June 2007
My H1002 Honda Prelude has a Honda Accessory alarm which has a buit in Immobiliser. Is there anyway to modify this alarm to make it operate the central locking? Read more
Just to let those folks know...
So you can all drool again at the Austin Allegro and Ford Cortinas of the 1970's Read more
Have had a slight problem with both of my wipers stopping for a second, always at the bottom of the windscreen, a quick flick of wiper stalk and hey presto they start working again. Not too fussed until recently when they now seem to be failing on every journey and the time to get them restarted is becoming alarming, it is now something like 15-20 seconds. Has anyone any idea what should be looked at, my thoughts so far are the wiper motor and the wiper stalk, could it be some form of loose connection?
Cheers Read more
Happens on any speed, simply goes to the bottom of the windcreen and stays there. Can cycle through the settings on the stalk quickly for anything up to 15-20 seconds then it works again.
Since thread posted car has been hydrauliced in flood water (a very unsporting 4x4 pushing a bow wave over my air intake as I gently crept through the water!) so I'll be getting shot of it as soon as I can, depedning on repair cost/insurance write off.
hi, i was looking to get a set of ratchet spanners , some have a reverse switch? i thought it would be obvious to spin the spanner round!!!to get reverse ...... any way suggestions please on a decent set ....cheers Read more
I agree! I have quite a collection..
good evening, wondering if any of you knowledgeable folks could help with a suspension problem im having on a '97 citroen xantia 1.9td. basically the front or rear suspension will behave randomly. the car has just had it's accumulator sphere replaced, and the lhm fluid replaced. i have checked the white plastic clips are present on the linkages and heavily lubricated the linkages.
i have taken the following notes and measurements on the suspensions settings and behaviour, ive referred to the settings as 1,2,3,4 with 1 being the lowest setting and 4 the highest.
from starting the car and putting it on setting one, both the front and rear suspension sits down correctly and measures, front 31cm from arch to wheel centre approx, rear 24.5cm approx
then put it to setting 2 (normal ride height) the rear rises up but the front stays down, front 31cm, rear 32cm
then setting 3, car sits up properly both front and back nice and level, front 40.5 rear 42.5
then setting 4, rear stays at 42.5 front rises to 45cm
thats what happens when you go through the settings,
if you go back to setting 1 (lowest) then, setting 2 it behaves as above, if you then go to setting 3, wait for the stop light to go out then put it straight back to setting 2 then the front rises to the normal ride height along with the rear and measures front 38.5 rear 38.5cm
if you go from setting 4 (highest) to setting 3 then the front drops down to the bump stops and the rear sticks up on high.
if you just set it to normal height then the rear works properly and if you drive carefully down the road a few metres the front end then sits up properly, but won't do it if you rev the engine stationary.
the fluid level shows up to the top of the filter in the reservoir when the suspension is on lowest which i believe should be enough fluid. i have tried to bleed the system by doing the following, set to highest, hold revs at 2.5k and undo bleed screw half turn, get a whistling leave it undone a minute then tighten back up, is this correct or should i be waiting for fluid to be expelled or is there another method? there are no visible leaks in the system and i have checked carefully so am now lost as to the cause.
and another minor problem, the car can be difficult to start when warm, it starts perfect from cold but turns over alot when warm, any ideas?
any help would be gratefully received the car is going to france 2mrw and although the problem aren't going to stop that id like to fix them 1st if possible
cheers
chris
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mmm can't remembe, may try just filling the resevoir to the brim then do citarobics the excess will find it's way out im sure
chris
I am going to buy my next car tomorrow after about 2 years of pondering about what to get. I will 100% definitely buy it as long as the checks work out OK.
It's a Merc SLK 320 (the old model). Is there a way of verifying the milage with the dealer, i.e. can I call the garage that serviced it (or will they not help due to data protection), or is there a central number I could call at MB for this info?
Also is there an recomended car title check site as there are so many to choose from.
Many Thanks,
Excitedly yours.
