August 2007
Hi guys
The horn has packed up on my 1999 Ford Ka. It still works, but it's about 1/10th of it's volume and sounds like someone is letting air out of a balloon! I'm guessing it's a pretty easy job to swap one out and one in, and could probably get a spare from a scrappy.
I just need to know where to locate it under the bonnet?!
Anyone with any clue or helpful advice I'd like to hear from ya!
Cheers Read more
a couple of weeks ago my corsa cut out while driving i had a mechanic take a look and he said as no petrol was getting to the engine he said i would need a new fuel pump at £200!! i got 1 for 30 and did it in ten mins ! but it still isnt working any advice plz.
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corsa b is the 1% without then because it doesnt have an inertia switch
an eml light that loves blackpool illumination yes, fuel cut off no,unless you count the tendancy for the relay to go
on an early corsa this is up behind the glove box (take box out )
on later ones its in the fuse box,i posted a picture up which one it was a few weeks ago
A friend has just ordered a Nissan Note 1.6 auto.
Does anyone know what sort of transmission this is, i.e. is it a type of CVT system or is it a 'proper' auto with a torque converter? Read more
Thanks for the responses guys - that's reassuring to know it's a 'proper' auto.
JB
This model has an oil level sensor fitted, as well as an oil pressure switch, but the handbook contains no reference to oil LEVEL so does anyone know how/where this is displayed? or if not displayed what is it used for?
brian Read more
The 2005 manual does show slightly different warning lights for oil level and pressure - the oil can is underlined for level but not for pressure. But that's an Astra H , can't find anything in the 2002 manual.
The recent 'wild deer' posts have reminded me of several 'close shaves' involving oncoming drivers swerving violently onto 'my' side of the road to avoid pheasants, cats, dogs etc.
I've been able to anticipate their actions and slowing/positioning as appropriate, but I wonder how many collisions are caused by drivers over-reacting in trying to avoid causing 'roadkill'?
For my own part, I do what I can to miss dithering pheasants (with an 'h'!) et al, but never at the risk of losing control. I remember being severely admonished by my other half for flattening a cat on the approach to a blind bend - obviously she thought that a potential head-on smash was the better option :-( Read more
Road Traffic Act will tell you Wotspur. A Horse, Cow, Ass, dog, and fowl (from memory) requires you to comply with the RTA, i.e. stop exchange details or report to the Police.
Hi,
I've been keeping an eye out for a BMW 530i or a 530d (both in sport trim, has to be a manual), but the 530d is really holding its value, and dare I say it over priced?
The Manual in sport trim with leather is quite rare.
Have come across a 530i Sport that is tempting although risky.
Basically its is a 51 plate 2002 model with 107k, but the owner has only had a it for 1 month (has taken ownership of the vehicle - as there was money owed to him from a friend who has had to return back to Poland).
He has the log book n his name, with MOT, and one key (with another whick looks like a master key). The owner does not need the car, and wants the money he is owed so is selling it - a gentleman in his late forties / early fifties.
Aside from the storey above - the car is in very good condition - drives really smoothly, good pick up - everything seems to be working.
Had some evidence of a knock on the front wing - as bonnet sits (probably 1 mm) higher on drivers side - but does not look major.
Everything else is as it should - one problem I noticed is a known issue on with 1 pixel line missing on the dash clock (am I right in thinking this is the OBC).
Engine bay very clean - (not polished clean) , but looks original)
I have the chassis number, and have confirmed with BMW dealers - they have services it to 2004 - upto 48000 miles. Has tax and Mot til next april / may.
No knocks from the suspension, -one slightly kerbed (and corroded alloy which is the spare).
More of a heart ruling the head situation - I know about the dodgy history, but the car was in very good condition, interior and exterior colour scheme went together really well.
Is up for £6900 which I will not pay due to lack of history. But worth a shot at £6k ?
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I have a 2001 530i auto sport tourer. I love the car but it is quite heavy on fuel. Mid 20's is a real world figure. The touring is an estate but not really large enough to call it one hence the title Tourer.Watch out for the pixels on the dash. BMW will help with the fix but it is about £700 with out the help of 40%. I would suggest the petrol over the diesel since the turbos on the diesel are well known for failure.
Helm Barrie
Hi All,
About to replace 2 of my tyres with Michelin Primacy's which have proved themselves to be sticky, quieter than the OE Pirelli's and Goodyears and have lasted nearly 3 times longer than the Goodyears (and an extra 10k more miles than the Pirelli's).
The question is: What is the difference between Primacy HP's and standard Primacy's?
The Michelin Website does not narrow it down showing both types but not showing what the difference might be. I am running on 4 x HP versions at present.
Anyone any ideas? Read more
Hi Rodger,
The difference is that the HP's are the latest version of the Primacy. The stock of the others he had was old stock. They are on Michelin's website but they are not currently produced. You chose the right ones anyway.
The HP's that I had fitted are still going strong 25,000 miles on with 4mm left at the fronts. This is pretty staggering considering the torque of the D5 engine and the way I drive. They are more susseptable to aquaplaning but that is the only negative. The main possitive apart from the wear rate is the dramatically improved fuel consumption. I went from 47.9mpg with the Pirellis and Goodyears to now averaging over 55mpg. This may also have something to do with the engine being more settled after 88,000 miles but the instant improvement when I put the new tyres on was an extra 5mpg. Havn't done the maths but suspect that improvement has paid for the tyres pretty much already, certainly covered the extra cost over other tyres.
