July 2007
While checking the oil level I managed to break the dipstick tube about 1 inch from the top (I think the plastic has gone brittle). Now oil is leaking from the area of the break.
Any thoughts on how to replace the tube? The tube appears to go directly into the engine block but doesn't appear to have anything on the end to apply a spanner to. Has anyone done this job?
Thanks for any advice
Stewart Read more
Hi,
Wjilst filling up at BP yesterday I noticed that they had a rather expensive price on one of the pumps. I think it was £1.01 per litre for BP Ultimate diesel.
I have always used normal BP diesel at 94p per litre.
Question is has anyone used this diesel?
Is it any good?
Does it justify the extra cost of 8 pence per litre? Read more
I noticed no difference when I put Ultimate Optimax V-Power etc. diesel in the Mercs I used to run. But I do see a difference in the Ford/PSA HDI 1.6 110 I now have in my C4.
Anybody know the adreess of GB VW Customer complaints and if possisble the present head of ?
Title changed to remove acronymPG Read more
I have a service contract which needs adjusting for mileage and contacting them is impossible. i think VW after care needs a big improvement.
For several years I had been with Eagle star for my insurance, then a few years back they were taken over - my cover expired on saturday, so i rang to renew. Now normally I speak to several companies, then through shere laziness, get them to price match, saves the hassle of changing companies.
However, I had been ultra busy and hadn't had the time so I just rang to renew at 562.15, and make up a figure generally 20% less for them to try and match, I mentioned I now do more miles, to which the young lady asked what I did.
Now I've been self employed for 16 years as an agent, visiting potential clients etc and been insured under business used, fully comp with protected ncd.
I was informed that they now classed me as Commercial , which they no longer did, unless through their commercial department- I searched the FORUM and found the commercial van specialists, as recommended by fellow BR'S, who, whilst they couldn't help, passed me on to "Core??", very helpful and got several companies to quote ranging from 697 - 471, but on a whim I phoned Virgin, who I have several accounts and with extra discount I managed to obtain cover for £463, via UKI ??, and I could have spread the payments without extra costs - I hope they turn out to be as good as it sounds-
moral don't be lazy shop around Read more
Has your daughter ever investigated the special teachers policies available through the teaching unions?
Thanks, but yes (and my other daughter who works in the NHS did too). However all the special policies were miles out. A bit like Endsleigh saying they're cheapest for students, but then not being.
I'm always sceptical about such offers and that was especially noticeable on the NHS 'deals' where the quotes were frequently higher than going through the normal route.
***** This thread is now closed, please CLICK HERE to go to Volume 30 *****
Thread originally titled "Top Gear lash it up again"
Well done lads, nice work
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/6281512.stm
Does anyone watching this learn anything from seeing a car driving across salt flats - no
Does it look nice on screen - almost certainly, yes
Is that alone worth the expense - no
Way past its sell by date.
Read more
Let's hope the TG cars were undersealed! Anyway, enough about the salt pans as per HJ's request.
went to the coast today
got caught in the queues and the rain on the A64
broken down cars? rover
came back via sledmere house down the big hill ,what car failed to make it up?............. why a rover
nothing more to say really
Not sure whether you want to open a discussion on this, but the subject line has been changed to give an idea to people ! - PU Read more
>>Rovers are now so cheap that they're throw away, use them, abuse them and scrap them
Pretty much correct but not just Rovers,plenty of cars ie bmw`s Merc`s seem to be the regular breakdowns and not just old ones i have seen several newish Mercs lately broken down,owners nowhere to be seen(probably embarrased) just recovery trucks removing them from the road....
My girlfriend's 1988 Golf GTI 8valve has a tendency to develop what I would describe in motorcycling parlance as a 'tankslapper' when you hit the right (or wrong) bump whereby a fairly impressive steering shimmy sets up necessitating either braking or accelerating to make the wobbling stop. It seems to be the offside front wheel which is sensitive to setting this chain of events in motion.
I have jacked each of the wheels up in turn and can detect no play in the suspension or steering, and am wondering what else could cause this behaviour?
Two of the (alloy) wheel rims have been flattened by contact with something kerblike which leads me to consider a bent wheel as a possible candidate, but I'm basing this suspicion on supposition rather than any experience or knowledge in this area...
Cheers,
Jonathan.
PS, I have suspected for some time that the car could do with the tracking done, as the steering has that lightness when turning into a bent that suggests excess toe-out, but surely I am right in thinking that a geometry problem could not cause a shimmy? Read more
Agree with shock absorbers, but just check each coil spring carefully for breakage.
I had my BMW 330 coupe Sport stolen from my home Friday 6th am. The pink fluffy dice got in my home and nicked the key. Its black with cream leather, last few digits of chassis JU65133. Most probably either in bits, cloned or in europe. So, if your looking to purchase a black BMW, this one's registered on HPI as stolen. Last seen in Berkshire. The most annoying this was I spent £300 on new rear tyres and MOT the day before as I had just sold it.
I'll go back to a Mondeo, no-one nicks them!! Read more
A bloke near me had a good burglar deterrent, a rather mean looking Alsation in residence and a sticker on his front door depicting said animal with ''come on in, make my day'' written on it.
i have a n reg 405 and need to replace the bottom balljoints.
do i need a special tool or is there a way round this any suggestions please!!
Read more
i thought this might be the case ,as they suggest a " special" tool in
the haynes manual but thats it i will see if i can buy the tool when i pick up the ball joints today , many thanks for the info.
Can't think of a better title, sorry mods.
I'm so tempted to sell the Toledo and by myself a nice pre-72 classic. I bought the SEAT when I was commuting to Guildford every day.
I cycle to work most days now, and it's lunacy having a a car that is taxed, insured and MoT'd sat there still losing money for most days.
However I can't guarentee that I'll never need to commute that sort of distance again (Not mega miles I know, but 35 miles round trip was enough for me...have a friend that does 80 a day...madness!)
I have a hankering for a nice RWD V8 but I don't know how realistic this is!
So:
- Can a classic car still be reliable/comfy commuting tool these days? (Provided sensible driving taking into accounts its age is adopted)
- Can anyone recommend any cars from the ramblings above?
- Is classic insurance cheaper for someone my age (22) or still about the same?
- It is pre-72 that is tax exempt, right?
- Is the gummint likely to abolish this any time soon do you think?
Used to be very much into classics when I was 11/12...then lost interest...looks like it's making an appearance again!
Feel free to post up any other comments, its an 'anything goes' post really...
(slight edit to subject line - PU) Read more
Pete M - the rebuild was to an extremely high standard, carried out by a leading restoration company. It had PAS and perhaps too much electrics because most problems were electrical and the car didn't like spending time in towns often overheating. Open road, speed, fantastic. We moved to Devon, put the MKII in store, used the fully loaded cheap as chips Scorpio as day to day transport and the field mice destroyed the leather so decided that I could never happily run the Jag - if you can't use it, what's the point? Met a bloke on holiday on a beach who used to race BMWs and had a fledgling dealership business, talked about cars quite a lot, told him about mine and he bought it to stick in his showroom for customer flow. Big, big financial loss, lesson learned.
Browse
Many thanks, I've bought the part from Audi (£2.03), as you say it's a 2 inch long plastic tube that should push on the end of the metal tube
BTW managed to wrench off and break the plastic under engine shield at the weekend reversing off a field at the car boot. Audi want £63 inc vat. Think I might live without it! Plus allows me to access the oil filter for the first oil change in 2 years! (feeling guilty about that).