September 2007
I am looking to spend 6k on a car for my wife,i suggested a Mini one and she was keen but now has seen that she can get a pre-reg Fiat grand punto for the same money.My heart says go for a 52 plate 5yr old Mini out of warranty with around 50k miles,my mind says go for the still under warranty 1k miles punto,which is the best to go for?The car will be going to work 5 days a week,with some early starts some late finishes,and mainly motorway driving.
Heart or Mind?
A J Read more
Hi - Trying to replace rear indicator bulb but I can't get the light cluster off to get to the bulb. I've removed the 2 screws that are holding it in place and the who unit moves about but I can't see what else is holding it in place. Any clues or is there a special technique to remove the cluster.
Thanks. Read more
there are only 2 screws that hold the rear light clusters in place. once you've removed them the cluster pulls out towards the inside of the car, they can be a little fiddly but give the cluster a wiggle and be gentle and they will pull out.
i have a 1.9 td Peugeot 306 and i removed the fuel filter and now it will not start
have tried to bleed the pump but not to sure on what to do next to get it going
please help Read more
Unless you're a diesel specialist (unlikely, I would suggest) don't try "cleaning" the injectors - you can't.
Cleaner is a waste of money - get the system working to specification.
659.
Thinking of buying one of these,I only do about 5000 miles a year and dont mind getting my hands dirty,But are there any serious problems with engine or transmition to worry about.Any advice would be gratfully received.Thanks
s Read more
Will have a good listen for timing chain noises and will carefully check service history,I was looking about 02 plate 4 motion 2.8 approx 60000 to 80000 miles.Was looking for a manual box has anyone heard of any clutch or transmition problems.
Thanks again for replies
Heavy police presence on Sunday following reports of various fatalities over the Bank Holiday weekend (mostly two wheelers, as they invariably come off worst in a collision). Those of you who know the road will know the stretch from Wetwang (yes, seriously, multimap it) to the Fimber roundabout. Its a long, straight, downhill (from Wetwang) stretch. It is difficult NOT to speed, and tempting to use the space and the clear view to overtake two caravans in one go... A mobile (unmarked) unit was parked up on Sunday, with what looked remarkably like a large video camera too. I was travelling South, and, it has to be said, was fortunate (along with the BMW en suite to me) that the mobile unit attached to the camera was already engaged having stopped a 4x4 who I had seen earlier driving "vigourously". So good, old fashioned policing still takes place in Yorkshire: I had seen 3 traffic cars visibly parked up on the journey from Sutton bank already that day. I know the run to Helmsley is one of the best biking roads around, but, be careful out there, in all senses of the words, whether you're driving two wheels or four.
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Tim{P}
ickle bit added to the subject line - PU Read more
FC - I well remember that straw plod from a few years ago during the scarecrow competition, just past the name sign. ISTR he was holding a pushbike.
At the time it was remarked that it had more of an effect on vehicle speeds than anything else.
hi all. im after a timing belt kit for a lanos 1.4 wheres the best place to source one from ? should i stick with brand name or would it be a false economy going for a pattern part ?thanks Read more
Yeah our old Sunny -- "admittedly only" 13 years old, and 140,000 miles -- was still on original chain and not a hint of death-rattle.
I've heard a Nissan when the chain starts to get tired -- it's an ungodly noise, and not something you'd miss easily! This was on a 220K 1.6 Primera at around 9 years old.
I was just about to buy a 2003 Mondeo Ghia tdci 130 6 speed but a couple of my friends told me to look at a VW Passat so now i have seen a 2003 VW Passat Sport tdi 130 6 speed i have'nt tried it yet but i thought i'd just ask what you guys think is the better car and is the Passat as quick as the Mondeo and what difference is there in mpg? Read more
winge when there car goes wrong
Are they supposed to laugh when it goes wrong?
Coming through Leeds today I sit for TWO HOURS to travel 3/4 of a mile though the city centre only to come to the roundabout before the A58 to discover that it's closed due to a burst water main. Do the police set up a diversion? Do they, perhaps, even provide some indication of a possible way around? Like hell they do. They put up a road closed sign at the exit of the roundabout and stand leaning against their car chatting and laughing at the traffic.
Nor do they even bother to ring the traffic lines on the radio - not a word about it on Radio 2 travel hotline the whole time I was waiting there.
And the ones that could set up a diversion are all sitting on bridges on the M62 inside camera vans, one of which I went under rather carelessly at 82mph on the GPS. Fair enough if I get a NIP, but I'd just passed someone in a beaten up old car with no shock absorbers, wearing no seatbelt and chatting on his mobile but going slightly slower than me.
Add to that the rolling roadblocks the lorrys set up when traffic gets slightly busy, and stupendously heavy clutch on the Rover 75, and you have a thoroughly rotten three hours. On top of that, I have another 5 hours to drive tonight to go back down to Devon.
[Inaccurate subject line amended - PG] Read more
Every central hold up in Leeds seems to involve some way or other the Armley giratory, specially designed to hold the most cars for the longest period of time.
Just got back from 10 days in Normandy. Did a fair bit of motoring while there, usual visits to exceptionally pretty villages and towns and the place was bustling: full of locals and a fair smattering of tourists like us. At no point did we have trouble parking and had to pay for parking - even in what would in the UK have been honeypots (oh Veules-les-Roses how beautiful and what food!) - only once (in Dieppe: had a debate about how much to pay until SWMBO observed that we were quibbling about an extra 20 cents as the difference between 5 hours (1.60) and 9 hours (1.80) - sorry, can't remember how to do the euro sign.
We felt as if the councils of the places we visited were glad to have us there because of the money we were spending.
Can't remember last time I felt that in Blighty.
s
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Stevie
Lakland 44-02 Sunburst
Yamaha YTS-23
Mexican Telecaster
Alesis Micron
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Although that wouldn't apply to roadside parking.
Having had an 18-month old car (parked in a 30 mph zone) run into by a passing lunatic, and which cost half the value of the car to repair, I now wouldn't park on the road for all the tea in China.
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L\'escargot.
Hi,
Loads of foreign plated cars around our way, LT, PL, F and all the rest.
Presumably some will be insured and roadworthy, some won't be.
Nothing can be done about it apparently.
I'd have thought it was pretty simple, if a car enters the country but isn't registered here, it has the motoring equivalent of a visa, valid for 6 months. If the car is seen, after that time without UK plates, it's impounded or something equivalent.
Is this too hard, or wrong?
Lou
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>> someone i know has two sets of plates english and spanish he swaps them over
depending where he is
>>
What you mean, he puts on the Spanish ones in England and the English ones in Spain??
You know it makes sense.
Probably shouldn't be fancying Fiat residuals either then, they're every bit as bad!!!!
If not worse -- 2001 Bravos seem to go for around £800, whereas equivalent Hyundais sell for about £1200 -- despite fact that the Bravo cost around 30% more when new.
Your money -- but if you're worried about residuals leave the Fiat alone, it's like burning fivers. Good reason for it as well -- many Puntos fall to bits at 70K miles, and people are understandably suspicious of them as a result.