June 2007
I've always automatically ticked the box for Legal Protection cover ( and no claims protection) which usually adds another £50 to an online quote - is this money well spent or just another way of squeezing more out of customers. What do other BR members do? Read more
Hi All,
My Dad's Pug 405 1.9TD estate is giving up the ghost and starting to burn more engine oil than fuel. So the hunt is on for a suitable replacement. Being a pensioner his budget is limited to circa £2k and I'm looking for something that is 'functional' - i.e. not bothered about colour, styling or extras. Should be cheap to run so nothing over 2.0L size engines, petrol or diesel would fit the bill.
I'm considering estate variants of the following:
Ford Mondeo
Vauxhall Vectra
Peugeot 406
Hoping to get something around on a 2000 plate or there abouts.
Anyone got any other suggestions or experience of any of the above?
Thanks in advance! Read more
Mondeos are generally reliable, but if you are looking at a high mileage example i.e. 100k or more, check that the clutch is not 'biting near the top' or slipping as clutch replacement on these is around the £500 mark.
Martin
The handbrake on my 2002 Mondeo tdci has lost half of its effectiveness.
I've jacked the car up and its only working on the nearside wheel, no restriction at all on the offside.
Is it likely to be a cable needs replacing or is it something more complex?
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I read often, only post occasionally Read more
It was the piston that was seized
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I read often, only post occasionally
My Car is a '53 MG ZR 1.4 petrol with 75000 miles.
last year the head gasket was replaced as the car was overheating. In the last couple of months I have noticed that the car is loosing approx. 1/2 inch of coolant / week - I have taken the car back to the same garage who undertook the head gasket repair who now say that the liners are faulty and it will cost nearly the price of replacing the whole engine and it's not worth it either to replace the engine or the liners.
I have taken the car to another garage for a second opinion on this and they reckon that the liners were not sealed when the head gasket was done last year and this is the cause of the fault - they can repair this for £500, but will cost £1000 as the car needs a new radiator and exhaust heat shield plus a 75000 mile service and 2 new tyres. However they cannot guarantee this price until they have the engine in pieces so they can see exactly what the fault is so it could be more than £1000 (but he doubts this).
My question is this - my gut feeling is that the first garage had not sealed the liners when the head gasket was done last year and this is the problem, but equally the k - series engine on the car was never a good design, so even if it is repaired properly I could have more hassle further down the line - does anyone agree with this?
Is it worth spending £1000 - £1250 to have the car repaired (the second garage put a 12 month warranty on the repair that they carry out) - the part ex value of the car is roughly £2500?
The first garage say it is pointless spending £1500 on doing the liners as it will be an unreliable repair (my gut feeling is he has put the price up to put me off having it done in case it comes to light that his head gasket repair last year is proved as a bad repair).
I am being fobbed off by one of the garages and I'm not sure which one is fobbing me off (possibly the first garage?).
Please can anyone recommend a good garage for the MG ZR in the Southport area?
Please can anyone advise me the best thing to do - is the MG ZR worth being repaired and if so will it be a reliable repair?
Thank you for your time.
Slight alteration to subject line-PU Read more
When it says refaced, this usally means it was skimmed. I think you need to have a pressure check done on the cooling ststem to accurately establish where the water is going. you could even have a slow leaking water pump and not notice the leak.
You could just put some Barrs leak (the stuff that looks like a dog turd - any factor will do it) and then sell it. Despite what people may say, Barrs worked for a colleague of mine. His engine had a similar problem and his car continued for a further 3 years before failing its MOT and went to the scrappies.
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These are the views of Robin the Technician with 35 years in the trade. I fix, therefore I am...
Measure your cars drag.
auto.howstuffworks.com/question497.htm
And `sweetspot` for optimum speed, re fuel consumption
cut & paste
"In general, smaller, lighter, more aerodynamic cars will get their best mileage at higher speeds. Bigger, heavier, less aerodynamic vehicles will get their best mileage at lower speeds.
If you drive your car in the "sweet spot" you will get the best possible mileage for that car. If you go faster or slower, the mileage will get worse, but the closer you drive to the sweet spot the better mileage you will get."
End of cut & paste.
Ref
auto.howstuffworks.com/question477.htm
Any comments?
Regards
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"In general smaller lighter more aerodynamic cars will get their best mileage at higher speeds.
At a constant speed, it'll make hardly any difference at all.
