April 2007
Do you use a small amount of grease on wheel bolts to stop them from seizing on or do you think this can cause problems ? Read more
Hi,
I have a friend (seriously...) who has been involved in an accident, not their fault apparently (is it ever?)
Their car was a write off, and they have received a letter from the insurance company with an offer of cash for a replacement, and requesting all paperwork be sent to them.
At this point it has transpired that the MOT has expired before the accident.
(1) Can anyone confirm what the conseuquences of this are? My first reaction was "well, you're screwed, as you policy is now invalid."
(2) Will they pay out at all for a replacement now?
(3) If the other driver sues for loss or earnings/whiplash or whatever, will the driver now be liable, assuming no MOT=no insurance at all?
(4) What are the legal consequences? points/fine etc
(5) The accident happened on private property, does this have any effect? there was a low speed limit, obviously exceeded by the other driver, but I don't believe this is enforceable on private land
(6) If it is provable that it was the other drivers fault, does this affect the chances of a payout even with no MOT?
I've given them my views on this, but whats happened has happened, so I'm only really interested in advice that may assist them in what they can expect. I said they should invest in an hour with a solicitor as soon as possible
Thanks very much for any advice
D Read more
(3) If the other driver sues for loss or earnings/whiplash
or whatever, will the driver now be liable, assuming no MOT=no
insurance at all?
No MOT does not mean no payout, unless this is expressly stated in your schedule. If the vehicle is unroadworthy, then that's quite different.
(4) What are the legal consequences? points/fine etc
Not endorsable, maximum £1,000 (likely to be far less).
(5) The accident happened on private property, does this have
any effect? there was a low speed limit, obviously exceeded by
the other driver, but I don't believe this is enforceable on
private land
Is there public access to the land?
I've given them my views on this, but whats happened has
happened, so I'm only really interested in advice that may assist
them in what they can expect. I said they should invest
in an hour with a solicitor as soon as possible
You want to go the the library, and have a read of Stone's, you do.
My 5 series Touring is now nearly six years old, but has done a low mileage. I am following the BMW service plan and obviously the car has been MOT'd and as part of this tyre tread has been checked and signed off. However obviously weathering must impact the life of the tyres. As the car is six years, how much longer should I keep them?
Any thoughts appreciated Read more
Also, Caveat emptor when buying 'new' tyres. Check the dates - some of those 'specials' may just be specials because they are old stock which has been sitting on the shelves for 18 months or longer...
Hello again!
Some weeks ago you all helped me with some advice about my Mondeo which had a very poor idle. After cleaning the Idle Speed Control Valve and the MAF Sensor (which the main dealer disconnected) the idle problem seems to be resolved... however...
The car started running hot and I noticed that there was a leak in the area of the water pump. A local garage has now replaced the water pump, along with the cam belt and tensioners, auxillary belt (and completed an oil change whilst they were in there!)...
All this added up, but it was a cost I was willing to pay.
The car is 10 years old with 115000 on the clock. 2.0 Ghia Auto zetec engine...
My problem now?
The garage reported that they carried out a test on the coolant reservoir, which indicated "exhaust gases" in the coolant. I remember seeing other people mention this test elsewhere on this forum. This indicates a problem with the head gasket?
The car is now still running hot, the pressure cap on the reservoir is constantly releasing steam (when up to temp) and I don't know what to do for the best.
Can I get away with putting in some sort of "weld" solution to help prevent the head gasket from getting worse (for a period of time)?
I'd like to get another 10,000 miles out of the car (or even 5,000!), but with the syptoms showing, should I sell up for what I can get and re-invest?
If I were to get the head gasket changed, is £600 too expensive? This is what the garage have quoted me.
Any advice would be welcome.
S
Read more
For those that remember by Mondeo Zetec problems - an update (and further help?!)
My car has been in a local garage for a week. They told me up front that they would need it for a week because of their workload. I was happy to let tham do it in their own time as they have been highly recommended by a friend.
The head gasket had clearly gone and the head needed skimming. Fine, this was to be expected.
Today my Mondeo was running again, but.....
They report that the cooling fan has seized and needs replacing too! This could have been the original cause for the failure of the waterpump and subsequent HG failure.
If they cannot source a replacement (second hand) unit from a local supplier, they are suggesting a Ford new part. (this sounds expensive)
What would the implication be for me to get the car back and replace the unit myself. The car has Air Con, which I believe makes it more complex?
What price might I expect to be added to the bill for the HG work, if they replace the fan assembly (either with a second hand unit or a new one?)
Thanks in advance!
Corsa 1.2 1995
We have bought the above car with 15 inch Vauxhall alloys with 195/50 tyres. How can I find out the correct pressures for these tyres as there is no reference to alloys in the owners manual? Read more
Corsa 1.2 1995
We have bought the above car with 15 inch Vauxhall alloys
with 195/50 tyres. How can I find out the
correct pressures for these tyres as there is no reference
to alloys in the owners manual?
For a given wheel size, tyre size and car the pressure will be the same regardless of what material the wheel is made from. If you trust Kwik-fit, then this website might be of assistance. tinyurl.com/26nedq
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L\'escargot.
The local BP station is changing to Shell, I used to find Shell and Texaco diesel better than most though have mainly been using BP Ultimate for some while now due to the convenience of the local filling station.