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ring the dealer and ask
A few years ago I looked at a bmw 530d that seemed a good price. did some digging with the dealers that had serviced it and found that by their records the milage went backwards twice. In each case when non-scheduled work was done. (turbo replacement and damaged wheel) all the services showed mileage going up steasily and evenly though.
***** This thread is now closed, please CLICK HERE to go to Volume 14 *****
**** This thread follows on from VOLUME 12 *****
Another thread for commenting on rare, unusual, old or just plain daft cars etc.
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PU.
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A BRG MGRv8 by sheer chance emerging from a filling station where i saw what must have been a preproduction example (months before it was launched) in around '93, it was a surprisingly good looking motor, but very narrow by today's standards.
Can anyone recommend a wet-vac that has some mind of hand-held attachment that pumps detergent/cleaning fluid and sucks it back off so it could be used for car upholstery...... all the wetvac cleaners I have seen so far only seem to be suitable for house carpets - they rely on gravity and don't have a hand-held atachment, you just push them across hte carpets.
failing this some kind of inexpensive valetting machinery. We have several cars and also several nephews who regularly get the cars filthy :-) Read more
Spot on - just spray, soak and hoover up with a wet and dry vac.
My top tip is to get some biological 'hand wash' liquid - put a strong solution into a spray bottle, or you can dissolve the tablets. Works well for me on both carpets and car seats. I also spray on plain water afterwards and then hoover again to rinse out any remaining dirt or detergent - otherwise it seems to attract the dirt again.
I've got an old Vax that I bought second hand for £20 about 15 years ago, sits in the loft until I need to use it (once or twice a year)
Don't forget to do a test area first - just in case....
Please, please will you go and have a drive round? I could do with a bit of global warming instead of this continuous rain and cold. Strange how in April the papers were full of "Global Warming" but have been very quiet since.
Interesting article in Telegraph today saying that car drivers are overtaxed because of this global warming lark, but can't find a link on the Telegraph site.
Perhaps the answer to global warming is to have a fortnightly Glastonbury alternating with fortnightly Wimbledon.
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Phil Read more
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/6238654.stm
Some interesting pics in here especially the Defender driver. Defenders are the future in Waterworld !
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PU without his Mod Hard Hat on !
Having had the car now for a few days, this is my first impressions. As my last car was a Scenic, this is the car I am comparing it to which may be the same for any potential buyers.
Got the car, brand new, with a saving of roughly £2500 off list price. The car is standard apart from the addition of the ?integrated? TomTom 510 Sat Nav unit.
Engine
Engine is very good with strong pull right through the gears. As with most diesels it doesn?t do too much in first from standstill but then quickly makes up for lost time. Engine is definitely noisier than the Scenic dci I previously had, especially noticeable whilst idling. Seat have stopped putting ?Noise Suppression Covers? on these models although they can be bought for about £60-£70. I have taken opinion on this and some people say it makes a difference, others say it doesn?t so I will see if the noise becomes intolerable over the next month or so. Too early to give opinions on mpg. Gearbox is very quick change, I always found the Scenic to be very notchy and ?long? but the Seat is the complete opposite.
Cabin
The car is very well laid out with everything needed to hand. The audio is very good with a socket for Aux input. My model has the 3.5mm socket but I believe if ordering from the factory, you can select ipod or USB socket instead. Controls are on the steering wheel which is taking a bit of getting used to as with the Scenic the controls were fixed which meant that you always knew where they were! Speedometer increases in 20mph markings but these are even rather than odd, so the critical limits of 30, 50 and 70 aren?t as obvious to see. Speedometer seems to be a good 10% out in comparison with GPS speed.
Plenty of toys, all round electric windows, cruise control, split zone climate control etc. As I said, mine also has the Tom Tom which also works as Bluetooth handsfree for phone, both phone and navigation instructions come through the car speakers.
