May 2007
My foot-pump broke, and I'm thinking of getting one of these 12V inflators. The problem is none of them seem to have any comparable rating. I would've thought something along the lines of: nn cubic feet/min at 30PSI.
A couple claim to be able to inflate from flat in three or four minutes, but still not really subjective.
So what's the opinion out there?
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I am thinking of buying a toyota hilux 4wd from one of the auction houses like BCA. In their specs of the vehicle they list the vehicle as "TOYOTA HI-LUX 270 102BHP EX 4WD". Does anyone know what the EX means? Is it a 4wd that has been modified to 2wd perhaps? Read more
If I saw that description I'd have first thought of EX-WD - i.e. ex forces.
Motorpoint are doing 2.2 Diesel Aventura (Near top of the range spec) @ £16,000 + £400 to get it on the road.
2nd hand car 2.5 Petrol SVE (top of the range in 2004) on sale locally @ £9K with 22,000 mls on the clock.
My mileage will be less than 12K per year and I probably will buy a caravan in the near future.
£7K extra for a new car does not sound a lot but is it worth the extra Read more
Hello
My Primera 2.2DCi (different car but same engine and thankfully now gone) suffered turbo failure
My Primera suffered turbo failure - and took the whole engine with it. Thankfully covered by warranty, but boy what a fright. Kind of sobering watching your car revving its knackers off by the side of the road - while you have the ignition key in your hand.
ive got an old fiesta with an old radio in it, everytime i switch the ig off for more than a couple of mins the radio programme i was tuned into has gone, ie reset , i assume it needs a live wire connected to it to keep the memory alive whilst the ignition is switched off, what colour wire is it and which one do i connect to the radio wiring? thanks Read more
i belive that the yellow is the ignition and the red is constant live but i would check that with a multimeter first just to make sure
Hi,
I have about 6-8k to spend on a used car, maybe up to 3 years old and 50k miles. I currently have a Peugeot 306 which is now very old and needs a financially-nonviable repair, but is still excellent on twisty roads with good handling and steering feedback. I need something fairly practical (say Focus sized or bigger) although rear seat comfort is not very important (so a coupe with fold-down seats is fine, just so I can take four people or a longish load occasionally).
A Focus seems an obvious choice but a little bit "common", I'd have to choose between a 1.8 petrol, TDCi 115bhp or perhaps an ST170! I really like the look of the Hyundai Coupe but am not convinced they're very good to drive. I'm not keen on the new MINI and don't see myself as a BMW driver, but would still like plenty of toys for the money (choice between a high-spec Mondeo and a poverty-spec BMW or Audi and I'd go for the Mondeo straight away; likewise I'd tend to go for a Seat Leon rather than VW Golf). I could consider an Alfa but concerned about reliability. I would definitely consider a diesel as I prefer the low/mid range torque to high revs driving style (which puts me off the 1.8 Focus).
Insurance not too much of an issue - I can get a quote for £500 for a brand new Focus ST but I know some cars have an unusually high insurance group. Running costs need to be reasonable, as does reliability. Most likely to buy from a car supermarket like Car Giant but wouldn't buy privately or blindly over the internet.
So I was wondering if anyone can give me any further suggestions or ideas!
Many thanks,
Keith Read more
Having had a 1.8T petrol Leon Cupra for the past year I'd highly recommend it as an all rounder. Great value and it's a hoot to drive. That said, whilst it's plenty quick enough for me, it's heavyish and not the sharpest car I've driven on twisty roads.
The earlier models had a better spec - leather etc - but the later facelift one still has Climate control, 6CD changer and looks much better IMO. The Cupra R is much more in your face looks wise and has better brakes and steering than standard cupra.
I often think about what I'd replace it with and I honestly can't think of anything else!
I have a mixed bag of electronic faults on my Peugeot 406 sedan. It's a 2.0L petrol from 2003. Here is a brief summary of the faults:
1. Speedometer stops working intermittently. It will stop working while driving and start again of its own accord. The odometer also drops off while this happens and won't read any mileage until the speedomter starts working again. Also the speedometer sometimes will be reading like the car is moving when I'm stationary and the car is idling. Weird, uh?
2.The air bag warning light will come on for no reason. It happens soon after the speedometer drops off. Interestingly, most times, that light has to come on before the speedometer starts working again. Coincidence?
3.When starting the car sometimes, the engine won't turn over and the dash clock resets itself, like it's a battery failure. If I try again it starts fine but the clock goes to all zeros and has to be reset. It usually happens after trying to restart the car after driving a considerable distance. Doesn't ever happen when trying to start the car first thing in the morning so I don't think it's the battery. The frequeuncy of this happening is increasing. At first it was just annoying, now I'm starting to get worried.
I think they all may be related. Like a busted relay, or a short or whatever. Can someone please give me a clue. Read more
Having just bought a Jan 03 BMW 320td, I was wondering whether it was worth spending £220 odd quid on a year with Warranty Direct after the probably not worth the paper it's written on 6 month dealer's warranty has expired.
The CBCBD says that "320d M47 150bhp models are getting a reputation for repeated turbo failure, possibly due to extended oil service intervals. After replacing turbo, ECU needs to be reprogrammed. Also instances of injector failure. BMW says that only EU3 320d engines built before October 2003 are affected by the turbo problem".
Other BM forums seems to support this. The car's done 69k miles, with full BMW SH, and seems in good condition with no funny noises.
Any thoughts? Read more
Cheers - seems well put together so far. I think yours would have had the later, revised turbo though.
Does anybody know where to get the unlocking codes from for the above radio. I have tried eBay, however I don't fully trust the sites which are offering the software to download. I have removed the battery from my Vauxhall and I can't find the code. Read more
thanks DD
Are these the same? So does a phone charger that fits a fag socket also fit a '12V power socket'?
I ask as I have a hire car booked and want to make sure my sat nav and phone charger will fit if it only has a 12V power socket (whatever that is). Read more
Guy's, be very careful. Some modern cars like your Bipper Teepee and my 2010 Nissan Note specifically say the socket is for 12v power ONLY. It is not thermally protected and you must NOT ever try to use it with a Cigarette lighter. ie you will MELT the dashboard if you try to use a lighter.
It's the Health & Safety Nannies at work again I'm afraid. Luckily if you pop down to H******** they will sell you a free standing cigarette lighter socket thing which has a lead to plug into your 12v accessory socket. Phew I feel healthier already!
Just seen this picture and story, apparently of a flaming PT Cruiser. Amazing.
www.businesscar.co.uk/officeblog
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the electrics looked fine to me - nice bright headlamps.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
I rarely used my 12 tyre pump and it has now stopped inflating. It was always noisy and slow and now defunct.
Worrying if you looked inside the case there was an occasional small spark! It was a Halfords one I think.
Useful for space in the boot though, it was also a bright 12v light.