November 2007
The one light I don't want to illuminate!
Just passed its MOT with flying colours, not so much as a loose screw, and the orange engine management system light comes on. It runs fine, no difference in performance or economy, I know it's a little overdue for a service so the oil may be grubby and the plugs might not be pristeen, but how seriously should I take it and what's the most likely cause for it lighting up? If it's any number of things then apologies in advance for vagueness! Read more
tinyurl.com/2qrzuz
oh no. Can't you just fill up, pay and hoppit so I can have a go?
JH Read more
Hi there,
Haven't been on this site for a while. Good to see some of the old faces are still posting here.
I hope someone has time to give me their opinion on this...
I have a problem concerning a car i'm buying this week. It's a Mk4 Golf 1.6 SE auto. T Reg. It's got 30,000 miles on the clock. 2 owners. private sale.
It has a FVWSH (albeit at a variety of places), and all MOTs bar one year (2003).
I HPI'd it and all is fine except issue date doesn't match.
I called up the VW dealer where it was serviced, and they say that when it was serviced in 2001 it had 7800 miles on it. Then the next year it had 72000 miles. Then 2 years later, it had the same mileage PLUS 1 single mile......
Is this a dodgy car??? The bloke i'm buying it off seems fairly kosher, and it was his wife that was driving it. And they bought it off a similar couple from nearby, who owned it from new up until march this year (yes, current couple only owned it since march his year).
My colleague reckons that it could just be an administration error. He says despite being main dealers, it still a bunch of jubs that work in the garages (sorry if i'm offending anyone!!) who always make mistakes...
Also, there was a funny large soft plastic cover on the near right of the engine. That i haven't seen before on any other golf. What's that all about?
What do u guys think........? Read more
Latest What Car has Mark 4 Golfs as VW's most unreliable recent car. Just avoid it and buy something else. How many more negative replies do you want before you're put off Zen?
Hi all,
Received my renewal quote for my insurance yesterday. Last year I had 5 years and on the email it says that I still have 5 years. I queried this with them and they gave the following responce;
"Dear xxxxxxxxx
With xxxxxxxx.xxx your no claims discount entitlement will be equivalent to our maximum discount of 60%. As with most insurance companies, 5 years is the maximum amount of years no claims discount we will accept to give you a reduction in your premium. If you provide your proof to any other insurance companies they should accept this as being the most NCD you could have earned and will discount your premium accordingly."
Now does this mean that If I go to another insurer they will only accept 5 years NCD even though I have 6 years or does everyone stop at 5 years ?
Thanks
Richard
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I will be having it protected, but don't know if to go comprehensive or TPFF.
I have a N plate Mk3 Golf Estate TD.
I do about 30,000 miles a year
Saxo
Hi Guys and Gals,
Could really use some advice, basically my Saxo 99? S Reg 1.4 WestCoast has caused me no end of problems over the last few months. It all started when the car would no longer idle. I?d start the ignition and it?d drop below 1000 and cut out- this got gradually worse over time- I could drive it if I revved it hard. Took it to the garage and the head gasket had gone. That set me back £500 and everything looked sorted until about 2 weeks later it started cutting out again, whenever I?d slow down at traffic lights/slip roads it?d cut out (sometimes restarting as if a cable were loose) I took it back to the garage who said it was a sensor. The air intake control valve (starter motor) they replaced this and the problem persisted. I can drive down the motorway, through town but if I brake/go below 1000 it will cut out. I have also had the problem when I slow down its almost revving itself. download.yousendit.com/59BE246173E1B281 <-- Video of it doing it. literally the rev needle bouncing up and down on its own when I?m stationary. Since then the garage have had the problem for a number of weeks and replaced the back box and the exhaust as he believed it was full of stuff not allowing the fumes to pass through choking the engine casing it to stall. Now the problem has carried on and he has said he believes it to be the catalytic converter. I believe this to be absolute crap as I have replaced it about 6 months ago. My cat was cracked and I replaced it however I was still able to drive it normally (it just sounded like a chav mobile). Therefore I have to ask how this catalytic converter failing could be the cause of it. I believe he knows it?s the part another garage have done so therefore it?s easy to blame on that. Only problem it?s at home and if I get them to replace it on warranty its going to cost me to get it back there. I really need to know what other people think it could be I feel like I have replaced everything on the car and I?m not spending another penny as I see it its down to the garages to fix it as I?ve paid them shed loads and its down to them to fix the problem. I really really would like to know if anyone?s got any advice to what it could be though as it?s the most frustrating thing in the world and constantly on my mind.
Whitey
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It may sound a stupid question but have they checked/replaced the idle control stepper motor?
Once you lift your foot off the accelerator the throttle butterfly closes completely which starves the engine - to prevent this and allow idling the butterfly is held open by the stepper motor.
On the side of the throttle housing is a small clindrical unit held on with 2 bolts - this has a plunger which sets the position of the throttle butterfly at idle (i.e. when not held open by the throttle cable) - they arent cheap around £90 I think.