Hello,
I wonder if someone can help me with a problem I am having with my VW Polo (L-Reg, 1993, 1.05cc, Petrol Engine):
When driving from cold my car hesitates when accelerating, it almost stalls, however it's fine after driving for 5-10 minutes or so when it's warmed up.
This is what I have tried: New Cat, Lambda Sensor, New Oil Filter (and Oil Change), Air Filter, Petrol Filter, New Spark Plugs and Leads, New Distributor Cap, and I have put Wynns Injector Cleaner in my Petrol.
I've also had other things replaced recently (which shouldn't affect this problem) such as Brake Pads, Discs, New handbrake cable and a whole new exhaust pipe.
Can't think of what else to try. so your ideas would be appeciated!
Many thanks,
Matt
slight change to subject line to make it easier to identify model ans fuel. - PU Read more
Hi
you didn't say you had a warning light on so if you don't then you have no error codes to reset.
Recently had to change one of the coils on my wifes 2002 1.6 Scenic as it was running on 3 - the coil was no good.3 months later Its started to misfire on a different cylinder (3) when I change the coil it then runs OK for a while but the coil I take out is wet and has rusty water marks on the bottom.
If I take out the spark plug will rubbish drop into the cylinder ? Is it likely to be a head gasket job - its only done 30K ? Dont treat me gently - just tell me what you think !! Please.
Is it a big job to change the head gasket.
Thanks ,
Mike
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Thankyou Screwloose for your reassuring wisdom and Aprilia (who is invariably worth listening to )also needs a mention for bowing to your greater knowledge on this subject - that sort of honesty would benefit many of our politicians - but I dont expect to see it !
I'll invest happily in some suitable silicone grease and gungy tape now I dont have to worry about the head gasket.
Thanks to all.
Mike
I own two Renaults with the 1.5 dci motor. One recently suffered from a failed EGR valve at 30k. This was confirmed by a fault code and a new one fitted. I understand that these valves fail rather too frequently on Renault motors - less so on the 1.5.
Is there any way to prolong the life of an EGR valve? Does driving style or the use of additives make a difference? ( I use Millers for luibrication of the injection pump). Can they be cleaned and if so how?
Read more
I have done oil and filter changes on both at 9k then every 6k using Renault filters and B4 spec diesel specific oil. The oil seems Ok when it comes out. I agree that the 18k frequency is just to keep fleet managers happy and note that new EuroIV engines need a 12k or even 6k change according to Renault.
Any thoughts out there about preiodically removing and cleaning the valve - at least one garage in my area suggest this every 36k ?
I think some of the car makers could have come up with some interesting names for their vehicles if they were brave enough, e.g.
Austin Tashus
Morris Dancer
Nissan Hut
Mini Skirt
Lada Cupboard
Audi Doodee
AC Deecee
Bristol Stupendous
Cadillac Coldtea
I did think up one for Bentley, but presumed it'd get snipped, so edited myself. There must be a load more!
I accept some responsibility in this becoming silly - so its moved here ! -PU Read more
Think Camera angles to start with to follow that pixel guy someone else would have to be doing the same thing with the camera roller blades/skateboard thing.
The Observer has a report showing the top 10 lethal roads (ie number of fatalities per mile) most of which are twisty roads and mostly in the North. No1 is the stretch from the M65 towards the Dales/SE Lakes. The Cat & Fiddle is also up there.
Can't recall who they authors are but they say are stumped by why most of the top 10 are in the North.
Er.....because there are more big cities in the North with weekend bikers who like to go for a blast on the twisties and more young drivers from urban centres out for a run? This lot meeting each other and other slower moving road users like lorries and caravans is a more frequent occurence than in the South. It's not difficult is it? Read more
re "you should be able to stop in the limit point (distance) that you can see to be safe" simplistically yes, but if someone cuts into your lane or whatever it becomes a whole lot more complex
the proof is in the pudding, and look around at other nations and you can see many doing much better at casulty reduction on their roads, and while still keeping the roads wide enough for an ambulance to get past etc, and without criminalising the masses with points for ever so minor speeding
re "highest number of mental health related issues" yea well we have got the worst health industry in any developed country so its hardly surprising, how the shambles provided by the nhs is allowed to continue escapes me
Browse
It's free with the Citi Shell Credit Card coming out in July/August
I had a bump 6 years ago and it took a solicitor 23 months to get to court and they paid up the evening before the case - suddenly they remembered it was their fault - previously the returned mail as gone away, would not divulge Ins Co - changed address, said the Ins was the Partner's, it was not their car ................... Even @ £20.00 / yr I would not not take it out.
text talk tidied up - PU