I too prefer the 16" wheels and think the 17" ones would have broken my spine by now when allied to the not-so-compliant suspension.
Sadly I will not be able to update any further as my S60 is being traded in on Friday for a nice shiny new 5 Series BMW Touring. I wish the new owner (whoever they end up being) a happy time in my lovely Volvo!
Could anyone advise me as to the difficulty in fitting a new clutch pedal on my vw golf gt tdi 1.9 mk 4, year 2002.
Part of it broke off(a plastic bit) while i was driving it and the breakdown service man put a temporary bolt through it to get me home. Now i am having difficulty in engaging gears especially reverse.
Could this be because the pedal is not depressing fully?
To fit a replacement pedal, do i have to remove any of the fascia panels, steering wheel or centre console and do i need any special tools to hold the clutch spring? while replacing the pedal?
I understand that the latest pedals have replaced the plastic bit with metal cos its a common fault.
Thanks
{car details added to header as per the yet again ignored sticky messages - DD} Read more
Brillo- further to previous, associate got the piece welded back onto pedal and reassembled it earlier, currently have the missus test driving it, he couldn't put small spring back in but apparently is not that important (?)
I saw a used car valued at £12,000 at an independent dealer and put a deposit of £500 down. A trade in on amy old car worth £5,000 was also agreed as part of the deal.
The deposit was paid on the condition that work was done to the car.
In the week between putting down the deposit and collecting the car I was offered an alternative deal for a better car, which would leave me better off even if I lost the deposit on the first car.
I went back to the dealer, saw the car again and was not happy with all the work done, although I did not clearly state this at the time. I did explain that I'd seen a better car and been offered a better deal elsewhere. The dealer refused to negotiate the deal being offered.
I walked away, apologising and accepting that I would lose my deposit. I immediately wrote to the dealer, explaining the situation and confirming I wouldn't be buying the car.
I bought the other car, which I'm happy with.
Two weeks later I have received a letter from a law firm saying I will be in breach of contract if I don't buy the first car and liable for losses amounting to nearly £2,000. No evidence of what these losses are have yet been provided.
My household insurance legal advice line says the dealer can indeed recover any losses incurred from my not proceeding with the deal - inclding the cost of works done to the car. Since these works were required to make the car worth what the dealer was asking I find that hard to accept.
I'm feeling this is grossly unjust, as I consider the reasonable losses the dealer suffered are covered by the deposit.
I will be pushing to see what these losses are before accepting any further liability, but wonder if there's anything else I can do.
Anyone else suffered such an experience ? Any advice on gettiong a fair outcome ?
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Update and possible conclusion
Recap: I put a deposit of £500 on a car on the condition work was done to it to make it worth the asking price. Not all the work was up to standard. I saw a car elsewhere in better condition at a lower price. I wanted to renegotiate the price of the car I put a deposit on ? the dealer refused. I walked away and the dealer said I was in breach of contract and liable for losses of nearly two grand.
After the dealer?s solicitor offered me effectively an out of court settlement for £1750 and my asking for justification of the costs ? nothing, for more than a week. My thoughts at that time were that he would just go to court and justify the costs immediately prior to court proceedings. I didn?t want to go to court.
I had been aware from the time I first looked at the car that the dealer was a member of the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMIF), who operate a conciliation service for disputes. I wrote to the RMIF asking for the matter to be referred to this service.
Whether a coincidence or not, two days later I got a one page letter from the solicitor outlining some costs ? totalling £1600 including a loss of £700 for having sold the car for less than I?d agreed to pay. I replied to this, accepting some costs ? such as carrying out an MOT ? and not accepting in full other costs ? such as the cost of a service ? since in my view they could easily have sold the car having been serviced a week or two ago as yesterday.
I argued that I wasn?t liable for the work not done properly and I would have suffered losses in having to go back another day to pick the car up. I sent a cheque for £550, meaning I?m now £1050 out of pocket in total, due to the £500 paid previously. I?ve heard nothing for two weeks since, other than the RMIF saying they?ve written to the dealer for his response to my letter to them. I?m fairly sure this will be an end to it. I?m glad I bought my car somewhere else.
Warning to all:
Pay a deposit for anything and you?re entering a legally binding contract. If you want to back out you?re potentially liable for any losses the seller can argue he?s incurred. These losses can be up to the full purchase price, not the value of the deposit. These recoverable losses include any works done ? even if they are needed to justify the agreed price. I wasn?t aware of this ? until it cost me dear. Be very careful.
I have a Vauxhall Movano on a 2000 W plate. 2.8 TD engine. Does this have a rubber cam belt that required changing, or does it use a chain-cam (hopefully!)
Thanks, Dan Read more
Screwloose's info is correct as per Vauxhall's recommendation - Nov 2006.
img501.imageshack.us/img501/6703/movanobz9.jpg
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I can't remember the last time I sounded a horn as a warning. I'd had my current car 6 months before I even got round to testing it. That was 2 years ago. I suppose it's time I tested it again.
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L\'escargot.