I drive an X reg Renault Megane Cabriolet 1.6 Dynamique. I am thinking about trading it in as its so impractical and annoying. I wanted to sell it and spend the money on something like a Ford Focus thats 3/4 years old. My car has low mileage and on Parkers it works out about £4200 and similar cars are listed at £4000- £4500. On the other hand, the paint has some minor damage (small chips in concentric circles about the size of a small apple- I think it might be damage from bird muck)
Its just been in for its winter service and I've been told it needs some work doing. It needs three new tyres and new brake pads, which is being done tomorrow. In addition, he says I need a gear box mount replacing, the exhaust replacing and the front drive shaft fixing. None of these are urgent but will be need to replaced eventually. Finally its due for its MOT in January.
My dilemma is this. It seems like a silly time of year to sell a convertible car. I know I will get a better price if I wait til then, but then again, I'll have to spend about £600 to get it to go til then.
Am I best cutting my losses and flogging it now, or paying to fix it and get a better price next year?
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Thanks for the suggestions.
Will get in MOT'd when it is due (end of Jan) as I can't afford to pay for any work that may need to be done at the moment, what with Christmas coming up and then probably flog it ASAP. It will be due road tax then and I'll put 6 months on it.
There are a few on Autotrader listed at about £4000- £4500, but they appear to have been listed at that price for a while. A cars only worth what somebody will pay for it and it doesn't seem that anybody wants to pay for one!
Evening all,
I know this is a stupid, and I mean stupid question, but does anyone know how to open the compartment to change sidelight bulbs on a 2002 406. The compartment appears to be sealed, apart from the possibility of simply pulling the connection out of the back, or unscrewing from the top with a small cross head screwdriver.
As I say, it's a stupid question.
Thanks,
DB Read more
Open the dip headlight bulb covers, the sidelight bulbs are on the end of the 2" long white plastic levers - rotate the levers about the bulb location and then wiggle them free. The bulbs are of the capless type and slot into the white plastic lever ends.
A few months ago my mother in law was looking to buy another car and fancied a new Corsa SXI. She took her 52 plate Corsa SRI into the local dealer and they made her a daft offer for it in px and no discount on list.
When she told me about this I did a little bit of searching on the internet and checked out the online deals. She wasn't looking for any finance and was going for a cash deal. I hunted around and most of the web outfits were managing to sell a pre-reg one for about 2K under list (about 9 1/2K). I then contacted one of them (www.nationwidevehicles.co.uk ) and entered into a contract with a 3 month delivery on the car. A week or so later we paid a £550 deposit to place the order. It was explained that the V5 would be retained for a period of up to 12m by the supplying company, this was a bit longer than some pre-reg deals but most involved some form of retention of V5. I did a little bit of research online and found that this was indeed the norm for pre-reg's albeit that 12m was longer than usual.
The car is now at the supplying dealer and ready to go. Now here is the bit that's concerning me.....the paperwork dropped through the door this morning and it is structured in the form of a 12m contract deal with no interest on it through a finance company called CPL finance and quotes an arangement through "4wheels4u". It is set up in such a way that it takes into account the deposit and then requires payment of the balance (8900 ish) and then shows a "balloon" payment at the end of £115.
When I entered into the agreement there was no mention of this sort of structure, only that the we would pay the balance before delivery and that the V5 would be retained.
When I challenged the broker tonight he acknowledged that this was something new to provide "an auditable trail" to protect all parties. I asked why nationwide vehicles weren't mentioned anywhere in this agreement and he advises that as a broker this is direct with his supplier - 4 wheels 4 u. Apparently the 115 reflects the fact that if the V5 isn't returned to my MIL within the year, perhaps a few days late, then the supplier will bill us the 115 and provide another 12m road tax. I asked him what form of receipt I would get to back up the legal ownership of the car and he confirms that he would send an "invoice paid" receipt for the total balance of the car. I told him I was not happy and that I thought they'd moved the goalposts from the original agreement. I asked what the situation was if I cancel, apparently he has to pay £450 cancellation fee to his supplier and thus I will get my deposit back minus this £450. If I cancel now obviously we will be 450 down and my MIL will be disappointed that she won't get the new car she thought she was about to get. But if we go ahead I am concerned by this spurious credit agreement contract that we have entered into......
Apologies for the length of the post, I would welcome any advice I could get in this situation. On one hand I'm partially convinced this is the way these things are run but on the other hand I don't want any hassle to come my way.....
Also if anyone has had any dealings with Nationwidevehicles I'd appreciate any feedback.
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Rather than give a perception that the BR is an unwelcoming place for the first time poster please refrain from making negative comments publically when you doubt their authenticity, refer them to one of us either by e-mail or by the reporting button and let us sort them out - thanks
One of our local council's has finally gone completely loopy, or rather one of its parking attendants has.
Woman received a FPN for displaying a 'For Sale' sign in her car while parked in a town centre car park while doing her shopping!
Apparently it is a contravention of their car parking terms to offer any item for sale whilst parked in the car park and by having a 'For Sale' sign taped to her window she is deemed to be offering her vehicle for sale whilst parked in their car park.
One hopes common sense will prevail but as someone, I can't remember who, once said, 'The problem with common sense is that it isn't very common.'
tinyurl.com/2f3b2o Read more
A4 sized piece of paper permanently stuck on the windscreen. Absolutely clueless.
can anyone please tell me if a gearbox from a r reg or t reg (ie pre 2000) 1.5 manual almera (would that be N15?) fit a 53 plate 1.5 manual (N16) almera. also would the ratios be the same
thanks Read more
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How long is a piece of string? It needs to be plugged in to have its fault code(s) read.