July 2007
Topic,
" Ever seen evidence of care towards the next owner when looking at or buying a used car"
Lets qualify that,
I mean direct evidence of care beyond the normal servicing, that *could only be aimed at future owners.*
Examples of the opposite.
1) The guy who beats the daylights out of it as its going in for PX next week.
2) For a while i`ve been unable to grasp why someone ( other forums) would buy a new common rail diesel and then try to run it on cooking oil, with varying degrees of processing.
Then I understood it, the lowest common denominator at work. Young guys, usually still teenagers with a popular `in` car wanting the prestige of new, car bought by parents, or flush with money due to no commitments.
No regard, other than saving money *now*.
For the next 10 or 15 years the car goes on through buyers often financially stretched and likely someone picks up a big bill due to the first owners lack of care about future owners.
3) 18 months ago I looked at used cars for the first time ( before buying new again) There were engines with badly `salted` aluminium. Injector pipes on the engine badly rusted, that had only needed a squirt of WD 40 now and then to look pristine. Rusty brake pipes that had only needed a wipe of grease.
Subframes scabbed with corrosion on cars only a few years old.... why not hose underneath?
So, the opposite,
Any examples of care for future owners, that you may have come across, that went beyond being of benefit to the previous owner?
Regards
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Hi all. this is my first posting on the site so treat me gently. My 1994 525tds that has done 300,000 miles has shed its fan/alternator/steering pump belt. Can't seem to find a manual for this car. Need to know how to fit the new belt. Have removed the undertray to get at crank pulley but think the tensioner has shifted and can't work out visually what the belt run should be or how to reposition the tensioner and set up the belt. If anyone has pictures, manual, instuctions would be v. grateful. Thanks
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www.mobikit.nl/atotz/rubriek_14/55/2/get.aspx
A bit small, but there you go. remember the aircon uses a separate belt.
You need to flatten the belt in a hairpin shape, and feed it through the tensioner and pulley mounting and then around the pulleys, ie you sort of thread it around the system using the path of the belt, rather than fit it on the front like jim'll fix it putting on a medalian.
Strange thing happened to me on the way to work this morning on the A14. I was going up the entry slip road to join the west bound carriageway at jct 13 and was behind a red transit works van of some sort. I was following at a safe distance, I wasn't tail gating him. As my car can accelerate quicker than this van I planned to go straight into the outside lane from the slip road. As we went up the slip road I looked over my shoulder to check the carriageway was clear for me to immediately change lane into the outside lane, I also checked both my mirrors to be sure-it was completely clear.
As we got towards the top of the slip road I obviously got a little closer to the van but I wasn't riding his tail. As soon as I got to the top of the slip road I went straight to lane 1, then to lane 2 (2 lane carriageway). As I went for lane 2 the guy in the van swerved violently like he was going to switch lane right in front of me. This caused me to lift off the throttle and slow, but he didn't enter my lane. As I then went past after it was clear he wasn't going to enter my lane he was giving me the old W hand gesture. I didn't react to this in any way, I just carried on.
I wondered why he did this-at first I thought there might have been a slow moving vehicle in front of him, meaning he needed to get straight into the outside lane also-there wasn't. Also there were no other vehicles around at that instant, nothing for him to pull into the outside lane to overtake. So given his actions combined with the hand gestured insult, it seems he deliberately swerved at me just to mess with me. Not a lot on the road baffles me like this-sometimes you cut people up, or do something daft and you expect it, but this was motiveless. I can only think I must have somehow threatened him on the slip road, maybe I was driving a little too close or something because he had anticipated what I was going to do before I did it and obivously didn't like it. Weird. Read more
Vainly, for the lunchbox.
Do insurance groups really bear any relation to the true risk of the vehicles?
For a 25-year-old newly qualified driver, the quote for a Volvo S40 1.6 S is £1000. For a Volvo S80 2.5 T S, it is £1,950 (other details identical). Insurance groups are 7 vs. 15. I can't see there is that much difference in the vehicles to justify the extra cost.
If you have a high insurance group you basically have to eat the cost of most types of damage to your car due to the effect on the NCD. Whereas people getting in lots of scrapes in their small city cars won't mind making a claim because their insurance only costs £200/year. Read more
The S40 is likely to be driven by someone on a moderate income; the
S80 driver might be a director on a six-figure salary who might also be carrying
three similarly high-powered types.
Doubt many directors on six-figure salaries drive S80s somehow. Well I do, but it's because I'm cheap, and so are the used ones.
Anyone have, or have access to, a diagram of which fuse covers what in an '04 C-Max? My cigarette lighter has stopped working (needed for Sat Nav) and there are so many fuses, I'm hoping not to have to remove them one by one. Read more
Hello
In the granddaughters ka and the wifes fiesta there is a fuse box diagram. (last few pages)
Have not looked in the mondeo's handbook yet.
Try ford themselves.
