October 2007
Hi,
I have just purchased a Mk4 (1999) VW Polo and have noticed that one of the rear number plate light bulbs is not working. Now I?ve had a Mk3 Polo for over 5 years and this is really simple to do on that, but I have no idea on how to do it on my new Mk4.
There are two bulbs that are located within the rear bumper and shine upwards onto the rear number plate. I?m hoping that I don?t have to remove the whole bumper, so if anyone can help me I?d be very grateful.
Many thanks,
Matt Read more
Apologies for going off on a tangent here...this may be of interest to you BobbyG
Last Saturday I borrowed my ex's IS200 SportCross and called in at her local Lexus dealer on her behalf with a query regarding the wheels which were in a dreadful condition...she wondered whether there was a 'recall' on them.
Anyway, they had a pair of 2005 Skoda Fabia VRs which had just been part exd, 23k miles on the clock, looking in as new condition. I enquired about the price, was informed that they were selling them into the trade @ £8800, but if interested could buy one for £9,000 + Lexus warranty @£720. I vaguely remember some 2 years ago an internet dealer selling this model for approx £10,500 OTR (UK supplied). I found it difficult to believe that a 'trade buyer' would pay £8800k and as for purchasing a warranty when there was a years manuf warranty remaining...an 'oversight' I was told!!
If these figures were true, the residuals are amazingly strong for this model.
TANGENT !---- so much of one its been moved to its own thread.... Read more
Good point, DP. The attraction in theory was near-diesel economy without the noise - but since writing that I see that VW are promising us a new common-rail 2.0 TDI which will be much more refined, so that may cancel out this advantage. Actually my Golf 2.0 TDI is only noisy on hard acceleration, which I can live with given its excellent performance and economy all round.
Just been to Manchester and back (from Berks.) - a splendid 54 mpg. I couldn't get more than 44 mpg from the B-class on a similar long run - oddly both engines are 2.0 turbodiesels with 140 bhp..
Sisters neighbour has lost main key to her 2002 Fiesta, is using the spare at this time.
Key is a standard black topped Ford key ( no buttons ) with a red insert in the top edge. Have looked on Ebay ( I have little knowlege of Fords ) and have found identical blank keys but the text says " for cars up to 98 " and that Fiesta's from 2003 on have a key with a blue insert.
Can anyone please confirm if the key for a 2002 Fiesta would be a chipped, red insert key or not?
Thank you. Read more
www.mirez.co.uk/Keys.htm
some more info.
Hi all,
The tyres on my car (front and rear) wear on the inside edge, the tracking has been tested and is fine, and I check the tyre pressures about every ten days or so, they are never more than a 1lb or two out, could it be the camber?
Joe 90 Read more
The tyres on my Merc do the same. Ever since speed cushions were installed locally. They chamfer my tyres every time I drive over them!
My Corsa? Can't even straddle the speed cushions, so broke a front spring instead!
I drive slowly over speed cushions - around 10 - 15 mph - to spare the cars. The speed limit is 30 mph. What is the council playing at? Spending my council tax to ruin our cars.
Our Ebay special AX failed its MoT on numberplates being illegible. Having failed to identify the reg. mark properly from the seller's photo of the car, I feel the MoT man had a point. But, having replaced the plates, I now have a front and a rear number plate from a car of very little value but with current tax and MoT. How concerned should I be about disposing of the original plates? Can I just drop them in the wheelie bin, or should I take an angle grinder to them or immolate them in separate bonfires on Nov 5th?
Hawkeye
-----------------------------
Stranger in a strange land Read more
Snap them in half and throw them away. Thieves don't go scouting in bins for bits of old number plates to clone cars, they can easily get any number plate they want made up without hassle.
I'm not sure whether this has been covered before but I'm still confused about using a hand held mobile. I understand that the law prohibits the use of a hand held when moving and also stationary with the engine running. Someone has now told me that it may be rather foolish to use a hand held when sitting in the driver's seat with the engine off. According to this 'someone' the police may assume that the engine was swiftly switched off when the driver saw an officer approaching.
BTW what's the situation over using a mobile when riding a horse on public roads? Not such a daft question as I saw a girl the other day doing just that and certainly not paying attention to controlling the horse! Read more
" I think that if you have the ignition key on or about your person you are deemed to be driving."
No. As I said above there is a definition of driving in the RTA. Over the years this has been refined and focussed with caselaw. You can actually "drive" a car (within the meaning of the Act) without having the keys anywhere nearby. The old Section 5 (Drunk in Charge was the Police term) is different, having the keys in your pocket may then become a situation where you are in Charge for the purposes of that chunk of legistlation......Driving as the Act understands is'nt that simple.
I have been in hospital for 5 weeks and as I am the only driver my car, a BMW120d, about 12 months old, has been standing in my drive.