The Seat is taking some time to get used to and to get comfortable. It has strong side supports but I find my left hand side resting on the support rather than in it, but I am nowhere near the right hand support. Don?t know if this is due to position of pedals or whatever. The seat is definitely far more supportive and firm than the Scenics was. If you like driving with one arm resting, well the middle glovebox is too low for your arm to rest on and the drivers door doesn?t have a good ?edge? to rest on, the door card slopes from the window.
Versatility
This car is nowhere near as versatile as the Scenic so if you need versatility and storage areas, then this isn?t the car for you. However, if like me, you have had 3 Scenics due to their great versatility and flexibility and then, on looking back, you realise that you very very rarely actually made use of them, then you should consider the Seat. The boot is huge and the Seat backs fold down to give you more space. However they don?t tumble forward or be removed like some MPVs (Scenic). The seats are split 70/30 but does have a middle pull down ?armrest? with integrated cupholders. A point worth noting is that the seats are lower than in the Scenic and for me, this means that where my 9 year old son sat in the Scenic no problem, in the Seat due to the seat being lower then the seatbelt comes down very close to his neck. He could really do with a booster seat even though he is taller than the new regulations. Also, unlike the Scenic, there is the middle hump that runs through the floor making things less comfy for a middle passenger. Storage is limited to 2 pull down flaps under the front seats (not drawers) and the centre armrest which has a split level in it, pens etc on top and then a couple of CDs in the bottom bit. There are no underfloor or underseat cubbies in the back like the Scenic does.
There are 3 auxiliary sockets, as well as the normal ?cigarette lighter? in the front, there is one at rear of centre console for rear passengers to use and one in the boot as well.
The boot is big and has a space saver spare wheel. However it also had a squareish space next to the spare wheel that lies empty. Therefore if you apply any significant weight to the boot carpet then it bevels due to the gap underneath it! I am sure I will find something useful to put in there to prevent this (compressor, jump leads etc). Boot does not have a conventional parcel shelf which rises with the bootlid, instead it has a telescopic cover that pulls out and retracts. I actually prefer this especially if you are carrying something taller than the height of the shelf then it is easier to recline it rather than remove it altogether.
Car itself sits slightly lower than the Scenic.
My first impressions are that I like this very much and prefer it to the Scenic. I think my kids will prefer the Scenic due to its seating positions but their opinion is being ignored! The car has a few strange things that I don?t understand ? it has a locking fuel cap which is attached by a cord to the ?door?. This means than when you unlock it and take it off, it hangs down the side of your bodywork! Why not a release inside the car or in the case of the Scenic, the flap worked through the central locking?
Under the rearview mirror there are 2 red LEDs which shine down onto the centre console, presumably their only function is to create some ambience! At night the inside of the car is very very red. The audio buttons on the steering wheel light up as well but you also have the option to switch them off, why?
Oh, and one gripe I do have, the car only comes with one remote control key, the other is just a normal key. For a car that should be £17.5k, surely you would expect 2 remote control keys? That?s what my Skoda has.
Shortly will be taking it to France and back so will report back in a few weeks how living with the car is.
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Bobby G - same here re reason for a dash warning - those times when you aren't sure if auto lights have worked. Audi do fit a lights on indicator, but its small and located next to the switch (as is the 'fog lights on' light), so you can't see it without moving your head (the steering wheel gets in the way) and looking at the switch.
At times when the requirement for lighting is marginal it's often not dark enough in the cabin to see if the dial illumination is on or not. I tend to have this set on fairly low because when it's dark if it's on high it's too bright.
Browse
Yes, MrsP had a 91 Civic and added an alarm onto it as a retro-fit, it had the grey square alarm remote with the Honda "H" on it. The dealer said that it was easy to add another module on it to make it work the central locking. Cracking car, still see it around here, funnily enough i found one of the remotes a few months ago when clearing out - despite having moved house. I thought what a laugh it would be to operate the alarm on the Civic when I saw it parked up somewhere...!
Civic was replaced by a Rover 216 Gti 3 door - Honda engine - that was a scream of car but sadly under tyred...