July 2007
We had a VW LT35 recovered today - flood damage. The driver said that the van just stopped, and that the water was at headlamp (air intake) level.
Apparently he was able to move the van from the flood water by using the starter motor whilst in gear. Someone offered him a tow start, and eventually the rear wheels locked.
The engine is now 'solid' and in the process of being stripped down.
My best guess so far is that the initial flood of water into the air filter totally blocked it, causing the engine to stall through lack of air, and that subsequent attempts to move and restart it have caused terminal damage. It might be worth bearing this in mind if you encounter floods.
{originally posted in Tech Matters, but has now become more of a general discussion, so moved across - DD} Read more
why do news reporters have to stand in flood water up to there armpits to tell us something we all ready know? or stand outside a house of a family who have been massacred by a mad axe man , oh and lets not forget the abundance of cut flowers at tragic road accidents (sad as it is) by complete strangers !! self indulgence at the extreme... Read more
Hi all, today i saw a VW passat that looked very much like my own standard W plate car. Obvious difference at this fleeting glance was the badge in the middle of the boot. In stead of the standard VW was a brown badge with the wolf's head in the middle and "Wolfsburg Edition" (or similar) around the edge. A quick search on the net points to the USA but I'd swear it was right hand drive but may be wrong. Can anybody enlighten me please. Thanks, Deecee. Read more
It's not difficult to get Wolsfburg badges - there were a few very limited wolfsburg edition golfs but nowadays most cars badged up are wolfsburg are just imitations, i'd hazard a guess that this passat is one too
With most fatal accidents, probably occuring from road crashes , and the need to increase body part transfusions, it has been stated that all parts should be useable, unless you decide to opt out.
I've thought this should be the case for years, and have carried a card to say so - have you. Read more
It was a good try at a very tenuous link!
Mum and Dad are going to be buying a caravan and, seeing as their Rover won't have the torque required for proper caravan-towing, they are looking to buy either a Ford Mondeo or a VW Passat.
They have around £3,000 to spend on a second-hand car and I have a few questions
1. Considering the cash involved, which would be the better buy?
2. Is there a better alternative vehicle suitable for the job?
Dad prefers a diesel engine.
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Mondeo every time - more choice around, and passats are over priced. You get more mondeo for your money.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
thought i was dreaming the other day , i saw a Skoda posing as a cop car in Leicester , cant understand it the amount the police cream of the "community charge" it increases by twice inflation every year according to the council tax leaflet we get every audit, im surprised they don't ride around in Audi,s Read more
"Sorry to be so dull and sad, but I must admit your post got me curious as to how a police vehicle would have a cherished plate!!"
Fairy nuff.
I followed an Altea (regular, I think, not XL) up to a roundabout in gloomy light this afternoon. As it braked for the roundabout, I realized that, although the right indicator was flashing (and had been before the brake lights came on) I could barely see it.
I've noticed something like this before on recent Golfs and possibly other VAG products. The rear indicators are, I think, tiny semicircles surrounded by great red rings of tail and brake light, and the effect when all are lit at once is to render the indicator practically invisible. Something similar happens with the present fashion for burying front indicators inside the headlamp units - they're far less visible there when the lights are on than are separate indicators at the corner or in the bumper.
Anyone else noticed this? Read more
Its easy BB
On the R/H side was a double headed arrow with L/H head blanked off so it could only blink r/h arrow head
On the l/H side was a double headed arrow with the R/H head blanked off so it could only blink l/h arrow head.
The confusing part was it looked like a double headed arrow with a head blanked off. It was done because some light bled from (say) the r/h arrow, when the r/h arrow head was being lit, into the L/H head of the right hand arrow, giving you what looked like a double headed arrow being lit on the r/h side. That is the l/h head of the R/H arrow looked like it was on even tho only the R/H head of the R/H arrow was required.
there - all clear now?
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
I am in the market for an estate car as a family carrier and accompanying stuff that families seem to carry from time to time (toys, bikes, picnic stuff etc).
I have made my mind up that it must be Jap for reliability / duarbility and I want an auto box - so it will be petrol (I only do about 8K so diesel does not make financial sense).
I have (for whatever reason) narrowed it down to a Legacy or Accord estate - but I am happy to listen to the knowledge in the forum.
Any views please.
By the way I will buy newish (or even new depending on the deal - don't lecture me on depreciation please) and will keep it along time - 10 years or so - honest it will not be changed in that time.
I would be grateful for your input. Read more
Sorry, just got back from a few days overseas where SWMBO bans all access to computers '... it makes you a nicer person...'.
Anyway
You have to bear in mind my driving. I do no more than 9,000 miles each year of which almost all of it in within the confines of the M60 (manchester orbital motorway) so I am a heavy user of both pedals. I stop and start and sit in traffic and could visit five different places in one day in different parts of the city. In the 2003 Forester XT Auto I got about 21 mpg on average and am averaging about 19mpg in the 3.0Rn Outback. Given my mileage the costs don't bother me.
For comparison, on a trip from Manchester to Alloa and back in each car, the Forester was less economical than the Outback (about 28.5mpg vs 30.0mpg) for fast runs, especially early in the morning where the cruise was set on 85mph for the section between M6 J32 (M55) and M74 J13 (Abington Services). The Outback is a far superior cruiser, but for around town the Forester is a great car. I have remembered another minor gripe though - the steering wheel in the F is a bit large. I have a Momo in the Outback which is lovely.
Solid, well built, as you would expect. 80horses come up at a dieselish 5000rpm, which sounds impressive for a 1.4. Especially liked mine which had manual mirror adjustment, a great relief from the catastrphically idiotic electric mirrors in many VAG cars (where you can adjust one mirror independently, but not the other).
Unfortunately the Polo is expensive and overweight which impairs what must be a good engine trying to get out. Long term I am sure I'd prefer it to a 1.2 Fiat Panda, short term I looked forward to driving the latter more than the veedub.
{Typo in subject header amended - unless of course VW do actually make a Poly? - DD} Read more
Exciting? None meet that criteria to me. 113bhp? Trundlewagen. Far too slow off the mark.
Try riding a bike with 1400cc or even 500cc but for a car (unless its
a Caterhamor similar) you need much much more poke to make up for the dead
weight.
Yes, you need at least 200bhp in a small car to make it tolerable. Absolutely essential when crawling along the High Street, parking at Asda or negotiating speed bumps outside the primary school, LOL!
there is a very bad shake in the gearstick when i accelorate.got the wheels checked & changed both left & right driveshaftss.what wrong??
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My daughter had a similar problem at tickover on her 53 2ltr hdi, the garage changed all injectors (under warranty) that fixed the problem.
make sure this is your problem as it is a tad expensive.
Browse
The insurance have just settled up.. straight off....
Offered me the car back at 23% of the value they put on it .. erm which I did, now all I need is some luck to get the engine rebuilt...