September 2007
***** This thread is now closed, please CLICK HERE to go to Volume 16 *****
As the title suggests, this thread is for all things Formula One and other general motorsport related stuff.
This is Volume 15.
Usual rules apply. When we get to around 100 posts, the thread will be locked and the next volume will start.
PLEASE NOTE
As with the IHAQ & the Computer threads, When posting a NEW topic, please "Reply to" the first message in this thread, i.e. this one. This keeps each topic in it's own separate segment and stops each new topic from getting mixed up in amongst existing topics. Also please remember to change the subject header.
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Good morning, I have a 2001 Passat TDI 130 SE estate with 107k on the clock. It runs very well apart from one thing: it does not like accelerating above 3000 rpm. The engine hesitates and will accelerate but in a very jerky manner. Any thoughts very welcome please.
S Read more
Just skimming through this thread, this sounds like a failure of the Mass Airflow meter. (Is that the same as a MAFF sensor??).
The classic symptoms are that on VAG 90/110/130 bhp 1.9 tdi engines the performance slowly deteriorates and eventually will not rev above 3000rpm under load. Fit a new airflow meter which is after the airfilter housing and the car should be back to its old self.
As listed on previous threads I have had these replaced at £200 (garage) or £60 from GSF fitted myself in 15minutes.
Does anyone have any first hand experience of owning, or know friends with, Focus ST or Megane 225 (pre 2006 facelift) that they would be able to share with me?
Am looking at both as replacement for 101% reliable Astra SRi that I have just sold.
Am already aware of MeganeSport and FocusStOwners websites that I have monitored for weeks but the info, whilst helpful, is not always impartial.
Performance/specification is very similar and Megane has price in its favour but the Focus sounds awesome and is more practical, if more expensive. Have read horror stories about Megane electrics but also the total opposite with good reliability reports too. Focus seems pretty bulletproof, prodigious thirst or otherwise!
Not interested in modifying and either car would be left 100% standard.
Thanks in advance. Read more
I would of said a scooby too as i'm a massive jap car fan but i didnt think it really fitted in with your hatchback requirements.
Today I changed the battery of my neighbour's 97 1.4 Citroen ZX for her. Alas she lost the remote fob for it several years ago and when we connected up the battery the alarm armed itself for the fiirt time in years! The car still starts/drives but the alarm goes off when you open the door/bonnet/boot most embarrassingly. Can we disconnect the alarm or reset it manually? The car is only worth a few hundred pounds so trips to dealers are to be avoided!
s Read more
Thanks. Worked a treat. Hold the button in while turning on the ignition cancels the alarm. A quiet neighbourhood again!
Hi there,
I need to have the Brakes replaced on my 2003 X-Trail 2.5 SVE Auto (Disks and Pads).
I have had a quote from Nissan (gulp) and have also called a few "local garages". The local people have offered different brands of brakes.
Please can someone advise on the best non-Nissan brand(s).
Many thanks, Nigel. Read more
I just had the same thing from dealer for my X-Trail (o5-reg)...
That's not surprising Graham, the best part of £500 straight into their pocket for changing perfectly good pads/discs. Makes me angry when dealers use brakes to make their money - most punters will just go along with it, because they're concerned about the safety of their vehicle. I bet you wished you'd checked them before spending your £53 though ;-)
Hi
On 18 August 2007, I purchased a Range Rover Vogue 4.6 litre from a small trader/garage. The vehicle had been advertised in the press and on the net as '2001 (X) Range Rover Vogue, Air conditioning etc, full service history and 91k miles'. When test driving the car I noted the Air Con did not work and that the engine had a misfire. After discussing this with the salesman he told me that these issues were known to him and they would be fixed before I collected the car. I asked to see the vehicles V5 and service history, but was told they were off site but the history was fully upto date and complete. The car was sol;d with a one year parts and labour warranty.
When I collected the car, I paid £8000 in cash and took my new pride and joy away for the trip home. I am disabled and have limited walking ability and choose this car as its air suspension made access easy and was able to be converted to hand control at a later date.
Whilst driving home the engine misfire returned within a mile of leaving the garage, and the Air Con still did not work. As soon as I reached home I tried to call the salesman and left voicemail telling him of the problem. More seriously I noticed that the car was actually a 2000 model and had only a part service history. It has not seen a Land Rover dealer since 2004 and has no record of service from this point at which it had covered 50k miles. Naturally I was very upset.
Several efforts were made to speak to the salesman, but he was never around and never returned my calls. I asked repeatedly for my warranty, and was told by the administrator that 'the warranty lady had not signed my book, but once she had, it would be posted to me'. I realised that I may have been had at this point!
Within a week of having the car, and still calling the garage everyday, the car developed more faults. Firstly the drivers door window actually fell out and smashed, the misfire got so bad that the whole car was shuddering and shaking, the air suspension failed to rise, causing the car to ride 6 inches higher on the nearside than the offside, the catalyst started smelling very badly and the heat from it was incredible and the car had needed 5 litres of oil within the first week!
I returned to the garage, and was told that my warranty basically did not exist, they would have a mobile mechanic fix the car for me. I agreed to this, only to learn from the mechanic that the garage had told him I would pay for repairs! When questioning this, the garage said it was untrue.
