August 2007
Hi Guys
Carrying on from Altea Ego's fun and games with his lease company and dealer I'd like to get your opinions on what's happening with my company car order.
Back in the middle of May this year I ordered (through the company car scheme) one Audi A3 1.9TDi Sportback in "Sport" trim.
The only options I added were metallic paint (silver),multi function steering wheel and aluminium inserts in the cabin.
All good so far however I am still waiting - they (the Leasing company) have now told me the car is not going to be delivered till the end of October! I've checked the lead time for orders placed in August on our company intranet and they are suggesting a wait of 7 - 8 MONTHS for what I consider a fairly standard hatchback.
Anyone care to have a guess at what the delay is? BMW and Lexus all seem to be managing ok with lead times of around 10-12 weeks - I don't understand why it's so difficult to get my mitts on an Audi!
Opinions welcome :-) Read more
My 1.4 16v Clio expression is missing like a pig. I've been told that it's probably one of the pencil coils and that I should replace all 4. With this in mind I've purchased 4 and was just wondering if there was a special knack to fitting them?
Thanks
Andy Read more
I had the Megane with this engine.
Gave the car a thorough clean one day (including the gutters either side of engine bay) and splashed a little water over engine. It worked its way into the the holes in which the coils are fitted. Result was terrible mis-fire.
Removing them was quite straight forward. Disconnect the plug visible at the top. I think that there was a single screw through a small flange then gently withdraw them.
Check for water before fitting new ones (only a drop can cause a problem) since o-rings may have perished a little. best to do it with the engine hot (mind your fingers) and leave open for half an hour or so so if moisture is your problem it has a chance to evaporate.
In true Haynes style, fitting is the reverse of removal!!
Oh yes, dont get the wires mixed up!!!
That's appreciation in both senses, as I have just discovered that new EU regs (groan) in force this year mean that new 2-stroke outboard motors cannot be sold any more, with the result that second-hand ones are holding their value rather well. I know this because I've just bought one, which leads me to a more motoring-related question: we've just had a bank holiday influx of scooterists, some of whose machines seemed to be burning something that smelled very like Castrol R. Any ideas what it could have been? Read more
"they are still gross polluters"
Not as bad as you think, although I grant that 40-year old scooters running at 16:1 can be a bit smokey! Unlike sump oil, 2-stroke oil is at least designed to be burned and the combustion products are mostly biodegradable. My outboard runs at 100:1 and I've had cars that used more oil!
I suppose the days of 750cc triples are forever over, but as a light, simple power source, the small 2-stroke is hard to beat. As a means of covering a few miles daily, I suspect that a 100kg bike or scooter is a lot kinder to the planet than a 1000kg car, irrespective of the fuel.
Further to a recent post on driving in the USA I thought I'd to post my observations about the cars there (and all things automotive).
In no particular order :-
1.Why do Americans buy those hideous black plastic "noses" to stick on the front of their cars? I know they're for preventing stone chips but they look awful.
2.The Honda Accord we have here is an Acura over there (i.e. a luxury version). They have an ultra bland three box saloon selling as their Accord. Gadzooks! it's dull!!! blasphemy removed
3.I saw a Toyota Yaris saloon. It looked awful.
4.I also saw what looked like a 3 door coupe version of the current Lexus IS. Didn't seem to work to me. Looked awkward.
5.I noticed an almost complete lack of low profile tyres. Even things like the Mustang have deep tyre walls. Why, particularly when their roads are so much smoother than ours?
6.I saw an advert on telly where one of the main selling points was that the car could achieve 31mpg on a long run!!! I nearly cracked a rib laughing.
7.The Golf R32 is $33000 new. That's just not fair.
8.They are getting quite seriously into cars with better fuel economy now that petrol is a dizzy $2.70 a gallon!!! Small cars are the only sector of car rising in sales at the moment. Then I saw an article in USA Today claiming small cars were unsafe - "you can't argue with the laws of physics if one runs into a Hummer"!!!! I thought the irony of these points was hilarious. By the way they class small cars things like a Mazda 3 or a Honda Civic!!! Even a VW Jetta!!!
9.I ended up with a Hyundai Sonata as a hire car. Utterly bland auto saloon but also perfectly competent transport. I saw loads of them. Yet most of us over here wouldn't touch one with a barge pole.
