November 2007
On my way to work there is a stretch of 2 lane road where the left lane is usually solid with slow moving traffic (it leads to a traffic lit crossroads and then to a motorway). The right hand lane is normally fairly free as it becomes right turn only at another set of lights about a quarter of a mile before the crossroad.'
It is common for vehicles to come shooting up the right hand lane and dive into a gap, if there is one, or stop when they can't go any further and signal left and wait for someone to let them in. This is deliberate and most annoying.
I know a guy who does this every time he uses this road. Who does he blame? "The mug (his word) that lets me in. If he didn't let me in I wouldn't do it." He is serious and can see nothing wrong with his behaviour.
So next time you are in a queue of traffic and some queue jumper comes up the outside, or inside, lane and signals he/she wants to pull into your lane just think that it might be the guy I know and if you let him in he will, metaphorically, stick two fingers in the air and say to himself 'THANKS MUG'.
DON'T DO IT. LEAVE HIM SAT THERE ALL DAY!
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I need to replace the glove box with a second-hand one. Does anyone know whether both the one airbag and the two airbag xantia (one bag for driver, one for passenger) share an identical glove box ?
(Shouting amended) Read more
AFAIK, no, they're different.
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RichardW
Is it illogical? It must be Citroen....
Hi All
I bought an EU-import Subaru Impreza 2.0RX (the 'old' saloon, not the new hatch) on 1st September. After a nearly three months ownership I remain highly delighted with this car. It really is a great car to drive in my suburban/rural driving and feels incredibly well engineered and "together". I dont have any rattles or other problems as yet. I now "get" why Subaru owners can be so enthusiastic about their cars, I already know what my next car will be!!
One thing that causes me some slight concern is the feel of the brakes first thing in the morning. For the first couple of applications they seem to lack "bite" and require a slightly firmer push on the pedal, probably 20% more effort, although it is very difficult to estimate such a thing. Once the brakes have been used a couple of times they are great. Why would this be? I have looked at the discs and they seem to be bright and shiny. I have also checked the servo operation, by holding the pedal down and then starting the engine, you can feel it sink. I had it at the dealer and they looked at the brakes and drove the car and say it is exactly the same as any other Subaru and that there is no problem. Any ideas guys?
Edit: I just had a look at HJ's car-by-car breakdown for the Impreza. Under 'What's Bad' he writes, "UK stocks of I.5R sold out in its first month on the market.". Why is this bad? Surely its good, because it shows that there is good demand for the model, does it not? Read more
Do you park it overnight in a dry garage or outside, exposed to the elements?
Hi guys,
I'm new to this site and Xantias but you seem to know what you're talking about.......here's my problem:
The front suspension on my 95 Xantia 1.9TD VSX is constantly dropping and rising. As soon as you start the engine the ride height drops, takes about 5 seconds. As soon as it stops sinking it pumps back up to normal ride height but then it happens all over again straight away.
Might it have something to do with the fact that one of my hydraulic fluid pipes burst and was peplaces or would it be spheres or ride height adjusters. I don't have a clue and can't seem to find anyone who's had the same problem.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Cheers
Kevin Read more
When it comes back up in the new year FrenchCarForum is the place to ask the questions!
In the meantime download and read the excellent Technical guide from:
www.tramontana.co.hu/citroen/guide/guide.php
These guys REALLY know what they are talking about! My knowledge is just from virtually non-stop Citroen experience for the last 30 or so years (since I was just about old enough to talk....!).
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RichardW
Is it illogical? It must be Citroen....
Looking at VW Tourans with the 2.0 TDI PD. The two leading contenders with the desired spec and colors are priced at £10k and £12k, with the former having 85k miles and the latter 30k. Both are single owner, FVWSH vehicles. The high miler is a trade in at a LR Stratstone franchise, and the lower one is at a VW main dealer, where it was originally bought and sold.
Which would be the better buy?
In our ownership, it probably won't see more than 10k per year, but we do hope to own it for at least 5 years.
TIA,
Matt Read more
btw I was looking as Scenics until I started reading online owners reviews. Just sayin'.......
Oh yeah, I totally agree with you. I'm under no illusion that the Scenic was a big risk, and there are certainly horror stories out there, but it came recommended in just as many numbers, and the design and sheer practicality of the thing just won us over.
The VW didn't come out any better overall out of the people we asked, and the reviews we saw, so what can you do apart from pay yer money and take a chance? :-)
Good luck with your new car.
Cheers
DP
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04 Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique
00 Mondeo 1.8TD LX
Hi all,
Long time no post !
I have a work mate who is running a 1998 VW passet 1.9tdi (115BHP I think) which he had a number of issues with........
The current issue: The car starts fine and runs okay.........but it appears to have little to no 'boost', further more, when the car hits about 3000rpm you here a click and she drops into limp home mode (max speed 45/50 mph)
The garage had replaced the N75 valve, I'm going to check it is piped up correctly for him first, but I'm not too sure that is the issue..........does anyone have any thoughts...the garage seems to think the waste gate is stuck....hummmmmmm
Regards
Hayden Murray Read more
Okay team, just to close this thread out......
After the car appeared okay again, it came back.........
vacuum hoses etc on the car all checked for leaks etc, and ensured the N75 valve was correctly piped up (I checked this because I knew a garage had recently replaced it)
Then I checked the EGR valve was not stuck open and moving freely (the old suck on a hose test).....this was fine.....next step, check the VNT for free movement...getting under the car I could JUST get my fingers to the actuator, I could not move it, got the 10mm spanner again, yes it moved, but I must admit when I compared the movement to my wifes 2001 Audi, if was not as free........wish I had done that before......