By September 10th I had had enough and returned to the garage again with a letter rejecting the car quoting the sales of goods act. I was told to leave the premises and take the car with me. I at this point felt intimidated and afraid as the salesman had two of his brothers with him. I may be 6 feet 5 inches tall and only 30 years old, but I am heavily disabled..... what threat could I be?.....
I have reported this to Consumer Direct, who say I am entitled to a refund, and Trading Standards are involved too, along with Customs and Excise. These people have apparently been prosecuted previously for similar offences.
I intend to return to the garage yet again with another rejection letter, and this time leave the car on their premises. Can you please advise me if this is legal, and offer me any advise or assistance. I now have no vehicle and no means of getting around and more importantly no money to purchase a replacement.
Thank you very much!
Dan, deleted your duplicate post - PU
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If you don't mind the publicity it's the sort of story your local paper or tv news might be interested in. Just mentioning the press to the vendor may help. Good luck.
I believe my PC has a virus which is preventing it running Windows. I have tried starting it with a floppy but it will not respond. I am using Mandrake Move to post this message which indicates me a Window s problem. Pressing F8 on start up does not work either. I have some files I would like to save.
Any advice gratefully received Read more
This will be handy for laptop owners when it comes out...
www.nextenergynews.com/news1/next-energy-news-beta...l
Ah ok, the comple focus of this has shifted. It has nothing to do with the dosier at all. it seems it has everything to do with one employee asking for and getting information about another team in a consistent and up to date manner.
Goes on all the time in F1. They ALL pay someone in the team to monitor the others.
I am not sure that WMSC and the FIA have the authority to act in that manner, there are such things as unfair clauses in legal contracts in most countries.
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< Ex RF, Ex TVM > Read more
OK Cheddar since you said:
" having at the beginining of the season, a 780 page dosier enabling a competitors car to be built from scratch "
Whereas Coughlan has said www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/62303
"The two met at Barcelona Airport on April 28th 2007, and went to a restaurant at the city's marina.
"During the course of conversation, we discussed a feature of how Ferrari's rear brake disc works. This discussion is typical of the types of conversations that often take place between motor racing engineers in relation to non-critical aspects of car design.
"Stepney made a sketch to show how the brake disc worked. My view was that his drawing incorrectly characterised how this feature looked based on photographs taken at races, but I did not comment on this.
"After having lunch with Stepney I asked him not to send to me anything further.
"I then asked Stepney to drive me to the Airport. When I got into his car, he passed me a bundle of documents which he asked me to look at.
So according to Cheddar, McLaren rebuilt their car from scratch sometime after 28 April 2007.
P.S.
Incidentally in a reply above you said " itv-f1 mention e-mails, Autosport dont. "
The same story as at ITV was carried by Autosport www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/62376
Finally got round to doing the oil-change on the Almera that I've been putting off for weeks (months!). Only problem is that just as the last few dribbles emerged from the sump, a gust of wind sprayed oil all over the parking area outside my house (and all over me, as I was under the car).
Anyone got any tips to remove dirty black oil from concrete? All ideas gratefully received! Read more
Pour some petrol on, it will lift the oil and soak up with rag. 'No Smoking' though whilst playing with petrol! Brake cleaner will also lift the worst.
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Fullchat
Hello
I think this has popped up before - I did a Forum Search (promise!) but couldn't find the answer to my query. Maybe some knowledgeable person can answer it.
If I were to buy a new car from Motorpoint, how does the warranty work?
The first year is presumably manufacturer backed, so would I take it back to a main dealer?
What about years 2 and 3?
Thanks in advance. Read more
We brought my wifes Seat Altea from Motorpoint and on the whole it has been an OK experience as we saved £3000 over one from a local dealer (even against cars that we also in worst condition)
Plus was every thing was sorted out over the phone all I had to do was bring my deposit and sign and take the car away. Our car was 6 months old and had done 9k miles and was in good condition. (as described)
Down side read carefully - before you part with the cash make sure you have both sets of keys as only one was supplied to us and it took 4 months for the master one to turn up !! and only after the C/Locking went wrong and they needed the master to reprogram the thing.
Second thing make sure that the service book if it needs a PDI stamp has one - as two seat dealers refused to work on the car as it hadn't had a PDI but gone straight to a rental fleet.
one other thing their "master valet" @ £75 is basically two minutes of Jet Wash or it was on mine - save that money have a nice meal and take it round the corner to Morrisons Jet wash !!
I would recomend MP as they didn't walk away from our problems and would buy their again
Paul
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If the Vettel-Webber shunt had happened on an ordinary road it would be a no-brainer, wouldn't it?
"Sorry guv, I was watching the guy in front of you and didn't realise you were still in my way.''
The real problem here seems to me that we are entering a new phase of audience participation - every race (or match, or whatever) will be subject to a post-mortem as the whole world looks at and pronounces their verdicts on odd bits of video on You-tube shot by spectators while the cameras weren't looking.
Presumably no race result will be available for any event until a few weeks of world-wide argy-bargy.
{edit to remove last sentence requested by author - DD}