Shell V-Power diesel is not nationally available though perhaps they will sell Shell Diesel Extra, which one is the equivilent of Ultimate these days? Perhaps I should go back to standard diesel + Millers?
Thanks. Read more
I puuled up at a Shell this evening but baulked at paying over £1.00 a litre for the Diesel V Power stuff.
Can it really be cost effective paying the extra 6p a litre?
Hi all,
New to the forum - apologies if I spare the introductions for now. I have a 2001 Focus 1.6 with 90k on the clock - got it just over a year ago with 79k. Price was possibly a bit on the steep side, but time was short and I got £250 for my worthless old VW Polo and a year's warranty.
Anyway, at Christmas I had the car serviced and the cambelt done at my local Ford garage. To cut a long story short, the new tensioner failed and they ended up replacing all the exhaust valves along with a few other bits and bobs. So far so good, car was running fine when I got it back.
Since Christmas, it's used 4.5 litres of oil - it would seem the piston rings are shot. Oil consumption didn't seem to be a problem beforehand, but there's no sign of damage to the pistons themselves. The car is currently in the garage with the head off - I've seen it myself, there's a lot of movement on the pistons.
I have been quoted £1500 (or, in other terms, half the value of the car on a good day) for a replacement 'short block' engine, including fitting and VAT by Ford, and a bit less (£1k-£1200) by an independent specialist (using a brand new Ford block). Apparently piston ring renewal is not an option.
My questions are as follows:
1. Is this a common occurence on this engine?
2. Is the price I've been quoted decent?
3. Would I be mad to spend that much on the car given what it's worth?
4. Is it worth considering a 2nd hand engine? Any ideas how much that would cost?
5. Would I be as well to trade-in/flog/scrap the car and get something different?
Really I'm looking for the cheapest overall solution, but don't want to throw money at something that won't last. The guy I spoke to at the independent said a 2nd-hand engine was more trouble than it was worth and would cost the best part of a new engine in the end.
The warranty company don't count it as a mechanical breakdown, so they won't pay.
Thanks for any advice,
Niall Read more
Probably too late now but would like to have seen more
investigation from the compression figures, to see if it could be
tied down to rings or valves.
If it turns out to be valves I shall be asking for my money back, make no mistake!
I suspect valve problems if all pistons have the same movement
because the figures quoted seem ok on 2 cyinders!
Make that 3. I was expecting to see damage to the cylinder with the very low compression. The oil turned to black sludge very quickly - when I got the car it had been serviced 2k miles previously and the oil was still golden and clean. AFAIK the garage I bought it from didn't change the oil at the time of purchase and it stayed clean for some time.
Hi Everyone,
We have an 03 (Oct reg) Mondeo estate TDCi 130 that is an ex-fleet car that we purchased from an independent trader (non local) last november. We are happy with the car and have had no problems. I have read on this forum however than an ECU update was available that boosted fuel economy and improved performance. I phoned my local Ford dealer to see if they could determine whether the update had been done based on the reg number but they said they couldn't. Is there any way of finding out whether this update has been done? The service record for the car doesn't mention anything about the upgrade.
Thanks in advance. Read more
Hi All,
Many thanks for the advice. I will leave things as they are I think!!
With SWMBO's 1995 306 Sedan on axles stands for it's annual service I took the opportunity to perform a pre-MOT check. Everything seems fine apart from noticeable play in the left hand front wheel assembly. The front right hand wheel assembly, which doesn't bear so much roundabout loading or clattering through potholes and kerbside water, is as sweet as a nut.
With the suspension unloaded, grasping the top and bottom of the roadwheel and performing an in-out rocking motion gives a very slight but noticeable "clonk". Repeating with hands at "quarter to three" gives exactly the same "clonk". The steering wheel was free to rotate so I don't think steering joints are at fault, confirmed by having an assistant rotate the steering wheel whilst I held the road wheel; no play. Likewise I don't think it's the wheel bearing as there is no bearing related noise when driving under any condition or when spinning the roadwheel.
A penny to a pound the fabled inner rear bush on the front lower wishbone has worn.
If it is a wishbone bush, I know that Peugeot only sell a complete assembly of lower wishbone and bushes but motor factors sell the bushes separately. If I purchase the latter, is it an easy job to press the old bushes out and the new ones in, please?
For info, whilst it's all apart I'll replace the balljoint too for the sake of the few quid it will cost.
I think I have deduced the only component that could cause what I describe, but if you have 306 experience and think otherwise, please comment!
Cheers. Read more
For another price comparison, I have often used Neat Autos for parts for my 406, they always seem to be reasonably priced good quality parts. www.parts4peugeot.com/acatalog/index.html
Can anybody tell me what the wheel nut torque for a 56 reg Renault Megane Sport Tourer with 16" alloys should be.
And before anybody says RTFM, it isn't in the manual, - far too technical for that
cheers
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Go on, get out of the car...
www.mikes-walks.co.uk Read more
Not really - how many people:
(a) know how to change a wheel
(b) know what torque is
(c) know what a torque wrench is and how to use one
I have an extending wheel brace - extended for removal, shortened for tightening. That way I know I'll be able to get the bolts off.
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I find a lot of it is through ignorance, they think the bolts take the weight of the car, whereas really the spigot in the middle goes into the hole in the wheel and this is the load-bearing part. The bolts just need to hold the wheel onto the spigot and not loosen.