10.Jeep/Dodge/Chrysler are doing a lifetime warranty on the powertrain of their cars there. I wonder if I walked into a British dealer and said I'd buy one as long as I got the same warranty the Americans get what response I'd get!!!
11.I've decided I seriously like the Ford Mustang and the Dodge Charger. They might not be much cop but they're so much more intetresting to look at than the bland German stuff that proliferates here. In fact a friend has just impoorted a Mustang recently and it's pretty awesome.
Read more
Only been USA once - & that wasn't real, 'cos it was Vegas!!
BUT...maybe it being a tourist place, but was surprised at just how courteous the drivers ALL were, letting other vehicles out & more so, letting people cross the roads, with plenty of time. & no bad mouthing.
Agree the Mustang is now a good looking car, once more. Desireable too!
& all those Chrysler 300 Estates, made me want one more!!
VB
Hi,
Can anyone help regarding differentiating the power of the Boxer engine in these cars. I can see from the car-by-car breakdown that 2006 models have the higher power (163bhp) engine, however what are the differences when looking at the engine etc ?
Thanks,
Steve Read more
If only he weren't a jumped up grease monkey.
(Now where's that smiley button? They have them on other forums you know, they look lovely.)
--
Soupytwist !
Just been looking up some VAT matters for a friend and came across this website:
www.onestop-bookkeeping.co.uk/business_info.php#5
According to its contents with regard to using vehicles for business use, it also states:
"..and for those of you who are environmentally friendlier, you can also claim 20p/mile for business journeys made on your bicycle."
New one on me. Anyone else aware of it?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by Read more
I'd gladly pay 20p per mile NOT to use one.
You can send me a cheque or pay by PayPal if you like. I have my eye on a new Cannondale.
Petrol-powered cars should be phased out within decades to help fight climate change, say the Lib Dems.
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6966771.stm
------------------------------
< Ex RF, Ex TVM > Read more
I remember seeing an Aston Martin engine that had an air pump pushing air into
the exhaust to dilute the exhaust gases to meet emission levels I wasn't told how
much energy it consumed.
I think you've got this slightly wrong (although i could myself be wrong). There are AM models with a pump, but this isn't intended to dilute the exhaust gases, what it actually does is move a set of valves in the exhaust system when you reach a certain rpm, making it more free-flowing.
This isn't to do with emissions laws, it is to do with noise laws. The valves are designed to make the car more quiet at idle.
What would be ideal car for motorway miles. I've got budget of less than £1500 so after listening to you wise guys to avoid a diesel car with this budget I'm looking at petrol cars now. What would you suggest with this sorts of money to spend? I want the car to be reliable and cheap to run. Thanks Read more
I just wanted it to finish there but sounds like as if you don't want to!
Reliability Index for Primera 96-99 is 49.18
Doesn't that make Primera better car than Mondeo?
With my budget I won't be able to buy a Primera of the age you suggested but should be able to get a decent 96-99 model. Hence the Primera I could buy has better rating than the Mondeo of the same age! :)
Friend of mine has just bought a Berlingo Van via a dealer in Wales,but the registration is different to what he was quoted,which considering what he paid,could be a bonus.
Where can I check what the vehicle is,with regard to the registration given? Read more
I checked one of my numbers on the website
<<
We have further important information about < numberplate > a Morgan.
We are able to reveal whether this vehicle has ever been recorded as a stolen & recovered vehicle; checks from our competitors are unable to do this.
>>
No model name... and the chap I bought it from bought the car in the early 60's way before Swansea was thought off. I'll keep my dosh thank-you!
Just been looking at some photos of the new Jaguar XF. Quite a departure from current Jag styling.
Looks quite good but bit concerned that the first thing I thought when I saw a photo was - that looks like a Lexus!
tweaked subject line to accommodate new drop own menus Read more
Saw one parked up in a hotel carpark in Warwick, so had lots of time to look around it.
It's not as striking in the flesh as the photos suggest.
Doesn't seem to ooze executive quality
I'm a bit of a traditionalist, but I really do prefer the S Type.
Browse
Great - I'll have it! I just need to dig out my trusty Halfords Dent Pulling Kit and hairdryer to melt the goo.... ;-)