June 2007
Just got back from a test drive of a 56 plate Getz with about 5k on the clock. The wife thought it was a nice little car and it certainly seems an improvement on the 53 plate 1.3gsi we tested late last year. The screen price was £7999 with £1000 min p/ex. We don't have a car to p/ex however so what would be a realistic target price to try to negotiate with the dealer?
Cheers! Read more
The market is quite flooded with nearly new (1-yr old) cars of all models!
Though it is a good thing for rest of us who don't buy new cars but I do wonder psychology drive the owners to sell new car after just one year suffering huge depreciation!
Brand new cars are unlikely to turn as lemons. Even if the owners find it is unsuitable for their lifestyle they could have waited more. But some cars are in the used market just after 3 months or less!
Selling cars after 3 years (warranty expiry) is understandable but what on earth people pay thousands of pounds to buy a new car and then wants to sell before a year?? Read more
>> I bought a 1 month 300 mile old E320CDI Estate for £10 000 less
than
>> list in my desired spec.
That's an unusually good deal on a fairly popular model - is it *very* highly
spec'd or perhaps one of the last of the straight 6 engines?
Yes it was one of the last straight 6s but with a Euro 4 particulate filter (and so slightly slower). This was back in Jan 06, but was a metallic black Avantgarde with leather, Comand, parktronic, 7-seats, phone pre-wire, sports suspension and upgrade alloy wheels.
I have come across many laws around the world that are not really legal, for instance does the government have the right under a constitution to force you to buy car insurance when it doesnt supply cover of its own that is affordable for all citizens, ie schools and hospitals are offered by the government with private alternatives, can Mad Ken charge the congestion charge as this and some parking regulations may be ill legal under British or EU law or may contravene and Code of Conduct of the United Nations, We have had a case in Australia where our states were collecting fuel Tax and under the law they were not allowed to do so. I did have these laws some where and it takes forever to find them again. Read more
Someone flashed me in Spain last year and I backed off to the limit or so. Over the next crest was bikeplod busily busting rapid Spanish drivers who had just gone by.
Made me feel quite wimpish, but not unhappy.
Ever wondered how your satnav mapping was undertaken in the first place? Even if not, this is quite an interesting video to watch and shows one of the techniques employed by TeleAtlas, mapping providors to TomTom, Navman, and others.
tinyurl.com/2p6tg4
It concludes with an insight in to something I wondered about as soon as I used the "driving down the street" presentation mode of my TomTom application for the first time several years ago; how long before the maps show what you actually see, 3-D buildings and all? I'm not sure this is strictly necessary, especially as uncluttered presentation is desirable and in my case at least I can usually rely on spoken instruction alone, but with the ever increasing processing abilities of handheld and dedicated satnav devices, not that long we're had to believe.
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Here's the same story on the BBC - inc video:
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6684381.stm
On my automatic transmission change interval, my mechanic put 2.5 metric liters of Mobil 320 Dexron IIIg in my 1990 Honda Civic(same drivetrain with 1990 Concerto). Idiot said it is the right type. I came home and looked up to manual, it writes "use Dexron or Dexron II". I'm experiencing no significant change in the transmission's operation aside from a minor hesitation in lock-up engagement(it may be my imagination, though).
What to do now? Flush the transmission? Will it harm the tranny day-by-day, without any tell-tale sign? My car is a clean, rare example and has 160000kms on it. Read more
I didn't know that it was a quality level. I thought of it like viscosity index or smtg. He's no idiot of course, but he just said that this IS the type the car required. Thank you very much.
It's not Hondamatic. It's a mechanical 4 speed with lock-up and without low range. Very efficient. Just what middle-east needed those days, I think. :)
I Have a 2004 Nissan Primera 2.2 dci which has done 42,000 miles, just recently on start up the tickover has become uneven. The rev counter flutters up and down, not drastically but you do feel like it`s going to stall. If you flip the accelarator once or twice it will settle down to an even tick over. Any ideas please
Thanks
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I would put some additive/cleaner in the tank (many mentioned on here) and give it an italian tune up.
Italian tune up = when the engine is fully warmed, take the car for a run where you take it up through the gears up to near the red line, and then run it for 10 minutes at highish revs (4,000)
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
I was passed on the M5 this morning by a Toyota Prius going at an estimated 85 mph. Of course, he was probably emitting less CO2 than I would do at that speed, but should n't anyone who subscribes to the Prius "I'm saving the planet" thing be driving at a speed where their carbon footprint is as small as possible? Read more
That may be what that graph says, but it certainly doesn't tally with my personal experience. I've never seen anything as low as 42mpg while cruising at a (real) 70mph. 50-55mpg is typical, in still conditions.
Help please I have to go donm the M6 on friday jct 16 to M1 Is it worth using the toll road or not Also do you just pay at a booth or what and how mutch is it Not been this way for a long time and afuneral has come along BTW Ishall be travelling 0830 to1030 Thanks
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The wofe? Bet you don't call her that to her face.
Never seen a car pulled over by Plod on it, but I imagine it is a rich hunting ground for them so eyes peeled.
TomTom have just announced two new TomTom Go devices (520 and 720). Lots of new clever stuff like voice recognition, FM transmitter to put sound through stereo. But the really cool change is called Map Share.
www.tomshardware.co.uk/2007/06/06/tomtom_user_maps/
You can create new roads, rename them, set one way streets and roadblocks. And share this with other users. Not sure if this will be available to amend maps on other existing TomTom products but this article does mention the Home product. The new devices let you amend maps on the device itself.
This might be what a lot of us have been waiting for?
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You can create new roads rename them set one way streets and roadblocks.
Wonderful invention! If I get one, will it help me to create a new trans-Pennine expressway so that I can avoid the congestion on the M62?
;)
In case any backroomers are near Portreath in Cornwall today and using GPS... be warned the MOD are testing effects of jamming the signal.
www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/06/mod_gps_jamming_t.../
Might effect GPS receivers upto 11km away apparently. Read more
Military and civilian GPS are on sufficiently close frequncies to be able to Jam both.
Its very easy in a local area you only need sufficient power to swamp what is a very low level of GPS reception.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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She did exactly that on our test drive - bless her :)