--
(iam not a mechanic)
Martin Winters
I have a BMW E38 with the M52 engine (2.8) that has 30K miles on the clock X-reg.
If it starts instantly it will run as it should but if it doesn?t start instantly then
It has a lack of power for the journey. The DME error codes are code 65 inlet cam sensor.
I have changed both the inlet and exhaust sensors re set the DME but the fault returns with the same code 65 and loss of power. I have cleaned the connectors on the sensors and DME checked continuity and checked the supply and GND to the sensors and all seems well. Dose anybody have any suggestions on what to try next or if any other faults could cause the error code of the inlet cam sensor to be stored by the DME.
Could the O2 sensors cause this fault and error code?
erm
Some detail added to subject line - PU Read more
I drive 30,000miles a year mainly on motorways on my weekly commute between Worthing and Birmingham. The driving position on my Peugeot 607 is really now beginning to cause me problems. I have tried all of the seat adjustments but my backside seems to be sinking into the apex of the seat, it appears to be getting worse over time. I am really pleased with the car and loathed to change Is there any simple solution? All ideas would be appreciated.
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Thanks for all your ideas. I try the rolled up towell and adjusting the seat so I am not so upright initially. I'll let you know if any improvement
Hello,
In order to diagnose an issue with the temperature gauge on my 1.4 VW Polo 1996 N-Reg not working I had cause to replace the thermostat. This meant having to drain the coolant.
I don't know what was in it (I bought this car recently ) but it was pink in the coolant tank but blue when it came out of the radiator hose - sounds weird. Ha.
Anyway, I used Halfords Ready Mixed Coolant to fill the cooling system back up but I'm now worried because the coolant looks brown inside the tank and I vaguely recall brown colours being bad news as far as VW coolant goes.
Can anyone offer some advice? Read more
Alec, top man :) Thanks a lot - just been to Pulman's and bought some G12+ so I'll get it flushed through :)
to flush the coolant system I just disconnect radiator hose, put a garden hose into the coolant tank and flush cold clean water through until it runs clear?
Obviously, I do this when engine is cold.
Hi My Renault scenic has recently had a new alternator belt fitted, prior to this the electrics were playing up and the car became difficult to start. All this has now resolved except for the trip metre re-setting itself to zero every 5-6 start of the engine. When plugged into the diagnostic machine at the garage it came up with no fault. Any ideas?? Thank you
Amended subject line to help other readers - PU Read more
I was wandering through the Yorkshire Dales yesterday and came across two Ferraris (what they were doing out in driving rain I do not know - I wouldn't) and came to realise that these modern beasts are incredibly wide; ridiculously so.
We also came across what I assume to be a Mazda MX-5 rally as there were several groups of them going in tandem at some speed and certainly far faster than the Ferraris.
What conclusion did I draw from this?
Well, why did Ferraris and their ilk become so wide? They only seat two people and their raison d'etre was a fast drive through a wide range of non-motorway roads. I imagine the opening sequence to The Italian Job as being the absolute pinnacle of Italian supercar driving, sweeping along a winding twisting road high above the Italian Riviera (excluding the JCB of course). You can't do this in a modern supercar. They are so bloated they cannot possibly fulfil their true purpose. An MX-5 is surely the true size of a modern supercar, if only it had a nice 3.0 V8. I suppose a 911 comes close as well, but I just don't get the supercar of today; a BMW M5/6 is simply better.
Apart from exclusivity, and they are getting more common near me, why would you buy a modern supercar? Read more
As PU says a hot hatch or Evo or Imprezza or (take you pick) MX5
SLK M5/6 even 911 must be able to get you from A to B faster
in more comfort and with more fun that a modern supercar.
If it was wet the EVO or Impreza might be quicker than a supercar. More comfortable? Have you ever driven an EVO or Impreza- comfort isn't one of their strong point.
The M5 might be more comfortable but you'll look like a rep or even worse and estate agent.
M6 a property developer
MX5- I have no idea why you are even mentioning it as you WILL NOT arrive quicker.
Hot Hatch won't be as fast unless the road is very narrow and winding
SLK is fine if you style hair.
I'll take a 360 or 430 Ferrari, an Audi R8 and beat any of the others.
Browse
I maintain 4 cars (swmbo,me, 2 sons)... and they are maintained mechanically to A1 condition. I clean swmbo's and mine.
BUT I only polish once a year, only clean under the bonnet if the dirt gets excessive around the various fluid orifices..
So the cars both externally and under bonnet look average.
Does it make them less reliable or pleasant to drive? No.
I've had old and vintage cars and lovingly polished etc because they were used rarely and the "ooh aaah" factor.
But do everyday using cars repay the effort? Welll yes... if you talk to your car...and if you are David Hasselhof.
I remember a Morris Minor 1000 owner (in the late 1960s:-) who regualrly polished everything under the bonnet - he bought the car from new. It shone. and shone.
the big ends went at 38k miles.
Waste of time and space...
madf