May 2007
Have just bought a Renault Laguna Estate, with credit card ignition key - thing.
Just the one.
I would feel safer if I had a spare, but am almost afraid to ask the price.
Does anyone have experience of this?
Is it possible to get them anywhere other than at Renault?
Thanks,
DrS Read more
Just had my 306 a/c model back from the auto spark and he told me the cooling fans are kaput
just wondering if this is an easy diy job if i can source some fans?
Its 2001 facelift model but the only problem i think ill have is that the multiplug to the fan couling is completley stuck!
Any tips appreciated
Also if i look for second hand parts what should i be looking for considering its an aircon model - however the aircon doesnt work and im not planning on fixing it due to high costs Read more
i think ill try taking the bumper off and remove the motors that way
ill try leaving the housing alone as the multiplug is a pain anyway
Parts seem quite expensive too around £50 each just for the motors - apparantly theres 2 types for my car so ive got to source the right ones. I thought the motors would just go straight in no matter what 306 they were off as long as it were the twin fan type.
I'm normally the sort of wally who builds up queues behind him whilst observing speed restrictions, but after 30 years of fines/point free motoring, I have just 'been done' for achieving 47mph in a 40 limit.
Coincidentally, my insurance renewel was due, so this afternoon I confessed the dreadful news to my insurer. He seemed to think that getting a speeding ticket was an 'occupational hazard' of motoring these days and even sensible folks are going to slip up and get done sooner or later. The addition to the premium was £13. Nice little earner for them ;-) Read more
Thanks HJ - I had missed that link. Further interest and trade will be generated, I think, by the fact that all UK speed cameras are planned to go digital ie no film and no running out of film Article in today's Sunday Telegraph that I can't link to, covers it. There already 1000 digital cameras and the other 4000 will be upgraded 'soon'. There will use the same GATSO housings and there will presumably be no way of knowing which type is them during the changeover. It is a £10K upgrade and plugs straight into the existing housing.
Please could someone advise me on whether I have a problem or not. I parked my new (February 2007) mini cooper on my rather steep drive earlier this afternoon and went indoors with the shopping. Ten minutes later there was a very loud bang followed by a car alarm. Needless to say it was mine; the car had aimed itself squarely at the garage and has bent the door (up and over variety) back so that I would imagine a new door will be required. Fortunately, the damage to the car is minimal and amounts to a couple of tiny specs out of the paintwork on the bumper. I suppose the distance travelled was only about 5 feet but the force exerted was evidently considerable owing to the gradient. My question is this. The handbrake was on (most definitely, checked when I got in the car to reverse it back up the drive) but I had not put the car in gear. It is possible that the brake was not pulled right up to the limit as I have always understood this is bad for it but it was certainly almost there. Should I go back to mini or is this due to the fact that I did not put the car in gear. Having been used to an automatic I did not really know that this was essential when parking on an incline. In other words is this my own stupid fault or could there be something wrong with the car? Of course, there is also the matter of insurance - would household buildings/contents cover the garage door and would there be a query over the safety of the car?
Any advice gratefully received. Read more
Really?
I've never seen an automatic without 'P'.
What age is the car?
It's a honda 56 plates clutchless semi-automatic. Options are either neutral or reverse to the right of the gate, plus or minus centrally and auto or manual to the left. I've just been out and checked it to make sure I am not just being a daft woman.
I'm going to look at a car tomorrow. If all goes well I would like to buy on the spot. The car is 50 miles away and I would like to drive it home. I can update my insurance by telephone but I won't receive the new documents for 7 days-so how can I tax the car? Read more
There is a static camera on Chicheley Hill, near Newport Pagnell, that reads number plates. If your car is caught on it without tax you will be fined I am pretty sure. So obviously avoid this location and any other fixed cameras of this ilk if you have no tax. And if a camera equipped traffic car is behind you, sods law it will be, then you are going to get pulled. As long as you have actually paid for the tax then plate recognition cameras in fixed locations and on traffic cars will not be triggered, and when was the last time you were stopped by the police to check your tax disc. If the vendor taxes it and doesnt send the disk you can always obtain a replacement from the DVLA when you have done the V5.
Oh watch out though, traffic wardens have the power to report you to DVLA too, as I found out on my old LR 109" when the tax disk slipped down the front of the dash and a warden left me a notification I had been reported.