After a quick conversation with the cars owner (who told me the garage wanted £900 +VAT) to fix the issue, and the fact I could source a second hand turbo from my local breakers for £150 (cash ;0) I set to removing the turbo. Took about 45min / 1hour.
The inlet manifold was filled with gunk, so that got a good clean (& the pipe work), then I attack the turbo.... the actuator was still stiff (if not stuck)
Removed the compressor housing and the turbine housing (I did NOT strip out the centre housing because that means messing with the bearing....and since they appeared to be okay best left well alone...)
In one word the complete unit was 'Blocked', took apart the turbine housing the reveal a NVT system......vanes and levers messed up with soot etc........with the aid of the trusty tool box tooth brush and some paraffin I started cleaning........2hours later, a considerably cleaner turbo unit and a freely moving VNT waste gate reassembled.....
Another hour later all back to together (minor cuts etc, the most major from a dam tie wrap......)
Leap of faith, start the car.....plenty of smoke etc on start up but no loud bangs....test drive's everything tip top...........
The owner has had the car back now for almost a month and say it now goes like a rocket and is very happy...........
Thanks for everyone's help........
Hello ? Can you hear me ?....Hello ? , Hello ? ah yes I can hear you now ! ... Hello ?...... I know there is a lot of opinion as to the dangers of 'phone use in cars and I can't help but agree with most of it. I guess if I could "dis-invent" one thing it would be the technology which allows in-car 'phone use !
However, I spend most of my working life behind the wheel and as I am self-employed and also happen to make up the entire workforce I therefore have little choice but to use the infernal thing.
So here is my question - What do others recommend as the best after market and most importantly, portable, hands-free solutions ? I have tried bluetooth "stick it in your ear" things - verdict useless. Bluetooth "clip it on the visor" things..... also rubbish. The only thing which seems to consistantly ( sort of ) work is the old-fashioned earpiece-speaker-on-a-wire which jackplugs into the phone which I have mounted on a dash cradle. I know there are options to have built in systems but as I also travel abroad quite a lot and need to hire cars I would prefer one system which does everything.
Any suggestions ?
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I found turning the phone off in the car works a treat.
Hi Folks,
I came across a 2005 1.6 Lancer estate with 24 K on the clock. I'm looking to replace my Xsara HDi with another workshorse type car.
Physically, the car looks fresh and it feels ok to drive. But there was a fair bit of 'emulsion' under oil filler cap. This was also evident on teh dipstick. On questioning teh salesman, I was told that the car was in the dealeship for over 4 months and was only been driven a handful of miles a week.
So my questions are:
[1] Would such usage account for the emulsion?
[2] Does anyone have bad experiences of a Lancer??
After the horror of owning a Citroen, I wish to avaoid further lemons!!! My Xsara is at a Citroen dealer for over a week with electrical problems and there is no sign of a solution!!
I understand that the Lancer is a plain car but I can live with that as long as it's reliable.
Thanks
MPH Read more
There is a 2.0 Sport Estate, but is significantly thirstier (33 v 41 Comb' Mpg), more expensive to tax (£205 v £165 pa) and insure (Gp 12 v 9), and costs about £1500 more to buy than the 1.6 Equippe.
The Subaru is a tempting proposition, they are justifiably popular in rural areas and a car I would like to own myself. But even outside the main dealer network they are hard to find and in a different class pricewise (£3-4 K+ more year for year) to the Lancer. Although they have an excellent reputation for reliability, they equally have a reputation for being expensive to run.
The appeal of the Lancer 1.6 is that for just £6k (and possibly less with haggling) you can buy a well equipped and built two year old Japanese family estate with a years unlimited mileage manufacturers warranty from a franchised dealer.
A search on Autotrader suggests the only vehicle in this size class to offer the same value for money is the Chevy Tacuma, and looks are only one of the reasons I wouldn?t consider one of those!
The front wipers on my 03/03 Focus have wear indicators (near where the arm attaches to the blade) which are supposed to change from black to a warning triangle on a yellow background when blade renewal is advisable. The illustration on the box showed the yellow background as bright yellow. The indicators on mine are showing yellow, but a very murky yellow which needs a good light to be able to distinguish that they are no longer black. In practice do they ever really go bright yellow? Read more
The Valeo (OEM to Ford) wear indicators turn yellow with exposure to UV light as this is the biggest degrader od the rubber used in wiper blades.
I had the same wipers on my Previous Focus and the wear indicators turned a bright yellow. This was at around the time they needed changing anyway (in my eyes)
I just noticed the text for the Mitsubishi EVO VII and VIII has been revamped. I have to take great issue with a statement made in the 'what to watch out for' section. It is suggested that the VII and VIII may get through engines in 5000 and 10000 miles respectively. I'm afraid there is no evidence for that, I am an EVO owenr and am a member of the Mitsubishi Lancer Register, the primary owners club in the UK for that model and I can assure you, even the hardest driven cars will not get through engines in anything like those low miles. EVO engines are remarkably robust and only when modified heavily would you begin to see engine reliability problems of any significance.
Disappointed that such a poor price of misinformation is being propogated through this site which I normaslly trust implicitly. Read more
My opinion, no facts to back it up; other than his out of date, sometimes out of touch comments about some vehicles and "how to" advice etc. JOURNALIST!
Browse
Mattster, merge in turn is American English for "filter in". (www.dictionary.cambridge.org)
"Zip merge" is such a new term that it is not yet in any major dictionary, but I think a sign to that effect accompanied by a suitable image of a zip halfway down (voluntary self censorship of following comment...) would be understood by most normal drivers.