if they are happy then with her to go to the press and say that BMW are saying that if you have a slight dent on your rim, then your wheel may split in two! They said they would come back to her!
Anyone else heard of this or is it purely a one off case? Read more
My retired father-in-law is thinking about getting another car which will last him a good few years. New or up to two years old, three or five door, manual box, reliable, cheap to run, and corrosion-resistant (he lives by the sea). Image is of no concern nor is performance as long as it is comfortable. Lowish annual mileage so petrol rather than diesel. Mainly local pottering with a very occasional longer run. Budget of up to £6k but less is better. He's sick of pouring money into an old Laguna so French or Italian is out. I've suggested Japanese or other Asian which he's happy with, but I have little experience of driving this class of car so any suggestions will be greatfully received. Did I mention it has to be reliable?
Thanks in advance. Read more
I was hoping you would.
Chinaman lives with his son's family. They are very poor and it is a strain to feed all of the family. After many years he becomes weak and bed ridden. One night his son comes to him with a sack and lifts him quietly into the sack. The old man, expecting this, does not protest. The son sets off walking and, after about 20 minutes, puts down the sack on the parapet of a bridge over a river. At this point the old man speaks for the first time, "Take the sack home with you son". "Why?" says the son. "Because your son will need it one day".
Told to me by my father in the pc incorrect 20th century and with apologies to anyone of an Oriental disposition.
JH
My fiesta (endura engine) when warmed up starts to rev very high when changing down through the gears and can continue with high revs when stopped at a junction. If i stop the car it restats o.k. Read more
also check that the switch on the clutch pedal hasnt undone itself
it looks like a brake light switch
The electric window winders on my 2001 punto are gradually getting 'tired'. If I spray silicone down between the seal and the window, is this a way to prolong their life ??? I want to keep the car until summer 2008 and would like to keep them running until then.
Thanks in advance for any responses. Read more
It's like a white grease;type it into a search engine-google for example.
Hi all, Advice please. I need to check out the history of a car before i part with £3,000 in cash. Any advice please on which is the one to use, as there seem to be loads online. I am a r.a.c. member, but it does not appear to give any discount for a online vehicle check. Thanks all, Graham.
Read more
Hi all, well i did an H.P.I. check through the R.A.C. online, and every thing came back perfect. (£24.99). At least it is peace of mind having done it. Thanks all for your comments on this. Cheers, Graham.
Don't know what fuel prices are like around your area, but those at my local supermarket have gone up 7p/ltr (31.5p/gallon in old money) in the last seven days.
Just doesn't seem to be any reason for it, apart from greed! Read more
I reckon this wins the prize for best thread creep ever! From the price of fuel to a war with Zanzibar in 1896! :)
This will probably be of interest to those of you that clean your car with a pressure washer. tinyurl.com/yoaf3v
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L\'escargot. Read more
"quote.".............- usually resulting in the visual indication of brown watermarks...........".unquote"
Got to say im pretty careful when i power wash tyres but even ive left brown marks on the sidewalls ,i didnt realise i was causing actual casing damage though, so the warning even to me is a good one.
Thanks L'escargot.
With Fiat CEO, Sergio Marchionne stepping down this year,
Is Fiat UK a diminishing network of franchises that risks going below `critical mass` or are there now new openings?
With particular reference to the Grande Punto which seemed to be perceived as `the last hope` for Fiat to maintain a UK prescence prior to its launch? Read more
As a Fiat/Alfa owner of many years standing,I have found them to be as reliable as most cars. I ran a Nissan Primera for a few years and had more rust problems and minor niggly things going wrong with it -far more than with Fiats. I`ve always found Fiats have almost a soul:- Toyotas etc might be more reliable,but they are so boring.
The main problem with them(Fiats) is not the cars themselves,but the could`nt care less attitude of the dealers. I have had to threaten my local dealer with legal action becaue they quite unecessarily changed a very expensive part. Too many spotty youths with lap-tops,and no real mechanical know-how.
If Fiat keep doing what they do best, i.e. small cars they will be fine. We in the U.K. seem to think we are the only market that matters.Fiat have a very strong position in the rest of Europe. They also supply engines to many other car makers. Methinks reports of their demise are somewhat premature.
Hello all
I am looking for some help to explain what is happening and how to solve a problem with the temperature sender on a 1.4 petrol mkiv golf. Basically the temperature needle in the dash stays at o ie it dosent rise until you wiggle the temperature sender ( THE BODY OF THE SENDER NOT THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION ) which is located in the coolant hose. After that is done the temperature guage rises to normal and continues to work normally. I dont think the problem is electrical since I am not moving the electrical plug, and after this is done the temperature sender is working normally. It appears as if there is an air lock or something blocking the hot water reaching the temperature sender.
Can anyone explain what is happening- I am not convinced that changing the temperature sensor will solve the problem since the existing one works normally after it is moved around or wiggled.
Kind Regards Read more
Ian
Inside that sensor are two thermistors; one for the gauge, one for the injection. They routinely crack their wires or soldered connexions inside the sensor. If stressing the sensor body temporarily fixes it; this sounds very like a typical failure. These ECT sensor's lifespan averages around 5 years.
Loosen the filler cap to depressurize the coolant and retighten the cap. If you're fairly quick swapping them, you'll then lose less than a cupful; if you can catch it in a clean container, you can tip it back in.
Buy a new seal and clip with the genuine sensor - from a dealer - not some cheap and nasty copy. They can mess up your injection settings.
Hello all.
I, in a bid to avoid a local "music" event that is basically an excuse for an all-day booze-up in my local town, have booked a ferry to go to France (Dover-Dunkerque) on Sunday, coming back Tuesday.
Any suggestions for places of interest in Northern France? Read more
Moving stuff Lud et al.
Paris may never have been defended, but it's not surprising.
Take a glance in any French village at the long, long list of names on the memorial for the Great War, esp if it has the word 'Verdun' on it. Often several dozen names for a village of a couple of hundred inhabitants.
BTW, a charabanc was a single deck bus, open-topped, but usually with a hood that could be stretched over the passengers if necessary. Often the bodywork could be changed for a lorry for use during the week. Once very common in the UK but, in spite of the name, apparently rare in France.
Browse
That's what it looks like to me as well. In the vertical plane where the tyre seats (and further in as well) the wheel is no longer circular. It's more than just minor damage to the outer flange. When being driven, the distortion would cause a cyclic radial load on the wheel that the designer didn't envisage.
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L\'escargot.