Hi everyone, this is my first post so please be gentle with me :-) I've just been to look at my local Nissan dealer today as I'm looking to get a new Nissan Note 1.6SE automatic. I'm learning to drive but hopefully will be taking my test soon and want to get a car now so I can practice in it.
The dealer has an ex-demonstrator model available with the spec I want, metallic paint (which I wasn't too bothered about). It's a 56 plate and has 3,666 miles on the clock. They are asking £10,800 for it - is this a good price?
For info, the dealer's OTR price for a brand new one is £12,940 and I've been told I won't get much discount on this as I want an automatic. He said the only thing I'm likely to get on a new one is free metallic paint.
Should I go for the ex-demo car or pay the extra for a brand new one, or should I be looking elsewhere? Thanks.
Read more
Which? has 12 Best Buy car seats. 10 of these are not Isofix.
Just read the new report (May 2007) - of the 12 Best Buys, 4 of them are or can be used in Isofix mode. The report also says this:
"Isofix - This system reduces the likelihood of the child seat being installed incorrectly, while providing a rigid contact between the seat and the car body. It gives better crash protection for children as it attaches the seat to the car more securely.
Isofix is the standard system for all new cars and seat manufacturers. If you are buying a new car, make sure it comes with Isofix mountings.
An enhancement on two-point Isofix is to have three-point Isofix, where the third (top) tether attaches to a fixing point to the rear of the car's seat back, preventing it from pivoting forward in an accident.
The three-point fixing should work even better than two-point fixing, because it holds the child seat even more securely. However, the two-point fixing is still generally much better than using seat belts to secure car seats".
Personally I don't mind paying extra for an Isofix seat if it means my daughter will be better protected. We won't be using the seat in any other car than our own so it doesn't matter if it's not universal fitting.
I've seen a couple of 'he's crashed, he's crashed. he's crashed' programs recently where some in-car video footage has been shown of 'incidents'. I think they were American clips, where such recordings are being made to help with insurance and/or litigation issues. They were all just ordinary citizens, not law enforcement types.
Has anyone implemented such a system here in the UK? Would you consider it? And what about the legal standing of such 'evidence'? Read more
Our Citroen Berlingo Multispace has recently developed what I would describe as a "scrunching noise". It seems to come from the rear of the car on the passenger (left) side.
It only occurs when going over dips / undulations at speed, and when sometimes when turning - particularly when turning right. It doesn't happen often when there is just a driver in the car; it happens a little more when there is a passenger; it happens most of all, and most noisily, when the car is fully laden. The tyre pressure had been a little low, so I inflated the tyres, and while it didn't make the problem go away completely, it seemed to help a bit.
I reckoned it must be something to do with the suspension (possibly worn bushes) but when I got a mechanic to check it over, he couldn't find anything.
I suppose I could load the car up and take him for a drive, but in the meantime - any ideas? Read more
Hi all,
When I manage to sell my car I want a Golf mk4 GTI 25th Anniversary. I wanted the Petrol model as I thought it had a bit extra power (180)and probably sounds better, but have now heard due to one of HJ's pages, the diesel has a lot of torque but has 30 less horse power. Am I right in assuming that those 30 bhp don't really make a great deal of difference? Obviously the mpg is much better too? If someone knows a bit about the performance of both of these versions I would be grateful, and also which version you think is better.
Cheers Read more
Just to let everybody know and to discontinue this thread, I have just part exed my golf for a GTI Anniversary and went for the petrol version in silver with 24,000 miles on the clock - worth the extra wonga. Spent £11995 - not bad for someone with a 6 grand budget!! Cheers for everyones help and advice
Jon
I've just returned from a BCA auction and was amazed that of all the cars entered in the main dealer section, only two had the hammer fall. Everything else was provisional. This mirrors the recent report in the news section. Some of the cars were decidedly rough, yet they appeared to be looking for above book!
Are they just getting greedy, or do they know something we don't! Read more
Leasing companies will do that to discourage private buyers,they do not want people moaning about the car that they have bought that then develops a problem and expect the lease co to pick up the bill.Too much expectation and 'its not fair'these days and the leasing companies cannot be bothered with it.
.jpg)
You can buy a blank key off ebay, and your Reno dealer should be able to program it for you, dont buy a used one they have to be blank to be programmed.