September 2007
nice car but can you see yourself down the pub boasting about your Gumpert Apollo?
s Read more
I can't help noticing how the free side street parking is dissapearing at a very quick rate. A short while ago it was possible to park in a side street close to town and wander in, do a bit of banking or the like for an hour and go home. In Eastbourne for example years ago you had a choice of free parking areas, now even the seafront length has parking meters, even the Sussex Downs laybys have meters. Now this is a rant coming, I.ve done my bit for Queen and country, paid my taxes and been lawabiding yet I have to pay to enjoy the countryside seemingly eveywhere now. Add to that they charge 20p for the loo! Went to Reading the other week and the car park was quite expensive,needless to say Reading is off the place to shop list now and Eastbourne is off the day trip list. Read more
"does anyone else-like me- deliberately avoid going to places where they know they will have to pay to park?
Yes - the only reason I go into Leicester these days (my nearest big town) is to go to the rugby - it's not just the parking cost but also the seemingly deliberate obstruction of traffic with strange traffic light sequences and definitely deliberate narrowing of roads by creating very wide central reservations which are of no use to cyclists or pedestrians but serve only to restrict traffic movement (St Margaret's Way for those who know Leicester)
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Phil
I need to sort my airbag problem on my W reg Audi Avant 2.4 (airbag light is permanently on and fault is diagnosed as being in the control box. This fault means no airbag function). I would prefer to avoid buying a replacement unit from Audi - quoted at £280 plus fitting so could be a £500 bill - and wonder if anyone knows of a trustworthy UK repair outfit? My local independant electrical specialist is happy to remove and refit/reset. I have one german offer of 99 Euros and a US offer of $100 (both airbag specialists). Surely there is a UK supplier? Any suggestions/recommendations?
s Read more
I didn't expect such a deafening silence when I posted this enquiry! Especially as it is clear that airbag light problems are fairly common on Audis, and although the connectors under the seats are the usual fault in this case it was the control box itself. I think the reason no one in the UK will touch them with a view to repair is fear of legal comeback. So I eventually had to pay up for the Audi replacement box and it cost me altogether just under 400 pounds - not too bad and my local electrical specialist charged me a very reasonable 1.5 hours for the job. If anybody is interested there is an excellent guide to removing said control box on a US website at www.audiworld.com/tech/elec152.shtml
Like the look of the new Mazda 2 and fancy the 1.3 82 model. It's Insurance group 5 though; will that make it prohibitively expensive when I want to add my son to my policy to drive it when he turns 17 next year?
s
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Rural or not, the NFU website simply refers out to AA and RAC! We've also just tried Norwich Union but you need to be 18 for pay as you drive and even on 400 miles a month, outside the high risk night hours, they want £1700 plus. HJD thanks for your comment on confused-com being expensive but, so far, they are my cheapest option and thats a Quinn Direct price. I've also gone direct to Quinn online and the price is the same as confused.com, down to the last penny. I've no brief for confused so if anyone has cheaper possibilites I'm more than happy to try them. I suspect however that its just a question of slogging through a few more sites, there won't be a "one size fits all" answer.
Looking for a small car for the business and wondering if there is a kelkoo style comparison site for 3 year lease deals Read more
A friend of mine was issued with a producer last week and due to being away has only 2 days left to go to the station with his docs. Trouble is He can't find his license (still has the old paper type).
Anyone here know what happens in this situation, and what he should do?
Any help/advice would be much appreciated, especially from the Officers on here.
Thanks. Read more
Thanks for all your advice, he managed to find it at about 3am this morning so problem solved.
My 75 year old dad currently drives a 2.0 hdi Y Reg Peugeot 806. He is having problems with it that I will be posting in Technical shortly but I can see this ultimately leading to him having to change the car.
He currently tows a caravan that he would like to continue towing but may accept that his towing days are behind him (he also has a static caravan on a site). So to the criteria
Automatic Diesel - a must (doesn't want petrol)
Cruise Control
As many "toys" as possible
High Driving position - a must
Preferably 3 individual folding seats in back (he likes to picnic a lot and folds the middle seat for their "table" - I know I know but it makes him happy!
BIL has a Doblo, dad likes this but don't think its available with the toys on it. He also likes the Kangoo / Berlingos etc but not sure if any of these come fully laden with all the toys?
I have suggested he may need to look at Scenics etc to meet all his requirements.
All suggestions / thoughts much appreciated!
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2007 Seat Altea XL 2.0 TDI (140) Stylance
2005 Skoda Fabia vrS Read more
An update on this, he has now accepted that trying to get an automatic diesel is narrowing his choice too far and if he gives up towing a caravan, annual mileage will be approx 10k so doesn't justify diesel.
Two that he has his eye on just now are a 307SW 1.6 auto SE with all the toys and a Skoda Roomster 3 1.6 Auto with all the necessary toys as well. He feels the Skoda ticks the boxes for him as he is looking for a boxy type vehicle (Kangoo, Doblo, berlingo style but they don't seem to come in Automatic which is very surprising!).
Anyone got any experience of the Roomster 3 Semi Auto?
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2007 Seat Altea XL 2.0 TDI (140) Stylance
2005 Skoda Fabia vrS
VOLKSWAGEN BORA 2.8 V6 4MOTION Saloon, SILVER, 4 Doors, Manual Transmission, Petrol, 75235 Miles, VAT Qualifying.
NJ52WLH Registered 20-09-2002
It's in Edinburgh if you want to bid on it
VB Read more
Planning to change car in near future(within 2 months) and for the first time looking to buy a diesel as high mileage driver(15k plus).
Why I've waited so long to go diesel who knows?
Anyway, I've tried to whittle down my options tho the waters are being muddied given I find most of the following are due to be replaced:
My choices so far: Fiesta 1.6 tdci, Clio 1.5dci 86bhp, Colt, corsa(torn between 90bhp and greener 75bhp), 207, 1.6tdci focus
Also tempted by polo blue motion.
Most of my choices are supermini I know but Im single, 32 and with the current "big" feel superminis I see no need to spend on bigger models. Although the BMW 1 series is attractive!
I'm hoping to get a 56 or 07 plate as have budget of around £9k to play with.
Anyone with any experience of these cars and could give me pointers please do, or even recommend a diff model! Read more
Whilst I would agree that the VAG PD diesels (versions without Lanchester balancer shafts) are now on the rough side as other designs have evolved, their economy and performance is not to be ignored. Serviced as required, they give very little trouble.
Having driven lots of different ones, I would judge the longitudinally mounted installations to be smoother and quieter than the transverse versions, even allowing for the fact that the transverse cars are smaller. Also, seemingly identical engines (down to the ident letters on the cambelt covers) can be very different in terms of noise and refinement. The quietest one I've driven was in a big Skoda and pulls it around with real grunt.
659.
As the subject suggests, does anyone know if there's a definitive list anywhere of interference and non-interference engines?
I've found the following Gates website, but it's American, and not really comprehensive enough for European models:
tinyurl.com/zns5y
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nee probem
Interesting link.
Stupid name or not (and is it isn't April 1 I suppose it's genuine), given the current state of nerves in the City I think they might now find it difficult to find enough hedge fund managers and the like awash with the cash to buy it.