I am now home from hospital and may be able to drive in a week or so. Could you advise me what is the best way to get the car ready and what to be checked before I take the car on the road.
Thankyou
Corrected poster's error at his request Read more
>>I'd be surprised if the battery still has enough charge in it to start the car
I'd be surprised if the battery didnt have enough charge in it to start the car,should last longer than that without a problem!!!
Had a recent trip of a few weeks in Japan and took the opportunity of driving a rental Impreza. Had the car for a trip from Shinagawa, Tokyo, to Osaka and back. Going via Nagoya.
The car was an almost brand new Japanese-spec 2.0 150PS (non-turbo) model.
I expected to be very impressed with the car - but unfortunately it didn't meet expections.
Car looks a bit better in the metal than in pictures - but the styling is not distinctive. Interior is not too bad (many aspects borrowed from the Legacy).
The car is wider inside and the front seats didn't 'nip' me like the ones on the 2007 model do.
A fair bit more legroom in the back.
The engine is more muffled than in the old model, but it does feel a bit 'remote' and didn't sound as nice to my ears as the outgoing 2.0RX. You prod the pedal and there is a well-muffled roar from somewhere in front.
On the move the clutch and gearshift are fine. This model has electric PAS and unfortunately has that slightly wooden feeling that many of these systems have - it feels a bit like a BMW Mini in that respect, to be honest. Not nearly as nice as the steering of the old car.
Japanese roads are very smooth and well graded - so its hard to comment on the ride as it would be experienced in UK.
Handling is definitely set up to work with the (standard) stability control and it feels a little 'dead' - - with the expected gentle understeer. There is a lack of interactivity between throttle and steering and you can't balance the car on the throttle, as you could with the old car. If you switch the ESP off then the car feels decidedly light at the back end and does not inspire confidence in fast curves.
Brakes are much as per the current model and fine.
Overall its a car that the Focus/Mazda3/Astra driver will be more than happy with. IMHO it lacks the interactivity of the current ('old') version and does not feel as fluid on a winding road. Bit of a disappointment really. Read more
Very underwhelmed spoke of poor fuel consumption below parr
performance (this was a Top of the range n/a 2litre) so-so interior. Liked the brakes
& handling.
The one I had in Japan seemed fine on fuel consumption (around 30-35mpg equivalent). Performance was quite acceptable and much the same as any other 2-litre hatch. It was the handling I was less keen on.
>>Certainly everyone I've known of with non-Turbo
versions of the old ones have had problems fuel consumption being one of them. Reliability
as they get older has been average as well.
The 'non-turbos' were fitted with a variety of engines, but the old SOHC EJ20's have been incredibly reliable - you can't kill them. Crank sensors about the only thing that gives problems. The turbo's tend to be a little more troublesome simply because they are under a lot more stress and are quite a bit more complex, but all are very reliable by the standards of most other brands.
The newer (post-06/2005-on) non-turbos use a version of the quad-cam EJ204 (also used in Legacy and Forester) which is a very good motor and well proven for many years on the Japanese home market, although latest version, being Euro-IV, has a lot more sensors on it. They are much better on economy (at least in the Impreza) and not heard anything bad yet about reliabilty, although most will still be under warranty.
EJ25 as used in Legacy 2.5 had problems 1999-2002 approx due to liners fretting the head gasket - probably Subarus only 'problem' engine. They claim it was fixed 2002-on, although the jury is still out for another year or two I guess.
Hey there,
I am getting ready to trade down from my mk2 Focus TDCi 110 to a mk1, but am having difficulty deciding between two models. The 1.6 Ebony 03 with heated leather seats, parking sensors, loads of xtras, or the 1.8 TDCi Sport 53, which has less equipment, but does look a little more special but has the advantage of diesel economy and power...both have around 40,000 miles.
The crux of the matter is whether the TDCi with it's alloys and slightly mroe special styling inside and out, is worth the £1200 over the 1.6. Am i right in thinking it's a very expensive engine to repair, without being particularly reliable (the 1.6 was very reliable that I had before the mk2 Focus)?
Thanks
SLT Read more
I have just got the old Cat off. In the new fixing kit is a sealing ring to go between the two flanges, this appears to be made of a sort of compressed wire material presumably to allow a bit of flex together with the spring mounted bolts.
Read more
Screwloose. The whole is actually in the pipe just in front of the weld, I hadn't thought about seeing if it could be welded, I will look in the morning to see how bad the pipe is.
My local pug place do the Cat for about £110 + vat about the same as GSF.
For a laugh I asked Peugeot, they want about £280 +
bell boy. I was told that wasn't an option as the 2.1td was only fitted for about two years and they all had Cats
Browse
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i never worked out how to do this
can only suggest you use the smallest proding tool you can find to poke the damm thing out one side at a time