September 2007
I drive a mondeo turbo diesel. When i start the car up i let the engine idle for say 10-15seconds before moving off. Give time for the oil to get around the engine/turbo etc. After a long/fast/hard run i let the engine idle for a while before switching off.
I am in the process of buying a Mazda 5. Borrowed the handbook which covers the global market. Worst handbook i ever came across. There is a section which say that in Germany when you start your engine you must set of immediately because it is illegal to let your engine idle for a while before and after a journey. I understand this on the environmental side but must cause increase in wear and tear of the engine Read more
A friend recently got stopped for exceeding the speed limit, and went to the local cop-shop to pay her £60 and produce all documents. Obviously they held onto her licence, which she expected to get back with the points etc written on it. However, she was very surprised this morning when an unstamped envelope dropped through the letter box, containing her licence (hand-delivered by Plod?). No written endorsements/convictions on the licence, it's totally untouched, "as new"!
So, basically, do the Police not write on licences anymore? And don't they bother paying Royal Mail to deliver them back to their owners?! Read more
"I would slink away quietly and not ask any questions"
And whatever you do, don't mention it to a journalist!
:-)
I'm looking at new cars. My self-imposed brief is a) CO2 < 225, ie not in top VED band, b) automatic, c) 4-wheel drive, d) must be good ON-road, OFF-road irrelevant, e)medium/large estate, f) image totally irrelevant.
So far I've got Audi A6 Avant SE 2.7TDi Quattro Tiptronic and Land-Rover Freelander 2.2Td4 SE Auto on the shortlist.
I'd appreciate constructive comments, even if they're negative about the cars.
Any suggestions for additions to the shortlist would also be appreciated provided they meet a) to e) absolutely. Read more
He's going back to a new Disco...
Another vehicle not exactly praised for its reliability!
The ST TDCi has an auto dimming mirror which I find OK but the better half doesn't as she finds it hard to judge distances when it dims. I've leant that if you hold your finger over the sensor on start up it seems to disable the auto-dimming, but I/she usually forget until somebody dazzles with main beam or poorly set lights. Is there anyway you can switch it in and out of operation on the move? Nothing in the handbook that I can find.
s Read more
My '02 Ghia X has an auto dim mirror which is very good though has an off/auto switch, havent noticed that the later ones dont have this switch.
A friend has just obtained a well looked after AX 1.1 from the early 90s, 45K miles or thereabouts, FSR, for a good price. The pampered runabout of an old Polish gent who has given up driving.
Does anyone who knows this model have anything to say about any part of it?
s
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I've just retired from racing a modified one in autograss,where I won my club class 2 years in a row.
You could also look at an owners website:
www.axownersclub.com/
I receive a reasonable car allowance and commute 30k/annum on mainly motorways. What is the best way forward accounting for these factors:
1. Prefer larger saloon cars, with a prestige(ish) badge
2. Not for use at weekends.
3. Ideally do not want to spend more than £11k
4. Like to change cars regularly.
I could either by a £11k dealer warrantied car and keep for a year or save and buy something more expensive and keep for 3+ years!
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Very sorry if any offence caused I just wondered how prestigous a car could be
obtained on that budget what's the oldest you would consider?
1995 E320. 54K miles. 4K cost. Alloys, A/C, Fogs, (yuck) Leather, New tyres. Go like whatsit off a shovel if you wish or poodles serenly around town, but I don't want to impress anybody so 4K it is then.
Use yer loaf...........................MD
The car is a Astra 1.4 petrol 1995, my wife drove the car yesterday, she told me the car began to lose power and as she pulled over the car cut out and refused to start. Having towed the car back home i was able to look at it today, first i removed the cambelt covers and found that the cambelt had shed quite a few teeth off , so i fit a new belt thinking this would sort the problem, having put the belt on and lined all the timing marks tried starting the car, no joy infact the car spins over really fast like it has little compression, i removed the spark plugs no petrol on them at all, so then i removed the fuel supply pipe and get my lad to turn the engine over whilst i hold the pipe in a jar, just to make sure the fuel pumps working ok, which it is. So now lm at a loss as to why no petrol is getting into the engine, is there an electrical cut off valve on the carb? my wife told me there was no noise or bang, the car just lost power and cut out, any ideas?
Duggie
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Thanks for the replies, the timing marks lve gone over a number of times, someone else has also checked, so lm confident theyre all lined up properly, the camshaft is turning so still in one piece, there is is no crankshaft sensor fitted so no teeth on the pulley. The only thing i need to do is a compression test, hopefully if i get back from work early i could do that today. The engine spins over quite easy so lm suspecting the readings are going to be low, i thought on this engine the valves have clearance from the piston at TDC? just wondering if the valves are damaged and not sealing properly?
Mini motos were consigned to the scrap yard this morning with hundreds of pounds worth reduced to a mangled wreck.
The six machines were scrapped at MK Auto Recycling, New Bradwell, to illustrate that police have the power to seize mini-motorbikes which have been illegally ridden around the city's redways, estates and parklands.
www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/Mini-motos-crushed.317...p
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I don't like the things - but thats mainly due to the plumes of smoke that they emit. If cars have to undergo emission testing, why not these wretched things?
Other than that they seem like a good way for kids to learn about the road, but as always kids will be kids - and that ensures we have problems.
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Torque means nothing without RPM
Hi,
I have a 1996 Peugeot 1.9TD, and it has recently developed a central locking problem. The car had been standing for a couple of weeks whilst I was away, and when I came back I changed the batteries in the keyfob, as I had been locking and unlocking the car using the key for the last year or so.
After using the remote to unlock the car (for the first time since I had been back) it began developing a fault - only the front doors would lock and unlock with the central locking using either the remote or the key, and then it wouldn't lock and unlock at all using the remote, and when using the key - only the front door that you used the key in would unlock.
The control unit activates as you can hear the relays click, and they continue to switch for a couple of seconds after the central locking is activated. None of the locking solenoids operate, but the interior lights flash with the clicking of the relays.
After a while the relays begin to click again, flashing the lights, but not operating the solenoid.
I have checked all the locks operate freely, and have checked the wiring that runs through all of the doors, but there are no faults and shorts. I have checked the system has a good earth, with no corrosion. I have also checked the wiring at the control unit, and haven't found any faults.
I was wondering if anyone had experienced this problem before, and could point me in the right direction. I am suspecting it is either a problem with the alarm, or the control unit has failed.
Many Thanks.
s Read more
I have had the same four tyres on my Micra for over five years, they have done about 17,000 miles and are still legal. Would it be advisable to at least change the front two after this length of time.
s Read more
I got 4 155/75/13 for my micra from Kwik Fit valves,balance etc for £110, they will probably outlive the car as I only use it as a run around for 2500 miles a year,if you go on QFits web site they will give you a quote you print this off and take it to your local outlet and they honour it. I do not rate them in general but in my area no one else could beat the price they offered for a similar product.
Its a very good point made re small infringements: here, the retentive nature (adverb omitted) means the British have a reputation for being cold. Its untrue: its just that the British are inertiated until the safety valve blows. Then, its all spewed out. Tradition: the Viking berserker, as seen at football grounds, and High Street, Preston in the melee outside the scruff-clubs. The latter to be especially avoided! www.cdli.ca/CITE/v_berserker.htm